In the world of bracket racing, Jared Ledford is no stranger to winning. With multiple track championships in both Jr. Dragsters and big cars under his belt, he became an IHRA world champion in the Top category at Holly Springs Motorsports Park in 2022. But for the young racer from Greenville, Michigan, the biggest win of his life didn’t come until after a six-month battle with cancer. After a bout of diverticulitis in September 2024, more testing revealed a startling diagnosis of Stage 3C Colon Cancer. At just 23 years old, he became the youngest patient his doctors had ever seen with such an advanced case.
“It was crazy. I went and got my colonoscopy on a Monday and actually won the race at Mid-Michigan two days before. When I found out, it was just a giant blow to the gut,” Ledford said. “It was numbing. I didn’t know what to say and it was just a weird feeling.”
As Ledford started his chemotherapy treatments, his racing came to a halt as he went from never stepping into a hospital in his life to having the doctors and staff know him on a first-name basis. The sudden, drastic life change was soon accompanied by exhausting side effects from the chemotherapy. However, Ledford says the main reason he kept pushing forward was his beloved dog Bentley, a 2-year-old golden retriever, who stayed by his side through it all.
“He was there for everything. If I could have taken him to the hospital, I would have,” Ledford said. “There were days I slept on the bathroom floor and Bentley slept right next to me. He probably helped more than I actually realize, with getting me out of the house to keep moving and not just lay around.”
As if going through treatment during Michigan’s blistery cold winter wasn’t tough enough, Ledford also had to put his original plans to bracket race his Camaro and new dragster during the winter series events in Florida on hold. But then the phone rang, and on the other line was veteran big-money bracket racer Bug McCarty, offering Ledford one of his cars for the 5-Day event at Immokalee Regional Raceway. It was an opportunity that Ledford says he will forever be thankful for. His spirits were quickly lifted after arriving to the Sunshine State and catching up with his racing family. He appreciated how normal everyone treated him despite his diagnosis.
“Going down to Immokalee and it being sunny and 80 degrees every day just made my body feel so much better than what I was dealing with at home,” Ledford said. “One of the side effects from chemo would make my hands and face feel so cold that they would go numb. It was nice to enjoy the warmth and have a change of scenery and be at the racetrack.”
For many reasons, being at Immokalee surrounded by his drag racing family was good for both Ledford’s mental and physical health. He was blown away by all the support he received, especially from his two best friends and fellow racers, Blake Fuqua and Caraline McCarty, who put together multiple fundraisers for Ledford. Fuqua orchestrated a t-shirt sale with a custom “J-Led” design and Ledford was delighted to see how many people wore them throughout the week.
With the help from Immokalee Raceway owner Thomas Hester, McCarty organized a race entry giveaway to raise money for Ledford’s medical expenses. In a show of support, the entire racing community gathered on the starting line to surprise Ledford with a check for $10,000.
“I’m not a very on-the-spot kind of person, but it was a really cool deal to see everybody up there showing their love and support,” Ledford said. “Blake and Caraline are my best friends in the entire world no matter what. I can’t thank everyone enough.”
Since September, Ledford completed 12 rounds of chemotherapy, with his final treatment taking place in April. He expresses gratitude to his grandmother, Mary Jo Ledford, and cousin, Libby Ledford, who accompanied him during multiple treatments, as well as to the many friends and family members who checked in, sent care packages, and cooked meals.
While he awaits a final CT scan in May to confirm remission, recent blood tests indicate a clean bill of health. Ledford and his close-knit racing community are overwhelmingly excited for him to get back behind the wheel of his race cars for Mid-Michigan’s opening points race in early May.
At just 24 years old, Ledford has faced more challenges and triumphs than most people encounter in a lifetime, yet he maintains a positive attitude about everything that has happened to him. He is grateful for the team of nurses and doctors who helped him through some of his worst days. Most notably, throughout the course of his treatments, Ledford met so many new people and listened to their stories, which significantly changed his perspective on life and how he views others.
“It was very eye opening going through this. Seeing so many other people getting chemo next to you, you don’t realize what they have going on in their lives,” he said. “I used to judge a book by its cover, but not anymore. I’m a lot more open-minded now.”
Ledford is looking forward to regaining a normal lifestyle again, which includes getting back to work and racing. From the day he received news about his cancer diagnosis, Ledford has spoken openly about his journey with family and friends and offers inspiring advice to anyone going through the same experience.
“Be open about it and don’t be afraid to reach out to people to vent and talk,” he said. “Don’t be afraid that you have cancer. Life goes on. You just have to get through it the best you can and push yourself to get to the finish line.”
This story was originally published on May 1, 2025. 
The post IHRA World Champion Jared Ledford Overcomes Battle with Cancer first appeared on Drag Illustrated.