Julie Pederson left a lasting legacy at River Cities Speedway

Aug. 13—GRAND FORKS — Julie (Osowski) Pederson was still in high school when she began racing at River Cities Speedway. There weren't many females on the track at that time, and when she made mistakes, the comments weren't always kind. "The first year was really rough," the driver from Drayton, N.D., recounted to the Herald years later. "I'm lucky I have any friends left. I was pretty hard on cars, but it got better." It got better quickly. Two years in, Pederson was named the track's rookie of the year in the hobby stock division. She then became a force in the super stock division — and the comments stopped. "When you're in the heat of the battle or in the moment, sometimes you don't see the whole picture until years later," said late model driver Joey Pederson, who married Julie in 2001. "In the moment, I was excited to see her develop and really accomplish what she set out to accomplish — to be treated as an equal out there. "When the chatter got quiet, you knew they had accepted her as an equal." Julie was inducted into the River Cities Speedway Hall of Fame last weekend alongside another pioneering female driver, Jeannie Kristjanson. Joey said the moment was bittersweet. Julie died in April 2024 at age 49 after a battle with cancer. "As a family, we're honored that there was recognition of Julie and Jeannie's efforts 25, 30 years ago," Joey said. "To those close to Julie, we treated it like a celebration, as well, of her racing career." Julie raced all over the region — Grand Forks, Greenbush, Minn., Hamilton, N.D., Warren, Minn., Jamestown, N.D., and Huron, S.D. She used the No. 93, signifying the year she graduated from high school. After she became a mother, Julie moved into crew chief mode, helping her son, Tucker, and daughter, Kelsi, launch their racing careers. On the night Julie was inducted into the Hall of Fame, both Tucker and Kelsi won their late model heat races. "They were her pride and joy, for sure," Joey said. "She was there every step of the way to support them and surround them — not only to be successful on the track but equally as much as a person. She steered them a lot in the younger years and that still shows today." Kristjanson was only 16 years old and did not have her driver's license when she raced her first feature at River Cities Speedway in 1989. She was the only female driver at the track that year. "I was so nervous," she told the Herald after the race. "Once I got out to the pits, everyone was staring at me. I felt like I didn't belong. I remember telling my dad that everyone was staring at us like we were crazy. But he just told me not to worry about it. . . to ignore them and have fun." Now, it's not as uncommon to see female drivers at the track. Kelsi is currently sixth in points at River Cities Speedway in the late model division. She previously had success in a lightning sprint. Grand Forks Red River senior Kenna Breidenbach also won a modified heat race Friday and finished second in the feature. She's third in points at River Cities Speedway. Meanwhile, in West Fargo, Grand Forks native Jerzee Rosinski won her first feature of the season Friday, capturing the checkered flag in a 305 sprint at Fix It Forward Speedway. On any given night, there will be up to six females driving at The Bullring. Twin sisters Amelia and Laela Eisenschenk drive both late models and sprints. Kate Taves of Detroit Lakes, Minn., has driven both a 305 sprint and a 410 sprint at River Cities Speedway this summer. Joey said Julie always tried to encourage girls to chase their racing dreams. "She had several kids who would come up to her car, especially younger girls," Joey recalled. "Julie was always trying to be that good mentor. She'd spend a little extra time with them. I remember her reminding them, 'Don't ever let someone tell you that you can't do it. If you want to do it, put your mind to it and make it happen.'"