Celebrating, promoting and supporting female racers and women in motorsports

Finishing 2nd

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Erica Ortiz Pro 5.0

Wow.

My rookie season in FFW Pro 5.0 has been such a whirlwind year for me. Reflecting on where I started and where I finally ended up, shows such an evolution of emotions, trials, and even a few success stories along the way.

It wasn’t so long ago that I sold my old (and dearly loved) drag radial car to chase my crazy dream of running in Pro 5.0/ Pro Modified. I said goodbye to my trademark black & pink little coupe at the end of 2004. Over a year I sat on the sidelines, and at the time I thought my time would never come. I ached to be out there racing with everyone, and though I still attended, crewed and found every way imaginable to stay at the races, my heart was still in the driver’s seat.

Finally, in February of this year, “Bessie” as I’ve nicknamed her was done. I was a bit nervous at the jump in performance, especially after being out of the driver’s seat for over a year, but when we finally got ole Bessie out to Phenix City for some 60′ test passes, I realized that some things never leave you. The learning curve was steep initially, but once I got accustomed to the night and day differences between a full interior, stock suspension street car and an all-out racecar, I finally found my groove. I cannot be more grateful for Dan Parker’s presence in my life, because without him, I would not have been able to do this. He has truly helped me learn and grow as both a driver and a crewmember as well, making me more adept and competent on working on the car myself.

Though he wasn’t able to be there, I was super proud and thrilled to have accepted the 2006 Crew Chief of the Year honor for Dan. He’s always there to help anyone he can, and his work speaks volumes for him not only on my car, but Johnny Gullett’s, Dan Millen’s, Dennis Lugo and many others whom have benefited from his genuine care and concern for the people and the sport.

Finishing #2 in the points chase in my first year in Pro 5.0 was nothing less than breaktaking for me. As I said in my speech at the FFW banquet, I can remember clear as day standing on the starting line at the Spring Break shootout back in 2000, watching people like John Gullett and Doug Mangrum running down the 1/4 mile, and made a silent wish that one day I would be there with them. Well, 6 years later, after running brackets, winning a few true street events, getting runner-up in drag radial, and then finally I accomplished my dream of running Pro 5.0. But never could I have imagined that I would finish #2 in points for the year in such a competitive class. I am super excited to dream my dreams for next year and all the years to come.

Thanks to all who have stood behind me in this tell-tale year. Without you it would never have been possible. I look forward to tomorrow and can’t wait to see what awaits us all in the future.

Fun Ford Weekend World Finals

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Ennis, TX–

The final stop on the FFW 2006 tour was less than stellar for the Horsepower & Heels Thunderbird.  Ignition problems plagued qualifying attempts, and a broken transmission on the starting line during the first eliminations round sent Erica home early.

Despite the lacksluster finish, Erica Ortiz becomes the 2006 Fun Ford Weekend Pro 5.0 Championship Runner-Up.

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Photo Credits:  Aspen Tarkington, Chris Parisi

Fun Ford Weekend Heartland Nationals 2006

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Topeka, KS–

Switching to new larger 88mm turbos before the race with no test time made it a tough learning curve for the weekend. Erica hauled the Horsepower & Heels Thunderbird from Alabama all the way to Topeka alone, as her normal crew were out testing a Pro Mod in Valdosta, GA.

Dennis Lugo flew in from Orlando to assist Erica over the weekend. The pair sorted through some tough timing issues before qualifying #4 with a 6.88 @ 203mph. That pass provided Erica’s best career 1/8th mile ET of a 4.44, but timing retard stayed on in high gear resulting in a less than average top half.

This paired Erica first round with David Schorr again.  Though Erica took the advantage at the tree with a 0.032 to his 0.103 light, she lost traction down track and Schorr went around.  Erica did move into the #2 position in the 2006 points championship entering the final race of the season in Ennis, TX.

