Women in Racing

Leah Pritchett exits Sonoma in round two

July 31, 2017 // by Horsepower & Heels

NHRA Top Fuel top qualifier Leah Pritchett exits Sonoma in round two this weekend at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals. The Papa John’s Pizza Top Fuel team started the weekend off strong with a track record performing qualifying effort, but those results didn’t translate into Sunday win lights during eliminations.

In the opening round of eliminations, the top qualifier took on Terry Haddock, taking the win with a 3.749 second, 326.95 mph performance against Haddock’s 3.910 at 303.91mph. But her luck would not hold out, as Leah Pritchett exits Sonoma in round two when a mechanical issue slowed her to a 3.897-second run at 214.09 mph in an upset by Terry McMillen. A clutch lever malfunction on her Pap John’s dragster led to her engine losing a cylinder.

“Terry McMillen beat us to the finish line. Broken parts can break hearts but it can’t break our spirit when we go to Seattle,” Pritchett said of next weekend’s finale to the three-week Western Swing. “You go into every race day with a good, confident feeling. I feel like this Sunday we had the most confidence because everything was jelling. The people, everyone’s so on top of their game, the track record, low three out of four qualifiers.”

Pritchett and the Powered by Pennzoil team were quickest in the first three qualifying sessions of the weekend, landing the No. 1 qualifying pole. Her 3.669 second performance at 304.80 mph reset the track elapsed time record, a feat they have now accomplished five times. They also scored the top qualifying honors at the previous event in Denver, scoring a runner-up finish for the event, and were confident entering eliminations.

“I have said this morning if someone asked, ‘what’s it going to take to win this race?’ I would have answered ‘no mistakes.’ We were proven wrong. We didn’t make any mistakes and still lost.”

Leah Prichett and the Papa John’s Dragster now sit No. 3 in NHRA championship points entering the final race of the 3-event Western Swing.

Semifinal finish for Brittany Force in Sonoma

July 31, 2017 // by Horsepower & Heels

Another semifinal finish for NHRA Top Fuel racer Brittany Force in Sonoma. The Monster Energy sponsored racer scored her fifth semifinal in the last seven NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series races, moving her inside the top five of the Top Fuel points standings following Sunday’s NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway.

Brittany Force began the event with No. 2 qualifying attempt on Friday, followed by a tough qualifying effort Saturday, in which she failed to make a full pass. The second of three Western Swing events, Sonoma is one of Force’s favorite tracks.

During Sunday’s eliminations, Force outran No. 15 qualified Steven Chrisman in the opening round, charging down the track at a session-best 3.705 seconds, and posting a track record 331.61 mph speed to set up a quarterfinals matchup against No. 7 Shawn Langdon.

In round two, both Force and Langdon ran into trouble, but Brittany Force was able to salvage the run, and pedal the car across the finish line in 4.071 seconds at 264.75 mph with Langdon trailing close behind.

That put her up against No. 6, the current NHRA Top Fuel points leader, Steve Torrence. Torrence and crew had a stellar and consistent race day performance, running 3.753 seconds at 329.02 mph in the semifinal to defeat Brittany Force’s 3.882 seconds at 315.27 mph run. Force had fuel spilling out the left side of her car during the pass. Torrence advanced and scored the event win for the NHRA Sonoma Nationals.

The semifinal finish for Brittany Force in Sonoma allowed her Monster Energy team to jump ahead of Doug Kalitta in the NHRA Top Fuel points standings, moving to the No. 5 position. She also claimed the track speed record during her first round pass, a record held previously by Kalitta.

“To have a day like that and then have low ET of the session … I thought we were going to carry it all through the day,” Force said. “But we made a semifinal appearance, which is what we did last weekend too. So that’s pretty good, but the plan for next week in Seattle is to take it off the trailer and end up in the winner’s circle.”

Brittany and the Monster Energy team will head to the third stop on the Western Swing, the NHRA Northwest Nationals on August 4-6 at Pacific Raceway outside Seattle, WA. The event is the 16th of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

Career Spotlight: Service Advisor

July 21, 2017 // by Horsepower & Heels

Welcome to our brand new Women in Motorsports & Automotive Career Spotlight Series! This new series is designed to give you a look at women working within the Motorsports, Powersports and Automotive industries. We will take a look at each featured role and how they navigated their career paths, their job duties and training, and other useful information to help aid and encourage those searching for a career path of their own.

