Celebrating, promoting and supporting women in motorsports and Moto Enthusiasts

Representing: Des Moines, IA

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You just never know where Horsepower & Heels will end up…. this one comes to you from the great midwest!
Here’s Jeff and Fatty from Des Moines, IA bringin’ it to ya from

The Kung Fu Tap and Taco

The ‘Fu, as they call it, is an awesome bar with lots of really cool people. The name is true to word, as the bar’s claim to fame happens to be the awesome tacos they serve nightly…. especially good after some stiff drinks!
This awesome sign (at right) greets you as you walk in the door, and it really sets the atmosphere of the place…

“Pledged to Pleasure, Booze & Treasure”

Kickass! The way it should be! They have a great group of regulars and its THE hot spot for Bike Night, from what I understand.
Besides an awesome bar staff (Hi Annie, Fatty, & the rest of the clan!), the bar itself also earns extra cool points for the motorcycle tap that’s mounted right up there….
Functional.
Straight out of the oil tank.
….Pretty damn cool if you ask me!
Jeff being the awesomely amazing sweetheart that he is, found a great little home for a Horsepower & Heels decal on the wall at the Fu, and we think it rocks! He also sent along these great pics of his favorite hangout.
Thanks Jeff, you’re the best!
Check it out if you’re ever in town!
Kung Fu Tap and Taco
210 Indianola Ave
Des Moines, IA 50315
(515) 285-TACO
Wanna get in on the action?
Have a cool bar or other location you want to support?
Help us get the Horsepower & Heels word out! Just pick up a Horsepower & Heels decal, and when you find a cool home for it, send us a picture to press[at]horsepowerandheels[dot]com.

Bucket List!

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Everyone should have a list they keep of things they want to do in their lifetime. The Jack Nicholson/Morgan Freeman flick The Bucket List last year really brought this idea to the top of mind for people, and I’ve seen plenty of lists out there with some really inspirational goals.

I often talk about my magic “list”, things I’ve done, things I’ve added along the way, but I’ve never sat down to write it out. I’m going to attempt a good list, I’m sure I’ll forget plenty and they’ll be added on as I go. Consider it a work in progress. So here goes my Bucket List….

  1. Learn how to play the guitar and break it out with friends and drinks for good times
  2. Finish my degree and maybe even learn another trade
  3. Learn to fly a plane and get my pilot’s license
  4. Dance until the sun comes up in Ibiza, Spain
  5. Sit on the beaches in Cuba and experience life the way it was… and the way it still is now (learning about the part of me that I don’t know anything about)
  6. Drive the length of the US1 coastline in a drop top Mustang (preferably with a turbo on it)
  7. Run a marathon (or two, or three)
  8. Drive a Fuel Dragster or Funny Car
  9. Dance on the Bar at Coyote Ugly Las Vegas, 6/2008
  10. Be a bartender at a cool pub and invent a drink they name after me when I’m gone
  11. Hang out with Jesse James over a beer and talk shop
  12. Become a cool Mom to a talented and empowered daughter
  13. Take Ju Jitsu and be strong enough to kick some serious butt, but mentally above it all
  14. Own a pair of seriously rediculous heels from a too expensive designer
  15. Drive on the Autobahn in something worthy of my lead foot
  16. Backpack through Europe with no itinerary and just submerge in the culture
  17. Be in Times Square for the Apple Drop on NYE
  18. Snowboard down a slope like I’m not from FL and know what I’m doing
  19. Write a book that gets published
  20. Travel to Alaska and visit Bus 142 outside of Fairbanks (Christopher McCandless’ last dwelling)
  21. To not settle for someone I can live with, but find the someone I can’t live without
  22. Get married barefoot on a beach in a white bikini dress
  23. To assemble a brain-trust and start my own successful business
  24. To overcome claustrophobia
  25. Own and live in a log cabin on the bluff and want for nothing else
  26. Learn to belly-dance Shakira style
  27. Own a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer! Huntsville, 1/2008
  28. Take a ride in a military fighter jet with Papi’s picture so he can be with me and achieve both our dreams together
  29. Swim under a waterfall La Mina, Puerto Rico 12/2000
  30. Quit chickening out and get my first tattoo
  31. Win the Championship in a professional class racing (Pro Mod, fuel, whatever.)
  32. Make someones dream come true… anonymously…. and watch them enjoy it without ever knowing who it came from.
  33. Have my own office… no more cube! QuStream 11/2007
    Upgraded: Have a corner window office on mahogany row with a nice view!
  34. Chase a tornado Twister-style across the county and stand in awe at its power
  35. Visit Pearl Harbor and all the other big WWII memorials and museums and learn about the great heros of that era, especially the flying aces
  36. Learn to spin from a good DJ mentor and play a set in my hometown (Orlando)
  37. Build an old skool chopper… myself.
  38. Help my BFF with her dream of her own Bar & Grill, “Eleven”, because I believe in her so much and want to see her do it.
  39. Put bright Atomic Pink highlights in my hair
  40. Ride a bright pink Vespa with a old skool helmet and googles to Bike Week in Daytona
  41. Attend Burning Man
  42. Leave this world knowing I stood for something….