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Photo Credits:  Gabe Wittig

Cool Fit Wear joins Horsepower & Heels

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Cool Fit Wear
Cool Fit Wear

Horsepower & Heels is very happy to announce the addition of http://www.coolfitwear.com/ to the Horsepower & Heels team as an associate marketing partner.   Owned by another woman in motorsports, Sharon Banks, Cool Fit Wear sells performance athletic wear and undergarments using new technological advances.     Driver Erica Ortiz will wear the undergarments beneath her fire suit to stay cool and dry.

Essential Equipment

Designed for women and their sport, SLVR combines the optimum blend of technology and materials to create garments of maximum comfort and superior performance.

The magic of SLVR is Silver

Silver is known for its medicinal qualities, including burn treatment and the healing of skin. Those same qualities are what make SLVR unique. Actual silver is woven into our patented fabric creating a high-tech material that is soft, comfortable and eliminates odors before they start.

Moisture Transport

The fabric of SLVR is nylon/spandex/lycra which has been treated with a process that permanently changes this synthetic fabric into a cool, comfortable fabric that rapidly wicks and moves the moisture away from your body. You will stay dry and it will actually help regulate temperature. So when it’s hot, SLVR keeps you cool and comfortable. And when it’s cold, the same process keeps your skin dry, so you stay warm. Cotton holds moisture, rather than wicking it away — making it heavy, uncomfortable and prone to bacteria and odor. SLVR efficiently removes moisture so bacteria and fungus never get the chance to form.

Performance that lasts — The SLVR collection is engineered to perform as well in your washer as they are on your body. They are wrinkle and stain resistant. And their superior moisture control never washes out.

For more information or to order:
http://www.coolfitwear.com/

Not alone, and really not all that different

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[Driving Force Episode #5- Ashley’s Licensing Test Runs]

Yea, I know. There’s a big difference between a 1800 hp twin turbo doorslammer running 6 sec/200+ mph passes and a 7000 hp flopper running 4 sec/300+mph passes, but I’ve got to thank A&E and the Forces for showing what I suspect a vast majority of the women who dare navigate the 1/4 mile experience while learning to pilot these high powered “beasts” (to quote John). Let me reminisce…

I did not come from the racing pedigree that Ashley, Brittany, Courtney were born and raised in, in fact I hardly knew what drag racing was when I turned 16. My parents can hardly change a tire, and certainly were not race fans, but somehow I had a passion for speed and hot cars that would become more prominent as I graduated high school. So, when I purchased my first car: a 1990 5.0 Mustang GT, I was thrilled with the possibilities, and even more facinated with the world of information and aftermarket available out there on the domestic scene. Later that summer, I would venture to my hometown dragstrip for the first time. I didn’t know anything about how drag racing worked, but being a competitor at heart, and an adrenaline junkie, I knew I had to try it.

My first pass in late 1998 was a 15.30. A year later it was a 13.20. By 2000, I drove my first power adder car, a supercharged street coupe, to an 11.20. And before the end of 2001, I obtained my 9 second NHRA license in a twin turbo mustang. Fast forward through my first 8 second pass in 02, and my championship first runner up in 03, to my switch to the PRO 5.0 category and obtaining my Advanced ET license in the 6’s at 200mph today. Now, none of this is in the same ballpark as driving a top alcohol dragster over 200 mph before age 23, and licensing in your very own funny car to boot. But what I found so refreshing about this episode of Driving Force is how well myself and I’m sure many other women can relate to her experiences.

There is something about the way men and women learn and adapt to new experiences and new situations. My close friends (Hi Deby!) have had a good laugh over the antics and the battles that Dan & I have weathered through the process of getting me acclimated with the new car, and while they are funny to me now, they weren’t so funny then.

