T 16 YEARS of age , Chloe Hudson thought she knew exactly where her life was going . Ambitious , intelligent , and unafraid to dive into the deepest waters of education and hard work , Hudson planned to be a plastic surgeon . She never dreamed that her chosen field simply wouldn ’ t be the right fit , nor that she would instead find tremendous satisfaction through a career in high-level precision welding .

That ’ s the happy detour that the South Carolina native eventually found , though , and it led her to become a respected and masterful welder behind a torch at Joe Gibbs Racing / Joe Gibbs Aerospace . She ’ s also the clever content creator behind much of multi-time Funny Car champion Matt Hagan ’ s social media on race weekends , and her out-of-the-box , imaginative posts have brought a new , fresh perspective to top-tier drag racing on Instagram .

Hudson initially picked up welding at the age of 16 when she took it as a high school elective , and although it did not initially deter her from her chosen path to the medical field , it served a certain purpose .

“ I had a fascination with Jeeps , World War II , historical steel-bodied things ,” she says . “ That stuff really piqued my interest , but I was too poor to afford aftermarket parts . When you have friends in that world , you get a taste of what you can buy – but if you can ’ t buy it , you get a taste for what you can make .”

Later , while working in nuclear maintenance at a power station in South Carolina to pay her way through school , Hudson realized that the craft of welding could actually be quite lucrative . After getting some hands-on experience in the medical field and realizing that her initial dream wasn ’ t her true passion , she shifted gears and leaned into gaining a proper education in welding . Hudson received a valuable scholarship through the Mike Rowe Works Foundation for one semester , and she worked to put herself through the remainder of school . Along the way , she received a category award in the esteemed SkillsUSA competition and began to garner respect in the field .

“ In the process , I ended up really falling in love with it ,” she says . “ I loved TIG welding from the start , and all I wanted to do was high-level precision TIG work . From there , I built dry cask storage containers for spent nuclear fuel , then I went to hydroelectric turbine unit shutdowns and refurbishment , then on to aerospace and motorsports . I ’ ve hit all my major industries across the board .”

At the racetrack , her reputation as an expert welder has spread through the pits , and Hudson has been called on regularly for emergencies that

demand efficient precision . Although it isn ’ t an official role , she ’ s eager to help and is honored that her proven skills with a welding torch have made her a hot commodity . She ’ s welded the flange onto a turbo housing for Comp champion Bruno Massel , worked on wheelie bars for Elite Motorsports , fixed headers on a Pro Stock car , and repaired the exhaust hanger on Matt Smith ’ s Pro Stock Motorcycle before his championship round in 2022 .

“ I secretly think they know I love it so much I ’ d do it for free ,” she jokes . “ But really , it speaks to them trusting me . Before the semifinals or finals , I ’ ve been called on to fix things in a quick turnaround time , and they ’ ve trusted me for my work . [ These teams ] have been 100 % all-in , and that ’ s been the biggest compliment .”

Hudson has done extensive work with companies such as Lincoln Electric and TMS Titanium , including building wing supports for every car in the SRX Series , and she ’ s done work in F1 , as well as the NASCAR xfinity , Truck , and Cup series .

“ I ’ ve hit a pinnacle in my career , and I love it ,” she says . “ I ’ m satisfied , and if nothing changes for me in 10 years , I ’ m good . I always feel guilty if I ever say I ’ m tired , because I have such an amazing life . I don ’ t care that it ’ s seven days a week – look what I get to do .” – KELLY WADE DI

130 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 185