Featured Racer: Ashley Strickland

September 4, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Dials, Digs and Dresses- Ashley Strickland, the 23-year old drag racer, former collegiate volleyball player and pageant queen from Concord, NC shows her diversity and success in a unique blend of experiences.

Family Racing Roots

As a small child, Ashley Strickland routinely frequented the local racing circuits with her father, an avid bracket racer who competed in the non-electronics classes. She remembers vividly her father’s Lenco-equipped Dodge Daytona, which he raced consistently throughout her childhood, upgrading to a short-wheelbased Anglia. Watching her father’s racing adventures, she was eager to enter the junior dragster ranks, begging her parents to allow her to compete in the Junior Drag Racing leagues.

During Christmas when I was seven years old, Santa Claus brought me my first junior dragster! I made my first pass when I was 8 years old, and started running regularly when I was the age of 10.”

With the help of her dad, she campaigned in the Junior Dragster series for several years before moving up into “big cars” of the Top Eliminator class in 2007 at the age of 15. She entered in a few bracket races at non-sanctioned tracks that would allow her to drive under the age of 16, and did some grudge racing on the east coast. Once her sixteenth birthday arrived, she was a staple in the highly competitive IHRA Top Eliminator Class, winning three races, two runner-up finishes and several semi-final showings in her first year in the class.

Her younger brother, who makes up the other half of her Strickland Racing team, joined in the Junior Ranks as well, and the pair have benefitted from lots of coaching from Dad, who sold his racecar to focus on his children’s racing careers.

My dad has constantly given me driving lessons over the years. I have gotten endless speeches about what to do and what not to do in any given situation. I have always tried to hold an open mind and learn as much as I possibly can.”

Volleyball Scholarship puts racing on hold

The young teenager balanced her high school workload, a part time job, school athletics career, and racing with precision and determination. But her busy schedule would come to a cross road nearing her graduation, and important decisions had to be made. Ashley accepted a volleyball scholarship at Averett University in Danville, Virginia.

When I was traveling and visiting colleges, I never knew about college sports being year-round… I had always drag raced in addition to playing volleyball, and decided to hang up my drag racing for the most part as I played volleyball in college. I moved to a different state and focused on my new passion of volleyball at the time.”

This put racing on the backburner while she attended college and focused on her volleyball schedule. When her schedule allowed, she would return home to race from the end of April until the first of August. Just in this limited schedule run, Ashley won two races and made several semi-final appearances in regional races around the North Carolina area. Despite the limited schedule, Ashley still finished in the top 15 of the area’s series championship points standings.

Trading in her helmet for a tiara

While in her freshman year of college, a flyer would catch Ashley’s eye while studying for her finals. The local Miss Danville-Pittsylvania County pageant was looking for contestants, and on a whim, Ashley decided to enter. She paid her $50 entry fee, wearing one of her high school prom dresses and recruiting the help of a family friend to do her hair.

My mom, Mrs. Tammy, and my brother and I traveled up to Virginia, where I went to college, and stayed in the dorm rooms while I competed in the pageant. I knew I wouldn’t win. I had no talent, didn’t go to the gym and workout a day in my life (for the swimsuit category), and had no idea how to walk in heels and a bathing suit on stage in public. I actually “youtubed” how to accurately walk in heels and do a “pageant bikini walk”, and other pageant items.”

But winning is exactly what Ashley ended up doing, taking the overall pageant win as well as the swimsuit and interview portions of the competition. She was named “Miss Danville-Pittsylvania County”, and then went on to compete for the title of Miss Virginia, for the chance to represent the state in the national “Miss America” pageant.

She has competed in a few more competitions since, recently winning the title of The Southeast Thresher’s Queen in June, representing the Southeast’s largest Antique Farm and Tractor event in the annual Independence Day celebration. Her experiences in the seemingly polar-opposite worlds of drag racing and pageantry proved to be very complimentary, as Ashley recounts that the quick-thinking interview portion of pageants were not unlike the quick reaction and lighting sharp reflexes and thinking needed in drag racing, helping her keep cool under pressure.