I’m looking forward to crossing some off this list as I go. I don’t expect that I’ll ever get to some of them, but others are well within my reach, and I intend to do something about it.

What does your Bucket List look like?

Leave me a comment with yours!

Rocket City Nationals

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To kick off a great Independence Day weekend, I headed straight over to the track after work on Thursday for the Rocket City Nationals at Huntsville Dragway. Being that my car still isn’t done, I wanted to help out Greg Hines with his new 69 Nitrous Pro Mod Camaro and Mike Teilking with his Limited Street Mustang. Plus, a local racer, Alan Parker, has just finished putting together his Mustang, and has been talking to me about shaking it down for him. I wasn’t sure if he’d be able to make it this weekend, but I had all my gear in tow.

Turns out, he didn’t make the haul with the car (bummer), but that’s okay….I don’t really like being at the track unless I am racing or I can help out, which is another reason I think I have much more fun at these type events versus a National event. So I volunteered on parachute duty for Greg, and offered a hand anywhere else they needed it.

 

Greg ended up running really well, with a 4.22. He made it to the Semi-Finals, where he ran another 4.22, but this time, the chutes were not out, and the car was bouncing trying to stop and left the shut off area. I thought I was going to throw-up when I saw them not come out, and I felt sick as we rushed down to the top end to see Greg off in the grass and spun around, the front end cracked up pretty good. Brand new beautiful car, and the chutes I packed had failed. I was almost in tears as we towed it back to the pits.
They took a look at it, and found out that the problem was in the air launchers that he was using, and nothing due to my packing them. Thank GOD! I was devastated that such a pretty car had been scratched up, and was so shaken that Greg could’ve been (But thankfully, wasn’t) hurt. I don’t think I could’ve lived with myself if it were something I caused. After a loooong night in the pits, I headed home around 2 am and was back up at 8am to go back to the track.

 

Friday, Greg had some problems getting down the track. The heat probably played into that, but he ended up losing the final from the night before, and not making the 8 car promod field. Still, a runner-up finish isn’t bad for the 4th pass on a brand new car!

 

Meanwhile, over at Mike Teilking’s, luck wasn’t so great either. We discovered on Friday morning that there were some problems with the torque converter and it caused a hurt piston, and since their engine builder (Pilcher Automotive) was right next door, they decided to save the trip down to Enterprise and get the motor pulled and disassembled for them to take with them home and fix. So, I got to work on Friday to help Wendell and Mike get the engine out and tore down. I really miss being able to get my hands dirty sometimes, so I had a blast with Mike and Wendell all day. We had the motor out of the car in just a few hours, and had it down to just the crank and block by mid-afternoon. Another late night, and I didn’t see my pillow until after 1am.

 

Saturday morning, I got back up and picked up Mike to take him to back to the track to get his trailer and to help Greg and Wayne take down their awning. This is the kind of racing I miss, and am excited for some things working in the pipeline for me to be back in action soon! It may not be NHRA or Top Fuel, but it is definitely a part of my life that I feel like I have been missing a lot lately!

