Women in Racing

Mechanical difficulties for Angelle Sampey

March 22, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Angelle Sampey was fresh off a near-perfect test session with her brand new Star Racing Buell NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle entering the 47th annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. The three-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle World Champion posted her career-best ET on the new bike in only the second pass of testing. As they arrived at Gainesville Raceway, the Star Racing team showed plenty of confidence in the new program. But mechanical difficulties for Angelle Sampey meant the team had plenty of hard work on their hands for the duration of the weekend. She made the field, but would not have the season opening event she had hoped for, exiting early in the first round of eliminations.

Mechanical difficulties for Angelle Sampey plague qualifying

The very first session, Angelle would launch hard, but something went amiss on the bike, and by half track she was coasting to an 8.629 at 98.03 mph effort. Star Racing team owner, George Bryce, took it back to the pits and discovered that the engine had expired in 4th gear. That left them swapping engines between rounds.

Round two, Angelle was able to get it down the track, and jumped up the ladder with a 6.854 second E.T. at 192.44 mph. It was good enough to get her the provisional No. 4 position, but the back-up engine also had issues at the lights.

Angelle made it to high gear before we tossed a pushrod out,” said Bryce after the run. “Still went 6.85, we where down 5 MPH, as she coasted through.”

This meant engine number three for Angelle, and the Star Racing team was back to work in the pits, preparing for the third round of qualifying on Saturday afternoon. Sampey, who had maintained the provisional No. 4 qualifying position entering the third round, would complete her burnout and begin to stage when the starter spotted fluid coming from the bike – an oil leak, and shut her down.

After taking care of the oil leak, Angelle and her Star team would have one last qualifying attempt to try and gain some data on the track and the swap to back up engine #3. Sitting at the back of staging awaiting her final qualifying pass, a few in front of her would bump her down the ladder a few spots. She would take the line in the No. 7 position, and would get down the track with a 6.847 at 195.70 mph pass, enough to push her up to the No. 5 final qualifying position. The pass was the third-quickest run of the round, giving her 1 additional bonus qualifying point.

Seeing Red in Eliminations

With a secure spot in the top half of the eliminations ladder, Sampey would face No. 12 Jim Underdahl in the opening round on Sunday. She had lane choice, and entered the round calm and confident on the bike. But unfortunately, the dreaded red light came on for Angelle by just -0.002 thousandths of a second, handing the win to Underdahl. She would post a 6.956-second pass at 197.19 mph.

The bike bogged at the launch,” said Sampey. “I have to tell you, I don’t know what else I could’ve done differently. I did everything like I usually do and I can’t believe it went red. After I launched, it bogged so bad it almost died. We’re thinking that contributed to why it went red.”

An early exit was a big disappointment to Angelle and the PSE/Star Racing team, but Sampey knows the team made a lot of progress, although they did not experience the successes they were hoping for.

George Bryce confirmed that the red light was due more to mechanical difficulties for Angelle Sampey and not driver error.

“We got beat and outrun,” said Bryce of the first round loss. “I missed the clutch tune up, the clutch did not slip at all. A Pro Stock motorcycle must have clutch slip at the launch. When Angelle popped the clutch the bike just reacted too quick AND the engine bogged 2800 RPM. I try to get it to 600 to 700 rpm bog. Of course all of that “helped” her go -.002 red light. She was very calm and confident and the starting line, 1st round but, when the engine almost choked off, it took so long to recover. The time for the quarter mile took too long, 6.95 instead of the time it should have run. Good news is she still ran over 197 MPH on that bogging run.”

Sampey didn’t let it keep her down long though. She knows that they are working out some early issues and is ready to get to the next event to pick back up and show the field what they are truly capable of doing in the class.

“I feel I was lucky to be No. 5 with all the trouble we had with the engines in qualifying. It’s the first race of the season and I’m riding a brand new motorcycle. It’s the first race back with two bikes and we’re trying to learn. It was a productive weekend even though it wasn’t a successful weekend by our standards.”

Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors watch out, Angelle and the Star Racing team is coming for them. The next race for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class will be the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina April 22-24, 2016.

Narrow first round loss for Enders

March 21, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Two-time reigning NHRA Pro Stock World Champion, Erica Enders has had a rough start to her 2016 season. The 47th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals ended in another narrow first round loss for Enders, ultimately losing by a hundredth of a second, her third straight first-round loss this year.

We’re getting so close to where we want to be, and we knew making the switch to Mopar would take some adjustments, but it’s still frustrating when you lose a drag race,” Enders said, “especially when you consider all of the success we’ve had the last two seasons.”

Enders went door-handle-to-door-handle with good friend and fellow competitor Allen Johnson in the opening round of eliminations, running a losing 6.639 at 208.65 mph to his 6.634 at 208.97 mph.

I could see ‘Brutus’ (Johnson) out of the corner of my eye the whole way down,” Enders said. “That’s one big advantage we have without the hood scoop any more — you can see everything. I just did my thing and tried to be perfect going through the gears, but we came up a fender short.”

Johnson left with a miniscule .006-second head start but was able to hold off Enders’ Elite Motorsports/Mopar Dodge Dart as the two streaked down Gainesville Raceway. The margin of victory at top speed was estimated to be about four feet.

I keep saying it but we’ve only had these Hemi motors for a month, so it’s new to all of us, but when Jake Hairston and Nick Ferri tell me there are big things to come, I believe them. The more and more runs we make and the more dyno time those two have, the better it will be.”

Enders and her Elite team have been wrestling with an entire new program – a new car, new NHRA mandated changes to EFI, no hood scoops, shorter wheelie bars, and the typical learning curve associated with that drastic of change.

I know we’ll be alright and the guys are upbeat and telling me not to get down, but I suppose I’ve gotten a little spoiled. At the same time, I know we have the best team, the best crew guys, the best tuners, the best engine builders in the world under this awning, so there’s no doubt we’ll be back to our winning ways very soon. We just have to be patient.”

The next stop on the NHRA tour is the 17th annual Denso Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals, April 1-3, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, although Enders thinks she’ll be in the seat before that race begins.

I’d imagine the guys will want to test some more,” Enders said. “It’s easy for us to go to Keith Haney’s track in Tulsa (Okla.) because it’s close to the race shop and that track is so good it’s just like anything we see on the national tour. We’ll probably hit it hard when the truck gets back to Oklahoma.”

First final for Megan Meyer

March 21, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

NHRA A/Fuel rookie Megan Meyer made quite an entrance in her official rookie season debut at the 47^th Annual Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals. The event earned her team the Best Appearing car award in Gainesville, as well as marking the first final for Megan Meyer in the Top Alcohol Dragster class.

With the persistent rain in Gainesville over the course of Thursday – Saturday, it certainly didn’t look good for Top Alcohol Dragster class – limited to two qualifying sessions. In the first session, Megan lost traction and had to abort the run, coasting to an 11 second elapsed time and barely a spot on the 16 car ladder. They waited through to the late evening for their second round attempt, where Meyers was able to shoot up the ladder with a career-best qualifying time of 5.224 at 276.75 mph. She held the #1 position until she was bumped by Mia Tedesco to the No. 2 final qualifying spot entering Saturday eliminations – the first time two women held the top TAD qualifying spots since Brittany and Courtney Force qualified 1 and 2 in 2010.

This would place her against John Finke for the opening round of eliminations. She takes the lead at the tree, running straight down the the groove with a career-best ET of 5.203 at 278.00 mph to Finke’s losing 5.611 at 257.97 mph. She would face the other Finke car driven by Jackie in the second round on Sunday.