During the interview portion, you have to be able to think quickly. Drag racing gave me the ability to think quick and act in an appropriate manner in order to answer all questions that were given to me, not just skirt around an answer. Though drag racing definitely did not help the part of walking in heels, I would not have been as well-rounded in the pageant world if it were not for my drag racing background.”

Returning to her love of racing

In 2012, Ashley would return home, transferring to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She would also return to her first love of drag racing, running the full schedule in 2012. She won five races, had six final round appearances, and numerous semi-final finishes. She placed in the top eight at her local IHRA track, was crowned the NHRA 2012 zMAX NHRA Track Champion, and earned a spot in the NHRA Division 2 Race of Champions in her first year competing in the NHRA. Just one thousandths of a second separated her from being named the NHRA Division 2 Super Pro Champion at her first Race of Champions appearance.

In 2013, Ashley would again land in the top 10 in IHRA Track Championship points for the season, as well as a Top 10 finish in the IHRA finals. She would move onto running Super Comp in IHRA in 2014,capture two semi-final appearances in same weekend (21 rounds of eliminations won in two days), a NHRA LODRS Division 2 appearance as well as an NHRA national event appearance in Atlanta, also finishing in the top 10 for Rockngham Dragways yearly points championship.

Ashley recently graduated from UNCC, earning her degree in Psychology, and a double minor in Biology and Women’s and Gender Studies. She works as an Account Executive at ESPN Radio in Charlotte, and coaches Volleyball in her off-time.

I still coach, and coach on the national level. Coaching allows me to still be involved in the sport, yet give me the ability to affect young girls lives and support them in ways that I wished I had received while I was playing in college. “

Racing on

Her 14 year racing career continues to thrive as well, racing her Race Tech dragster, powered by a NASCAR Dodge R5 engine every opportunity she has.

Recently, we have teamed up with Joey Arrington at Race Engines Plus for our engine design and combination. Noah and I both run a R5 NASCAR engine that is designed and built by MOPAR. It is a street legal, and NASCAR legal engine that we have put into our drag cars. It is a high-winding RPM engine that is tons of fun to drive. “

Like many racers, she feels the most difficult part of the sport lies in finding the funds to compete. Ashley has worked hard with her family to put together a team able to be competitive an offer value. Her partnerships with companies like Speedwire which helped with electronics, AED with the engine carburetor that has allowed her consistency, and many other people along the way have been instrumental to her success staying on the track.

My parents help tremendously with our racing operation. …Without money, cars would not be able to be at their best, nor would drivers be able to attend the races. As a recent college graduate, I have struggled with finances as I have been on my parent’s skirt-tail for the past several years. Now with it time to be on my own, it is a struggle.”

She has had a plethora of positive experiences in the drag racing world, but added that there are a few incidents where being a female in the male-dominated sport of drag racing have resulted in some less than sportsmanlike comments from her competitors. She shakes them off quickly.

It is a given that men do not like to be beat by a girl. …I believe anytime someone is a minority, there will be criticism. In my experience, I have always tried to take criticism and learn from it. If it is negative, I try to make it a better driver and a stronger person in general.”

She credits her parents for raising her to be a strong woman and have a strong mind-set that is able to overcome adversity and succeed in high-pressure environments. She enjoys meeting young kids who look up to her for driving a racecar, and enjoys sharing her story in hopes that it may inspire some to live their dream regardless of obstacles they may encounter. Ashley offers this advice for young, up and comers:

As a female driver, I think that it is very important that you know who you are in order to experience success. By knowing yourself, you will be able to drive better and be an all around better driver. Furthermore, learn your car. Do not rely on other people to do everything for you. Be able to diagnose problems if something were to arise with the car. Pay attention to what your car does in different situations and how your car acts at various tracks. All of this is very important when it comes to being a successful driver. “

In the future, Ashley aspires to make racing a full-time profession, adding that Top Fuel would be her ultimate dream. While she says that it may not be always a realistic goal for her personally, she would love the opportunity if it presented itself.

