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Have helmet, will travel

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Erica in a FiresuitAs is the case in the drag racing world, you always have to stay prepared.

Have helmet, will travel.

I received a phone call of a possible driving opportunity that may be coming in the near future, but since it’s been a few years, my NHRA Advanced ET Competition license has expired and I will need to complete the licensing procedure all over again.

That means I need to find a car capable of running 7.50 or faster, and complete my 6 runs (one half pass, 3 moderate runs, and 2 full passes faster that 7.49).

That wouldn’t be a big deal normally, except that my own car isn’t running at the moment, and I can’t afford a trip to a place like Frank Hawley’s just to get the license again.

So, I’ve put out a call to all my racing friends to see if someone would be willing to let me make a few passes to get my license again.  I can’t offer any cash right now to “rent” their car, but I can provide great crew slave labor and awesome PR help for their team!

So far a few people are checking for me, fingers crossed I find someone so I can get this key roadblock out of the way.  If you know of anyone or have a car you’d let me shoe, please send me a message!

Erica Enders for People’s Choice

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K&N Horsepower ChallengeErica Enders has really been on fire this season after her return to Cagnazzi Racing, and I’m expecting her first win to come any time now this season in Pro Stock.

Its good to see EE doing well, after struggling for the past few years.   See what a difference a great team can make when a great driver is paired?

Erica Enders for People’s Choice

I’d love to see EE go for the glory this year in the K&N Horsepower Challenge, so I’m asking everyone to get out and vote for Erica Enders in the People’s Choice entry.   She’s doing so well this season, she may not need it… but it sure would be great to have her win the People’s vote!

Good luck, EE!

Fun Ford Weekend is BACK!

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Fun Ford Weekend is back in 2011
A sight for sore eyes.

Now THIS is the kind of news I like to hear!

Fun Ford Weekend has just announced that they are returning with 5 events this season, and more to come in 2012.    The series, which is where I raced from 1998-2006, is only returning to bracket racing, car shows, and adding an autocross event… for now.

One of the biggest reason my 2007 Mustang Twin Turbo project has laid dormant for the past 4 years is that the series the car was built for (Fun Ford) closed its doors in 2008.   This left myself and many others with purpose-built cars that could not compete elsewhere without significant changes.

Seeing the old Fun Ford Weekend logo flying back around the net is a huge kick in the seat of optimism.    The website says that the events will only feature bracket drag racing in 2011, but that the series will be expanded in 2012.

In less than 24 hours since the FFW site  first went live, my phone has already been ringing from a handful of my old Fun Ford Weekend friends who are thinking much the same way I am, that we need to talk FFW into bringing back heads-up racing in 2012.

For me, this could be the fast track back to racing.   The elimination of Pro 5.0 left my car virtually obsolete and uncompetitive against the only alternative of full-fledged Pro Modified racing.    The car simply could not compete against cutting edge pro mod chassis and engine combinations, and no other sanctioning body filled the void between weekend Pro 5.0 racing and full-fledged professional pro mod operations.

If Fun Ford Weekend can resurrect the Pro 5.0 class, it would allow racers a more economical and more recreational venue to continue racing for many displaced by the shutdown.  It would also reunite a loyal following of friends and family devoted to the series that spanned over a decade of fond racing memories.

I’m going to be reaching out to other Fun Ford racers in hopes of rallying support for the return of heads-up racing in Fun Ford Weekend.   Perhaps if the new?? owners of FFW see the loyal following and demand for heads-up return, it will convince them to revive the series in 2012.

Get those emails ready folks, Horsepower & Heels is campaigning for a comeback to FUN FORD WEEKEND RACING!

Pro Mod now an NHRA Professional category

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NHRA Pro Mod
Tom Compton and roger Burgess announce NHRA Pro Mod as a professional category

The long, hard fought battle has finally been won.

For 9 long years, Pro Mod racers have begged, pleaded, borrowed and stole to gain the acceptance of the NHRA as a professional category, only to be shunned aside as a mere exhibition class.

Popular across the country for the colorful, exciting, and out-of-control tendencies, Pro Mod drivers relegated themselves to limited exhibition status, a pay-to-run class that was considered the ugly step child of the NHRA. Often walked-on during their limited schedule appearances, the Pro Mod class endured zero coverage or respect from the NHRA, no TV time, no promotional acknowledgement, and were the first on the chopping block for rain delays, with qualifying scrubbed at the first sign of delay.

