A quick photoshoot at Phenix Motorsports Park with the new Thunderbird Chassis.
[imagebrowser id=19]Daddy’s not taking THIS T-bird away
Finally! The PRO BIRD is here! Its in the shop and better than expected!
To catch everyone up to speed….
Last year, I made the decision to step up. While only making it out to 3 events in my radial car, and attending many Pro Mod events, I decided that I wanted to go faster and build another car. It started out as wanting an Outlaw car, but after looking at the expenses involved, it ended up that it would be more convenient and made more economic sense to instead look for an older Pro car that needed updating. In September, I put my radial car up for sale. Dennis had a Pro Street Maverick that needed finishing, so he spoke with the owner who agreed to let me campaign the car for 1 year in exchange for the upgrades that would be needed for it to compete. I picked up the car and went to work on it in late November. Put my motor, and my newly acquired Bruno/Lenco in, and got it ready to start fabrication. But after a month and a half of working on the car, the owner’s wife decided she wanted to pick up the car, without caring that I had made arrangements, and had spent my own money & time on the car.
So, once again, I was left in a bad situation. My radial car had been sold, and I now had a complete drivetrain and no car to put it in. I looked around for another chassis that I could purchase for the small amount I had saved from the sale of my old car, with not much luck in finding anything in my price range. In February, when I had about given up hope of finding a chassis, Mike Herring saw my wanted post in the classifieds, and emailed me about his buddies T-Bird. Well maintained, and close enough to my price range, I contacted the owner, Charley Huff in Springfield, MO. Charley worked with me until I could gather the rest of his asking price, and a month later… HERE IT IS!
Erica prepares to compete in FFW Pro 5.0/Pro-Modified
Fast Women! | Drag Racing Online
Drag Racing Online featured Horsepower & Heels driver Erica Ortiz and several other ladies among the 8 finalists selected from almost 400 applicants to participate in the ESX Maximum Velocity Female Driver Search in their Agent 1320 article called ‘Fast Women’. Erica and the other finalists flew to Pomona Raceway October 22-24, 2004 to participate in the contest, with the prize being the driver’s seat in the ESX SPT Subaru for the 2005 season in the NHRA Subcompact Sportsman RWD class.
Fast Women
Drag Racing Online
Written by: Agent 1320
Published: October 31, 2004
View article: Fast Women | Agent 1320
ESX Maximum Velocity Female Driver Search
ESX Maximum Velocity Female Driver Search
Horsepower & Heels driver Erica Ortiz is selected as one of 8 finalists in the National ESX Maximum Velocity Female Driver Search, a contest to fill the seat of the ESX Subaru STI racecar in NHRA’s Sport Compact series.
Maximum Velocity Driver Search finalist
Fun Ford Weekend 2004 Season
Limited Schedule in 2004 Fun Ford Weekend Drag Radial Competition
In 2004, Erica Ortiz ran just a limited schedule in the Fun Ford Weekend Drag Radial class. After her runner-up finish for the championship in the class in 2003, she didn’t have many chances to defend her #2 position in the class.
She made brief appearances at Orlando, Atlanta, and Bristol before selling her beloved drag radial coupe to chase her bigger Pro Mod aspirations.
[imagebrowser id=21]Fun Ford Weekend rolls into raceway | Gainesville Sun
The Gainesville Sun newspaper in Gainesville, FL highlights Horsepower & Heels driver Erica Ortiz in their preview to the 2004 Sunshine State Nationals. The article ‘Fun Ford Weekend rolls into raceway’ calls out Erica as a racer to watch in the Drag Radial class in her 1991 turbocharged Mustang LX coupe.
Fun Ford Weekend rolls into raceway
The Gainesville Sun
Written by: Norm Froscher
Published: June 4, 2004
View article: Fun Ford Weekend rolls into raceway
Vortech Mondo Aftercooler – The Big Chiller | MM&FF
Horsepower & Heels founder Erica Ortiz offers some feedback on the Vortech Mondo Aftercooler for Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords Magazine. Her familiarity with the aftercooler came from her work experience at Lugo Performance in Orlando, FL. Erica was among a panel of 6 well-known racers who offered their technical experience on the application, which included Bob McDonald, Phillip Clemmons, James Lawrence, Shane Hill, and Carlo Catalanotto – all NMRA racers.
Vortech Mondo Aftercooler – The Big Chiller
Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords
Written by: Dr. Jamie Meyer
Published: March 2004
View article: Vortech Mondo Aftercooler – The Big Chiller
Fun Ford Weekend Thunder Valley Nationals 2003
Fun Ford Weekend Thunder Valley Nationals — August 2003
Horsepower & Heels driver Erica Ortiz competes in the Drag Radial class at the Fun Ford Weekend Thunder Valley Nationals in August of 2003. The facility is one of Erica’s favorite racetracks, nestled in the mountains of Bristol, Tennessee.
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