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Capri Wesley hopes for first Win

February 18, 2016 // by Kelly Morris

As the new season approaches for 27 year-old drag racer Capri Wesley, she is feeling pretty confident for 2016. Continuing to get race ready and take on her 1998 Z28 Ttop Chevy Camaro to run in the footbrake bracket class, as well as the 5.70 heads up racing, Capri hopes to do a little more with the car to try and run Ultimate Street in some radial races this season.

Capri’s love for Racing

Beginning a love for cars at just a young age, Capri fell for the ’98 Z28 T-top Chevy Camaro. Over time, she found herself drawn into the world of Imports. At the age of 16, she bought a 2000 Honda Prelude. At first, Capri only wanted to use it for show, but she gained friends in the car scene and started to learn more about them. “That’s when I knew I wanted to be fast instead of look good. I started taking my car to the local drag strip, Emerald Coast Dragway at only 16. That poor car was so slow,” she stated. But after while, she began adding some modifications to the car in her quest for speed.

Some things I like the most about drag racing would be the feeling I get being on the track and the family that most of the racers have. I love being one of the only females out there trying to battle in a “man’s world.” Of course that can be a hard part about it but overcoming the odds is a huge accomplishment to me.”

She made good friends with other fellow racers at her home track, who she see’s as family. They have taken her under their wings as well. Over time, Capri earned the accomplishment of becoming one of the fastest women in a Honda Prelude in the nation. She had a new found appreciation for all types of drag cars, allowing her to venture into the domestic car world.

I was lucky enough to have someone allow me to race his 66 Chevy 2 for a few months. After getting to drive a 1000 horsepower Cadillac of a racecar, I finally decided to build my own domestic car that was actually fast. My import was fast for a 4 cylinder, but was never going to do what I wanted to do.”

At the age of 18, Capri found her ultimate dream car: the only one that stole her heart, the 1998 Z28 T-top Chevy Camaro. She is now planning to run the car in the footbrake brackets and some possible heads-up racing, confident that this is her year to receive that first a win for the season. As she puts her Honda Prelude to the side, Capri will eventually make some modifications for next year.

Goals | Capri Wesley

Capri has plenty of goals when it comes to racing. She hopes to become just like the NHRA Pro Stock back to back champion, Erica Enders-Stevens. Capri says she looks up to Erica Enders, feeling that if she could be known as half the racer that Erica is, her career would be a success. Capri stated that one day, she would like to be known for her racing. Eventually she is planning to build a car to run in some Radial classes such as the X275, Outlaw Drag Radial and as well as the Pro Radial classes.

Another goal is to have an article in Drag Illustrated about my racing career and my car. With my new car I hope to be successful in a local class we have called 5.70 real street association.A wonderful man by the name of Tom Clausen has put so much heart into his class and the people who race in it are all a big family. They do some amazing things with their cars and my goal is to be top 3 in the points this year in that class. “

Being a Women in Motorsports

Taking on a man’s sport may have the guys intimidated by women. As for Capri, there have been times that the guys brought her down. Capri stated, “Racing an import, no matter who you are, you are typically labeled a ricer. Most people don’t respect you racing an import even it being a 600whp 4 cylinder. I have been told I can’t drive.” Eventually, she would tell herself to never give up.

I didn’t have the parents who were in to racing or who really had anything to do with it so I’ve done all of this on my own. I think that earns a little bit more respect than the people who were just handed racecars. I try just as hard as the men to learn and to work on my cars and to be able to fit in with all of them. It has definitely made me stronger as a racer and as a person knowing that at times I have to try harder and prove myself more than some of the guys. One day they will see how all my hard work has paid off.”

Do you feel you’ve made an impact?

I’ve always felt like I have an impact on other women in and out of racing. The greatest thing ever is when a girl comes up to you and says, “can I have a picture with you and your racecar?” I always hear, “you’re like the only girl out here racing!” That’s a great feeling. I feel like it gives them hope and promise that they can do the same thing. I know a lot of my closest friends have become way more into cars and racing than they ever would have been if I didn’t race. I hope that as my racing career becomes more successful and known that I can make a bigger impact on women in the community. It’s almost like you can be someone to look up to even if it isn’t just in racing but for women trying to do what they love anywhere. If I can do it, they know they can too.”

Girl Trouble – Courtney Mageau

February 17, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Edmonton, Alberta native Courtney Mageau grew up immersed in Drag Racing. The youngest in a family of four girls, her father and grandfather had raced alcohol altereds and funny cars while she was growing up. The elder girls often would accompany dad to the track, while Courtney and her other sister stayed home with their mom. At bigger events, when the entire family would attend the race, Courtney remembers sitting in the stands to cheer on her dad.

…Although I didn’t know much about cars and engines, I loved sitting in the stands when my dad went up to race.”

Each of her older sisters were given shots in the junior dragster ranks, but none really took to the sport. That was until, at age 12, Courtney raised her hand… “Hey, do I get a turn?” and a new legacy was born.

I don’t know if I’ll ever truly understand my motivation to start racing in the first place. I think part of it was wanting to do something that was unique, that none of my friends did. Another part of it was getting to spend quality time with my dad. The other piece of it was having grown up a pretty shy, un-athletic, kind of scared kid, I was just grasping at straws trying to find something to be passionate about! Whatever the reason, I started racing when I was 13 and haven’t looked back.”

Starting with the junior dragster she raced at 13 years-old, Courtney Mageau felt she had a bit of a late start to the sport.

People are often surprised to hear I started racing so young, but drag racers know that is almost a late start for kids, with many starting to run the class at 7 or 8 years old.”

Still, she traveled with her father and grandfather to different tracks, racing in different conditions and facing new competitors she wasn’t familiar with. Though she was gaining experience, she didn’t have many breakthrough moments in the class, finishing 2^nd only once during her three-year stint in the Junior Dragster ranks.