Meyer would carry lane choice into round two Sunday afternoon. At the hit, Jackie’s car would go up in smoke forcing her to abort the run, while Megan would take the advantage at the tree and continue down the track with a 5.611 at 274.83 mph, sailing onto the win and the semi-finals. She would face Jerry Powell, but would not have lane choice in the pairing. On the line, Megan would take the early advantage, never looking back with a 5.234 at 274.61 mph while Powell suffers traction issues and aborts the run. She earns the win, marking the first final for Megan Meyer in national event TAD competition.

On the other side of the ladder, Rich McPhillips would upset No. 1 qualified Mia Tedesco to face Megan. The ninth final for McPhillips, he held the advantage with three previous class victories going into the deciding round. This round, it was McPhillips who would strike first at the tree, outrunning Megan after a pedal-fest with a slower 5.567 at 266.95 mph to Megan’s 5.564 at 273.55mph, a hole-shot victory for McPhillip and a difference of 0.0101 seconds or four feet at the finish line.

AMAZING job to the McPhillips team and I’m so, so, so proud of the Randy Meyer Racing Team for all that they put into this hotrod all weekend long!! We accomplished many achievements in just a few days and I’m still speechless! A huge thank you to all of our sponsors and supporters around the world!!!!!”

Megan Meyer and team win best appearing car at the Gatornationals — Photo: NHRA.com

Megan narrowly misses her first win in Top Alcohol Dragster, and defending the her dad’s 2015 Gatornationals victory, but she and the team did win the Best Appearing Car/Crew in Gainesville, after they unveiled new Racers Evolved livery on their 2015 Copeland A/Fuel chassis.

DeJoria adapts to new chassis changes

March 21, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

The Kalitta Motorsports Tequila Patrón team had their work cut out for them entering the 47^th annual NHRA Gatornationals as NHRA Funny Car driver Alexis DeJoria adapts to new chassis changes made between races.

Following the Phoenix race, Team Patrón decided to run teammate and 2015 Funny Car World Champion Del Worsham’s back-up chassis going forward. Despite the initial challenges, crew chief Tommy DeLago feels confident that the adjustment will pay off in the long haul and make Team Patrón that much more competitive as the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season labors on.

The Patron team struggled to make it down the track throughout most of qualifying during this weekend’s three-day history-rich event at Gainesville Raceway. The car failed to make a full pull until the fourth round, where a run of 4.041-seconds at 314.61-mph put them in the No. 12 qualifying spot going into round one of eliminations. Sunday morning, DeJoria found herself without the advantage of lane choice against opponent Matt Hagan.

DeJoria falls first round — Photo: Gary Nastase

DeJoria was able to make progress, powering her Patrón Toyota Camry down the drag strip in 3.992-secs in the opening session, her best run of the weekend. But it wasn’t enough to take the win, as the Patrón team came up short against Hagan’s 3.966-second run, ending their day early in Gainesville.

This weekend we started running Del’s back-up chassis,” said DeJoria, a three-time Funny Car winner, adding, “Our car that we started the year off with had a ton of runs on it so we wanted to try out a new chassis and see if making that change could get us back to where we want to be performance-wise. That being said, there are a lot of different things on the car that we all need to adapt to. Not only is the chassis different, taking different input from the crew chiefs, but as a driver, the steering wheel is different, the brake handle is different, the reverser is different, my seat belts are different; so it might take a race or two to get this thing handled. We’re chipping away at it, little by little, and once we figure everything out, I think we’re going to do really well. We made another full pass again today and we’re back in the three-second range again, so that’s a plus. We didn’t get the round win but we were really concerned about trying to make progress with this new setup that we have.”

DeJoria made it to Round 2 in the Pomona season opener, but also exited in the opening round in Phoenix. They are hoping the chassis changes will help them to regain ground in the Funny Car points chase, where she currently sits in the No. 9 position. The team is looking forward to the upcoming 17th Annual DENSO Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals on April 1-3 in Las Vegas, where Alexis earned her second Funny Car win previously.

