Horsepower & Heels

Melanie Salemi’s rookie Pro Mod season

December 7, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

PDRA Pro Boost racer Melanie Salemi will celebrate the end of her rookie Pro Mod season at the PRI Show this week in Indianapolis, IN. Melanie and her beautiful G-Force Racing 1968 Pro Boost Firebird will be on display in the Ross Pistons Booth #1801 December 10-12, 2o15 at the racing industry’s largest tradeshow.

Melanie Salemi’s Rookie Pro Mod Season

Melanie took on the tough competition all season long in the PDRA’s Pro Boost class, earning her first win in just her second start in the class at the Dragstock XII event in Rockingham, North Carolina. Salemi qualified #3 at the event, before running consistent 3.86 second elapsed times through the eliminations rounds, taking out Anthony Disomma in the final to become the first woman to earn a professional victory in the PDRA’s Pro Boost class.

It’s been an awesome experience to say the least. I know it’s cliché but my team is so great. I don’t really feel that there is another team as versatile as ours. Every aspect of this car is built and maintained under our own roof. Engine, chassis, tuning, maintenance and management, It really is a one stop shop. Without the effort from my entire team this just wouldn’t be possible. I feel it’s huge advantage and has all of us very excited for 2016 and beyond”, stated Salemi.

Salemi plans for 2016 season

The Melanie Salemi Racing team isn’t sitting idle during the off-season. They plan to switch their combination to an electronic fuel injection system with the support of Fueltech USA to maximize engine efficiency and allow them better tuning control and management on the track. They plan to begin on-track testing in January with the new combination after they conclude extensive dyno testing on their in-house engine dyno.

Shirley Muldowney resigns from B.R.A.K.E.S.

December 2, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

NHRA legend Shirley Muldowney recently announced her resignation from the Board of Directors at B.R.A.K.E.S., a North Carolina-based charity that promotes safe driving among teenagers. The four-time world champion moved to the Charlotte area from her longtime home in Michigan to assist with the foundation, formed by fellow Top Fuel drag racer. Doug Herbert after the tragic loss of his two sons.

“An opportunity has come up with another entity that will be a really wonderful deal for me personally, so I have resigned from B.R.A.K.E.S. effective immediately,” Muldowney said.

Shirley, who also was linked to a proposed Streamliner Land Speed record attempt project with Doug Herbert, said that her new schedule and 2016 plans will not allow her the time to participate in the program going forward. Though she didn’t elaborate on her 2016 plans, she did announce that she will be present at more NHRA races throughout the season, and will even launch a new Shirley Muldowney apparel line with PiranaZ through her new public relations team at Geiger Media.

I appreciate and cherish the time I had with board members Wanda Miller, Dave Dobson, and Mickey Aberman and I believe in the mission of B.R.A.K.E.S. I’m thrilled about the future, which has many possibilities that I will be at more NHRA races throughout the year. I’ve always enjoyed spending time with my wonderful fans, and the chance to see more of them has me very excited. Stay tuned for more good news coming very soon.”

Black Friday Weekend Sale

November 25, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

To get you in the holiday mood, Horsepower & Heels is offering a special Black Friday shopping special!

Horsepower & Heels 15% off Black Friday Special

Now through November 30, use the Promo code BlackFriday for 15% off anything in the Horsepower & Heels online store!

Choose from several designs of men’s t-shirts, women’s tanks and tees, decals, accessories, limited-stock vintage Horsepower & Heels merch and more from the Horsepower & Heels E-Store.

Promo Code: BLACKFRIDAY

Shop Horsepower and Heels for your holiday gifts! Every purchase helps us achieve our mission of supporting, promoting and celebrating women in motorsports, female racers, and ladies in the automotive industry.

Hurry, while supplies last!

This Black Friday promo expires at midnight, November 30th.

Shop Women in Motorsports

November 25, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

The holiday season is upon us, and what better way to show your support for your favorite women in racing AND score cool finds for yourself or your loved ones than by shopping at your women of motorsports online stores!

