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Courtney Force COPO Camaro

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Chevrolet unveils Courtney Force COPO Camaro concept at the SEMA

Courtney Force COPO Camaro 2After a major switch for John Force Racing to Chevrolet in 2015, decorated drag racing standout Courtney Force was thrilled to unveil the first ever sixth-gen COPO concept inspired by her NHRA Funny Car.

The ultra-modern styled machine infuses legendary COPO performance with the new, modern design of the 2016 Camaro.  The special SEMA edition concept was personalized by Courtney Force herself,  and will be auctioned off at Barrett Jackson to benefit the United Way.    Limited production of the COPO program returns in 2016, with only 69 available spots to purchase the COPO production units.

The fifth-generation COPO Camaro concept first debuted at SEMA in 2011, where an overwhelming demand spurned a limited, special-edition production run.  Its success continued in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.   2016 will see 69 additional sixth-gen COPO Camaros headed to the drag strip to carry on the COPO tradition.

To generate excitement for a 2016 COPO Program return, Chevrolet enlisted its newest partner in NHRA driver Courtney Force (a fifth-gen Camaro owner).

“We’re taking the equity that Courtney has in drag racing and bringing that into our COPO series. It’s a very fun and exciting project,” said Todd Parker, Director of Design.

The exterior of this COPO Camaro Concept highlights a Red Hot exterior color, with the familiar John Force Racing Next Gen styling on the rear quarter panel.   Red trim accents mirror her signature Traxxas Funny Car livery, a modified SS rear spoiler was redesigned with spill plates inspired by the Funny Car’s massive rear wing, and Goodyear tires were used likening to the slicks on Courtney’s racer.

“This car was a little bit challenging because we’re trying to show the first sixth-generation COPO, but at the same time flavor it with Courtney’s personal preferences,” said Parker. “There was a balance that we needed to achieve and we think that we found it.” It took Courtney several iterations and options before she finally landed on the exterior color. “Her Traxxas funny car has every color under the sun, so to get her flavor took some time,” said Parker. “Plus, the sixth-gen version of COPO looks so dramatic in just about every color.”

Sadly, the Courtney Force COPO Camaro concept is not available for any of the production COPO units.

COURTNEY FORCE COPO CAMARO SPECIFICATIONS

Courtney Force COPO Camaro1

Exterior:

  • Red Hot exterior with Switchblade Silver and Satin Black graphics

  • Courtney Force’s signature JFR Racing graphics

  • Red lower grille trim

  • High-rise carbon-fiber hood

  • Outside rear view mirror delete with painted closeout

  • Wheelie bars and drag parachute

  • Unique rear spoiler

  • Custom smoke-finished Weld drag wheels

  • GoodYear® Eagle drag tires

Interior:

  • NHRA-certified full chrome-moly roll cage

  • Lightweight bucket racing seats with custom embroidery

  • Floor-mounted shifter

  • Specific instrument panel-mounted analog racing gauges

  • Center stack mounted racing switch panel

  • Five-point safety harnesses (driver and front-passenger)

Performance:

  • LSX-based 350 cu. in. supercharged engine

  • Available engines: LS-based 427 cu. in. naturally aspirated; LT1-based 6.2L naturally aspirated

  • THM 400 3-speed automatic

  • Front suspension: lightweight adjustable front struts

  • Rear suspension: multilink

    • Adjustable coil-over shocks, panhard bar and anti-roll bar.

    • Rear axle with an aluminum center section, 35 spline spool and axles

  • Brakes: manual lightweight rotors and calipers

  • Integrated line lock

  • Manual rack-and-pinion steering

  • Fuel storage system with fuel cell and built-in high pressure fuel pump

  • Dedicated racing wire harness

Source:  ChevySema.com

115 free mammograms at NHRA races

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Alexis DeJoria Breast Cancer AwarenessThe annual ‘Free Mammograms for the Fans’ campaign hosted by Alexis DeJoria Racing offered NHRA Drag Racing fans the opportunity to receive a free mammogram at NHRA races, regardless of health insurance status, while attending the AAA NHRA FallNationals in suburban Dallas and the NHRA Toyota Nationals in Las Vegas.   115 women opted to take advantage of the free screenings, held during Breast Cancer Awareness month.

One in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society.   Alexis DeJoria Racing goes beyond simply working to raise awareness of the disease, providing a proactive service that could result in lifesaving benefits to female race fans. The 2015 ‘Free Mammograms for the Fans’ program was made possible thanks to generous donations from the Patrón Spirits Company, Toyota, Kalitta Motorsports and fan contributions.

After the program experienced two successful years of partnering with Nevada Health Centers (NVHC) to offer free screenings at the NHRA Toyota Nationals, the decision was made to not only renew the Las Vegas program, but to add the AAA NHRA FallNationals as well. Alexis DeJoria Racing partnered with Baylor Health Care Systems to offer free screenings to women attending the Texas Motorplex event.

Baylor and NVHC’s mammovans (mobile mammography units) were parked in the race pits and were available to any female ticketholder over the age of 40 on Friday and Saturday of each race weekend. 56 women elected to undergo a screening in Dallas and another 59 women in Las Vegas received a screening, totaling 115 overall free mammograms at NHRA tracks.