 

Look for more soon on a new website I will be working on for Teilking Racing!(www.teilkingracing.com) Mike’s got a strong Limited Street car, and I’m excited to build him a cool website to show it off more!

 

Godspeed Scott Kalitta

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The most heartbreaking news you can possibly hear…. DHL Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta has passed away after a top end crash during the NHRA Lucas Oil SuperNationals in Englishtown, NJ during 4th round of qualifying today.
Kalitta, the son of NHRA legend Connie Kalitta, was just 46 years old. He has been a staple in the nitro ranks for many years now, piloting a top fuel dragster as well as moving to funny car. He started his career in the 80’s, ironically with his first event being at Englishtown, NJ.
He is survived by wife Kathy, and sons Cory [14] and Colin [9], Palmetto, FL.
This year at the AC Delco NHRA Nationals in Gainesville, my good friends Frankie, Mikey, my sister Melanie and I were all VIP guest in the DHL pits. Watching Scott’s passion in that car was infectious. As he warmed up the car, you could see the adrenaline flowing in his eyes, and as he blipped the throttle, he would do this whole pumped up jump onto the throttle. (Think head-banger metal style energy). I wish I would’ve had that moment captured on video, it was such a cool and inspiring sight.
The second driver fatally injured in nitro funny car in the past 2 years, he is another great talent that will be sorely missed.
Godspeed, Scott Kalitta
May you forever light the nitro candles in the skies above us.

Photos: Competition Plus, Melanie Ortiz

The secret is in the hair

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Okay, this is about as RANDOM as random gets on my blog posts….

Last night, I had a dream that I was driving a nitro-burning flopper. No biggie, I have that dream pretty often. But this wasn’t just ANY dream. In my dream, I had a sudden realization. In a blaze of nitro-glory (ie: I was on fire through the lights), I realized something might not work for me in the future:

 

My long hair.

 

As long as I can remember, I’ve always had long hair. (minus that brief cut in 1st grade that wasn’t my idea, and left me emotionally scarred for life…. think mini-Fullet. LOL) Its always been at least shoulder length, but typically much longer.

 

Right now, its probably the longest its been in my life, almost 3/4 way down my back. I figure I might as well let it grow while I can still “get away” with pulling that look off.

 

But last night, my subconscious was telling me that I needed to look at something. Mainly, the fact that mile-long hair poking out of my helmet wasn’t going to work so well in a nitro flopper and would be promptly incincerated in my first nitro-blaze. Melanie, Ashley, Hillary…. all have relatively moderate lengthed hair. How would I tuck in 3 feet of the stuff under a helmet safely?

 

Oh the trauma! Long hair has been my staple, my identity, my whole LIFE! I’ve been jokingly nicknamed as the Pantene Girl. (wouldn’t they be a great sponsor?!? hint, hint!) Its one of my better features, I think.

 

The thought of cutting it off has Sampson effects on me! Will I lose my edge? My strength? Will I be rendered a disheveled wreck? WILL I BE PLAGUED WITH BAD HAIR DAYS?

 

Just another thing us women racers get to worry about over our male counterparts. LOL.
(Still waiting on an anatomically correct fire suit, and 300mph chip-proof nail polish.)

The year of girl power

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What a year its shaping up to be for women in Motorsports!

Danica Patrick started it off getting her first win for IRL in Japan. She became the first woman to do so for the league.
Then, Ashley Force grabs her first win in NHRA Funny Car at the Southern Nationals in Atlanta. Ashley became the first woman to ever win in NHRA Nitro Funny Car, making history in a win over her father.

She was followed close behind by Melanie Troxel also in Funny Car. Melanie became the first woman to win both in the Top Fuel and Funny Car categories, in only her 8th start in the floppers.
And now Hillary Will, the lone Top Fuel lady for 2008 grabs her first win in T/F Dragster!
Congratulations ladies and thanks for representing us women and what we are capable of in Motorsports!