Celebrating, promoting and supporting female racers and women in motorsports

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Promo Shoot: Huntsville Times 4/12/12

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Horsepower & Heels driver Erica Ortiz’s second hobby is also a fast-paced adrenaline feeding sport.

These series of photos were featured in  GO Magazine on 4/12/12, by Huntsville Times photographer Eric Schultz.

As eRacer X for the Dixie Derby Girls Flat Track Roller Derby team in Huntsville, AL, Erica is able to mix her two favorite passions.

While the Pro Mod was down for the rebuild, Erica needed another outlet to keep her active.   Roller derby was just the answer!  Follow some of her roller derby adventures on her blog, eRacer X Files.

 

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Horsepower & Heels partners with Race4Girls

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Horsepower & Heels Racing has partnered with Race4Girls, a special organization designed to assist and promote women in motorsports.

Selected as one of the 20 Race4Girls drivers in 2012,  Erica Ortiz will help assist with the mission of bringing awareness and support to women involved in a wide variety of motorsports.

“Supporting Women in Motorsports has been a passion of mine for years, which is why I was so happy to find Race4Girls, an organization that gives great support, resources, encouragement and camaraderie to women out there competing on the track at a wide variety of levels.” — Horsepower & Heels driver, Erica Ortiz

Race4Girls provides support to female drivers by raising fan donations and awarding grants to drivers for much needed equipment and other expenses toward their racing endeavors.

Contributions can be made at www.race4girls.com. The organization requests a minimum five dollar donation. The contributions go in to a general fund from which drivers can request a grant. Registered drivers are required to earn points and “qualify” for a grant and can receive multiple grants during the racing season.

 “If one half of one percent of the race fans in the U.S. make a five dollar contribution, we will be able to provide funding for better equipment for 150 races or more.”  –Tracey Passantino, founder of Race4Girls

Race4Girls.com is the first website which offers speed enthusiasts a common place to show their financial support for women racecar drivers. Many drivers have offered fans an opportunity to help support a “fan car” but no organization has attempted to raise funds from fans to support a larger group of female drivers.    More details about how Race4Girls works can be found at www.race4girls.com.

 

Setting the wheels back in motion

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Over the last few years of inactivity, my racing efforts have been spread across a few states.  The racecar resides in Orlando, the engine components have been sitting in Atlanta with Mr. Moody, and other stuff never left Alabama at the chassis shop.

As time has ticked on, its been difficult to remember where the car stands, but now that some renewed energy has come back for my racing program, I’ve started to regroup.

This means that Goal #1 is to get the racing program back in a position where I can manage and take inventory of what needs to be accomplished going forward.

This weekend, I was able to set the wheels back in motion with a quick trip to Atlanta to collect my engine components from Mr. Moody.  He’s be patient with me and always been supportive, even though I had to put my racing on the back burner for the last several years.

They may be just baby steps, but they’re steps closer to the larger goal.  One day at a time, and chip it away~!

Back in the Automotive Industry

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Its official, I’ve joined the Blue Oval Family Full-Time!

Woody Anderson FordUp until now, most of my working career has been based in the Marketing Communications/ Public Relations realm.   After I left Lugo Performance back in 2004, I had been working to pay the bills outside of the automotive industry.

My first  love and goal had always been in trying to be a full-time racer.   But my strengths in Public Relations and Marketing would also be a tremendous asset for a team PR position, something I could never quite get my foot in the door at the right time to pursue.

Last year, I decided I would try a different approach.  I decided to take a part time job at Advance Auto just to be around the automotive world again.   Although it didn’t do much in the “paying the bills” department, I really enjoyed the work and realized that my heart is really in the automotive industry.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved the work I did as the Communications Director for the library (my current position).   PR is something I’m really good at, and I really enjoy doing that work too.  But when you’re a gearhead like me, the chance to get back in the automotive industry just is too hard to pass up.

Next week, I’ll start my new position as a Service Adviser at Woody Anderson Ford.   I’m really excited for this opportunity, and Woody Anderson is one of the largest dealerships in my area with a rich and exciting history.

I’m hoping this is just the start of an excellent and full career.   Who knows where it will lead me, and I can’t wait to find out!

It also can’t hurt to be around all those GT500, Roush and SMS Mustangs, either.  Just sayin’.

H&H Cold Hard Art Model

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This year for my birthday, my boyfriend Alex surprised me with one of the most unique and amazing gifts:   he commissioned Tom Patsis of Cold Hard Art to create a metal art sculpture of my 2007 Twin Turbo Mustang Pro Mod.

Tom took only the photos I have online here to create the model.   The attention to detail is stunning!  Everything is present:  the turbo impellers, the wheelie bars, the parachute and beadlock wheels.   It is one of the most impressive art pieces I’ve ever seen, and it looks exactly like my racecar!

He’s done other impressive models as well, and I’m quite honored to be one of the lucky subjects of his art!   I’m also quite honored to have a really smart, resourceful and thoughtful boyfriend who knows that car parts and racing art beat flowers hands-down!

 View Photos of the Build

Gearbox Magazine Feature

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Gearbox Magazine
Gearbox Magazine, Feb 2011

Check out this quick interview with Gearbox Magazine!

Gearbox is an online enthusiast magazine.   The interview discusses the Horsepower & Heels Mustang Build, difficulties in the tough economy and the impact on Erica Ortiz’s race career.

http://www.gearboxmagazine.com/erica-ortiz-2007-pro-mod-mustang/

Published Online: Feb 11, 2011

Behind the wheel of a Top Fuel dragster

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Every year, my company attends a week-long industry trade show in Las Vegas, and every year it falls on the same week as the NHRA race.    Unfortunately for me, something always prevents me from checking out the famed Strip, and I was determined NOT to let that happen this year.

Thanks to a little pre-planning on my air tickets, I was able to head out to the track on Friday of the NHRA event for qualifying.   This was made even better by a comp ticket and media parking pass by one of my clients that produces the ESPN2 coverage of the event.  (My company manufactures equipment found on those big TV trucks).

So Friday morning, I dropped off my suitcase at the airport for my redeye flight that night, and headed over to grab a rental car for the afternoon.    Words can not explain how excited I was to travel the 40 or so miles outside the lights of the Vegas Strip to the thunder and excitement of the Vegas DRAG strip.

Behind the wheel of a Top Fuel

When I arrived, I stopped into say hi to my friends at the Strasburg Top Fuel pits.   And then I was given a chance that put me on cloud 9…. I was asked to get behind the wheel of a top fuel dragster to steer the car to the starting line and back to the pit from the scales.

I know, I know… so what?   It wasn’t running or anything.  But let me tell you, for someone like me that wants SOOOO bad to be looking down that long body and out that cockpit, I was in heaven.    I was able to feel how it steers (or doesn’t, depending on how you look at it), I worked the handbrake while being towed around, and got to experience the smells and heat of that nitro engine fresh off a pass.  It was a dream come true, just short of being in a firesuit ready to make my OWN pass.

I think I look good in that seat, don’t you?

MD Radio Baynet

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Sometimes you just accidentally stumble upon a good PR interview.

That’s exactly what happened when Erica was in Las Vegas on business.  While at breakfast in the NASCAR cafe in the Sahara hotel and casino, she meets John Hunt from MD Radio The Baynet.

Here’s a shot of the impromptu remote MD station in the NASCAR cafe during the breakfast.