Shop Women of Motorsports Online

We’ve put together a quick list of online shops and stores owned by women in the motorsport world. They’ve even added some extra promo codes for additional Black Friday savings!

Tracey’s Racing Jewelry -Find racing jewelry and apparel of all kinds! Earrings, hats, necklaces, key chains, belt buckles, bracelets in a variety of genres- checkered flag, Drag Racing, Funny Car, Sprint Car, Modified Dirt Cars, Late Models, Motocross, and more!
Use PROMO code: BF2015 for special savings!
McKenna Haase Racing -Check out the cool team items for sale by Des Moines, Iowa 305 Sprint Car racer, McKenna Haase. Her online store has hats, t-shirts, and even air fresheners with the team design in a variety of styles and sizes from infant to adult, men and ladies.
Sara Price MX –

Professional Motorcross and Supercross racer and X-Games Medalist, Sara Price has some rad threads for sale on her online store. Get ahead with you very own MX Girls Calendar and be ready for 2016!Receive free shipping on all Black Friday orders!
Girls Torque -Our friends over at Girls Torque have some great t-shirts, calendars, decals and more of their Girls Torque, Racing Mrtyle, and Mum’s Garage brands. Girls Torque hails from Australia, check out their international support of women in motorsport. There are sure to be some great finds for Black Friday, visit their online store to get all the details!
Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing -NASCAR driver Jennifer Jo Cobb has team t-shirts, apparel and accessories up for grabs bearing her popular JJCR #10 designs.
Shoppers get a Free Autographed Hero Card with every purchase!
Carchix -The ladies at CarChix have some of your favorite gifts for your gearhead friends! From CarChix branded apparel, to helmet, piston, turbo and nitrous key chains, and decals for your ride!
Use promo code CCTHANKS2015 for 10% off all items in the Car Chix Store — including t-shirts, tank tops, hoodies, jewelry, keychains, decals and more! Promo ends 11/30 at 11:59 PM CST.
Molly Helmuth Racing -Support Super Late Model racer, Molly Helmuth by getting your own Molly Helmuth Racing T-Shirt! They also have lanyards, decals, hats and more to choose from!
As a special Black Friday promotion, if you buy one T-shirt, you get a free lanyard, hero card and 2 stickers!
Aerospace Components –Kim Kussy stopped by to offer some special discounts on Aerospace Components gear! Need fuel/cooling/transmission/braking components for your ride? Aerospace has you covered!
Promo Codes: “25” = 25% off | FS = free shipping on your order!
Leah Pritchett -NHRA Top Fuel driver, Leah Pritchett, is working hard over this holiday season to find a full-time ride for 2016. Help support this talented racer and businesswoman by choosing from hats, t-shirts, tanks and wristbands.
Promo Codes: WRISTBANDS = free wristband with order | TAKE10 = $10 off order | Offer expires 11/29/15 at 11:59pm PST. Excludes Shipping. Cannot be combined with any other offer.
Pippa Mann -Indycar driver Pippa Mann has some great team apparel and designs in support of her Susan Komen program. Choose from Pippa hats tanks shirts lanyards and more.
Use BLACKFRIDAY25 to get an extra 25% off anything in the Classic Pippa Black/Red/Yellow line already on sale. Offer is valid Black Friday through midnight, Cyber Monday.
Heather Capano / Split Racing -Heather Capano stopped by to share her Split Racing apparel. Heather is an integral part of the Split Racing crew, and featured on the wild apparel designs offered in the store.

Happy Black Friday Shopping!

Courtney Force weds Graham Rahal

November 23, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Over the weekend, Courtney Force weds Graham Rahal to become racing’s newest power couple. The NHRA Funny Car driver and her new Indycar husband, tied the knot in a stunning beachfront ceremony at Rancho Dos Pueblos in Santa Barbara, CA.

Courtney Force Weds Graham Rahal at Rancho Dos Pueblos

Details of the Force-Rahal Wedding plans were kept tight-lipped, but many expected it to follow shortly after the conclusion of the NHRA racing season. As expected, the nuptials took place just days after Courtney finished her 2015 Mello Yello NHRA Drag Racing season in 11th place for the Funny Car division.