You see, there is what I call a sensitivity chip missing in men. A COMMONSENSE-ITIVITY chip that aids in the walk of a fine line between brave and ignorant. There is a point where you must accept fate & have the faith where your senses fail you. Guys have that blind faith. Faith in their machines, faith in their destiny, fate in their ABILITIES. Nevermind that the idea of losing vision while traveling at over 300 mph is not only terrifying and insane, but to have the blind faith to stay in the throttle that first pass is jarring. Us women, we feel. We analyze. We THINK. Much to the chargin of men, we often overthink, and overcomplicate. But as Ashley pointed out, all of the things– the thoughts, the feelings, the nerves, and the pressure come flooding over our brains, and as she delicately pointed out, the only thing stopping her is herself. She knows it, her team knows it. I also know this, and so does Dan. We all concur 100%.

Its definitely proven true the old adage… “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” although at times I swore Dan was from somewhere beyond Pluto. A planet with some coined race related name like Dragtopia or something where the people are born dropping clutches and wheeling pro mods. But somehow, we made it through it and truthfully, I know and appreciate that Dan means well and only the best for me (as John does for his daughters). …Even if Dan “definitely doesn’t have a career as a motivational speaker.”

Bristol FFW Thunder Valley Nationals, Eliminations Round 1

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Erica Ortiz from Horsepower & Heels Racing, takes on Chuck Samuels in Round 1 of  Pro 5.0 eliminations at the 2006 Fun Ford Weekend Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, TN.   Erica leaves first, but is out-powered by Samuels who takes the win.   Ortiz runs a career-best ET of 6.85 @ 207 mph to Samuels’ 6.57 @ 216 mph.

Watch the video from the Round 1 match-up below.

Career best ET in Bristol FFW

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FFW Thunder Valley Nationals
FFW Thunder Valley Nationals

The Horsepower & Heels team entered the Fun Ford Weekend Thunder Valley Nationals with some hard work ahead of them.   After a stellar performance in Norwalk, OH with a runner-up finish and the history-making initiation of Erica Ortiz into the 6 second, 200 mph clubs, the team was ready & working hard to build upon their progress. This process began promptly after their return from Ohio, pulling the motor for refreshing just 2 weeks shy of Bristol. After tearing it down and discovering no excessive wear or damage, the team opted to switch the cast crank in favor of a steel version for reliability and peace of mind.

There was still much to do as they pulled in the gates of Thunder Valley. Kevin & Dan worked on getting the driveline back together, while Erica unloaded and unpacked. Having arrived mid-afternoon on Friday, the team would not make the first call qualifying session. Teammate John Gullett would grab the pole with a 6.57. Back in the pits, the team buttoned up the car and went to the line for the 2nd session. This night session would prove to be the best conditions for performance, as the cool air and track temperature would aid the car’s performance. But as Erica cranked the car in the staging lanes, she quickly discovered that the Bruno was low on fluid and forced to back it off.

Saturday morning, the team went over the car again. Dan & Kevin changed the tires to a larger Goodyear slicks, and they made the call for 3rd round qualifying. Erica staged up, but the car moved hard right out of the gate past the 60′ mark and she was forced to abort. A broken wheelie bar and the change in tire size had the chassis tune up slightly off, so Dan adjusted it for the final session. Having not made a clean attempt, Erica knew how important the final session would be to the Sunday ladder. She entered the burnout, but something went amiss, and the throttle hung wide open as she fought to keep the car straight and in control while reaching for the power kill. After safely killing the engine, Dan backed her off, tore off the hood, and removed the culprit- a vacuum line tangled in the throttle cable. Erica quickly refired, and jumped to the starting line. Rattled, she staged and took off, but when the tires finally set down over 200 ft out, the car got loose and she lifted. This failed attempt secured her spot at the bottom of the ladder, facing #2 qualifier Chuck Samuels in eliminations.