It seems like such an incredible rush, and it would give me the opportunity to see the country in addition to meeting endless people. I love to meet new people everywhere I go, and I feel like I have a diverse background so I am able to relate to all kinds of people, no matter age or gender.”

For now, she says that she will continue racing, and plans to do so for many years to come.

Racing is in my blood, and it is impossible to keep a true racer away from the track. I am looking forward to running a variety of races, but always excited to be on the track no matter where it is!”

Horsepower & Heels wishes you the best of luck, Ashley Strickland!

Leah Pritchett ready to take on the Big GO

September 1, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Top Fuel dragster driver Leah Pritchett has been dreaming of racing at the NHRA U.S. Nationals since she began her racing career at age eight. The 27-year-old Redlands, Calif., native has set her sights on the world’s biggest drag racing event for nearly twenty years when she started competing in her family’s Junior Dragster at the Pomona Raceway. Though she has been to Lucas Oil Raceway many times, even in her Junior Dragster at age 12, she has always wanted to race at the Clermont, Ind., motorsports facility on Labor Day during the hallowed U.S. Nationals. Now in the top drag racing division, Top Fuel, it looks like Pritchett has finally reached her goal.

“I haven’t been able to race on Labor Day yet at Indy,” said Pritchett, who’ll wheel her bright, chrome red Gumout Top Fuel dragster for Dote Racing next week (Sept. 3-7) in the 61^st annual drag racing extravaganza. “I just missed out last year when (former NHRA champion) Antron Brown nipped me by .001 of a second (for the 16^th starting spot).”

Leah Pritchett’s frustration of missing the U.S. Nationals 16-driver Top Fuel lineup in 2014 was especially cruel since it was so close, Brown’s 3.845 to Pritchett’s 3.846 seconds.

“Hey, that’s drag racing,” she explains. “The track conditions are always tough at Indy. With so many race cars there, the track surface becomes very tricky. We’ll have five qualifying runs next weekend for the U.S. Nationals and two will be at night. We need to get the night runs down to put the Gumout dragster into the field this time.”

Leah Pritchett has experience beyond her age

Pritchett, despite her age, is one of the most experienced pro drivers in the NHRA pit area including holding four different professional racing licenses in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Heritage Funny Car and ProMod. Leah is a former Heritage Funny Car world champion and a three-time NHRA national event winner in the wild ProMod division.

“When I was a kid racing in Junior Dragsters, I wanted to drive in the Top Fuel division,” said Pritchett, whose husband, Gary, is a mechanic on the Steve Torrence Top Fuel car. “So I drove just about anything I could to get up to the top ranks. I tested in the Funny Cars at Indy and drove the unpredictable ProMod cars on the national NHRA circuit. Finally, the Dote family offered me this Top Fuel ride and we brought in Gumout as our primary sponsor. It was a dream come true. I’m competing against the likes Antron (Brown), Tony (Schumacher), Shawn (Langdon) and Larry (Dixon) and all have been Top Fuel champions. Ultimately, that is my goal too, winning the NHRA Mello Yellow Top Fuel title.”

And a good start in Leah Pritchett’s goal would be a victory at the NHRA U.S. Nationals. Her Dote Dragster has been consistently going rounds this season, Pritchett finished runner-up to Brown at the Southern Nationals in Atlanta and has posted qualifying efforts of third, fourth and fifth this season.

“The U.S. Nationals are our Indy 500,” Leah said. “It’s the biggest drag race in the world and it is an honor just to qualify for the Top Fuel field. But I feel our Dote team can go a lot further than that this year. The Gumout car has been strong throughout the year and we want to be contender for the win at Indy. Last year, we just missed the show on Monday,” she said. “Now, with the new red chrome Gumout car, we want to put this new paint scheme in the winner’s circle at the world’s biggest drag race. Led by Doug Kuch (crew chief) and Rob Flynn (tuner), we feel positive about our chances this time.”

