Celebrating, promoting and supporting women in motorsports and Moto Enthusiasts

Back at it

//  by 

Made it back from Orlando in one piece, tired as all get out, but tan as only the Florida sun can do. As usual, the World Street Nationals were ever the impressive show that it always is. Being from Orlando originally, I get somewhat complacent about its significance… the size, the speeds, and the straight up competition. 400 cars competing to get into a 32 car field in 4 of the fastest run-whatcha-brung classes. Race Rock was a little lame this year, but with the turnout and the people crowding the streets (wait, yes, that includes me) its probably a little understandable that they forbid burnouts. ::groans::

The class that I would have entered in Orlando was Pro Street: full tube chassis cars, any power adder-any cubic inch, weighing in around 2700 lbs. Annette Summer took the pole with a stout 6.40 pass and posted top mph of 227 during the weekend. That’s sporty on a track that’s considered tricky because of the hot/humid/rainy climate in Orlando. The bump to the 32 car field ended up being in the 7.0 range I believe. Pretty quick… but definately feasible with my car, which is hopeful for next year.

So back at the shop this evening, we have the time to re-evaluate the starter/flywheel problem. Turns out that the starter was not fully engaging the flywheel at all… (thanks Mike Herring and Mr. Moody for the dead on troubleshoot) So Chris took the starter gear off and replaced it, and then machined material off the starter to get it closer to the flywheel and fully engaging against the teeth. Spun the motor over and flipped the ignition, and VROOOM! Started right up. I of course feel a little silly about not checking for that to begin with, but at least its fixed and running and ready to get tuned/tested in Phenix City this weekend.

We also took a minute to weigh the car… with a cast filled block, fiberglass front end, the lenco/bruno, the intercooler, and considering it is a steel roof/quarters car, we were SHOCKED when we found that it came in under the minimum for FFW… 2550. That’s WITH me in it. And the distribtion front to rear is good too. So, I lost that $50 bet. Dan ate Red Lobster tonight because I had guessed it to be 2600-2700 lbs. Oh well, I believe I owed him that at least for sure.

So tomorrow, I’ll reassemble the trans tunnel sheetmetal and finish off the little details that were left behind in the thrashing of last week. Phenix City has an open Pro Mod race on Sunday that I just found out is a 16 car field, and not the typical quick 8 format. Possibility of me sneaking into the back of that field…

Did I mention that my racecar is running?!? heh… reality has not yet sunk in.

WAAAHOOOO!

Postponed

//  by 

Well, after 2 long weeks of work, we finally got the car started and running… only to be defeated by the typical new car problems and lack of time for testing. After getting it started Tuesday night in the shop, we finally called it a night and got back up at it Wednesday morning to finish putting the final touches on the car. Parachutes needed to be packed, the windshield needed to go back in place, the sheetmetal around the Lenco needed to be fastened… nothing too severe. I stayed up until 2 am working through the engine management program, thinking I had a closer grasp on the motor. But when we unloaded the car at Phenix City to get in some much needed passes on the car, it went down hill from there.

The mechanical fuel pump had lost its prime, so we spent about 20 minutes trying to get it running. The timing was off, and once it finally lit, it wouldn’t stay running. The starter kept kicking back, and each time it did, it ground against the flexplate. John Gullett helped me finally get it running and keep it running, and set the timing correctly. It was idling great and sounded much better. When we shut it off, everything looked okay. But the next time we went to crank it, the flexplate/starter had so much wear that they would not engage, and the test session was over before it began. Although I could have replacement parts by Friday, I could not risk taking such an untested car to Orlando and try to run it through the quarter mile completely untested.

On the bright side, the car is finally together and running. We have a private test session scheduled next weekend to get the bugs sorted out, and can possibly enter the Pro Modified open race in Phenix City the following Sunday.

On the down side, I was really looking forward to debuting the car in my hometown of Orlando in front of my family and friends. I’m still headed down there, but it will be another few months before I’ll have another race in Orlando with my car. (March 2006 FFW) That was the real let down of the news, along with the fact that we all worked so hard for the last few weeks to get the car there, to have something this silly set us back. I won’t be discouraged though, and will use the extra time to really get the car sorted out before the next race… an ORSCA Pro Modified event at Commerce in November.

 

Fire in the hole!

//  by 

After a grueling last few weeks, we cranked the T-Bird last night! Everything so far seems okay. Got a lot of buttoning up to do today before we head to the track to test, but the motor sounds wicked!

I cannot explain how excited I am to have it running and how grateful I am to everyone who has helped me to get it together.

Thanks to everyone!