Career Spotlight: Automotive Service Advisor

Name: Erica Ortiz
Position: Automotive Service Advisor
Current Company: Elder Ford of Tampa
Past Employers: Bill Curie Ford, TRC, Woody Anderson Ford, PESA, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Lugo Performance
Years in Profession: 15
Education/Training: General Business Administration, Ford Master Service Advisor Certification
Skill Sets Used: Automotive Diagnostic/Repair Theory, Customer Service, Management, Sales, Communication, Multitasking, Organization

Service Advisor | Job Description

Whether it is for basic routine service, or breakdowns and repairs, a Service Advisor’s primary job is to coordinate an automotive customer’s needs by acting as an intermediary between skilled technicians, manufacturer warranty requirements, and customers by translating and communicating highly technical repairs/complex solutions in an easy-to-comprehend presentation a customer can trust and understand.

Service Advisors work with customers to help them identify needs – what issues they may be having, what important maintenance they may need to protect their investments, and what solutions are available to them. They translate and communicate these needs with technicians to diagnose and repair their vehicles, ensure warranty claims/repair estimates are processed and presented accurately, prioritizing needs and requirements for repairs and preventative services.

Salary Ranges: Service Advisors compensation is typically commission only, ranging between $35,000 annually for entry-level advisors and can exceed $100,000 annually for motivated and seasoned professionals. Most dealerships and service facilities compensate based on parts/labor gross sales, a portion of which is often dictated/tied to a Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) score requirement.

CSI is a metric of customer service adopted by most manufacturers to ensure that dealers are upholding their brand’s values and customer loyalty to the franchise. Dealers are held accountable for this metric in both sales and service, and measured via direct feedback from surveys returned from active customers after a purchase/service visit. In turn, dealerships hold Service Advisors directly responsible for these scores, and pay is often reflected by their ability to maintain a CSI ranking of about 85% or greater.

Personal Experiences | Service Advisor – Erica Ortiz

How did you get your start in your career path?

For me, as a child, I always had a strong interest in everything automotive. Shortly after high school, I became fascinated by the motorsports community – and was searching for in-roads into the industry professionally. Just graduating, I had a burning desire to absorb everything I could about racing. I was particularly drawn to the mechanical side of things, wanting to understand what made cars “go”, but having zero background or basis from which to learn.

Searching for answers, I took to reading trade magazines, learning from every tech article I could and asking questions to anyone who would take the time to answer. This led to finding a mentor and eventually an employer in a local performance shop. I began just running errands, and hanging around to lend a hand where needed. Eventually, I was given the title of Office Manager, answering phones, questions, processing paperwork, ordering parts, and other office and clerical duties. In retrospect, despite my title at the time, this position was my first true Service Advisor experience.

Still drawn to the mechanical side, I spent evenings in the shop, hands-on and learning all I could about engine/tuning fundamentals. After some time, I confidently knew my way around an engine bay and performance. Diagnostics and engine performance were like riddles and puzzles waiting to be solved, a task I particularly enjoyed. Before long, I was testing and applying this newfound knowledge behind the wheel, behind a torque wrench, and on the dragstrip. But I still struggled with direction on how I could pursue college/schooling to turn my passion into a career – I dreamed of being a professional drag racer, but I sensibly knew that I needed to find something that could also dependably pay the bills and forge a talent and career.

Bumps in the Road

Initially, I had wanted to become an Automotive Technician. After a few semesters of general education classes in college, I had been leaning towards attending a technical school for ASE Technicians. Already well-read and well-mentored by working in the office at the performance shop, I felt well prepared to enter a training program.