I had a lot of fun, but I wouldn’t exactly say my car was competitive.”

Moving Up – Crewing and Brackets

When she turned 16, Courtney sold her Junior Dragster and focused her energy on becoming a crewmember on her father’s team for the next two years. In 2009, she would climb back behind the wheel to earn her competition license in an ET Bracket Dragster, running twice that season.

But her big breakthrough moment came during the 2010 season, when Courtney would take home the championship at the IHRA Rocky Mountain Nationals in the Top ET category. 19-year-old Mageau fought through a full, tough field to land herself the victory in the class.

It felt like I had to win more rounds in that event than I had won in my cumulative years of racing in the junior program! The whole weekend, I kept waiting for the spell to break, but it didn’t. To experience my first career win at such a high profile event is indescribable. After going home that weekend, I approached racing with higher confidence and higher stakes! There have been many more rounds and events won since then, but nothing compares to that first-time feeling.”

She spent 6 years in the class, while working on and receiving her Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Alberta in 2013. In addition to her driving duties, Courtney handles sponsor relations, and social media marketing for the team, also working in the shop 2-3 times per week as crew, doing maintenance on the car, while balancing workload at an engineering firm in Human Resources/Recruiting.

My Bachelor’s degree in commerce has helped quite a bit to build my confidence speaking to people. If someone had told me 5 years ago that I would be primarily responsible for talking to sponsors, I would have freaked out. As it is, the transition has come pretty naturally.

I don’t think it matters what you take in school- but I’m a firm believer that those who stay in school and who go that step further to pursue post-secondary show a certain level of determination and commitment to get things done that will help them to be successful in motorsports.”

Girl-Trouble Funny Car

Now, 25-year-old Courtney Mageau will be following in the legacy of her father for a run at the Pro-Nostaglia Funny Car division, the Blown Alcohol Funny Car class that he competed in when she was a child, running 6.90- 7.50 seconds in the quarter mile.

After acquiring a 1955 Thunderbird Funny Car in October 2014, they spent the off-season preparing the car for competition. A used car that had sat untouched for nearly a decade, the team had their work cut out for them, making repairs and improving the engine combination.

Last year, Courtney earned her competition license in the class, and plans a full season of competition in 2016 “Girl Trouble” T-Bird.

I’m very excited because this is the class my dad was racing in when I first got into Junior Dragster driving, and many of the people he raced against are still driving in the class (as are some of their sons). I’m the first female to license in this class in Alberta. I get the privilege to pave the way for other female drivers in Western Canada, along with Sherri Bodnarchuk who hails from Saskatchewan, Canada. I plan to stick to this class for a couple of years and see where things take me from there!”

Courtney leans on the nearly 50 years of racing experience behind her family name, crediting her father as her main coach since day one, adding “His advice is gold. I trust him and know that together we have what it takes to win.”

Their biggest road block, like many racers, is in finding resources and finances to be competitive. Growing up in a big family, the team came from humble beginnings, and work hard to make their efforts and resources last in such an expensive sport.

Every car I have raced has been purchased used and repaired by our family and skilled crew. Some racers have the luxury of pushing their cars to the limits- and if something breaks, they replace it. We don’t have that option, and are always fighting to put together the best racecars we can with limited resources. Our sponsors help keep things affordable, but we have to be creative and slowly build things as we move to the next level. That’s been the biggest challenge.”

With the Drag Racing community being one of the most supportive of women, she has always felt very welcomed by her racing counterparts.

If people are critical, they are careful not to say it to my face! If anyone scoffs when they see me (or any other girls) driving up in the other lane, I would be pleased. Only half of the sport of drag racing takes place on the track- the other half takes place in your head. The amount of focus it takes to react and to make decisions when you’re running at 170 mph+… I like to think that if someone’s not taking me seriously just because I’m a female, then they aren’t entirely bringing their A-game, and they’re probably going to make mistakes for it. The best way to dispel any nay-sayers is to kick their butts.”

But outside the sport, many people are shocked to learn that Courtney is a drag racer.

The overall mix of being young, female, and working in an office environment doesn’t fit the “Race Car Driver” stereotype. No one ever believes that I drive these cars until I show them pictures or videos or the oil under my fingernails! I am fortunate that when people get over the initial surprise, they are supportive and excited. “

Things get pretty chaotic at the track between driving the racecar and handling all of the crew responsibilities of doing the maintenance between runs, but Courtney is very dedicated to remaining available to the fans. She knows how important their support is to the sport and the tracks, especially loves talking to the kids, and the young ladies in particular, about what she does at the racetrack. She takes photos with them in the car, answering questions and hoping to inspire them to achieve their dreams. Having been on her own career-journey, she offers this advice:

Don’t be afraid to ask for (or offer) help. If you’re looking to get your start on a team, spend some time wandering around the pits getting to know the teams and seeing if any are willing to train new crew. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. If your school offers a trades or automotives option, take it! Even if you don’t become involved in racing, the skills you learn in these classes will benefit you for your whole life. Don’t feel afraid to break the stereotype of “male hobbies” or “female hobbies.” And don’t be afraid to be well-rounded or to try new things. When I was in highschool, I was on my school’s cheerleading team. If you want to see someone raise their eyebrows, tell them you’re a cheerleading dragracer. But who’s to say you can’t be both?”

We couldn’t agree more. We can’t wait to see Courtney Mageau and her Girl Trouble Funny Car in 2016 and beyond. We wish you all the best!

Slow start for Erica Enders in Pomona

February 15, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Slow start for Erica Enders in Pomona

After a slow start for Erica Enders in Pomona, the two-time Pro Stock World Champion didn’t love her 2016 Valentine’s Day so much. Enders lost in the first round of the 56th Annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals, the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season opener. The champ shook the tires at the hit and almost immediately had to abort the run in her Elite Motorsports/Mopar Dodge Dart.