Courtney Force's Bridesmaids — Sisters Ashley and Brittany and Adria were among Courtney’s bridesmaid court.

Graham proposed to Courtney Thanksgiving weekend in 2014 during a beautiful evening gondola ride in Venice, Italy. The pair met in 2013 during the NHRA races outside Chicago, and a whirlwind romance ensued. Rahal, who is based in Indianapolis, logged many frequent flier miles between his home and Courtney’s California residence. The pair would meet between their busy racing schedules, texting and skyping when they couldn’t be together.

The Reception location where Courtney Force weds Graham Rahal Photo: Soigne Productions

Courtney Force weds Graham Rahal in this beautiful beach ceremony location — The beachfront ceremony scene for the Force – Rahal Wedding.
Photo: Soigne Productions

Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Graham Rahal!

Maria Costello: Queen of the Bikers

November 20, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Maria Costello: Queen of the Bikers

Author: Maria Costello, with Steve Pitts

Genre: Autobiography, Sports – Motorsports

Publication Date: January 8, 2014

Length: 171 pages

Synopsis

The autobiography of British motorcycle road racer, Maria Costello MBE, takes you through the journey of a petite blonde into the male dominated world of racing. Maria walks through her life story from awkward teen to record breaking racer, recounting the struggles, the gory injuries, and the difficult relationships endured along the way to Isle of Mann fame and Guinness Book of World record titles. Each chapter details the pains in being knocked down and having to rebuild herself back up, not only from the physical injuries, but from the mental ones as well. Her decade-long career has seen the loss of racing mentors and near-death experiences of her own. But the successes and the accomplishments outweigh the hardships for Costello, as she persevered on to become one of Europe’s top Motorcycle racers, earning countless trophies and the honor of being named Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE).

My Thoughts on “Maria Costello: Queen of the Bikers”

Maria tells a very honest and candid account of her life story, detailing the passion and interest that she possessed for motorbikes from a young age, of having to first overcome the objections of her parents and family before moving onto the constant objections of the male-dominated motorsports world. The story was filled with funny accounts from her early years, the often painful recollections of her many crashes and injuries, and some of the more personal details of her private life and the difficult chore of balancing them with her racing dreams.

I really appreciated not only her racing history retold, the struggles, and the inner workings of race sponsorship and paddock culture, but also her mindset and resolve required entering the motorsports world and its effects on her personal relationships. I think it is a story that women in motorsports of all forms can relate to in one fashion or another, and one that isn’t often discussed publicly.

<br /> At times, the book detailed far too many switches between classes and motorcycle models that the average reader may find themselves lost in, or not fully be able to appreciate the importance or differences between the models and their respective power, engine displacement and relative size. It also was a bit out-of-sync on the chronological order of events at times, jumping forward and back in events, but only mildly scattered and not difficult to follow.

Overall, I really appreciated reading about Maria’s obvious passion and dedication to her sport, and found the book very easy and engaging to read. I found the book very relate-able for Women in Racing and the motorsports world, and could identify with many of the insecurities and the passionate drives that she discussed in her journey. I think “Maria Costello: Queen of the Bikers” is a wonderful read for fans and racers alike, and that her story goes beyond that of a sports autobiography or a motorsports fare, extending as a tale of a woman’s lone defiant struggle to succeed in a hostile and dangerous male world.

Karting Magazine Female Driver of the Year

November 17, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Karting Magazine is hosting their 2015 awards, and the Female Driver of the Year category is up for grabs. Readers can vote on their favorite female driver out of the 20 young ladies eligible for nomination. All females who competed in a Club or National Championship event during the 2015 season were candidates for the category.

To vote, visit Karting Magazine and follow the link for your driver, using the Facebook Like button at the bottom of their page to place your vote. Voting closes November 22, 2015, and the winner will be announced in the December edition of Karting Magazine.