An early morning 1/8th mile test attempt showed strong improvement, with the car making a clean, straight pass and running stronger than her previous incremental best 1/8th mile attempt. Knowing that Samuels had the performance advantage (he qualified with a 6.62), Erica knew she would have to cut a good light to try and outrun him. She staged first, and left ahead of Samuels, with a near perfect 0.008 light but it just wasn’t enough, as her new personal best of 6.85 @ 207 mph couldn’t compete with his 6.57 @ 217.

Though her early exit in eliminations was not what they had hoped for, the team is proud of their continued progress.

“We know that we come in here under-powered compared to these other cars, but we continue to improve with each outing, and even if we aren’t winning races yet, we’re proud of the advancements we’ve made thus far.” Erica says.

Erica entered the event #2 in points for the Pro 5.0 championship points chase, with John Gullett a close 3rd and Chuck Samuels in the #4 position. Her early exit may have caused her to lose some ground on the points fight, but Erica is not far out of the running. The team is working on some marketing partnerships that would enable them to finish out the remaining 2 events in the FFW season- Topeka, KS & the Dallas, TX world finals.

The Horsepower & Heels team will be back out next weekend, July 12th with the Automatic Pro Mods quick 8 event at Silver Dollar Raceway in Reynolds, GA.

 

See photos from the 2006 Fun Ford Weekend Thunder Valley Nationals.    Watch the video of Round 1 eliminations against Chuck Samuels.

 

 

Fun Ford Weekend Thunder Valley Nationals

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Bristol, TN–

After a weekend full of problems, Erica Ortiz had a tough qualifying session in the Horsepower & Heels Thunderbird, finishing #5 and at the bottom of the ladder. Though an early exit in the first round against Chuck Samuels, Erica posts a new career best running a 6.85 @ 207mph.

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Photo Credits:  James Pickett-Modified Mustangs; Eric Hamilton

Helping and Learning

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Today, I went to Mr. Moody’s shop to help him work on the motor. This was probably moreso for my benefit than his aid, but I wanted to learn and wanted to be able to contribute, so Mr. Moody humored me. What I learned, is that people vastly underestimate the potential of factory ford parts… as evidence of my recent performances.

We have had no problems with the motor after approximately 70+passes, save for the small lifter incident on the first test outing in February of this year. That’s 70+ passes on a stock block, cast crank, and under 24 psi of hairdryer pressure. I don’t know what I was expecting to find as I dropped the oil pan (literally, all over the floor… sorry, Mr. Moody!), but I was pleasantly surprised to find…. NOTHING. Nope, nada, zilch. The rod bearings were good as new, the cylinders all showed way rich conditions, and everything was intact and looked as though it had just been put together. (Save for the outside, which was covered in gunk from that pesky leaking valve cover)

So, Mr. Moody will be replacing the cast crank with a better unit, and buttoning it back up for the Bristol FFW race coming August 4th-6th. Mr. Moody assures me I can now up the power, and expects that we will be able to hit in the 50’s with the stock block before the end of the season. He’s not often wrong… after all, he guessed the cast crank performance to a T. In Bristol, we will attempt to combat the thinner mountain air by turning up the boost a little in our typical sneak-up-to-it style.

Maybe I’ll be fortunate enough to hang onto my #2 rank in the points… (John Gullett has plenty to say about that I’m sure… don’t worry Johnny, I”ll save you a parking spot next to me!) But for now, I’ll just focus on getting down the track consistently and working hard with what we have!

We DID it!

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Well, one big goal can be checked off my list for my rookie season…

6.88 @ 205I have now gained entry into the 6 second club & the 200 mph club this past weekend in Norwalk, OH for the FFW event there, acheiving both feats on my runner-up pass in the finals. I can’t be prouder of my crew and everyone who helped me acheive this milestone.

All of this was done with a stock filled 460 block and a cast crank. Mr. Moody is swapping the crank so we don’t have to be as scared to run with it. I’m still working on gathering the rotating assembly for the aluminum block motor we are working on for next year. Maybe someone will step up to help out soon, if not… its nose to the grindstone!