“I think Vegas will be good- we’re looking forward to that race,” DeJoria said. “This chassis will prove to be much better than what we ran in the first two races.“

Brittany Force lands first career Top Fuel win

March 21, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

It was a magical day filled with smiles for NHRA Top Fuel driver, Brittany Force at the 47th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. The third-year driver made it to her eighth career final in Top Fuel against Terry McMillen, the second consecutive final after a narrow defeat against Leah Pritchett in Phoenix. This time, Brittany Force lands first career Top Fuel win, capturing the lead in the championship points for the first time in her career as well.

The Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster was the car to beat all day long. Brittany posted the quickest passes in every round of eliminations, leading up to the final.

Gatornationals Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

In the first round, she would face Morgan Lucas, a former 2012 Gatornational champ and an adversary she had not yet scored a victory against in their two prior meetings. But in round 1, she would leave first and never look back. Brittany defeated Morgan Lucas with a 3.739 second run at 319.45 mph over his losing 3.770 second, 316.75 mph effort.

Gatornationals Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

Brittany would face rookie Tripp Tatum – the 26th competitor she has faced in Top Fuel, and although the Monster Energy dragster dropped a cylinder at launch, Brittany would keep it in the groove through to the finish, running a 3.808 second, at 311.05 mph. Tatum would run a clean 3.890 at 320.05 mph, but it wasn’t enough for the win.

Gatornationals Top Fuel Round 3 Eliminations

Brittany Force, Terry McMillen, Dave Connolly and Clay Millican remained in the semi-finals, each vying for their first victory in NHRA Top Fuel competition. The first pair would see McMillen take the win after Millican smoked the tires at the start. Brittany proceeded to dispatch Connolly, running her best effort all weekend – a 3.729 second at 323.89 mph. This would give Force lane choice over McMillen in the final.

Gatornationals Top Fuel Final Eliminations

The final round would see the addition of a 102nd different winner in the history of Top Fuel to the books. McMillen was vying for his first at his longtime sponsor, Amalie Oil’s title event, while Brittany hoped to bring home the first Top Fuel win for John Force Racing. Brittany has appeared in eight previous finals, against six different opponents. But wait no more, as Brittany Force lands her first career Top Fuel win – running a 3.772 at 318.77 mph against McMillen’s 3.981 second, 266.90 fireball, engine expiring effort.

Brittany is sixth different driver that Alan Johnson has tuned to their first pro win after Blaine Johnson in 1995, Gary Scelzi in 1997, Bruce Sarver in 2000, Shawn Langdon in 2012 and Khalid alBalooshi, also in 2012. She is the ninth different woman to win in Top Fuel – joining Shirley Muldowney (1976), Lucille Lee (1982), Lori Johns (1990), Shelly Payne (1993), Christen Powell (1997), Melanie Troxel (2006), Hillary Will (2008), and Leah Pritchett (2016) in the record books. Her win coming after Pritchett’s inaugural wally in Phoenix, not only makes it the first time since 1982 that two different women have won a Top Fuel race in the same season, but also at consecutive races, after Shirley Muldowney won the 1982 Gatornationals and Lucille Lee also won the next race in Atlanta.

Photo: Gary Nastase

Last weekend was incredible and we almost made it there and I was definitely very bummed but very proud of my entire team because they worked so hard to get here. Today when we came out here, and driving out to the track and I was feeling good,” Force said from the winner’s circle. “As a driver I had that feeling, I had it in my stomach and just felt like we were going to go all the way. We finally did and I have been chasing this for so many years and this is a proud moment to be standing here today. I have to thank my entire team, my crew chiefs Brian Husen and Alan Johnson – thank you for getting us here. I love all my guys. Thank you to my family, especially my dad, for giving me this opportunity.”

Brittany leaves the Gatornationals event with the Top Fuel points lead heading into the next event, the DENSO Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals, April 1-4 in Las Vegas, NV.