But one absolutely horrible encounter with a vocational recruiter at an Auto Industry show – and a few sad and undermining interactions with customers in the performance industry led me to alter my course altogether. The first came at the International Auto Show, where I approached a booth set up recruiting for a technician training program at the same college I was attending. There were a handful of people at the booth waiting to speak with the booth attendant. I waited patiently for my turn, watching as the attendant greeted and spoke with every other person – before and after me – while pointedly ignoring my obvious presence in the booth. Finally, when no other person was left, he begrudgingly asked me what I wanted. When I inquired about information about the program, he was rude and dismissive – leaving me questioning my career choice. Swaying my decision further would be my occasional interactions with customers at the shop – those who would refuse to acknowledge or speak to me based on my age and perceived lack of skill. One customer went as far as to refuse to accept or pay for an engine build – dynotuned and proven to have been everything he had asked for and more – solely because he had discovered that I had “helped” with assembly under the watchful eye of my veteran mentor. I will never forget it – partly because I wonder what could have been, but also that I live with the regret and disappointment that I let these experiences deter me.

While I continued to sharpen my skills in automotive personally through my racing activities – devoted and driven by my passion, I took a completely different road professionally – choosing to focus in school on a General Business degree and working in marketing and advertising. Marketing had many areas that intrigued me – and I was able to excel in my positions – moving up the ranks as I went. But it never truly fulfilled me – as I always longed to be part of the automotive industry. I often worked small part-time jobs at night for auto stores just to feed this connection to the automotive world. Marketing opportunities within the motorsports and automotive industry always seemed elusive to me.

One day, I stumbled upon a job listing for a Service Advisor at a local Ford dealership. I decided to submit my resume, having only my early “office manager” experience and part-time parts counter experience to offer in the industry. No call backs led me to visit in person, and after talking with the service manager and explaining my off-paper, and more non-traditional racing background – I landed the job and the rest was history.

Who was your mentor/inspiration?

There have been many, but mostly I credit my racing mentors – who taught me so much more than any books could have ever offered me. Dennis Lugo, Dan Parker, Al Moody, Rick Head, Mark Chacon, Marty Chance, and many others. They humored an awkward 19 year-old girl whose ambition was way bigger than her ability to take no for an answer.

Professionally, my inspiration has come from Cathy Anderson, the dealer principal of Woody Anderson Ford, where I began my Service Advisor career. She taught me so much about the importance of taking care of the customer, attention to detail, and where compassion mixed with hard work was capable of leading you. While as a first-time advisor, her presence and the bar she set may have been a bit intimidating, I ultimately hope to follow in her footsteps and achieve that level of success.

Walk us through your average day – what does a typical day look like?

As much as I love my job – it is not for the faint of heart. Service Advisor hours are typically pretty long and stressful. My day begins at 7 am – and is non-stop, 100 mph until sometimes after 7pm a night. We rotate every other Saturday, so 10-12 hour days, 6 days a week can take a toll on your personal life. Most days, I don’t even get a moment for a lunch break, and the pace is so strenuous, I’m zombie-exhausted by the time I get home. Hundreds of phone calls, running back and forth to check on car status, parts. Keeping track of between 40-50 different cases, clients, cars and concerns. Handling upset and angry customers with grace and compassion. Helping to educate and inform those who struggle to digest the sometimes bad, and costly news of repairs. Multi-tasking abilities are an absolute must, as well as organization and super-human efficiency.

What are the Pros/Cons of the job?

Pros – At the end of the day, I love to help people. I believe so strongly in taking care of each customer as though they were my own sister or brother. Auto repairs can be scary for someone with little technical knowledge

– one where you can feel vulnerable and easily taken advantage of. I make it a point to try and ease this apprehension by making it much more relatable and understandable. I’m not there just to “sell” service, but to make customers feel informed and properly advised on what their vehicle needs. Helping to identify what those needs are and being able to address them fulfills the puzzle for me.

Cons – Its a demanding role, and while it can be rewarding, it can also be very draining. Service Advisor ranks among the top ten in most stressful career choices. As the most forward facing face of the service experience, all of the responsibility lies – sometimes unfairly – on your shoulders. The ugly, but necessary CSI metric penalizes SA’s for the mistakes of others. The first time you lose hundreds of dollars out of your paycheck when a customer hits you with a negative survey because you don’t serve Starbucks in the lounge or their complimentary car wash left a water spot on their car (both true stories), is enough to make you question humanity sometimes.

