NCAA Women’s Hockey Champion Chayla Edwards To Ride in Fastest Seat in Sports at Road America
Chayla Edwards, a key member of two NCAA championship-winning teams during her illustrious hockey career at the University of Wisconsin, will ride in the Fastest Seat in Sports at the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR on Sunday, June 18, leading the field of drivers to the green flag of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race.
Edwards has played defense for four seasons for the Badgers, including their NCAA championship teams in the 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Edwards also will participate in the honorary role as part of INDYCAR’s Pride Month celebrations and in recognition of the importance of ongoing efforts to create a more welcoming and inclusive atmosphere in the sporting world.
She was named to the All-WCHA Tournament team in 2021 and was a two-time Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree. A Cleveland native, Edwards also excels in the classroom at Wisconsin. She is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and three-time Academic All-WCHA honoree.
INDYCAR’s Fastest Seat in Sports is a high-speed, high-octane, super-charged thrill ride in a custom INDYCAR SERIES car with a special back passenger seat. At almost every race on the schedule, the car advances the field of drivers to the start/finish line to signify the beginning of the race, with a special passenger in the guest seat. Previous participants in the Fastest Seat in Sports include Lady Gaga, NBA champions Steph Curry and Kawhi Leonard, Olympic gold medalists Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Lilly King, actors Simu Liu and Channing Tatum, and many others.
Edwards will be joined at the track on Sunday by teammate Marianne Picard, also a member of University of Wisconsin’s most recent national championship-winning women’s hockey team and on hand to assist in Pride Month celebrations. Picard plays forward for the Badgers and was named WCHA Preseason Co-Rookie of the Year in 2021. Both Edwards and Picard will be introduced during pre-race ceremonies.
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES represents the ultimate challenge in racing, with drivers competing at speeds of 200+ mph across a demanding set of ovals and road and street courses. The full schedule can be viewed here.