  • Dan Parker for putting up with my “stuck out bottom lip” and all the sleep he has sacrificed here lately to make it happen!
  • Mr. Moody for putting that motor together for me~ he’s truly a genius and the nicest guy on the planet!
  • Bill George for lending me his Lenco and being such a great and inspirational guy! His work ethic and determination is unmatched!
  • Dennis Lugo for letting me run up his cell phone bill and explaining things to me *perfectly* like only he can! I get it! THANKS! And for knowing how much of a PITA I can be and talking some much needed sense into me at times!
  • Rick Head at Innovative Turbo for always being supportive of me and being a great friend!
  • Jonathan Granada for all the help and all the great work he has put in on the car. It looks great and its greatly appreciated!
  • John Gullett for being such a team player! (I sorta cut in line to get my motor back before he did..hehe)
  • Big Josh
  • Little Josh
  • Biscuit Bunkley
  • Kevin Kennington
  • Ray Sanchez
  • Cristi Caraway
  • Ant Prater
  • Chris Parker

 

and to anyone else that I may have forgotten with the lack of sleep affecting my head!

We are headed to the track today for testing, and I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to post any updates. Keep your fingers crossed for me and I’ll see ya in Orlando!

 

……::Drum Roll::…….

//  by 

Final assembly has begun! The motor is between the frame rails, and all the final assembly is underway!

The Orlando World Street Finals are 2 weekends away, and approaching quickly. Look for the car to make its debut at the Race Rock cruise on Thursday night, October 13th. If you haven’t attended before, its an event you don’t want to miss. 2000+ horsepower racecars cruising down International Drive in the center of Orlando. The streets are blocked off and lined with people, and the drivers like to put on a show!

Then its onto Orlando Speed World Dragstrip for the World Street Finals in Pro Street. If you are attending the event, please stop by and say hi!

Eating my Wheaties

//  by 

Its been a long time dream of mine looking forward to the day that I could pull “levers” in my very own race car. Not your standard stick shift, or liberty rowing mechanism, but the wild and exotic “levers” of a Lenco transmission. I started off driving an AOD equipped 3 speed automatic, before performance necessitated the switch to the ::YAWN:: 2 speed powerglide transmission I ran in drag radial for the past few years. Moving to Pro, I knew that a clutch was out of the question in terms of budget, but I was very eager to switch to my “Lenco/Clutch training wheels”…. a 3 speed BRUNO/Lenco combination with my tried and true Neal Chance Converter. The sale of my powerglide last year funded the Bruno, my bolt-together converter was changed for the twin/BBF upgrade, and I can’t thank Bill George enough for the CS1 Lenco he put together for me. Now, being that this has been my dream for eons it seems, you can imagine how long I’ve looked forward to the day I could sit in my driver seat and pull levers and make turbo noises. (Yes really. Anyone who knows me can easily make that visual.)

So imagine: I finally get the Bruno/Lenco in the car, and take place in my seat, hand on the transbrake ready to launch in my maiden fantasy lever pull. My hand on the steering wheel, I revv’d her up and let go of the transbrake button, winding her through low gear, reach up to yank the first lever somewhere around 7000 imaginary RPMS and….

“EEEEEEEE-UUUUUGGGGGGHH.”

Nothing.

I try again, this time straining with all my might…. still, NOTHING. I sit up out of the seat to throw my body weight back against it, knowing that this isn’t a feasible method of shifting, and yanked back on the lever again…

NOPE, NADA, NOTHING… REJECTED.

By now, the guys–all standing around the car to share in my first Lenco moment– are laughing hysterically. My Lenco fantasy has by now come crashing down… my every dream crushed into the utmost state of denial. I looked up at the guys, who seeing my frustration, only begin to laugh HARDER. I’ve known that Lenco levers aren’t the easiest thing in the world to pull, but surely there is a logical explanation to all this. I mean, it doesn’t need THAT much tower pressure, does it? The only thing I can muster:

“You’re joking, right?!?”

I’m not sure if that was as much a question as it was a plead for some form of salvage to my dream’s peril. The obligatory onslaught of women’s place-in-the-kitchen comments ensued, along with a handful of my favorite, [cue thick GAWWWRGAAAA accent] “This is grooown folks stuff right herrre” comments. Once they were out of breath from laughing, Dan reaches in the car and tries to pull it into gear. KLUNK. Damn him, the showoff. In my defense, it wasn’t so easy for him either. So another round of laughter at my expense, and Dan concludes that maybe THAT much tower pressure IS a bit excessive. He remanuevers the levers around a bit, and adjusts the pressure, and has me try again. I reach up and pull, and was ELATED when my KLUNK came right on cue. Somehow, it had lost its full effect, so after a few more half-hearted pulls, I got back to work. I guess I need to drag my butt back to the gym and start stacking up on my Wheaties again. BUMMER.