This year’s event marks the 61st Annual U.S. Nationals for the NHRA. Pritchett’s first qualifying attempt will take place on Friday, Sept. 4, at 7:30 p.m. EDT. Then there are two additional runs each on Saturday and Sunday for the Top Fuel dragsters. The final eliminations are set for Monday, Sept. 7, at 11 a.m. EDT.

Best of luck to Leah Pritchett!

Amy Castell lands podium finish at Calabogie

August 28, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

A comeback weekend for Toyo Tires Formula 1600 driver Amy Castell at Calabogie Motorsport Park in Ontario, Canada lands her on the podium despite early struggles.

While testing on Friday presented a few mechanical issues limiting Castell’s time on track, she was able to quickly learn the 20-turn circuit in just the last two sessions of the day. Qualifying on Saturday would find Castell sitting 10th overall and 4th in the B Class. After narrowly avoiding a race incident, Amy Castell would remain in the uncontested 3rd position for the remainder of the race.

During Sunday’s qualifying, ignition issues would mean that Castell would only be able to complete one full lap – enough to qualify 4th in B Class. An incident during the start of the race led to a restart where Castell was able to stick with Connor Wagland’s 2nd position car.

“It’s so good to be back on the podium after the difficulties we’ve been having the past few weekends,” commented Castell. “The team did an amazing job with the car and I can’t wait for next weekend!”

Castell had previously had a problematic outing in the rain-soaked BARC Grand Prix event. The Toyo Tires Formula 1600 Championship winners will be determined at the 61st annual BEMC Indian Summer Trophy Races on September 12-13 at Bowmanville’s Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Amy Castell is supported by Landmark Cinemas Canada, Castrol Canada, Bell Racing USA, Performance Physixx, KarmaComa Studio, Jaguar Land Rover Waterloo and Volvo of Waterloo, Driverseat Kitchener, and Leaf Racewear.

The Toyo Tires Formula 1600 Championship Series is the premiere open wheel series in Ontario, sanctioned by CASC Ontario Region. The series is comprised of six double-headers and competes at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Shannonville Motorsport Park, and Calabogie Motorsports Park.

Horsepower & Heels HQ: Part 1

August 25, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

When you are a head-strong twenty something with big racing dreams, the idea of setting down permanent ties in one location isn’t very high on the list of priorities. I always felt that buying a home would mean I didn’t have the flexibility to act immediately when that big break finally came for me to chase my professional full-time racing dreams.

But this theory began working against me in my racing career quite a few years back, when the new build project was split and separated between three states: the chassis kept at one location, the bottom end in another location, and the upper engine assembly in yet another. Without large sponsor dollars to pay for someone to manage the program, it leaves a lot in the hands of myself and faithful volunteers to make progress. Progress that just can’t be made while spread out across the southeast.

Racers Floorplan - Horsepower & Heels — What do you MEAN this isn’t a STANDARD floorplan?!?

After squaring away some of the other roadblocks that have kept me sidelined, and passing some other great life milestones as well, it was time to take the big step of planting roots in Tampa and home ownership. As a first-time buyer, I was completely clueless in the process. But we found a helpful realtor and set to work on finding what we thought was a pretty standard set of requirements in early February: a HUGE GARAGE, with attached room to sleep, bathe, and eat occasionally.

Building Horsepower & Heels HQ

Much to my surprise, that is just something that is NOT found in Tampa. We had a hard time even finding houses with a 2 car garage, and so our search evolved into finding a small house, but with enough room to BUILD a garage-mahal. We searched. And searched. And drove in circles. The market in Tampa is so fiercely competitive, that as soon as listing hit, they were under contract. Because of the added pressure of confirming if the property we were interested in had building limitations by the city, we had to make many trips to the Building Permit office before an offer could be made. We found ideal locations, but they were under contract. We’d find ideal lots, but they were in an unfavorable section of town for us. We’d find big back lots, but inaccessible from the street. I fell in love with Bungalows, until I put an offer in on one and found out through a costly inspection that the termites had eaten 80%+ of it. Finally, like they said, I found “The One”.