Enders could only watch as Elite teammate Jeg Coughlin Jr. sailed on to the victory, but she is far from distraught. Class-revolutionizing changes in the off-season by the NHRA including a manufacturer switch to Dodge and an NHRA-mandated change to fuel-injected engines limited to 10,500 rpm — completely changed the Pro Stock program for 2016. The Elite team is starting from scratch on their program, and Enders knows this is just the beginning for the World Championship team.

We’ve got to keep a positive attitude and keep the mindset that this is only a beginning for us,” Enders said. “We just finished putting our motors together on Wednesday in Phoenix. We can only go up from here, and I know that with all my heart. It is a very tough pill to swallow. I hate losing, I hate losing first round. If there’s any consolation to it, at least it was to my teammate.”

Enders qualified No. 9 in Pomona, the first time since the Sonoma, Calif., event last August that she qualified outside of the top half of the field.

We’ve got to do some work with these race cars,” Enders said. “That run marks run No. 15 under our belts, and that’s nothing, considering I had over 300 runs on my other car. We’ll learn it, we’ll get it, and we’ll be back to the top — you bet your butt.”

Enders had tempered her expectations for Pomona, knowing the new Dart and Mopar engine is early in its development by Elite Performance, but she didn’t expect such tire shake against Coughlin.

The track was way different today than it was the whole weekend,” Enders said. “We run behind the fuel cars, and they did zero track prep, which is pretty detrimental to our class. Of course, being first out doesn’t help, but that was our own fault. All things considered, coming here we figured we’d be a middle-of-the-pack car, and that’s exactly what we were. We’re going to go home and go to work on this stuff. We’ve got a couple weeks until Phoenix, and in between Phoenix and Gainesville there’s another couple of weeks. I fully expect by the Gatornationals to be a lot more competitive. We’ll keep moving in the right direction.”

Morgan Bartley – Blade Gone Sweet

February 12, 2016 // by Mackenzie LaRue

The sport of truck and tractor pulling is just about as “grass-roots” as motorsports gets. Its easy to imagine men taking their horses (and later tractors) out into their back field, and competing to see who had the strongest team. I can only imagine what the woman’s role was in the early years of this sport, probably preparing lunch for the men to have after a full morning of competition. Fast forward to 2016 and the role of women in truck and tractor pulling has dramatically changed. It is quickly growing into a more popular form of motorsports, and with that there has been a dramatic increase in female drivers. Women like Rodalyn Knox, the driver of the Sassy Massey, were the trailblazers in the sport, leading the way for the dozens of female drivers today. In fact, it is becoming so popular that last year at the National Tractor Pulling Championship in Bowling Green, Ohio, in the super modified two wheel drive class of 53 competitors, 11 were female drivers.

Morgan Bartley | Blade Gone Sweet Truck Pull

One of those drivers is seventeen year old Morgan Bartley from Saluda, South Carolina. Morgan is the driver of a super modified two wheel drive truck that she calls Blade Gone Sweet. Her truck features a 1923 Ford T-Bucket body and a 526 Keith Black Hemi. She competes at a Grand National level with the National Truck and Tractor Pullers Association throughout her summers. 2015-2016 may have been her rookie year driving, but she is no rookie to the sport of truck pulling. Morgan’s family have deep roots in the sport of truck and tractor pulling, with her dad being a 25 year veteran of the sport. It was only natural for Morgan to follow in the footsteps of her father and brother and become a driver when her time came.

My dad has been pulling 25 years, and I’ve been involved with the sport my entire life. Ever since I knew what pulling was I knew that I wanted to be in the drivers seat one day too!”

Morgan’s rookie year began with the development of a new truck for her to drive. Naturally, when a new combination is being tested out many gremlins show their nasty head. This resulted in Morgan having a more challenging rookie year than most, not only fighting her nerves that result as a new driver, but also being faced with mechanical failure. Despite the many challenges she has faced, Morgan has come out on top, proving to the community that she belongs in the drivers seat. Recently, Morgan has shown the sport of truck and tractor pulling that she has what it takes to be a champion. At the end of January at the C Bar C NTPA Winter Nationals, Morgan experienced the excitement of a second place finish when she piloted her truck to a pull off against one of the best drivers in truck and tractor pulling.

The sport of truck and tractor pulling has given Morgan many unique opportunities and experiences. Her team consists of two trucks, with her dad driving one and Morgan driving the other. This gives Morgan the unique opportunity to compete directly against her father. He is not only her crew chief, but he is also her competition. She has also experienced many summers spent in their hauler, travelling all across the United States. Truck and tractor pulling has given Morgan and her family the opportunity to meet many different people, and develop close relationships with them.

Getting to travel all over the U.S. competing with my family, and even more exciting getting to compete against my dad. Getting to travel and meet people who become like family is special also!”

Morgan has experienced a great amount of support throughout her rookie year as a female driver. However that does not mean she has not experienced her share of challenges during her short driving career. Being born and raised in the sport of truck and tractor pulling gave many people very high expectations for Morgan’s driving career. That can be incredibly intimidating and was something Morgan had to face.

Living up to my friends and families high expectations they had set for me. All of the “first time driving jitters” and the nervousness of having so much power sitting in front of me in an eight second ride.”

Despite her first year being challenging, Morgan is confident in her abilities and cannot wait to continue her career as a driver. She has a firm belief in setting goals and she is driven to complete those she has set for herself. Her rookie year has shown a great deal of resilience, which is inspiring to many female drivers.

Don’t give up. Set your mind to your goals you have made and go out and get them!”