Promo Shoot- OPI, Focus Firm 7/2005

//  by 

O.P.I, one of the hottest nail polish manufacturers around, recently launched their “Driven by Color” promotion to debut their new Ford Mustang color-matching nail line in shades such as “Revved up and Red-y”, “You make me Vroom”, and “Gone Platinum in 60 seconds”.

Embodying the very essence of “Driven by Color” , Erica displays her “You make me Vroom!” nails can stand up to the power.  These shots were submitted to OPI as part of a sponsorship proposal.  Fingers crossed!

[imagebrowser id=20]

 

 

A Fresh Perspective

//  by 

Heather Sinks
Heather Sinks

Its hard to remember back to the beginning, back to your very first drag racing experience. Some of us were lucky enough to call the drag strip home all our lives, having family whose involvement in racing was passed along to the next generation of racers. Others came across it on their own terms, through car clubs, magazines, or simply by accident. No matter what brought you to your first racetrack, one common result ensues for all: Its only a matter of time before you’re hooked.

This past weekend, I was refreshingly reminded of what the first time at the drag races feels like. My best friend since elementary school, Heather Sinks, made the trip down to Richmond FFW from her home in D.C. to spend the weekend at the races with me. Having never been to a drag race before, Heather had no clue what to expect. While most of us experience our first race from the safety of the stands, her first experience placed her in the thick of things, along side the crew of a Pro 5.0 entry. After all my years of involvement in racing with Fun Ford Weekend, I tend to take for granted how foreign it all seemed in the beginning. Which is why Heather’s first experience brought me back to the early days and the rosy colored glasses. Here are some of the best anecdotes from Heather’s weekend:

“Why do the fast cars need training wheels?”
That’s right, training wheels. Or what us seasoned veterans refer to as Wheelie Bars. Although, quite honestly a set of training wheels for some drivers would not necessarily be a bad thing either.

“The back tires are bald. Why don’t they have any tread?”
Valid point. In daily driving, bald tires are a bad, bad thing. Which makes it all the more complicated to explain why slicks help get the car to hook and NOT spin, and why drag radials (with treads) are the hardest tire to master and not spin to smoke. On the road, bald tires will make travels a slippery experience. But not at the drag strip…

“Why do they sit there and make the cars smoke?”
Ahh, the smoke. And the people who sit there and willfully inhale it. Drag Racing is one of the few locations where second hand smoke is the most desired experience second only to the first-hand inhale of your own tire smoke. Yes, burnout smoke, which incidentally most of us probably have amassed enough rubber particles in our lungs to have our own Mickey Thompson slick bouncing around, is a drag racing anomaly that the ‘normal’ folks don’t quite understand.

“Why are the front tires so much smaller than the rear?”
Well, besides the fact that they are kinda funny looking that way, I can see why that would be a source of wonder. They tell you not to drive a spare donut tire faster than 55 mph or risk serious injury, and drag racers willfully strap two on the front of a 200 mph car? What’s up with that?

“What are those bags on the back of the car?”
Those neatly (or NOT) packed bags are parachutes.

“Parachutes? Like the ones you don’t want to use on a plane?”
Exactly. Only these help stop the car.

“Don’t they have brakes?”
Well, yes. But these help stop faster than brakes alone when cars are going faster than 150 mph.

“Why do the faster cars get pulled to the starting line, why can’t they drive up?”
That’s a good question, I mean one would think that such an expensive car should at least be able to make a trip around the block. I guess that brings the term fuel economical to the next level.

“These things cost HOW MUCH?!?!”
No explanation needed. And no, you’ll never win enough to pay for them.

“Do these run on gas like regular cars do?”
Well yes, sort of. Not exactly the regular unleaded you find at your local Exxon, and theres a whole lot more than a “tiger” in your tank. You complain that gas is too expensive at the pump these days?… try $15 a GALLON and you have to pump it out of a drum, carry it to the car and pour it in manually! That takes Self-Serve to a new level.

“What is that hissing sound and that air they spray out on the windshield?”
What, a nitrous purge? That means they need a big weight break and are about to burn up a piston trying to keep up with a turbo car. [kidding] No, seriously, its something they spray into the motor to make it go faster.

“Isn’t that cheating?”
[Wise beyond her years, isn’t she?] No, not always, but most of the ones that are, you probably aren’t going to catch. -AND- just to be sure and careful (because nowadays you can never be too sure), contrary to what you may have seen on TV or in Hollywood, its called Nitrous NOT NAAAAWWSS.

