Racing is not just a way of life for Mikey Killen Jr., 17, of La Verne, CA. Mikey was born into a family whose roots date back to the early days of stock car racing in Southern California. Mikey’s great-grandfather was Art Atkinson, a driver and short track promoter who was instrumental in bringing NASCAR to the West Coast. Mikey's passion for racing started at a young age and at 11 years old he had the chance meet Cole Custer and race against him at K1. Despite coming in second place, Mikey cherished the autographed hat that Cole gave him and wore it for several years. His parents, Mike Sr. and Monica, recognized his love for racing early on and Mikey continues to honor his family's racing legacy with pride.

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In 2020 Mikey's started iRacing. He practiced alone or with friends and credits the game for developing his driving skills. When he turned 14, he became eligible to race in the Enduro division and was gifted an old red car by his late Uncle Mike. With the help of a long-time Enduro driver, Robert Rice, the car was quickly prepare for the next race. Mikey felt right at home on the track and continues to use iRacing to improve his skills.

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In 2023, he raced in two divisions at Irwindale; Junior Spec Late and Enduro Stock Class, sometimes back-to-back. Bob Bruncati, former ARCA team owner and Sunrise Ford founder announced a new racing division at Irwindale Speedway. Bob is committed to keeping stock car racing alive for the next generation and decided to create a division for drivers aged 12 to 17. He had 10 stock cars built for this class and Mikey was part of the inaugural group of young drivers. Mikey's success in the Enduro class can be attributed to the skills he learned in the Junior Spec Late program. He achieved multiple first-place wins and was leading in points until his unfortunate accident on August 26, 2023. Additionally, Mikey also secured a first-place finish in the Junior Spec Late division in the same year.

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Mikey found a great sponsor for his Junior Spec Late Program in Jan Qualkenbush, the owner of Jan's Racing and Jan Towing. Jan is known as the "Mayor of Irwindale Speedway" for his commitment to the sport and providing tow trucks for each race. He supports Irwindale Speedway because it keeps young drivers away from dangerous street racing and provides a safe place to race. Jan's Towing is a fixture in the San Gabriel Valley and features tow trucks with bright lights and a colorful Hawaiian themed logo that says, "Aloha".

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Jan recognized Mikey's potential to move up in divisions and appreciated his passion for racing. Mikey started helping fellow ARCA driver Nick Joanides as a member of his racing team in 3 and has helped Nick Joanides prepare for his races at Phoenix, Madera, and Roseville. In 2024, Jan makes his debut as a full-time ARCA team owner with long-time driver Joanides and newcomer Mikey Killen. Mikey's goal is to become a NASCAR cup driver and he is ready for the challenge. In the future, Mikey wants to be a crew chief and team owner to support other drivers and continue his family's legacy in NASCAR.