With her rookie year coming to a close, Morgan is looking forward to the future of her driving career. She plans on coming out strong next year in the race for a Grand National points championship with her truck Blade Gone Sweet.

I plan to be a top contender for my upcoming 2016 season and stand a chance at winning a Grand National title.”

Morgan’s natural affinity for driving and her passion for the sport has already taken her so far! We wish her all the best and cannot wait to see what the 2016 season has in store for Morgan Bartley!

Good luck Morgan and congratulations on all of your achievements this year!

Courtney Force is ready to start fresh in 2016

February 10, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

The off season was incredibly long and Courtney Force is ready to start fresh, putting a tough 2015 season behind her. After wrapping up her toughest season since her 2012 Funny Car debut, her Traxxas team weathered a win-less season, with 15 first-round losses that left her outside the top 10 for the Countdown to the Championship. Though they struggled, Force did qualify on the pole at two events (Pomona and Charlotte) and had a runner-up finish in Norwalk, Ohio. She posted a new career-best ET of 3.933 seconds in qualifying at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway at the end of the year. She was able to maintain a firm hold on the record for most Funny Car wins in a season by a female (four) and most Funny Car wins overall for a female Funny Car driver with seven career tour victories.

I think I’ve become mentally stronger as a driver going into my 5th year of racing and have learned through all the ups and downs. I think any mistake you make as a driver is only for the better and you can take some much away from that if you choose to look at it with a positive attitude, and that’s what I’m doing this season,” said Force.

Force is ready to start fresh with her Traxxas team for the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series tour, and already is showing optimistic improvements. During the Nitro Spring Training pre-season test sessions at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, the team worked through some issues on the car in the first few days, leading Courtney to impressive full pulls which led to a career-best 3.890 seconds at 323.89 mph.

This season we are pushing hard to get our car back in that top 10 since we missed that opportunity last year. We are going to fight hard at every race with that as our primary focus. Obviously we have high hopes of having a race car to chase that championship, but we are going to take this one race at a time. We have a couple new guys on my team and have Dan Hood and Ronnie Thompson as co-crew Chiefs this year so I am eager to get started!”

The season opener will be the first event for new Traxxas Chevy Camaro SS Funny Car co-crew chiefs Dan Hood and Ronnie Thompson at the Force Family’s home track in Pomona. Both Hood and Thompson were assistant Crew Chiefs until this year.

I think our team made some huge progress this past week during testing in Phoenix. I think we have a better handle on this car than we did last year going into Pomona so that is giving us some confidence. When we ran my career best during testing and the car showed some consistency on the runs, it made me really excited for the upcoming season,” said Force.

Courtney Force and the Traxxas team hope to defend their 2015 pole with a strong start at the 56th Annual Circle K Winternationals in front of their home crowd and fans at Auto Club Raceway. This year also marks the 50th Anniversary for the Funny Car class. Qualifying will begin Thursday, February 11th, with sessions on Friday and Saturday. Eliminations will begin Sunday, February 14th.

Event Information:
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
2780 Fairplex Drive
Pomona, CA 91768
NHRA.com
Elevation: 1,100 feet

Tickets: nhra.com/tickets; 800-884-NHRA (6472)
Radio Frequency: 105.3 FM

Harli White’s 2016 season schedule

February 10, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Ambitious is an understatement when describing sprint Car racer Harli White’s 2016 season schedule. She has opted not to focus on racing for points in any specific series, but instead has packed her schedule with more than 40 winged sprint car races and more than a half-dozen non-wing sprint car races for her tentative 2016 season schedule.

Harli White has also planned 12 midget racing appearances, including the season-opening weekend March 4-5 at Red River Speedway in Wichita Falls, Texas, for the Red River Roundup with POWRi Lucas Oil West Midget Series.

I hate points racing,” she said. “I picked my schedule racing wherever, whenever. I’m really excited about it. I looked and saw where the big races were and picked those.”

In addition to the opening doubleheader of the season next month, White will embark upon her first Indiana Midget Week with the Honda USAC National Midget Series May 31 through June 5

I’m really excited about racing the midget,” she said. “We’ll have a couple of shows at some tracks I’ve run a sprint car at so that will be fun.”

White’s first winged sprint car event will be the rescheduled Short Track Nationals at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark.,March 10-12 with the GoMuddy.com National Sprint League 360 Sprint Car Series.

She plans to compete in all but one of the GoMuddy.com NSL 360 events and will tackle Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour races in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Washington and Iowa.

“We have a lot of multi-day shows on the schedule so it’ll be a really exciting year,” she said. “Also in April I have my wedding week so we’ll take that weekend off.”

Additionally, White is pleased to announce several sponsors are on board for the 2016 season. The Mower Shop and The Body Works are Chili Bowl partners that extended sponsorships and White is also excited to welcome Sea Foam to the team.

“I’m so grateful for all of our partners for their support,” she said. “We are pushing ourselves hard this year and are able to do so thanks to the amazing fans and sponsors.”

White’s apparel is currently being finalized. She plans on having a variety of t-shirt designs with sizes ranging from youth small to adult 4XL in many colors for sale at her race trailer throughout the season.

