A Grand Bay-Westfield student will put her driving skills to the test on the international stage this summer.

Cara McInerney will represent Westfield Elementary School at the Soap Box Derby World Championships in Akron, Ohio.

McInerney won first place in her division at a recent qualifying event in Saint John earlier in June.

“It’s really exciting, and I’m glad that I get the opportunity to do it,” she said in an interview.

“I knew my brother did it and it seemed really fun to get involved, so I wanted to try and see if I could get in.”

Latest win for McInerney family

Winning soap box derbies seems to run in the blood of the McInerney family.

Cara’s older brother, Walker, won the qualifier and went to the world championship two years ago.

Just like his younger sister, he wrote a letter to the school’s principal explaining why he should be their driver.

Their mother, Alyssa McInerney, said she was shocked that Cara was selected since her older brother had the chance two years earlier.

“They must have thought that maybe she would get some tips from her brother and maybe have a good chance at bringing the championship for her school,” she said.

“They’re pretty competitive and they definitely both wanted to win. Plus, she came with us originally to Ohio, so she knew that that was a big exciting opportunity for him.”

Fundraising for trip

Cara competed against roughly two dozen others in her category to secure her spot at the world championships on July 19.

The family is holding a number of fundraising events over the coming weeks to help cover some of their costs.

That includes selling tickets for a 36″ Blackstone BBQ and holding a movie night fundraiser at the Brundage Point River Centre on Friday night.

While Cara does not have any younger siblings who will carry on the McInerney family tradition, the winning streak might not be over just yet.

“I have three more cousins that are younger than me that go to the same school as me,” she said.