“Why do they have to wear gloves and that funky outfit?”
Unfortunately, you’d think that today’s fashion forward world would have an answer to fashionable safety wear. Really, the unglamourous truth is they don’t want to be burned, so instead they slow cook in a 5 layer driving suit and an unair-conditioned crock pot. Hello, VERSACE?!? Please make us over! And why can’t they use that Dri-fit technology for a meaningful purpose!

“What are all the fans and the leaf blower for?”
Well, to help cool the ‘crock pot’ back down.

“Are you going back up there right away?”
No, we have about 2-3 hours between rounds.

“So all this for a car that runs for 6 seconds and then gets shut off and towed back?”
[long pause] Well, yea. That’s pretty much it.

“Okaaaay, then.”

By Saturday night, Heather’s outlook had already changed towards drag racing. She started off only knowing that she drove a mustang, and nothing else. But like so many others, the smoke was addicting, and she was already hooked. A few Saturday night Pit Party beverages later, she was telling everyone she wanted to jump in there and “smoke” her own tires….

…But only if she could do it in heels.

Much ado about Danica

//  by 

Danica Patrick, 2005 Indy 500
Danica Patrick, Indy 500

Much ado about Danica….

Congrats to Danica Patrick for her accomplishments in Indy this past weekend. She has proven what I have tried to explain to so many potential marketing partnerships… Give us the opportunity, and we will outshine all else. Danica lived a dream this past weekend that so many others out there like her have yearned for… she proved that her talent paired with the support of a high caliber team can achieve what none others were capable of. She was not the first, Fischer and others had competed before her, but they did not have the benefit of ARGENT and late night talkshow host Letterman behind them. They needed someone who believed in them so that they were given the team it takes to win…

When was the last time a 4th place finisher was noted in the media, beyond the top ten results? Yet Danica graced newspaper covers and television highlights all weekend long. In fact, I do not even know the name of the man who won the race. His win was dwarfed by Danica’s accomplishments, as the entire world sat rivvetted to their televisions watching her battle for the finish. Countless people (myself included) who never watch the IRL tuned in to see the girl with the talent take a stab at the top. And now Danica (and importantly… Argent… hint, hint) are household names that brought a whole new crowd back to the Indy Racing Leagues.

Women in motorsports are such a unique marketing avenue… they appeal to the masses, and are one of the best yields on investments imaginable. Argent could now not put a price on the benefits that their support of Danica has yielded them…

My hope is that companies will now take notice of this and offer their support to other women. Maybe one day a company will see the benefits in supporting my efforts, and realize that my dedication to marketing their company will reward their investments three fold.

Anyone out there care to support THIS fast female???

::ERICA::

Monkey Bars

//  by 

So yesterday, I grabbed my monkey bar handbook (re: the SFI 25.2 spec book) and went to work figuring out what needed to be added to the chassis. Now, surprisingly, I had no problems figuring out the diagram for the transmission crossover, but I realized that I knew NOTHING about bending bars, notching them, and fitting them to the car. Dan just stood there laughing: me, tape measure in hand, trying to figure out how to measure the bar and mark where the notches go. Little did he know, I pay attention more that he realizes, and remember seeing him marking and using the notching machine. But of course, seeing and doing are two completely different things. So, I measured, and measured again, and then marched over to the tubing to pick up a section of tube to cut. I measure it out (Dan watching with a smirk…) and grab the handle of the chop saw, until it struck me….

CAN MY HAIR CATCH ON FIRE FROM ALL THESE SPARKS??!??

By this time, Dan and Biscuit are rolling on the floor laughing at me. Well, in my defense, neither of them have long hair. Laugh all you want, but the chop saw is mounted on the wall with a steel backer plate behind it to protect the wall from catching on fire. So, what exactly is stopping these hot embers from landing on my head and catching on fire? Despite mamed visions of a singed ponytail, I took my chances with the sparks and took my tube back to the car.

So, I mark at what angle the tube will attach to the current tranmission cross section, and head over to the notching machine. After a few trips to the notcher for fine adjustments, I made the cuts and my first bar without further incident. I will, however, be altering my shop work clothing to include a ball cap. Now I know why the guys are always wearing them!

On another note, I spoke to Mr. Moody, who has everything ready to assemble my motor. Right now, they are dyno’ing Gullett’s stuff for Atlanta, then I promised to head up there to help him assemble the motor. After its done, we’re going to put it on the engine dyno as well to tune it and get it ready. I’ve never had anything on an engine dyno before, but I’ve watched Gullett’s motor being dyno’d last year, and it is absolutely incredible. Until then, though, its back to work….

Be Safe, Go Fast!
::Erica::