Harli White 2016 Season Schedule

Mar 4-5	Red River Roundup Red River Speedway – Wichita Falls, TX
Mar 10-12	28th Annual Short Track Nationals I-30 Speedway – Little Rock, AR
Mar 17	Lucas Oil ASCS National Sprint Car Tour Heart O’ Texas Speedway – Waco, TX
Mar 18-19	43rd Annual Spring Nationals Lucas Oil ASCS National Sprint Car Tour Devil’s Bowl Speedway – Mesquite, TX
Mar 25-26	Park City Cup / Air Capital Shootout 81 Speedway – Park City, KS
Apr 2	NSL National 360 Sprint Cars Randolph County Raceway – Moberly, MO
Apr 30	ASCS Rock N Roll 50 Riverside International Speedway – West Memphis, AR
May 6	POWRi West Midget Series Valley Speedway – Grain Valley, MO
May 7	5th Annual Open Wheel Showdown Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, MO
May 13-14	Texas World Dirt Track Championship Texas Motor Speedway – Fort Worth, TX
May 20	POWRi West Midget Series Boyd Raceway – Boyd, TX
May 21	POWRi West Midget Series Abilene Speedway – Abilene, TX
May 31	Midget Week – USAC National Midgets Montpelier Motor Speedway – Montpelier, IN
Jun 1	Midget Week – USAC National Midgets Gas City I-69 Speedway – Gas City, IN
Jun 2	Midget Week – USAC National Midgets Lincoln Park Speedway – Putnamville, IN
Jun 3	Midget Week – USAC National Midgets Bloomington Speedway – Bloomington, IN
Jun 4	Midget Week – USAC National Midgets Lawrenceburg Speedway – Lawrenceburg, IN
Jun 5	Midget Week – USAC National Midgets Kokomo Speedway – Kokomo, IN
Jun 11	Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour Route 66 Motor Speedway – Amarillo, TX
Jun 14	SPEED WEEK 43rd Annual Summer Nationals Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint National Tour Devil’s Bowl Speedway – Mesquite, TX
Jun 15	ASCS Sizzlin Summer Speedweek Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint National Tour Lawton Speedway – Lawton, OK
Jun 16	ASCS Sizzlin Summer Speedweek Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint National Tour Creek County Speedway – Sapulpa, OK
Jun 17	ASCS Sizzlin Summer Speedweek Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint National Tour Missouri State Fair Speedway – Sedalia, MO
Jun 18	ASCS Bob Westphal Memorial Cup Sizzlin’ Speedweek Finale Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint National Tour Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, MO
Jun 23-25	45th Annual Jim Rapier Memorial Dirt Cup Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint National Tour Skagit Speedway – Alger, WA
Jul 1-2	Fred Brownfield Classic Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint National Tour Grays Harbor Raceway – Elma, WA
Jul 23	NSL National 360 Sprint Cars Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA
Aug 4-6	26th Annual Arnold Motor Supply 360 Knoxville Nationals Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA
Aug 17	POWRi West Midget Series Lawton Speedway – Lawton, OK
Aug 18	POWRi West Midget Series Creek County Speedway – Sapulpa, OK
Aug 19	POWRi West Midget Series 81 Speedway – Park City, KS
Aug 20	POWRi West Midget Series Dodge City Raceway Park – Dodge City, KS
Sep 2-4	Jackson Sprint Car Nationals Jackson Motorplex – Jackson, MN
Sep 9-10	NSL National 360 Sprint Cars Billings Motorsports Park – Billings, MT
Sep 22-24	6th Annual ASCS Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint National Tour Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, MO
Oct 14-15	43rd Annual Winter Nationals Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint National Tour Devil’s Bowl Speedway – Mesquite, TX
Nov 2-5, 2016	29th Annual Short Track Nationals I-30 Speedway – Little Rock, AR
Nov 11-12	NSL National 360 Sprint Cars Cocopah Speedway – Somerton, AZ

We can’t wait to see how Harli White fairs on this tough 2016 season schedule! Best of luck!

Enjoyed this article? You can keep up with Harli’s career and hundreds of other women in racing by subscribing to receive free Horsepower & Heels news updates.

Rachel Kullman: Shifting gears in SCCA Racing

February 9, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Most high school graduates are just venturing out to explore the possibilities of what the future can hold for them, but eighteen year-old Rachel Kullman has just shifted gears to a high-speed life on the fast- track of SCCA racing.

Rachel Kullman – the early years

Growing up, Rachel Kullman was no stranger to a track surface. Her father, Paul Kullman, owner of No Mo’ Money Race Engineering, began a career in sports car racing over 15 years ago. Rachel, her mom and sister would all accompany him to his racing events, cheering him on from the sidelines. When Rachel turned 11, her father treated her to a trip to DeSoto Speedway, a go-karting track in Bradenton, FL – an hour south of their Seminole, Florida home. Rachel was immediately hooked, and the family brought home her first kart that very same day.

Rachel was an active young lady, participating in soccer, karate, and dance throughout her elementary and middle school years. She balanced 7 years of karate, 4 years of soccer, 3 years of karting, and a year of dance with a busy academic workload. In high school, Rachel was dual-enrolled in both her regular curriculum and college coursework, getting a jump start on her college education. She now is enrolled at St. Petersburg Community College and plans to transfer to the University of Florida to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a veterinarian. She also works at Vernon Photography during her time away from classes.

But despite her busy schedule, one thing has never left Rachel – a deep love for racing that fuels her passion to follow in her father’s footsteps. She competed in karts from 2009-2011, and says of the experience; “From there on, I was hooked on this addicting sport and have loved it ever since.”

Moving up: Rachel Kullman in SCCA

While racing in karts sparked her love for the sport, it was the time she spent in the team’s No Mo Money Racing shop that she began to learn more about the world of SCCA racing. Spending time at her father’s side, she was gaining valuable experience and knowledge about what it takes to compete in sports car racing. This hands-on experience would help her when it was time to get behind the wheel herself.

When we are at the track, my job is to grab whatever tool,equipment, etc. that he may need and run any errands that he may need to do like get fuel or go to the store to get more water or parts for the car. If we are doing an enduro race my duty is to be the fire bottle girl on pit stops. I also hand him any tools he needs on pit lane and help out with anything that I can. When we are not at the track, I try to come whenever I can to the shop and help him work on the cars.”