Erica's New House -Horsepower & Heels — I was too exhausted to look elated, but believe me, I was!

It was cute little house in West Tampa, good neighborhood, and a great little yard with room to put a fairly big shop with access directly from the driveway. We put an offer in at the beginning of April, and they accepted. I held my breath through the entire inspection, and it came back in great condition. We ironed out all the particulars at the Building Permit office, and got the green light. And then we began the lending process….. I won’t get into the ugly details in this post, but it was the most stressful and challenging time of my life, and not because of my credit or any reason on my end.

Finally, at the end of July, after 5 extensions, a ton of extra cash, misunderstandings, and it almost falling apart several different times, it was finally OURS. It took a lot of determination, many sleepless nights, and learning more about real estate and construction than I ever cared to know, but I was able close on the house WITH construction loan to build the new HORSEPOWER & HEELS Garage. This will mean that finally the racecar and my entire operation will be under one roof again, and I will be able to go outside and get to work on getting it back to the track. This was one of the BIGGEST roadblocks of the return, and we are now one step closer.

As challenging as the whole experience has been to get to this point, there is much I want to share with my friends and fans about what building a Racer’s Garage looks like. There are all kinds of things I had to learn in the process, and I figure my experience might help some other racer’s land their dream garage too. So, I’ll be sharing the details with you here, leading up to our shop-warming party once its done!

Stay tuned for Part 2: A Racer’s Garage coming next….

Salemi to debut new Firebird in Memphis PDRA

August 21, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Melanie Salemi Rendering 68 Firebird — Rendering: Rod Burke

15 year Top Dragster veteran, Melanie Salemi is set to debut a striking new 1968 Firebird at the PDRA Memphis Drags this weekend. Salemi stepped into the Pro Boost class earlier this season, earning her license and competed in 3 races with Tommy Zarella’s 2004 C5 Corvette.

“I am so thankful to Tommy Zarella of TT Motorsports, he had faith in what we were doing and without him I wouldn’t have been able to get the experiance behind the wheel before our new car was finished” explained Salemi. “Tommy has been a big part of our race team for the past couple of years and we couldn’t be more proud to have him on board continuing to supply us with the drivetrain for this new car.”

This weekend, she will showcase her brand new G-Force Race Cars built 1968 Firebird in the Pro Boost category with the Professional Drag Racing Association. The project is the result of a collective vision put forth by Mike Stawicki (MSR Performance), Jim Salemi (G-Force Race Cars), Jon Salemi (Resolution Racing Services) and Melanie on what they wanted to do with their team, and the group is proud that it has now become a reality.

“Although we didn’t start working on the car until late spring, things moved quickly. We wanted to make sure we had this car ready for this season and a lot of effort on everyone’s part is what it took. Late nights and early mornings but we are all really happy with the outcome” stated Jim Salemi.

The rendering was designed by popular hotrod/racing designer Rod Burke of Burke Designs. Paint on the beautiful pro mod was sprayed by Scott Jahren of Scott Jahren Paint from Tonawanda, New York.

Melanie Salemi 68 Firebird — Photo: Pumice Mendola 33.33 Marketing

Courtney Force breaking barriers in sports

August 19, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Funny Car driver Courtney Force will be honored by the WNBA’s Indiana Fever on Wednesday, Aug. 26 during their game with the Los Angeles Sparks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse as part of the Fever’s Inspiring Women Night. This year’s theme for the annual event is “Breaking Barriers in Sports.”