“It was another successful year and I just want to thank everyone at Baylor and the Nevada Health Centers for sending their mammovans to the track, and the wonderful women that volunteered their time working in the mammovans, making everyone feel comfortable.  Getting a mammogram can be a little scary at first; it’s just that fear of the unknown. Anytime we can give back like that, it’s a good day. We use our position in the racing community to bring more awareness to these causes and help people out, and thankfully we were able to do that again this year.”

According to Nevada Health Centers, a mammogram for an uninsured woman can cost anywhere between 250-300 dollars, and the high out-of-pocket cost is one of the main reasons many women go without this important test. For the affordable price of an NHRA race ticket, women were able to get checked, and enjoy the races.

“I’m really grateful to have been able to bring our free mammogram program back out again this year to Vegas and introduce it in Dallas. With the support of the Patrón Spirits Company, Toyota, Kalitta Motorsports and all of my great fans that pitched in, we were able to screen 115 women for breast cancer,” said Alexis DeJoria, driver of the Patrón XO Cafe Incendio Toyota Camry, which was ‘pinked out’ during the month of October.

 

 

Erica Enders clinches 2015 Pro Stock Championship

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Erica Enders Pro Stock Champion 2015She’s had storybook season in 2015, and it seems her fairy tale just continues to re-write itself to an even happier ending.  
NHRA Pro Stock racer Erica Enders entered Vegas with a sizable points lead, broke several track records while qualifying No. 1 for the event, clinched the 2015 Championship, and extended her 4 race Vegas streak with a perfect-reaction victory in the finals.   It seems as though Erica Enders truly is the “Girl on Fire” in Pro Stock.

Enders clinches the 2015 Championship

All the mathematicians were watching the points tally for the NHRA Toyota Nationals closely, with calculations flying on when Enders would be able to snag that back-to-back championship title in Pro Stock.  They knew she needed to leave the event with a 154 point lead to be out of reach from any of her competitors, but that metric could change by how closest competitors Greg Anderson, Chris McGaha, and Drew Skillman fared in relation to her own progress through the elimination rounds.
“We came into the weekend and everyone was talking about the championship — what we have to do, crunching points and all that. My crew chiefs (Rick and Rickie Jones, Mark Ingersoll, and Brian Self) and I decided we weren’t going to talk about that and just take things one round at a time. Our goal was to make it 22 (in a row). It’s an incredible thing to accomplish. The streak we have here is incredible. I’m excited to be part of such a great group like Elite Motorsports.”
 In the second round of eliminations, Greg Anderson was eliminated by Elite teammate, Vincent Nobile.   McGaha also fell to Butner, and that left just one more key round win for Erica to seal up the points tally in her favor.
“After watching my teammate Vincent beat Greg second round, I got excited, of course, because I knew what could happen,” Enders said. “Then I thought, ‘We have to win this round.’ I fire the car, pull into the waterbox, and all my guys are jumping around, clapping, and I’m just trying to get my composure and get my heart rate down.”
She proceeded to knock out Shane Gray with a round-low pass of 6.596 seconds at 209.39 mph, and finally locked it up.   Erica Enders clinches 2015 Pro Stock Championship, her second consecutive championship in the class, one race before the close of the season.     She became the 33rd driver in NHRA history to win multiple championships and the ninth in the Pro Stock class. She’s also the first back-to-back champion in NHRA since 2011-12, when Eddie Krawiec won the Pro Stock Motorcycle title, a sight not seen in Pro Stock since Jeg Coughlin Jr. accomplished the feat in 2007-08.

A perfect victory to extend Vegas streak

Erica Enders wins VegasWith the championship sealed up, Enders knew her day was far from over, as she set out to defend her winning streak at the Vegas facility.    She defeated Skillman in the semifinals when he left .004-second too soon, setting up a final-round match with Butner.     To the disbelief of all who watched, she proceeded to cut a perfect 0.000 reaction enroute to her 6.595 second at 208.97 mph victory over Butner, with a 6.610 second at 209.33 mph effort.
“I knew it was going to be a tough race against a drive like Bo, who I know is hungry for his first win,” Enders said. “To be able to cap the second championship off with another win in Vegas is just crazy.   It’s just an incredible day,  I’m kind of speechless. Vegas has always been really good to me, and it’s nice to keep our streak going with now 22 consecutive round-wins. It’s mind-boggling.”
 Enders has won the last four national events and the last two K&N Horsepower Challenge races in Las Vegas, running her consecutive round-win streak at ‘The Strip’ to 22.   The victory marked the ninth win of the season and 21st of her career.   Enders has hit her stride, taking the victory in 15 of the last 45 races she’s entered with the Richard Freeman-owned Elite team.
“Finally I feel like I’m home with this group of guys,” Enders said. “I couldn’t have dreamed up a better crew. We truly get along, we have such great chemistry, and most importantly we have fun together. That’s why we’re so successful on the racetrack. Horsepower doesn’t hurt, but we don’t have the biggest budget. We get it done because of the people. It’s been a long road, but I’m glad to be where I’m at. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”
Though the championship is hers, Enders and the Elite team don’t intend on resting, and hope to defend their 2014 win at the Finals in Pomona.

Watch video as Erica Enders clinches the 2015 Pro Stock Championship