Helping Cale Aronson

May 7, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Cale and Tinzy Aronson are two of the hardest working people I have had the pleasure of meeting in the drag racing world. I originally met them back in the Fun Ford Weekend days, when they were just dating, and was always proud to see how far they had come, both as a couple and in the Pro Stock ranks.

A few weeks ago, I got an opportunity to chat with them at the Bradenton IHRA race, where they were competing in Pro Stock. We caught up and reminisced some on the Fun Ford Weekend days, and discussed some ideas for the possibility of a Fun Ford Reunion.

Sadly, just one week later, on April 25th, at the IHRA Palm Beach Nationals in West Palm Beach FL’s PBIR, Cale was involved in a terrible accident, with the car crossing the track and impacting the wall before rolling onto its roof and sliding down the track. Initial reports were that Cale was alert and ok, but he was airlifted to the hospital and things got really quiet about his condition, until now.

Competition Plus.com just released the family’s statement. Cale has suffered some very serious injuries to his spine, and is recovering from surgery to fuse vertebrae damaged in the crash. Good news is that he has tingling sensations across his body, showing there is connectivity, but is still limited on the amount of movement he has over his upper body. For now, he must let his body heal before beginning a long road of therapy to regain his strength and mobility.

The family has had an outpouring of support from the racing community since the accident, and continues to draw on that strength during this difficult time. The Gwynn Family (of the Darrell Gwynn Foundation) stepped in to provide the Aronsons guidance and support, having experience with Spinal Cord injuries.

Helping Cale Aronson and Tinzy

Cale remains in the hospital in Florida, surrounded by his family, all displaced from their Missouri home. They will need support during this difficult recovery, helping them to offset the costs of his care and the family’s accommodations in Miami. Godspeed Ministry, the official chaplain for the IHRA, has set up a Bridge the Gap fundraiser for the Aronson Family to help defray medical expenses.

For anyone wanting to send the family care packages or get well notes, they can mail these to:
Bupa International Patient Services Center
DTC Building, Ground Floor Central 152 for patient Cale Aronson
1080 NW 19th Street
Miami, FL 33136

Details of the Crash

Cale remembers every moment of the crash, and vows to help make these cars safer upon his recovery. All the details can be found on Competition Plus. Please visit their story for more.

Girls Torque Collector Card: Erica Ortiz

May 6, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Girl Power Collector Card- Erica Ortiz

Girls Torque, an Australian organization dedicated to helping girls succeed in motorsports, recently added Horsepower & Heels Racing driver, Erica Ortiz to its Girl Power Collector Card Series. The collector card series features female racers and other women involved in motorsports. Erica’s Girl Power card will be available in the Drag Racing box set, and features Erica’s photo and car rendering, with stats about her racing career and accomplishments.

Girl Power Drag Racing Box Set

The Girls Power Drag Racing Collector Card box set is the first of several to come, and can be purchased online at the Girls Torque website for AU$10 + shipping. Each boxed set includes 34 cards from different drivers all across the world.

Pippa Mann’s run at Indy 500 for Susan G. Komen

May 1, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Pippa Man enters 4^th career Indianapolis 500

This year is the 99th running of the legendary Indianapolis 500, and British Indy driver, Pippa Mann, is ready to represent women racing with a special pink tribute car. Paired with a large campaign on Indiegogo, the international crowdfunding website, her racecar livery is dedicated to the race against breast cancer at the Indy 500 for Susan G. Komen program.

This marks the 4^th run at the Indy 500 for Pippa, who is one of only 11 female racers to compete in the historic race. Her best finish so far has been in the 20^th position, a mark she hopes to improve with her Komen team in 2015.

Susan G. Komen

The Susan G. Komen organization is the largest and most widely-recognized breast cancer assistance and resource non-profit organization. Mann joined forces with the organization in her 2014 Indy 500 campaign to increase awareness and raise funds. Her partnership with Indegogo has strengthened the funding efforts for her 2015 return, with a goal of $50,000 and a more fan interactive initiative.

As we started to prepare for the second year of this program, I wanted a much more interactive way to host the fundraising component that would show a goal, our progress towards it, and give us the ability to reward people who contribute to the campaign,” said Mann. “I am incredibly grateful for the way the racing community has stepped up to be a part of this campaign to raise money, and I love the list of perks we will be offering through the site.

Want to help Pippa fight Breast Cancer with Komen?

You can join into the fight by visiting pippamann.com/getinvolved, through midnight after the Indy 500 race concludes. Race fans, benefactors, media and other supporters can follow along the progression of the campaign leading up to race day. Donors get cool perks, including Komen wristbands and koozies, tribute T-shirts, Honda and Firestone hats, garage tours, a Race with Pippa night at Fastimes Karting, new exclusive Doug Garrison Artwork, and Bell mini helmets painted by Pippa’s Indy 500 helmet painter.

I’m excited about our campaign finally going live, and to see people clicking through, talking about it, telling friends about it, and getting involved with what we’re trying to do,” said Mann. “This isn’t a campaign for just my fans; this is a campaign for anyone who has been directly affected by breast cancer, and also for those we hope will never be affected. We believe our $50,000 goal is achievable, and we believe we can get there with the help of our fans and supporters. If just 5,000 people donate $10 each, we will be able to meet our goal.

The online buzz can be followed via the #GetInvolved hashtag on social media, as well as the URL pippamann.com/getinvolved.

Archives for May 2015