Watch Brittany Force lands first career Top Fuel win

The first time is so so SWEET! Brittany Force wins her first Top Fuel Wally in Gainesville. Share to congratulate. #NHRA #AmalieGatornats

Posted by NHRA on Sunday, March 20, 2016

Megan Meyer debuts Racer Evolved A/Fuel

March 17, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Megan Meyer debuts Racer Evolved A/Fuel Dragster – Gainesville, Florida

It’s the first race of the 2016 season this weekend for second generation NHRA A/Fuel Dragster driver, Megan Meyer. The 47^th Annual NHRA Gatornationals marks the first of 18 events scheduled in her official rookie campaign. 22 year-old Megan Meyer is debuting a new Racer Evolved sponsored, nitro-injected dragster owned and tuned by her father, 2007 and 2015 Gatornationals event champion Randy Meyer.

I feel a little extra pressure and a little extra confidence,” Megan said. “We’re confident because we won it last year, but this is a new car and a new driver. This is my first national event so I’m a little nervous about that. It’s a bigger stage than a regional event. We had some great results with this car at Pomona, so I think we’re heading in the right direction.”

Megan Meyers is already familiar with Gainesville Raceway, having previously earned her Super Comp and Top Alcohol Dragster licenses there, even though she’s never actually raced in competition at the historic track.

I participated in Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School with my Super Comp dragster when I was 16 years old, and it was a great learning experience to transition from junior dragster to Super Comp. Two years later I was back on the track getting my feet wet with our Top Alcohol Dragster. I remember that day very well because a few of the Top Fuel teams stayed to test, and I felt very privileged to be able to run behind them for the very first time. This experience helped put everything into perspective as to where I could take myself in this sport. I grew better as a driver each time we returned to Gainesville, and last year I made a huge stepping stone of running a 5.29 ET pass and had the help of Dave Hirata to sign off on my TAD licensing pass. So it is very fitting to have my first NHRA National race at the Gatornationals.”

One aspect she looks forward to most is the opportunity to compete on a national level with drivers who she either grew up with, or grew up watching with her father’s Top Alcohol career since she was born.

There’s going to be lots of tough competition this weekend. I’m thrilled to be able to say that I’m ‘one of the guys’ now. I’m excited to be able to race against Mia (Tedesco). She won the Gainesville regional last weekend. We’ve grown to be really good friends over the last few years because we both come from a bracket racing background,” noted Meyer.

Megan Meyer debuts Racer Evolved A/Fuel Dragster

This is also a debut weekend for Meyer’s primary sponsor, Racers Evolved, an apparel company with designs for racers, by racers. The drag racing and motocross-themed line of apparel includes a “Megan Meyer Signature Series” designed to match the new livery on the car. In addition to gradually unveiling the Racers Evolved A/Fuel dragster on their Facebook page this week, the company also launched their website.

Megan Meyer and the Racers Evolved A/Fuel dragster will take to the Gainesville Raceway quarter-mile for Top Alcohol Dragster qualifying sessions at 10:45 AM and 2:30 PM on Friday, March 18. A third and final qualifying session is scheduled for Saturday at 10:15 AM, followed by first round of eliminations at 5:45 PM. Eliminations continue on Sunday afternoon. FOX Sports will air Lucas Oil Series coverage from the NHRA Gatornationals at 9 PM ET on Thursday, March 24, with four scheduled re-air dates in the following weeks

Kelly Morris 2.3L Engine Build

March 15, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Our very own Horsepower & Heels staff contributor Kelly Morris has been busy in the shop working on her own project – a 1982 Mercury Capri drag racing build.

With the help of her family and friends, Kelly is learning first hand about drag racing by taking part in her own race car build. The plan: a mid 11-second turbocharged 2.3L powerplant that will give Kelly some great experience both on the track and in the engine bay.

Kelly Morris 2.3L Engine Build

This week, Kelly tacked assembling the bottom end of her 2.3L turbo engine. After sending the stock crank out to RPM Machine Inc. to be cleaned and polished, and the stock block also sent out to Tim McMasters Machine Shop to be bored 0.030 over, Kelly got to work on honing the stock connecting rods to ensure a snug fit.