Force, the winningest female racer in NHRA Funny Car history, will be recognized during the pre-game reception alongside Carlie Irsay-Gordon, vice chair and owner of the Indianapolis Colts, NBA referee Lauren Holtkamp and Hall of Fame basketball coach Lin Dunn. WISH TV sports director Anthony Calhoun will lead a panel discussion with the four women as part of the pre-game reception, which begins at 5:45 p.m. Individual tickets to attend Inspiring Women Night presented by Elements Financial are $60 and a table of 10 is $550. The four women also will be recognized in front of the fans during half-time ceremonies at the Fever-Sparks game, which begins at 7 p.m.

Courtney Force Inspires Women in Racing

Courtney earned the milestone 100th victory for female racers in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series last season. She set the national speed record in Funny Car this season by powering to a speed of 325.06 mph at the controls of her 10,000-horsepower Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS and has earned seven career victories and nine No. 1 qualifying positions in her career. Force is the youngest daughter of 16-time NHRA world champion John Force, and shares the spotlight with her sisters, Ashley and Brittany, also women in racing competitors in NHRA’s Funny Car and Top Fuel classes.

Along with her appearance at Inspiring Women Night at the Fever game, Force will be in Indianapolis next week participating in pre-race testing for the 61st Annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, the world’s most prestigious drag race, which will be held Sept. 2-7, at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in nearby Brownsburg.

Courtney Force 100th win — Courtney Force’s 100th Win | Photo: Gary Nastase, John Force Racing

New sponsor for Danica Patrick

August 18, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

NASCAR’s Danica Patrick just announced a multi-year sponsorship agreement with Nature’s Bakery, a rapidly-growing snacks and food brand headquartered in Reno, Nevada, to join Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) as primary sponsor of the No. 10 team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series beginning with the 2016 season.

The agreement will see Nature’s Bakery and its signature tagline, “Energy for Life’s Great Journeys”, on board Patrick’s No. 10 Chevrolet SS for 28 races per year.

Nature’s Bakery was founded in 2010 by the father-and-son duo of Dave and Sam Marson with a mission of making delicious, convenient, on-the-go snacks that complement health-conscious living and active, everyday lifestyles. Their lineage in the food industry can be traced back to the 1960s when Dave’s father, Richard Marson, opened a family bakery. Growing up in the bakery, Dave passed his passion and skills along to his son, Sam, whereupon the two combined their knowledge and entrepreneurial spirit to form Nature’s Bakery.

“Danica Patrick is one of the most fit and health-conscious drivers in all of racing and she embodies the Nature’s Bakery customer,” said Dave Marson, founder of Nature’s Bakery. “We make great products that complement Danica’s lifestyle and the always on-the-go environment in which she competes. Nature’s Bakery provides ‘Energy for Life’s Great Journeys’ and we’re very proud to embark upon this NASCAR journey with Danica and Stewart-Haas Racing.”

Nature's Bakery and Danica Patrick — Photos: NASCAR

Patrick is one of the most recognizable athletes in motorsports and the most marketable personality in NASCAR, statistics derived from Repucom’s 2015 Davie Brown Index. Her success on the racetrack, which includes an IndyCar Series victory and a Daytona 500 pole, transcends her into the mainstream household, proven by a 2014 Harris Poll which named Patrick the second-most recognized female athlete in the United States, behind only tennis star Serena Williams.

“It’s an honor to represent Nature’s Bakery and also a great deal of responsibility,” Patrick said. “They have ambitious goals and they’re going to rely on me and everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing to deliver. I have ambitious goals too. It’s why I came to NASCAR and, specifically, to Stewart-Haas Racing. There’s still a lot I want to achieve in this sport and I’m looking to continue my professional journey with a brand as determined as I am.”

“All you need to say is ‘Danica’ and people know exactly who you’re talking about,” Dave Marson added. “She has immersed herself and succeeded in a very intense sport and been recognized for her efforts. By offering convenient, easy-to-find and affordable products that people can feel better about eating, we’ve carved a niche for Nature’s Bakery in the fast-growing, packaged snack-food industry. With our partnership with Danica and Stewart-Haas Racing, we’re able to take that niche mainstream.”