What are your experiences as a woman in the automotive industry?

When I was younger, credibility or lack thereof was often assigned based on my age and gender. ‘How possibly could this young girl know what the heck she is talking about?’ Luckily, as I matured and my knowledge increased, skepticism usually gave way to visible astonishment on their faces when they actually figured out I knew what I was talking about – a reaction I secretly took pride and reveled in. I wish I could say it never happens anymore – but it occasionally does. Some will allow you the chance to prove to them that you are more than what they perceive you to be, others will walk away and never give you the chance. The key is not letting them get to you – laugh and never take it personally. After witnessing one such especially annoying encounter, a loving and dear customer of mine brought me a very special little desk sign the next day:

“Of course women don’t work as hard as men…. they get it right the first time.”

It sits on the glass just behind my desk – and when faced with another such “special” encounter, I just nod, smile, and look over at my little treasured gift of encouragement.

What advice would you give to another young woman hoping to follow in your career path?

Light a fire and GO! The key to being successful is going above and beyond – anticipate needs, over-deliver, go out of your way to treat every client as though they were your mother, sister, brother. Make their service experience feel more like they are visiting a trusted friend than a stiff, scary, intimidating dealership. Keep moving. Keep hustling. Stay organized. CALL YOUR CUSTOMERS. And don’t let anyone make you feel less than a superstar at your job!

Questions? Interested in learning more? Ask away in the comment section below!

Career Spotlight: Director of Marketing

July 20, 2017 // by Horsepower & Heels

Part of our ongoing Women in Motorsports & Automotive Career Spotlight series, featuring women working in the industry.

This week’s Career Spotlight focuses on Marketing within the Automotive/Motorsports industry.

Name: Moxie Karasek
Position: Director of Marketing, Contributing Editor
Current Company: ATV Illustrated Magazine
Past Employers: Prudential Insurance, Marketing and Licensed Insurance Agent, Marketing and Sales at General Lamp Corp, Wilkes Barre, PA
Years in Profession: Powersports since 2004, Sales and Marketing since 1987.
Education/Training Requirements: Business School, School of Hard Knocks

Job Description: Director of Marketing

As Director of Marketing, Moxie Karasek specializes in strategic media management, planning and public relations for the powersport publication, ATV Illustrated Magazine. She develops and plans media campaigns for the magazine and its advertising clients throughout the powersports industry. Moxie develops and manages advertising sales with digital and print media campaigns for the magazine. She also is a contributing editor, writing articles across the country from a variety of different powersport venues.

Skill Set Needed: Moxie says some of the key skills required in her line of work are determination, focus, and the ability to roll with the punches.

Personal Experience: Director of Marketing | Moxie Karasek

Who was your mentor/inspiration?

“Both my grandfather and my former boss, owner of General Lamp Corp , Jack Smith, Sr. were boxers in their younger days during the hard times of the Great Depression. I would say their advice and Jack’s mentoring when in my 20’s set good grounds. When my father died unexpectedly over the Christmas holiday, I was just 24 years old. Jack called me on the phone and made me come to work and stay focused. I gained grit and strength.”

What motivates you in your profession?

“One of my motivations is being a part of helping build tourism in areas of US and other places where the economy needs to increase income levels. This is due to low unemployment. loss of jobs, etc. This has been a heart felt mission of mine. Many times I am working with local government such as local judges or county government. Places such as the Appalachia areas of VA, WV, KY, TN”

What are the benefits/pros to your chosen profession?

For Moxie, some of the benefits of her job working in the powersports industry have come as a result of her business travels. “Travel opportunities, meeting people. Both have helped to develop my business skills and increased my confidence.” Those travels present unique opportunities that help challenge her and push her past her comfort zones daily. “I have been working on my fears and staring them in the face. One is a fear of heights. I recently did a 3 hour and 11 platform zipline in of all places, Harlan County KY. I also did white water rafting in Bingham, ME on the Kennebec River, an all day journey.”

What is your dream job?