ARP provided new hardware for the bottom end, new main and rod bearings were sourced, along with rings for the new pistons, and by the time the crank and block returned, Kelly was ready to begin assembly on her short block. She set to work measuring and weighing the crank, rods and pistons. A brand new set of Icon forged pistons were selected to handle additional boost by the turbocharged powerplant.

Kelly took her time and great care during the assembly process. By turning the crank by hand, they were able to verify that the finished product had the piston clearances exactly where they wanted them.

It has been an exciting experience for me,” said Kelly of her first engine build. “I thought taking it apart was the best part. But actually seeing it slowly pulling together like a puzzle has been. I’m excited, and I am pretty anxious (to finish), even though I know I have to take my time & be patient.”

With the rotating assembly in place, Kelly decided to give the block a finishing touch, and a little extra dose of personality. She carefully prepped and taped off the newly assembled block and laid down a couple coats of engine paint. But instead of the standard Ford Blue, Kelly opted for a Bright Pink color for her 2.3L engine block.

“I’m very pleased,” said Kelly on her Pretty in Pink engine painting handiwork.

The finished product: a bright pink block ready for the next steps of the build.

Next up, Kelly plans to assemble the upper engine/valvetrain. Kelly Morris’ 2.3L engine build will retain the factory cylinder heads, ported with a combo of Manley 1.89 intake/ 1.95 exhaust valves and Comp Cam Beehive Valve Springs, paired with an Esslinger 2267 cam (242/ 0.460 lift). The extra fuel demands will be met by a Stinger Fuel Injection system with 80 lb. fuel injectors. Extra boost will come courtesy of an upgraded T4 turbocharger with a .70 AR Compressor trim and .84 AR exhaust trim.

All her hard work will pay off soon enough, when she is able to take to her local dragstrip in a car she ‘built, not bought’ herself.

One thing is certain, there is no one underestimating Kelly Morris and her 2.3L Mercury Capri!

2016 Advertising Opportunities

March 15, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

For over 10 years, Horsepower & Heels has worked hard to evolve and grow in our mission to celebrate, promote and support women in motorsports and automotive. We are steadily growing, and have big plans for the future!

Horsepower & Heels 2016 Advertising Opportunities — Download 2016 Media Kit

Growth and Future | Horsepower & Heels

A long-standing labor of love, HorsepowerandHeels.com is home to a talented team of hard-working volunteers that dedicate hours of their time to helping to advocate and promote women in racing and automotive. From regular news coverage celebrating their on-track successes, to helpful How-to articles, Reviews, and open dialog about the challenges that women in the sport face, Horsepower & Heels is not only a helpful and inspiring tool for females in the motorsport community, but is also a popular online publication for fans of both genders.

The Horsepower & Heels team is ready to take the next step in offering specialized resources for women in racing – things like a webinar series dedicated to racing career essentials, women in motorsports workshops and networking mixers, discount program for racers, and sponsorship support. To reach these goals, we are branching out to help accelerate our growth.

2016 Advertising Opportunities

As part of our expansion, we are excited to announce our 2016 Advertising Opportunities! With over 16 years combined marketing and automotive experience, our team can help you drive your message and reach your marketing goals! Get exposure through online display ads, newsletter advertising, social media engagement, editorial support and more!

Plus, you can also be a part of a leading organization dedicated to celebrating, promoting and supporting women in motorsports and automotive.

Interested advertisers can choose from our 4 levels of display ad packages, or contact us for a customized approach!

Angelle Sampey ready for the Gatornationals

March 15, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle veteran and the winningest female in all of motorsports, Angelle Sampey is fresh off a successful test session and ready for the 47th Annual Amalie Motor Oils Gatornationals.

The Gatornationals marks the season opener, and first of 16 events for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class. Angelle Sampey is no stranger to the Gainesville, Florida racetrack, having made her way to the finals four times in her career, taking the event win in 1999, 2003, and 2006. The 3x time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle World Champion returned from retirement briefly in 2014, before returning full-time in 2015 after her recovery from a pit-related accident in 2014 ended her return prematurely.