For years, Pro Mod supporters cries fell on deaf ears in the California home offices of NHRA. Many believed that they refused as a matter of principal after the ugly pro stock truck fiasco, some felt that factory supported hot rods feared the backlash from Pro Stock drivers. Most had finally accepted the cause as lost, that NHRA would never acknowledge or accept Pro Modified as a professional category, myself included.

But a surprising change of heart came courtesey of an announcement by Tom Compton of the NHRA at the awards banquet: as of 2010, Pro Modified is now a legitimate professional class.

The 2010 Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series

What does this mean for Pro Modified racers? A LOT. Now, the class is an official NHRA run series, complete with a centralized NHRA approved/controlled rulebook, a per race purse structure, and a championship points purse fund. NHRA media will now highlight the class in the National Dragster and NHRA.com, along with a seperate 30 minute ESPN TV program devoted to the class (tape delayed). The series is now eligible for contingency sponsors, will have access to their own hospitality area, a vendor trailer on the NHRA midway for t-shirt sales, and most importantly, will now be competing for the same coveted Wally trophy as NHRA Championship drivers.

This allows drivers to actively pursue sponsors, now having legitimate benefits to offer in terms of coverage and exposure, something that had been a tough sell in the previous architecture. For me, this means a complete revise to my marketing plans, and a renewed fight to find a partnership that would allow me to move up to the National stage.

There’s a lot more work to be done this off-season for many teams, and I suspect the NHRA will be surprised with the 1st year results.

The NHRA Get Screened Pro Mod Drag Racing Series Schedule

  • 41st annual NHRA Gatornationals March 11-14 Gainesville, Fla.
  • 23rd annual O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals April 9 – 11 Houston
  • 14th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals April 30 – May 2 St. Louis
  • 30th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals May 14-16 Commerce, Ga.
  • 41st annual United Association NHRA SuperNationals June 10-13 Englishtown, N.J.
  • 10th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals June 18-20 Bristol, Tenn.
  • 4th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals June 24-27 Norwalk, Ohio
  • 56th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Aug. 31 – Sept. 5 Indianapolis
  • 3rd annual NHRA Carolinas Nationals Sept. 16-19 Concord, N.C.
  • 10th annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals Oct. 28-31 Las Vegas

photo: Roger Richards

US Nationals history tarnished

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Ashley Force
Ashley Force takes home her 1st US Nationals win

The Big GO is to drag racing what the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500 are to our roundy-round companions in racing. It is the single biggest weekend of the season, and one where tradition and competition run second only to emotion of the participants.

One of the most memorable races of my life was the first US National event I ever attended in 2006. It was the first race I ever was entrenched with one of the professional teams to get a first hand view of what it takes for these teams to make professional racing a reality. The work, the expense, the sacrifice, and the dedication are all overwhelmingly apparent in each of these teams.
No exception, the 2009 “Big GO” was every bit the emotional flashpoint of the season as always. The NHRA’s decision to make Indy the Countdown reset race added to the drama and tension of the event. When teams are spending millions to try and win, there are always going to be tempers and accusations. But to see it on national TV, that is something that is usually reserved for closed trailor door s or behind the ropes.
The floundering economy has made it tough on everyone… racers and spectators alike. I’ve never wished that I had attended a race as much as I did while watching this year’s ESPN2 Telecast. Reasons are two-fold:

 