“I have been working in powersports since 2004 and feel it is a family. Over the years, I see how we have all supported one another, helped each other, shared life’s joys and sorrows. I am very blessed to belong to this industry.”

What advice would you give to another young woman hoping to follow in your career path?

“Walk with your head high, believe in yourself. Motivate yourself. Keep a smile an and ear open. Look outside yourself at others and be wiling to help.”

Favorite Quotes

“A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man who stops a clock to save time.” – Henry Ford

“The manner in which you treat people and circumstances in your life, reflects on how you handle your life and your environment. Bear in mind that your destiny is carved out of that.” – Rose Mashigo

Melling Performance joins Erica Enders

July 7, 2017 // by Horsepower & Heels

Melling Performance, a longtime associate sponsor of Elite Motorsports and two-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders, signed on to become title sponsor of the 22-time national event winner for five national events, beginning with the 20th annual Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Chicago and continuing through the 63rd annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indy.

Everyone at Melling Performance is excited about our association with Erica and Elite Motorsports,” Melling Performance CEO Mark Melling said. “After being at the races, I thought it would be great to see the Melling Performance Decal on the doors of Erica’s RED #9 racecar. It reminds me of the Bill Elliott days in NASCAR. Melling has been launching a ton of new performance engine parts, and we are pumped to see our logo on the side of her RED Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro!”

The Melling Performance brand and logo will adorn the doors of Erica Enders’ racecar at the upcoming NHRA national events in Chicago, Denver, Sonoma, Seattle and Indianapolis.

“Looking over the landscape of Pro Stock, it’s really quite an accomplishment to bring a company the size and caliber of Melling into a title sponsorship role,” team owner Richard Freeman said. “It reflects well on the entire class, the NHRA and our friends at FOX as well. Exposure for our sport and more importantly our sponsors is growing and that’s important to the long-term economic vitality of our race team.”

Enders has established herself as one of the top female racers in history. Only Erica Enders, Shirley Muldowney and Angelle Sampey have won world championships in any of the top forms of motorsports and her two championships, 22 national event wins, 18 No. 1 qualifiers and admirable 242-161 race day record mark her career in elite company.

I’m so excited to have Melling Performance step up like this,” Enders said. “We recently toured their facility and I was completely blown away. They aren’t state-of-the-art, they are way beyond that. It is like something out of the future. I was so impressed with everything they showed us. We’ve become friends with everyone at Melling and they have definitely become part of the Elite family over the past few years. I can’t wait to drive this Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro into the winner’s circle this weekend.”

Melling Performance is a leading manufacturer of oil pumps and other power train components. Serving the global automotive original equipment and aftermarket industries, Melling is noted for its strong engineering, product development and distribution capabilities. Melling Performance operates 10 facilities in North America.

Harli White at the Fred Brownfield Classic

July 7, 2017 // by Horsepower & Heels

Lots of ups and downs for Harli White at the Fred Brownfield Classic last weekend. The race last weekend marked her inaugural trip to Washington’s Grays Harbor Raceway for the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour doubleheader.

Action began on Friday for Harli White, when she finished right where she started – fifth – in the opening heat race. That performance relegated her to a B Main, in which she maneuvered from fourth to second place to earn a transfer into the back of the main event.

On Friday night we didn’t have a good starting position in the heat race and that put us behind,” she said. “We had to run a B Main and we transferred out of that. The way the track was in the feature there wasn’t a whole lot of passing. The track rubbered up so it wasn’t real racy. It was out of our control.”

The track took rubber early after White gained a trio of positions to finish 16th.

On Saturday, Harli ended up with a much better pill draw, lining her up on the inside of the second row for the heat race.

I was able to pick up my first Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour heat race win,” she said. “We really needed that. To be locked into the show out of the heat race was a big thing. We got a good starting position starting fifth and we had a good car all night long.”

White earned the most overall heat race points to lock into the feature redraw. She pulled the No. 5 position to start the main event on the inside of the third row.

I got a good start in turns one and two and pulled up next to Aaron (Reutzel) down the backstretch,” she said. “Then I got ran over in turns three and four by another driver. It broke the left rear brake line. I restarted and thought I could pump up the brakes to get them to work, but I had to pull off because I had no brakes.”