At 16 years-old, when many are just getting their driver’s license to drive for the first time, Rachel was attending her first SCCA driver schools: at Daytona International Speedway and Sebring International Speedway. These schools assign a teacher through SCCA to monitor students’ driving line and observe safety of new drivers. They test knowledge and reaction to flags (yellow, red, mechanical or “meatball”, black) and judge students’ understanding and response. Graduates of the school earn certificates, giving them the green light to compete in regional races. Once students complete two regional race weekends successfully, they are granted an official SCCA license. Rachel attended the schools in May and June 2014. She learned to improve her lines and cornering,and entered her first SCCA Majors race at Homestead Miami Speedway in January 2015 in her very own 1990 Mazda Miata prepped for the track. She moved on that month to the second race at Sebring, and the third event in February at NOLA Speedway in New Orleans.

In May 2015, she returned to the Daytona driver’s school to test a new transmission in her STU prepped Miata. All of the experience she had been gaining and her testing earned her a second place finish in a 90-minute enduro race at Daytona International Speedway that month, her first-ever enduro attempt. She would move on to compete at the 2015 SCCA Runoffs at Daytona International Speedway in September 2015, finishing 14^th overall. Rachel would finish out the 2015 season with a third place finish in the SCCA regional race, second place in the SCCA Regional Championship October race, and landing in the No. 3 position overall for the championship points trophy in the SCCA Regional Series.

Shifting gears – Rachel Kullman overcomes

In just her short year and a half in sports car racing, Rachel Kullman has exceeded all expectations, growing as a promising young driver in the STU ranks. She has been surprised at the attention and support she has received from her peers.

Being a girl doing a “guy sport”, people are actually very interested in what I do. I race with SCCA, and the people there are just absolutely amazing. They are always cheering for me and helping us with anything we may need, were just one big giant family.”

One memorable experience for Rachel came while at the Daytona school testing her new transmission.

I had only been racing for a year at this point and at the very end of the school there is a “mini race”. Being that this was a school there was a small number of experienced drivers like myself there. I believe there was four of us, and at the start of the race, us four pulled the rest of the pack by at least three seconds or so. There was one faster car, then there was me and this other Miata. Since we both have the same car the battle between us was pretty great. I was leading for most of it then I messed up in a corner and he passed me, but on the very last lap in the first horseshoe at Daytona International Speedway, I late braked him and passed him on the inside in front of all the instructors, workers and fans. When I came off the track I had a parade of people coming up to my car and clapping for me and telling me how awesome of a move that was. I had instructors come up to me that had seen me just a year before at my first driver school and tell me how impressed they were with how much my driving had improved. It definitely is a day I will never forget.”

Even with great support and encouragement, the learning curve of racing isn’t without its difficulties. Rachel said an early mistake on track hurt her confidence and created a roadblock she works hard to overcome.

One of the biggest roadblocks that I have had to overcome and still am over coming is to trust my car will do what it is supposed to do. When I first began racing, I was learning how to take the corners and when to enter and exit them. Due to entering the corner wrong I spun out on exit and someone who didn’t see me hit me. Ever since then I’ve had doubts in the car, thinking that it won’t stick even though it will.”

Rachel works to overcome this fear by studying her corners using iRacing, an online simulator software, where she is able to familiarize herself with the tracks and practice before she straps into the car to go out and race them. She also leans on her best friend, another more experienced racer, who helps her to analyze the corners, correcting them when they are wrong and offering solid advice that Rachel relates well to. With his assistance, Rachel has seen much improvement on the track, a fantastic boost to her confidence.

Miata’s are known for how they handle in corners, they don’t have very much speed but they handle corners so well that I have passed BMW’s and Mustangs going through corners. I am slowly but surely over coming this fear, and one day soon I will drive the car to its full potential and have 100% faith that it will hold out.”

With such a strong support system behind her, Rachel hasn’t ever felt any different being one of the few women racing. In fact, the only time her gender has ever been addressed was from one astonished man at the SCCA races.

While I was away helping the crew pack somethings into the trailer, a guy who knew me thru SCCA walked up to some of our crew mates and asked them, “does she really drive that good or is it just her car”. Our crew members replied that it really is my driving and not the car, and just walked away from the situation. When I found out about it, at first I took it as an insult because I knew he was just saying that because I’m a girl, but then I re-thought about what the guy said and realized that it actually was a compliment! Him asking that question, basically stated that he thought I was a good driver, and that’s all that matters to me.”

Rachel Kullman’s Plans for the Future

Rachel and her team are currently preparing a new racecar for the 2016 season, a 1999 Mazda Miata that will allow Kullman to be more competitive in the STU class. While she continues her studies and works towards her goal of becoming a veterinarian, she remains very dedicated to her racing program. Rachel plans to race in the Southeastern conference of the SCCA Majors this season, with aim at the SCCA Runoffs at Indianapolis Speedway. She is confident her team has what it takes, but needs sponsor support to make it happen. When not racing herself, she often works the corners at races, staying involved with the sport by waving the flags and making calls on the radio, something she takes great joy in doing.

To other young ladies entering the sport, she offers this advice:

Somethings that I have learned are to never give up on yourself. I personally had a hard time at first learning stick shift, but I practiced every day and now it’s like second nature to me. There is going to be lots of bumps in the road when it comes to racing and achieving your dreams, but don’t ever give up and don’t let anyone tell you that you won’t be able to do it.”

One thing is certain: she’s just taken off in what promises to be an exciting journey in sports car racing. We can’t wait to see where Rachel Kullman will take her SCCA career to next.

Best of luck this season, Rachel Kullman!

Enjoyed this article? You can keep up with Rachel’s career and hundreds of other women in racing by subscribing to receive free Horsepower & Heels news updates.