I’m very very excited,” said Sampey. “I can’t wait to get back on. I’m nervous but not a worried nervous. It’s more of an excited and anxious nervous.”

For 2016, Angelle and teammate Cory Reed will debut new Precision Service Equipment/Star Racing Buells for competition. After not feeling 100% comfortable with her bike last season, the new bike was custom fitted to her, and the Star Racing team has worked hard during the off-season to prepare for a championship run in 2016.

The Americus, Georgia based Star Racing team took the new bikes to South Georgia Motorsports Park for some test passes.

I’ve been training hard and I’ve got a brand new motorcycle. I haven’t had a brand new motorcycle in a long time and they build this bike to fit me and nobody else.”

After a brief introduction by Star Racing owner, George Bryce, to her brand new motorcycle, Angelle was pleased and wasted no time in getting down to business putting the new bike through the paces. The veteran champ showed confidence on the motorcycle pulling into the waterbox, through the first burnout and in staging. The very first pass down the racetrack, Angelle posted a 6.86 second, followed by a career-best 6.826 @ 197.57 mph in just the second ever pass on the brand new motorcycle. The Star Racing team and Angelle Sampey are ready for the Gatornationals!

Angelle Sampey | Career-Best ET in Gatornational Testing [VIDEO]

Second run in the books and its low ET again!! 6.826 @ 197.57 mph!!!! And We still have room for improvement! #Angelle#StarRacing

Posted by Angelle Sampey on Monday, March 14, 2016

RPM Act: EPA ban threatening motorsports

March 10, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

There has been a confusing whirl of information circulating since February surrounding the EPA ban threatening motorsports. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and their recent regulations endanger the racing industry and automotive aftermarket. The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is fighting to safeguard automotive aftermarket manufacturers by fighting the EPA and the regulations that threaten the future of motorsports.

“This proposed regulation represents overreaching by the agency, runs contrary to the law and defies decades of racing activity where EPA has acknowledged and allowed conversion of vehicles,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting when the regulation was announced in February. “Congress did not intend the original Clean Air Act to extend to vehicles modified for racing and has re-enforced that intent on more than one occasion.”

The short of the story is that they seek to crackdown on automotive aftermarket manufacturers who produce racing parts that do not meet emission standards – even if they are labeled for off-road, recreational use. The language chosen would make modifications of any kind to commercially-made vehicles illegal – a direct blow to the grassroots motorsports community. The EPA’s stance is that under the Clean Air Protection Act, it has always been illegal to modify any motor vehicle – and that they are now exerting their authority to include race cars as they fall under the car-emission laws and are not part of non-road vehicles protected in the language (lawnmowers, agricultural tractors, industrial machinery, etc.).

SEMA activated its network to organize the racing community against the EPA, and within 24 hours had over 100,000 signatures collected petitioning the White House to block the EPA’s proposal that would make it illegal to convert street cars into racecars.

RPM Act – Fighting the EPA Ban threatening Motorsports

In response, Congress Introduced a Bill to safeguard the motorsports community. Spearheaded by U.S. Reps. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Bill Posey (R-FL) and Lee Zeldin (R-NY) , the bipartisan “Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016” (RPM Act), was introduced to clarify that it has always been legal to modify a street vehicle into a racecar used exclusively at the track. The practice was unquestioned until last year when the EPA proposed a new regulation which would make this activity illegal.

The SEMA Action Network (SAN) is enlisting the support of the automotive aftermarket and motorsports communities to push Congress to pass the RPM Act that will stop the EPA ban threatening motorsports.

As part of the motorsports community, we must rally together to ensure that our sport and livelihood is protected.

Visit the SEMA ACTION NETWORK campaign to write your local member of Congress asking for their support of the RPM Act! SAN has created an easy-to-use form that will generate the letters on your behalf with your information. Just fill out the form, and help fight the EPA ban threatening motorsports!