Danica Patrick has 6 top-ten finishes in her 4 year Sprint Cup career, including a pole at Daytona out of the 104 races she has entered. She currently is ranked No. 21.

“Danica has proven she belongs in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and we’re very happy to have her a part of our team for years to come,” said Tony Stewart, co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing with Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation, the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. “Nature’s Bakery is a natural fit with Danica. She has played an important role in the growth of all the businesses associated with her and our growth as a race team. Our partnership with Nature’s Bakery is all about growing their business. In Danica, we have the best possible person to help Nature’s Bakery achieve its goals.”

Pippa Mann to race Pocono ABC Supply 500

August 11, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Pippa Mann just announced that she will be returning to the seat of her No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda for the final oval race of the Verizon IndyCar season: the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, PA. The race will be Mann’s second start at the challenging Pocono triangle, with her previous start in 2013 also from the No. 18 car for Dale Coyne Racing.

Pocono is probably my favorite oval on the schedule after Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I love the uniqueness of the track, and the challenge of trying to find a car balance that works in three completely different corners. In 2013 it was a tough track to pass at, largely due to that different nature of the corners, and working out where on the track you needed to be fast, and to be able to follow, to then try and complete the pass. There’s another 100 miles added to the race since I last drove it, making it another 500 mile race, but I normally enjoy the long races, so I’m looking forwards to that aspect too. It was one of the races I found hardest to watch from the outside last year, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be back on the inside of an IndyCar cockpit as we head back to Pennsylvania in 2015.”

Mann finished 15th in her 2013 start, a result she and the Dale Coyne Racing team hope to improve upon their second time together at Pocono. She currently is ranked 29th in Indycar points, after starting in 5 events on the circuit.

Race Broadcast Information:

Qualifying will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network from 2.00-3.00pm ET, with the race broadcast also live on NBC Sports Network from 2.00-6.00pm ET. Watch Pippa Mann Live. Green flag time is estimated at 2.37 ET.

Broadcasts are also available via IndyCar Radio, the Verizon IndyCar 15 app, and live timing and scoring can be found on IndyCar Race Control.

Maria Costello fastest woman at Ulser Grand Prix

August 11, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Northamptonshire motorcycle racer Maria Costello made a return to a BMW Motorrad UK S 1000 RR for the first time since the Northwest 200, after a several month hiatus attributed to funding left her sidelined. Despite the lack of testing, she was able to register a fantastic 116.790 mph performance and a new female lap record at the 7.4 mile Dundrod circuit, making her the fastest woman ever on the course.

I was fortunate to have an experienced team around me for this event and with the additional support from BMW Motorrad’s technicians, I had a great set up on the BMW. Which is always a good thing when you’re about to ride a missile around the world’s fastest road race! It was me that would need to find some speed, come race day.”

With only one dry session on the Twin, Costello and team used the previous year’s data to dial the bike in for an 18th place qualifying position in the Supertwin race.

Maria Costello at Ulser Grand Prix — Photo: David Maginnis

Race start began in bright sunshine and Costello took to the grid on her ESM/Wollaston BMW backed BMW Motorrad UK S 1000 RR for the first event of the Ulster Grand Prix, the Superstock race. The BMW performed faultlessly and Costello enjoyed a lengthy battle with Andrew Sellars and Hubert Kalthuber. It was on her third lap that she set a new female lap record and she took the chequered flag in 38th place in her debut litre bike race around Dundrod.The Supertwin race was called to the grid as rain started to fall and the race got underway on a wet track. Costello finished the course in an admirable 21st place.

I’d not long arrived when I had upsetting news from home. I couldn’t change anything by going home but it put me in two minds about staying to race. Thanks to my team and friends in the paddock, and the blessing I received from my family, I decided I would compete. So the new lap record means more to me due to the circumstances & I feel so fortunate, firstly to have this opportunity on the BMW, but also to have such amazing support around me. I’ve a lot of people to thank for this opportunity including BMW Motorrad UK, BMW Motorrad, Wollaston Bikes, Metzeler tyres, all my sponsors and supporters.”

