Shelby Blackstock facts for kids

Shelby Steven McEntire Blackstock was born on February 23, 1990. He is an American professional race car driver. He is known for being the son of famous country music singer Reba McEntire. His father is Narvel Blackstock. Shelby also has an older half-brother, Brandon Blackstock, and two older half-sisters, Shawna and Chassidy.

Shelby's Racing Journey

Shelby Blackstock started his exciting racing journey while he was in college. He attended a special racing school called the Bob Bondurant race school. He loved it so much that he decided to leave college. He wanted to become a full-time race car driver!

Early Races and Achievements

Shelby's first big races were in the Skip Barber competition in 2010 and 2011. In 2011, he made his professional debut. He drove a Ford Mustang in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. That same year, he finished fifth in the Skip Barber National Championship.

In 2012, Shelby joined the U.S. F2000 National Championship. He raced with a team called Andretti Autosport. He finished eighth overall in the points standings. His best race finish was fourth place at Road America.

Moving Up in Racing

Shelby continued to race with Andretti Autosport. In 2013, he moved up to the Pro Mazda Championship. This was a great year for him! He finished third in the points standings. He also won a race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. He stood on the podium (finished in the top three) six times in 16 races.

In 2014, he stayed in the Pro Mazda series with Andretti. He finished fourth in points that year. Even though he didn't win a race, he still had six podium finishes.

Indy Lights and Beyond

In 2015, Shelby signed to race in the Indy Lights series. He raced for Andretti Autosport and later for Belardi Auto Racing. Over three seasons, he competed in 50 Indy Lights races. He earned two podium finishes, both at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. His best overall points finish was eighth place in 2016. He was a very consistent driver, rarely having to stop racing early due to problems.

In 2018 Indy Lights, Shelby raced in the first weekend of the season with Team Pelfrey. He achieved his best Indy Lights finish, coming in second place in one of the races. This was his last Indy Lights race.

Touring Car Racing Success

In 2019, Shelby switched to touring car racing. He competed in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. He finished fourth in points in the TCR class, driving a Honda Civic.

In 2020, he competed in the GT World Challenge America. He drove an Acura NSX. Shelby and his co-driver, Trent Hindman, won the series' Silver Cup. They were the only team in their class to compete in every race.