Memorable weekend for Michele Abbate

February 8, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

A memorable weekend for SCCA racer Michele Abbate, who claimed two podium finishes in STU, recognized as the Runner-Up for the 2015 STU Points Championship, and awarded the prestigious 2015 Lindley Bothwell Cal Club Driver of the Year Award during the annual awards banquet with her peers.

SCCA US Majors Western Conference Season Opener

Michele Abbate would begin her 2016 SCCA US Majors Tour season at Auto Club Speedway for the the Cal Club hosted western conference event. The opener would mark the debut of her new Edelbrock E-Force Supercharged GRR Racing FRS. After qualifying second on Saturday morning in the STU field with the lap time of a 1:52.394, Abbate would be running a full grid with the SCCA GT cars and American Sedans when the green flag dropped for the race. The 25-minute race provided great excitement as Michele maintained her consistency in lap times and crossed the finish line with her first victory of 2016 in the STU class.

Watch the SCCA winner’s interview with Abbate: http://www.scca.com/videos/2025748

SoPac/Cal Club Annual Awards Banquet

After taking her first win of 2016, Michele and her GRR Racing team attended the annual awards banquet for the SoPac/Cal Club. The evening banquet featured drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and great company. During the awards ceremony, Abbate was recognized for her 2^nd Place Overall STU Championship Trophy for the 2015 season.

The So Pac/Cal Club racing division offers a great place for us to race in additional to our other events of the year,” said Michele. “I would recommend the series to all club racer’s out there, it is always a great time!”.

The final, and most prestigious award of the night came at the end of the banquet ceremony, where the 2015 Lindley Bothwell Cal Club Driver of the Year Award is announced. The honor is presented to the driver who shows outstanding sportsmanship, exemplary improvement, supports the Club, and shows potential as a Professional Driver with the highest of standings. Selected by a committee of Cal Club members from criteria of present achievement plus future promise, the selection decision is always a tough one to narrow down to one honoree. After a fantastic introduction of Michele’s history with racing, Michele Abbate was announced as the 2015 recipient of the Lindley Bothwell Cal Club Driver of the Year Award! This honor marks the first time a female has earned the distinction in the 66-year Cal Club history.

It was such an absolutely pleasant surprise”, said Abbate, “What a prestigious award to be presented with! I am so grateful for the opportunities I have earned and this is truly an honor to accept”.

Rain-soaked podium on Sunday

Sunday rain-soaked Auto Club race puts Michele Abbate 2nd place on the podium — Photo: Ever Larsson

After an evening filled with celebration, Sunday’s weather rained on the parade for Michele Abbate and her GRR Racing team. Rain downpoured on the Auto Club Speedway all morning, and did not let up when the field took the green. Visibility issues plagued Abbate from the start of the race, something they tried to prepare for in anticipation before the start. Crew members Anthony and Jason mounted a spare Mishimoto fan to the dash in attempt to prevent Michele’s windshield from fogging up. They even placed a stick in the car with a rag fastened to the end of it to allow Abbate to manually clear the condensation as a last resort.

I’ve never seen so much rain pouring down at Auto Club Speedway. We knew it might come, so we were fully equipped with our Hoosier H2O tires, mounted and ready to go”, Crew Chief Anthony Philleo stated.

Unfortunately, their attempts were unsuccessful at managing the visibility issues, and Michele contended with fog as best she could during the race. Despite the challenges, she held a strong lead ahead of the third place position, and when she heard something amiss on the exhaust system of her GRR Racing FRS, she dialed back her pace to ensure a clean finish. Michele maintained her position to the finish, earning another spot on the podium with a second place finish in the STU field.

The team will focus on their next race February 20-21 at Willow Springs Raceway for the 3^rd and 4^th Rounds of the SCCA US Majors Tour Western Conference Division.

100th race for Alexis DeJoria

February 8, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

NHRA Funny Car driver Alexis DeJoria will be breaking into the triple digits this weekend at the 56th annual Circle K NHRA WinterNationals in Pomona, California. The event will mark her 100th race in NHRA professional Funny Car competition, the most events in the class for a female driver.

Along the road to 100, DeJoria has picked up three national event wins to her credit, including the prestigious 60^th annual U.S. National in Indianapolis, IN. She became the first female to break the three-second Funny Car barrier, and earned three No. 1 qualifiers in the class, finishing in the Top Ten in Funny Car championship series points for the past two seasons.

The season opener in Pomona will begin her fifth season at the controls of the Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car. Previous to her professional debut in the Funny Car class, Alexis DeJoria spent nearly six years behind the wheel of a Top Alcohol Funny Car (TAFC), even owning her own team at one point.

As she gears up for this weekend’s 2016 NHRA season-opener, DeJoria reflects on her journey to this milestone. She joins Shirley Muldowney, Erica Enders, Angelle Sampey among other women in NHRA’s ‘100 race club’.

When I found out that Pomona would be my 100^th race, it kind of took me back. I just can’t believe I’ve already competed 99 times in a Funny Car. It went by pretty fast,” said DeJoria. “I’ve learned so much over these first 99 races and I think it really does take about 100 races before you feel settled in that race car. When there are things that come up- and there always will be- I feel much more acclimated to my race car, to my team, and to my series. It’s been a short but long journey, and I’m really proud to be in this position and say that after this weekend, I’ve been able to compete in 100 NHRA Funny Car events.”

Alexis DeJoria’s history making weekend kicks off on Friday, February 12^th as she and the Kalitta Motorsports Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car team begin qualifying for the 56^th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, California.

Ladies strong in Nitro Spring Training

February 7, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Brittany Force Nitro Spring Training Preseason testing Phoenix AZ — Photo: Ron Lewis

The ladies looked strong in NHRA Nitro Spring Training, a successful four days of NHRA pre-season testing at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.