Despite the issues, White was credited with a 22nd-place finish.

For the season, Harli White has competed in 33 races, but has yet to win an event thus far. She has earned four top five finishes, seven top 10 performances, and has finished in the top 15 fifteen times. Today she moves on to her next event, where she will make her debut at Gallatin Speedway in Belgrade, Mont., for the Grizzly Nationals with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour. White will have her t-shirt trailer with all apparel near the main grandstands both nights for fans who would like to purchase and support Harli White.

Terry Chandler leaves legacy of love

July 5, 2017 // by Horsepower & Heels

NHRA Drag Racing mourns the loss of one of the most kindhearted and generous supporters in the sport. Don Schumacher Racing sponsor and supporter, Terry Chandler leaves a legacy of love in her wake that has touched the lives of many people in the sport and in the community. Her generosity and charitable efforts behind the Make-A-Wish and Infinite Hero Foundation NHRA Funny Car programs will continue to live on in the hearts of thousands.

Sadly, Terry Chandler lost her valiant fight with brain cancer on Tuesday, July 4th. She was 65 years-old when she died in Florida with family and loved ones at her side.

Terry is a great human being who devoted the past few years to helping the Make-A-Wish and Infinite Hero foundations with her love and kindness by funding two of our Funny Car teams,” said Don Schumacher, DSR owner and close friend. “Terry is such a beautiful person. She was so much more than a friend and partner. She is family. We will always see that wonderful smile of hers at the starting line.”

The native of New Mexico missed the NHRA Mello Yello Series event at Las Vegas in early April and a few days later underwent major surgery to partially remove one of three tumors in the front lobe of her brain. An MRI determined that she was suffering from Glioblastoma cancer. She was immersed in the fight of her life and battled valiantly to the end.

Terry Chandler was presented with the NHRA Blaine Johnson Award in 2015 for her dedication to helping others.

I love to race,” she told Autoweek magazine in a 2015 article. “And bless my heart, I love to win. These gol-darned cars, I just love ’em.”

Earlier that year, she was described as being “the most influential woman in drag racing” by the Inland Valley (Calif.) Newspapers.

I never dreamed that I would be blessed in a way that would allow me to help others,” she told the Southern California newspaper. “Helping people is one of the most important things in the world to me – my daddy, John R. Gray, was an extremely giving man, and I learned from him how important it was to bless the lives of others. That is why this means so much to me. I feel very fortunate to be in this position.”

Terry Chandler became a fixture at NHRA national events when her brother, Johnny Gray, drove a Funny Car for DSR. In 2013, Terry and Johnny decided to fund the car he drove as a tribute to their late father John R. Gray, a self-made man who rose to legendary status in the New Mexico and north Texas oil industry.

Upon Johnny’s retirement from driving at the end of that season, Terry began funding the team and added driver Tommy Johnson Jr. Terry and her husband, Doug, own and operate Chandler Aviation at the Cavern City Air Terminal in Carlsbad, N.M. Instead of flying the colors of Chandler Aviation on Johnson’s Dodge Charger, she chose to use the racecar as a platform to promote awareness for a great cause. The car was painted and the transporters were wrapped with a striking Make-A-Wish design. She wanted her racecar to be a “giving car.”

Chandler and DSR host “Wish Kids” and their families to the VIP hospitality pavilion next to the race team’s pit area on Saturdays at each of the 24 Mello Yello events held in 21 markets across the country. The Make-A-Wish crew has the opportunity to engage with the children, giving them a tour of the pit area and racecar.

After a few months of committing to fund the Make-A-Wish team, another DSR team appeared close to dissolving when Terry Chandler, the woman with the infectious smile, stepped in to fund Jack Beckman’s team and donated its branding to the Infinite Hero Foundation, a non-profit organization that combats the most difficult front line issues by providing grants to help the physical and psychological challenges faced by returning military veterans.

More than $300,000 has been raised by the sale of “challenge coins” Jack Beckman carries on each run for a $100 donation to Infinite Hero and nearly $500,000 has been raised for the organization through Terry’s efforts.

