Celebrating, promoting and supporting female racers and women in motorsports

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Horsepower & Heels Blog

Erica Ortiz is a professional drag racer from the all-female pro modified team Horsepower & Heels and strong advocate of women in motorsports. A veteran both behind the wheel and behind a torque wrench, Erica brings over 10 years of experience navigating the male-dominated motor sports arena from the female perspective.

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Fire in the hole!

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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::…….

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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

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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.

A Fresh Perspective

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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

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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

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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::

Hard at work

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Well, the weekend didn’t go quite as planned. I didn’t get out to see Mr. Moody, but I did spend all Sunday working on the car. All of the old bracket racing aides and wiring has been torn out of the car, and I removed one of the wheel tubs so that Dan has room to weld in the bars to complete the funny car cage. Dan welded up the pro-jack mounts and got the car up on the Pro-Jacks. He also took the plasma cutter to the inner transmission mounts and bars, making room for the required floor x brace to comply with 25.2 standards. Part of the steel floor pan will need to be replaced, and I’ve decided I want to take all the tin work and get it powder coated for a cleaner, more durable look.

My midplate will be here on Tuesday, so that will allow the drivetrain to be aligned and the transmission mounts fabricated. Then the rest of the cage and the double framerails will be added to stiffen the chassis, and the seats mounted and adjusted for yours truly.

Be Safe, Go Fast!

::Erica::

Getting busy

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It has been raining here in Columbus for almost a week. Not just your quick shower, but the dreary grey skied, constant drizzly kind. Rainy days are good for 1 thing… napping. (I take that back… its also good Mall shopping weather, provided you can get a good parking spot!) In any case, its not the best weather for working on the car.

Alas, rain or not, I am determined to make some serious progress on the BIRD this weekend. Saturday, I’m driving up to Mr. Moody’s to get the intake manifold for the mock-up. Then Sunday, after the mock up motor is sitting between the frame rails, I plan to spend the day setting up the seat mounts (Yes, folks. Laugh all you want…I’m short. I can’t reach the steering wheel where its at right now, and the pedals I can only press with my tippy-toes. I need a booster seat!) and getting the Lenco levers set up to reach me as well.

This stage of the project is the most difficult for me. Most all of the work that needs to be done right now, I can’t do, and so I feel pretty helpless… a feeling I’m not used to. I’m learning how to weld, but obviously my safety is too important to risk trying the chassis updates myself. So, for now I keep myself busy on the little things… my time will soon come, and learning the characteristics of the new motor will be a fun challenge.

I’m still struggling on getting the site complete, but its slowly making progress. Almost 100,000 hits in less than 15 days “officially” online (The soft launch was 3/1, but the public’s first view wasn’t until 3/18). I’m amazed at all the responses I’ve received. In fact, the only ill comment was made by someone out of Orlando…. imagine that.

Oh well…. its back to the grindstone.

Be safe & go fast!!!

.:ERICA:.

Read it. Online. Anytime.

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That’s one of our marketing slogans at the paper I work for (The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer)

Read It. Online. Anytime.

Its kind of amazing how much the internet has mainstreamed into our daily lives. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m about at the point where I can’t live WITHOUT it. Its how I stay in touch, in the know, up to date. You really can find ANYTHING on the web, you just have to know how to find it. But as much as I am constantly online, reading, writing, browsing, surfing, or however you refer to it, I never stood still long enough to carve out my own place…. Kind of silly seeing how I have built sites for countless others.

So, what does a girl do when she’s stuck at home, miserable from having her wisdom teeth pulled? Why, stay up all night and create her own site!

Welcome to Horsepower & Heels!    I have big dreams for this site, both for my own racing and to have a place where all women racing can find info and resources.

So, here it is… its not done yet, but I’ll promise to keep updating it as often as I can. Thanks for coming and looking around. Hopefully, it’ll interest a few watching eyes, and some much needed help will come my way. Or maybe that’s just the hydrocodone talking.

A girl can dream, right?

Daddy’s not taking THIS T-bird away

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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!