During the Semis, Tony Pedregon and John Force exchanged heated words and even shoves over Tony’s allegations that John Force took a dive to allow son-in-law Hight a spot in the 10-seed playoff berth, effectively knocking off his brother, Cruz from contention. Tony, a former Force d river, said he knew their practices over at JFR well and called Force a cheater for fixing the race. Cruz also made comments on-air from the starting line calling Force an outright cheater as well. [Watch the video of the altercation]
The NHRA does have a no-dive rule in place to prevent team orders. However, in the case of this race, where a team car matchup can result in critical championship-affecting results, it is assumed that driver intentions would be controversial at best when the outcome is deemed beneficial. I do not envy the NHRA , faced with a rule that is this tough to really police…. a seasoned veteran driver has a timely lapse in otherwise good reaction, coupled with an aborted run due to the car making a “move” to the wall, grants his teammate the win that he needs to push him into the countdown. How do you police for driver’s intent? Was it *really* an accidental slip at the tree by John Force and did the car *really* drive itself out of the groove? Only John Force can know with 100% certainty… which really means that the NHRA is powerless to enforce this rule without hard-proof as evidence.
Team orders occur in all forms of racing, and while fans are punished by this practice, its hardly something that can be policed or will be going away (Saved for eliminating multi-car teams, whichwould result in a massive drop in car count, and I’ll play the odds vs. losing cars any day). The debates are running rampant on the internet, but the point is mute. NHRA can’t prove it, and so they are powerless to repeal it as well.
The real tragedy in the weekend is the fact that the pushing match between John and Tony overshadowed a huge milestone: Ashley Force-Hood winning the hallowed US Nationals and becoming the first female in Funny Car to do so. In a time where nearly all the women of the sport save Ashley (and sometimes Erica Enders) have been sidelined (Hillary Will, Melanie Troxel, etc.)Ashley carries the torch for women and young girls everywhere who aspire to reach her level of success. Only 2 other women have done so in the history of the US National professional classes, which makes her story even more inspirational and important to women of our times.
I personally really wanted and needed to see her do well, as a reinforcement that the nitro dream IS possible, and at a time when the economy has all but shut down my dreams of EVER racing again. It is hard to stay positive and to continue to stay driven and determined when you see even established, successful women racers sidelined in an already tough arena to break into. I’m notgiving up, but seeing her achieve so much has renewed faith and hope in what has seemed like a bleek outlook.
So amuch deserved CONGRATS to AshleyForce-Hood, the 2009 US National Funny Car Champ!

Pro Mod is tougher than it appears

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The biggest lesson I’ve learned in the past few years of downtime is to fully appreciate how much it takes to build/race/maintain a racecar at this level of competition. The costs, the devotion, the hard work, and the risks are just mind-blowing. And it can all be gone in an instant.

Nowhere does logic pay off in this sport… you build a costly car that runs for mere seconds, you race for a purse that more often than not will never pay back the expenses, and even the most skilled driver gambles that a split second will not destroy all that hard work, or result in injury or worse.

Rick Stivers Crash (photo)This year at the NHRA Gateway race in St. Louis, a seasoned Fuel driver Melanie Troxel walked away from a crash in Raymond Commisso’s 5.8-second Pro Modified entry, an incident she attributed to her “inexperience. I just didn’t have enough laps.” She went on to say “these cars are a handful,” a sentiment that Rick Stivers would probably agree with given his own spectacular crash that same weekend in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge at the O’Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals.

His 2006 Stratus hit the wall and flipped — what Stivers described as “all hell [breaking] loose – literally.” Both incidents illustrate that in a class of promods with tremendous power (Troxel’s car put out 2,500 hp), crashes are often simply beyond the driver’s control. Both Troxel and Stivers were wearing their seat belts and are lucky; their injuries could have and probably should have been severe.

Not surprisingly, the major factors in this class are the inherent danger, the expense of repairs, and how attractive these high class machines are to thieves. So what makes it worth all the risk?

The remark that I hear across the board is that Pro Mod is the most difficult class to navigate. The cars make a ton of power, and don’t have near the downforce of their bigger nitro brothers. They are a handful to drive, but they are the fastest true doorslammers in existance. Several nitro drivers such as Mike Ashley, Scotty Cannon, Matt Hagan and others have gotten their starts in Pro Mod. And several nitro pilots have also learned much like Melanie how much these cars are underestimated.

With cars now reaching 250mph with ease, these cars continue to put on a wild, fun-filled show that remains unrecognized by NHRA as a professional class. It only takes a quick look to the stands during Pro Mod to see that it is a class the fans really enjoy, a point further proven by the ADRL’s sell out successes outside NHRA confines. Speculation behind why the NHRA refuses to grant professional class status includes complications from the Pro Stock truck lawsuit, and competition to their own pro stock class, but when will the NHRA wise up and see what a fan pleaser it has in Pro Modified?