2015 Karting Magazine Female Driver of the Year Nominees

Abbi Pulling
Abbie Munro
Abigail Ross
Alicia Goundry
Alisha Roland
Anna Morris
Bryony King
Carol van Beusekom
Charlotte Fox
Jamie-lea Hawley
Jem Hepworth
Kaite Crowther
Logan Hannah
Lucy Fulton
Lydia Walmsley
Marcie Russell
Megan Lawson
Stephanie Walters
Susanne Gutzold
Tilly Goundry

Ladies of NHRA Red Carpet 2015

November 17, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

It’s the end of the season, and that means the annual 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Awards Ceremony has arrived! All of our favorite stars of the NHRA series gathered Monday after the finals in Pomona to Hollywood’s Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Vineland for a year-end banquet and the crowning of the 2015 champions. This formal event is always a crowd favorite, because we get the rare chance to see our favorite personalities outside their fire suits and crew uniforms, dressed to the nine in formal attire.

For 2015, the ladies didn’t disappoint, hitting the NHRA Red Carpet all looking stunning. Check out their red carpet fashion below!

Ladies of NHRA Red Carpet 2015

Leah Pritchett and Angie Smith on NHRA Red Carpet — Top Fuel’s Leah Pritchett and Pro Stock Bike’s Angie Smith

Erica Enders on NHRA Red Carpet — Pro Stock World Champion Erica Enders

Courtney Force and Graham Rahal on NHRA Red Carpet — Funny Car driver Courtney Force and fiance, open wheel driver Graham Rahal

Angie Smith Karen Stoffer on NHRA Red Carpet — Pro Stock Bike’s Karen Stoffer and Angie Smith

Brittany and Courtney Force on NHRA Red Carpet — Top Fuel driver Brittany Force with sister Courtney.

Alexis DeJoria Jesse James on NHRA Red Carpet — Funny Car driver Alexis DeJoria, husband Jesse James, and sister.

Jenna Haddock at the NHRA Red Carpet year end banquet — Top Fuel driver Jenna Haddock and husband Terry

WHO WORE IT BEST? Ladies of NHRA Red Carpet – Vote in Comments below!

Video: Awards Ceremony | Last year’s Ladies of NHRA 2014 Red Carpet Album

Janette Thornley Pro Fuel Champion

November 16, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Dream Chaser Racin’s Janette Thornley was able to cinch the 2015 Pro Fuel Championship at the NHRA Harley Davidson Drag Racing Series season finale in Las Vegas. The Statesville, NC resident entered the event trailing points leader Dennis Fisher by 5 points, but the championship was decided in the first round of eliminations, when Thornley advanced and Fisher was eliminated.

Janette Thornley Pro Fuel Champion 2015

Janette Thornley made history as the first woman to win a national Harley Davidson class championship. She finished with 623 points after losing in the final round to former World Champion, Johnny Vickers at the Las Vegas final race. Thornley won 4 national events: Joliet, Sonoma, Seattle and Bristol leading to her winning of the 2015 NHRA Harley Davidson Pro Fuel championship title.

Thornley has not yet announced 2016 racing plans.

Nicole Johnson nabs 1st in Scooby Doo

November 12, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Nicole Johnson, the driver of the popular Scooby Doo Monster Jam truck, nabbed first place in the Wheelie and Donut competitions at the San Juan, Puerto Rico Monster Jam event held at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico on Friday, November 6.

“We took 1st in Wheelies and 1st in the Donut Competition last night! It helps having a dog that knows tricks!!!” — Nicole Johnson, Facebook

The event marked the first time that the Monster Jam series has visited the island of Puerto Rico.

Nicole Johnson made the jump from professional rock crawling competitions to Monster Jam in 2011, with more than 17 years of four wheeling experience under her belt in total. The mom of two has driven the Tasmanian Devil in 2011, the Advanced Auto Grinder truck in 2012, and debuted the new Scooby Doo Monster Truck in 2013.

Source: Nicole Johnson, Facebook | Monster Jam