For the past two years, she funded the Riley Kids Funny Car to benefit Riley Hospital for Children in Indiana during the prestigious U.S. Nationals near Indianapolis. She contributed additionally during DSR’s annual Open House that weekend that also raised funds for Riley Kids, often bidding on items she would donate back to the effort.

She funded countless Make-A-Wish dreams to provide monumental memories. She always made it clear to the “Wish Kids” that the racecar was their car. She would proclaim, “This is YOUR racecar.”

And it will continue to be this weekend when her Make-A-Wish and Infinite Hero teams race for her during the NHRA Route 66 Nationals near Chicago.

Terry is just an incredible lady, and we’ll never know how many lives she impacted,” Don added. “We’ll miss her every day, but we’ll never forget her smile and he big heart.”

A private funeral service will be held with a public memorial tentatively set for over Labor Day Weekend near Indianapolis during the NHRA U.S. Nationals.

First win of 2017 for Alyx Coby

June 20, 2017 // by Horsepower & Heels

Last weekend marked the first win of 2017 for Alyx Coby. The 13 year-old from Newbridge, Co. Kildare competed in the IAME X30 Junior class during Round 4 of the Motorsport Ireland Kartin Championship in Galway.

The IAME X30 Junior class includes drivers from 12 to 16 years of age, and Alyx Coby began the day with a steady start – ending up with a fifth and fourth place finish in the two qualifying heats.

This gave Coby the fifth spot on the grid for the first of the day’s finals. She made up two places at the start before dropping back to fourth on lap 2. She quickly regained third position and worked hard, reeling in the leaders over the following two laps. For six laps, the top three drivers were locked in a close battle, swapping positions several times on each lap. At the end of lap 9, Coby carried more speed than the leaders out of the last hairpin onto the long main straight and managed to outbreak both drivers into the first corner to take the lead. While doing everything she could to defend her position from the three karts in pursuit, the second placed driver ran wide and fell back into the chasing karts. This allowed Coby to pull away and take the checkered flag with a comfortable lead of almost two seconds.

This was the first win of 2017 for Alyx Coby in the X30 Junior class, although she had won a qualifying heat in the season opener in Cork earlier this year. In 2015, Coby became the first young woman ever to win a final in the Cadet class, going on to win three finals that year and with this latest victory she is also the first female race winner in the X30 Junior class.

The race victory placed Coby on pole position for the second final, which would also see the winner presented with the Southern Karting Club’s coveted All Ireland IRL plate trophy. After her strong showing in the earlier races, she was eager to continue her streak for the top honor.

A great start allowed Coby to maintain her position at the front for the first lap before dropping back to second place on lap 2. Once again, it was a close battle over the next few laps with the positions changing almost at every corner. Coby managed to regain the lead with a great pass up the inside at the hairpin on lap 5 before dropping back one spot on the next lap. Over the following four laps, Coby raced wheel to wheel with the leader before making a move round the outside on the way into the esses to take back the lead with just three laps remaining.

Having to defend heavily at the start of the final lap, Coby took a tight line into the first corner which meant she ran wide on the way out of it, allowing the chasing driver to slip back through into the lead. She had two attempts to regain the lead before the finish, but they proved unsuccessful and she crossed the line just four tenths of a second behind the leader. A post-race five second time penalty for a dropped nose cone would demote Coby to third place.

Coby’s performance at the event improved her position in the Motorsport Ireland Karting Championship to the No. 2 spot with 324 points, just 12 points off the top spot and 59 points clear of the driver in third place.

With a prize of a trip to compete at the IAME X30 World Finals at Le Mans in France for the top three finishers in this year’s championship up for grabs, Coby is doing all she can to make sure her name is on one of the tickets.

The Championship moves on to Nutts Corner Circuit in Northern Ireland at the end of July.