Brittany Force and the Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster team led all Top Fuel dragsters on Saturday’s final day of Nitro Spring Training, with a 3.721 second pass at 319.07 mph. Force posted the 5^th and 6^th quickest runs of the four day test session overall.

I am definitely glad we are here in Phoenix testing. We were here for four days and I needed every single run that we made to make me feel more comfortable. Teaming up with Alan Johnson and Brian Husen as my crew chief has been great,” said Force. “They have made a lot of changes to this Monster Energy dragster. They run a whole different system that what we used to run. It takes some time to adjust to that and I am learning the car. It is starting to feel like home. We ran a couple of 3.72s and I am ready to get to Pomona.”

Leah Pritchett in Nitro Spring Training, Phoenix AZ — Photo: NHRA.com

Leah Prichett and her new team at Bob Vandergriff Racing worked on getting comfortable together. The team ran well, and Leah felt comfortable in the seat with new crew chiefs Mike Guger and Joe Barlam at the helm.

It’s going OK. It was running low-.70 numbers on the early-shutoff runs we made this week. I’m extremely comfortable in the car. It drives smooth. Mike and Joe are phenomenal to work with. We have high expectations that we’ve placed on ourselves. We have something to prove this year,” said Pritchett (via NHRA.com).

Courtney Force Nitro Spring Training Preseason Testing — Photo: Ron Lewis

Courtney Force driving the Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car ran her career best ET 3.890 at 323.89 mph. The first two days of testing were uneventful for Force who struggled to get her Funny Car down the track. The team began to hit their stride on Friday.

We struggled a little the first couple of passes but then we got it figured out. That is why you go to testing. I am really excited to be working with Ronnie Thompson and Danny Hood as my crew chiefs. This whole Traxxas Chevrolet Funny Car team did a great job here in Phoenix. We made my quickest run ever and I feel really comfortable heading to Pomona,” said Courtney Force.

Saturday NHRA Nitro Spring Training Leaderboard

TOP FUEL

Brittany Force– 3.721, 319.07
Clay Millican – 3.739, 288.87
Doug Kalitta – 3.745, 325.53
Brittany Force – 3.747, 322.81
Richie Crampton – 3.748, 319.22
Brittany Force – 3.758, 317.64
Antron Brown – 3.768, 297.88
Shawn Langdon – 3.770, 316.08
Antron Brown – 3.791, 320.13
J.R. Todd – 3.802, 325.69
Leah Pritchett – 3.839, 272.72
J.R. Todd – 3.882, 251.67
Terry McMillen – 3.916, 256.75
Troy Buff – 3.929, 255.00
Terry McMillen – 3.935, 306.05
Troy Buff – 4.123, 242.19

FUNNY CAR

Tommy Johnson Jr. – 3.874, 318.47
Robert Hight – 3.885, 329.34
Courtney Force – 3.890, 323.89
John Force – 3.914, 327.35
Courtney Force – 3.915, 323.74
Ron Capps – 3.919, 320.66
John Force – 3.927, 323.66
John Force – 3.930, 328.14
Robert Hight – 3.931, 323.43
Matt Hagan – 3.962, 326.79
Alexis DeJoria – 3.972, 320.51
Jack Beckman – 3.982, 289.57
Del Worsham – 3.983, 320.81
Ron Capps – 3.987, 319.29
Alexis DeJoria – 3.993, 322.58
Del Worsham – 3.999, 320.97
Cruz Pedregon – 4.008, 273.94
Brian Hough – 4.015, 316.01
Del Worsham – 4.070, 273.39
Jim Campbell – 4.153, 252.24
Matt Hagan – 4.211, 225.60

Top 10 overall | Nitro Spring Training

TOP FUEL

Tony Schumacher – 3.683, 325.37
Dave Connolly – 3.714, 330.15
Doug Kalitta – 3.716, 327.35
Tony Schumacher – 3.718, 320.58
Brittany Force – 3.721, 319.07
Brittany Force – 3.721, 318.54
Doug Kalitta – 3.727, 322.88
Steve Torrence – 3.729, 326.08
Steve Torrence – 3.731, 326.48
Shawn Langdon – 3.733, 315.49

FUNNY CAR

Tommy Johnson Jr. – 3.874, 318.47
Jack Beckman– 3.880, 325.77
Robert Hight – 3.885, 329.34
Courtney Force – 3.890, 323.89
Jack Beckman – 3.894, 327.03
Jack Beckman – 3.895, 325.06
Courtney Force – 3.904, 318.54
John Force – 3.912, 324.20
Robert Hight – 3.913, 326.16
John Force – 3.914, 327.35

Capri’s love for Racing

Goals | Capri Wesley

Being a Women in Motorsports

Do you feel you’ve made an impact?

Moving Up – Crewing and Brackets

Girl-Trouble Funny Car

Slow start for Erica Enders in Pomona

Morgan Bartley | Blade Gone Sweet Truck Pull

Good luck Morgan and congratulations on all of your achievements this year!

Harli White 2016 Season Schedule

Rachel Kullman – the early years

Moving up: Rachel Kullman in SCCA

Shifting gears – Rachel Kullman overcomes

Rachel Kullman’s Plans for the Future

Best of luck this season, Rachel Kullman!

Enjoyed this article? You can keep up with Rachel’s career and hundreds of other women in racing by subscribing to receive free Horsepower & Heels news updates.

SCCA US Majors Western Conference Season Opener

Watch the SCCA winner’s interview with Abbate: http://www.scca.com/videos/2025748 SoPac/Cal Club Annual Awards Banquet

Rain-soaked podium on Sunday

Saturday NHRA Nitro Spring Training Leaderboard

Top 10 overall | Nitro Spring Training

Watch the SCCA winner’s interview with Abbate: http://www.scca.com/videos/2025748

SoPac/Cal Club Annual Awards Banquet