Costello, who is a champion of women in racing and regularly hosts all-women track sessions, added that she was happy to see the turnout at the race for female riders.

Congratulations to all the women who competed at the Ulster, it great that we’re making a small dent in to the male dominated world of real road racing. Well done to Noel and his team for running a great event. I want to wish all those injured a speedy recovery and I was deeply saddened by the news that a young man lost his life in the supersport race. Another dark cloud hangs over the sport and I send my sincere condolences to his family and friends.”

Female rider Maria Costello — Photo: Matt Mackey

Costello’s next event is a little more laid back when she will be leading a ride out from Wollaston BMW in Northampton this Sunday, to support the world record attempt at the Ace Cafe in London, to get the most women bikers in one place. Women who want to join the ride can meet at the dealership from 9.30am. Free bacon butties are being laid on and the ride will commence at 10am.

Maria then heads to the Isle of Man to participate in the Classic TT. To find out more about the fastest woman Maria Costello and what she’ll be doing next, please visit her website: http://www.costelloracing.com

Mechanical issues distract Erica Enders in Seattle

August 10, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

A series of mechanical glitches threw Elite Motorsports driver Erica Enders off her game in the second round of the 28th Annual NHRA Northwest Nationals on Sunday at Pacific Raceways.

After qualifying in the No.7 position in a field that was so close only 0.008 seconds separated her from the top spot, Enders would be matched first round with the No. 10 qualified Bo Butner. She would take the victory over Butner with a pass of 6.518 seconds at 212.13 mph, leaving first with a .034-second reaction time. Butner’s run was 6.524 seconds at 212.39 mph. This would advance Enders to face Elite teammate Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the second round. But from the start, almost nothing went right.

“I fired the car and had no oil pressure and no vacuum, so I radioed my guys and told them,” Enders said. “My crew chief just waved me in the water to start the burnout. I went to start my burnout, and then they were waving their arms to stop, so I aborted the burnout. They told me to shut it off, and they pulled my front-end clip off. Turns out the oil sump belt had come off, so there was no oil turning to the motor. They put that on, put the front end back on, and I fired it up. I had to reset all my switches, and the starter said I could do a short burnout. As I was pulling up, they were like, ‘No, back up.’ I backed up through the water and started my whole procedure over again. It was extremely rushed, and I was unable to do a burnout across the starting line, which means we couldn’t put any rubber down or burn through the resin.”

Not laying that critical rubber down through the starting line is detrimental to a recalcitrant Pro Stock car, though Enders was able to post a decent pass of 6.530 seconds at 211.89 mph. Coughlin, who shut the engine off in his Camaro while he waited for his teammate, won with a run of 6.532 seconds at 211.96, earning the victory on a holeshot. Coughlin would move on to runner-up in the finals of the race.

We did what we could with what we had,” Enders said. “I pulled in and pre-staged, but to be quite honest, I didn’t rise to the occasion today. I’m pretty disappointed in myself as a driver. Regardless of the distractions up there, I’m a world champion for a reason, and I didn’t show it today. It makes me mad, but at the same time, there were eight things that were horribly wrong all at one time, and it was a distraction. This is a game that’s won and lost by thousandths of a second.”

Enders remains second in championship points, 47 points behind Greg Anderson, and was grateful to Coughlin for waiting.

“The fortunate thing is my teammate Jeg Coughlin waited for me,” Enders said. “He didn’t have to, but we’re a team back here, and we’re a team up there. He shut his car off, and he wasn’t going to pre-stage without me. That speaks a lot about his character and the class he brings to this operation. Nobody else would have waited, and one of the red cars was going to the semifinals.”

The Elite Motorsports team looks forward to the 34th Annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in two weeks at Brainerd International Raceway.

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