Michele Abbate earned podium finish

May 10, 2017 // by Horsepower & Heels

SCCA touring car racer Michele Abbate earned podium finish at Buttonwillow Raceway this past weekend for Rounds 5 and 6 of the Western Conference Division SCCA US Majors Tour. The track configuration was a new one, as the series ran the 25 Clockwise configuration, offering high speed sweepers, no bus stop, and the star Mazda turn. Michele had never run this configuration, but looked forward to giving it a shot. With two weeks to plan for the event after returning from their trip down under to the Bathurst 6 Hour in Australia at Mount Panorama, things in the states hadn’t slowed down.

In fact, upon the return of the GRR Racing team, new partnerships arose with perfect timing. While working closely with the Pedders Racing team, Abbate fell in love with the set up of their right hand drive Toyota 86.

I am so very thankful and grateful to now be partnered directly with Pedders Racing and their US distrubuter, 3PConnect!”, Abbate shares.

The GRR Racing Toyota 86 is now equipped with Pedders Suspension including the external reservoir set up. The team had a very busy week leading up to the race. Including an unexpected motor swap, followed by an unexpected transmission pull, after their full suspension changes — they had their hands full!

Special thanks to Grant at Pedders Racing Australia for help with our baseline set up”, Crew Cheif Anthony Philleo notes.

Shaking the car down in the first qualifier, Abbate and Philleo decided to try out the car without the rear wing. Michele quickly discovered she preferred having the extra rear grip, especially through riverside. The team qualified P2 in GT-1 but was facing engine issues.

It’s unfortunate that we had to swap back to our old [hurt] motor; but we didn’t have any other option,” Anthony explains.

Michele drove as smart as she could and she was able to bring the car to the checkered flag with a P2 finish, being the first Toyota 86 to ever podium in GT1 in the SCCA. Although the circumstances were not ideal, the team worked hard and they felt rewarded for their efforts.

A great accomplishment we have been chasing all year”, Abbate shares.

For Sunday, GRR Racing prepped the car as best as they possibly could to prevent further issue with the motor. Although, late to grid and started at the rear of the pack; Abbate played it cool for the entire race.

My goal was to see that checkered flag, so I did everything I could to keep the car happy”.

Ultimately GRR Racing capture another P2 podium finish bumping them into the 2nd place position for the Western Conference division, trailing the leader by just 16 points.

“Our purpose of running GT1 this year with our 86 is to qualify for National Run Offs for the GT1 program that is being built”, Anthony confirms.

The team has done just that and is excited to be making progress up the ladder of motorsports. The next SCCA US Majors Tour event is set for the beautiful Pacific Northwest at Portland International Raceway on May 20-21st. Fans can tune into all of the action on the live stream at www.M1cheleAbbate.com/live

Season-best for Harli White

May 10, 2017 // by Horsepower & Heels

A season-best for Harli White on Saturday at Gator Motorplex during the 5 ^th annual Nolan Wren Memorial with the ASCS Gulf South Region. The winged sprint car racer opened the event by advancing from third to second place in a heat race, which earned enough points to lock into the feature redraw.

“I got lucky and drew the No. 1 to start on the pole of the main,” she said. “The track was rubbered up before we went on the track. I knew we had to get the jump because whoever got out front first was going to win the show. Seth Bergman got the jump, but we stayed right there with him. In traffic it was going our way for a bit, but every time we’d get an opportunity the caution would come out.”

White maintained the runner-up position throughout the race to score her fourth top five of the season and third top-five finish in the last four races.

Her racing weekend began on Friday at Heart O’ Texas Speedway in Waco, Texas, for the 2^nd annual Gene Adamchik Memorial. There, she was able to finish where she started – fourth – in a heat race to line up on the inside of the sixth row for the main event.

“We had some ups and downs,” she said. “I got ran over on the start. Everyone was trying to win it before they get into the first turn. We got collected in that and it bent the Jacobs Ladder. The car was biking real hard after that. I just hung on and finished.”

White battled for a top 10 throughout the main event before ending 11 ^th.

“We hung on to finish, which is a good thing after the way our season started,” she said. “Now that I’m racing full time for a living it’s important to finish every race.”

Harli is scheduled to make her debut at three tracks this weekend when she returns to Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour competition on Thursday at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., before tackling ASCS Red River Region races on Friday at Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt, Kan., and Saturday at Springfield Raceway in Springfield, Mo.