A photo says a thousand words

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In addition to the crew chiefs and drivers, one of the other groups of greatly talented professionals you get to meet at the racetrack every weekend are the guys and gals that are risking their butts hanging on the guardwalls to give us great images of the action. Though I know absolutely NOTHING about photography aside from point-and-click, I’ve always had great respect for these guys and gals, and always truly admire their work.
Sports Photographer Mark Rebilas

Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting my absolute favorite Professional Sports Photographer, Mark Rebilas. I’ve been a fan of his and have been following his work for quite awhile now, but I didn’t realize how cool a guy he actually is until recently.

Mark hails from Phoenix, AZ; the son of photographer Gil Rebilas, who first put a camera in his son’s hands at age 10. Mark quickly learned the trade, enlisting as a Photographer for the US Navy, and leading a team of 22 photographers on an aircraft carrier during a wartime deployment across the world.
Now, you can find him high above the tri-oval at NASCAR races, capturing some of the crazy crashes, or on the sidelines at baseball games and a wide variety of other sports. A very recognized name in the business, Mark’s won the NMPA Motorsports Photographer of the Year award twice, and has been featured all over the industry in ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and many other publications. Mark has also covered a few drag racing events, and his images are absolutely stunning. His photo blog is really impressive, and tells a great story about the events he covers. Though he told me he originally started the blog for other photographers, any sports fan can really appreciate his detailed blogging style and the great story his images tell.
Someof my favorites are the unique portraits he’s done with my favorite NHRA drivers. His approach is drastically different from our regular drag racing photographers, and from what he outlines in his blogs, his techniques are much more complicated and a lot harder work. But the results are amazing:
Angelle Sampey
Angelle Sampey last season in the staging lanes
Now-retired Funny Car driver Gary Scelzi

The action shots are unlike anything I’ve ever seen. With drag racing being the fastest moving of all the motorsports, I imagine its quite difficult to catch all the action coming at you at 300mph. But these are just the most vivid and spectacular I’ve ever seen…

Robert Hight
Robert Hight in Nitro Funny Car
Tony Schumacher explosion
Tony Schumacher in Top Fuel
Fuel Altered explosion
Fuel Altered Engine Explosion at March Meet

Clearly, I don’t have to do much talking. His work speaks rather breathlessly for itself. I couldn’t possibly post all of my favorites, so you really need to head on over to his blog to check them all out.

Other than the fact he drives a Corvette (::groan::), Mark is one of the coolest people I’ve had a chance to hang out with in some time! I’ve already made him promise that if I strike the lotto and go Top Fuel racing, he’s going to be the official Photographer with sole mission to make me look like a resident bad ass! Thanks, Mark!

Check out Mark’s Blog: www.markjrebilas.com/blog
Or better yet, subscribe to it free here.

Soggy weekend gamble

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The past month or so has been such an incredibly hectic time for me. I feel like I’ve been on the go for weeks. Between Roller Derby and trying to attend a few races here and there, I haven’t had much time to recharge.

Dan Parker Promod
Parker/George Pro Mod 1st round ADRL

I started out by attending the ADRL race in Valdosta. I forgot how badly I missed these events. Its so much different than attending the “all business” national events. While the ADRL is a huge show, and just as professional, it still retains the level of fun and comraderie that isn’t as apparent in national events. I got to chat with a lot of the guys I’ve been racing with for years, and even rounded up a few more parts to finish my car. I spent the weekend hanging out with Dan Parker/Bill George’s team. They made the show, but had to take on the #1 qualifier, and shook just a bit at the top of low for a close race at the finish. [photo Competition Plus, Roger Richards]

Next up, I headed out to Vegas for a work-related tradeshow. I handle marketing for a broadcast equipment manufacturing company, and the NAB Show is our largest tradeshow of the year. Its always a very long week, with 2 after-show events that I manage for our dealers/customers. I did get a few hours out by the hotel pool at the Sahara, as well as skating with the Sin City Roller Girls at one of their practices, dinner at Tao and dancing at Pure Nightclub in Ceasar’s Palace one of the nights as well.

broken finger
What a way to start my first roller derby game

From Vegas, I hopped a plane over to Columbus, OH where I was playing my very first Roller Derby Bout against the Ohio Roller Girls. We lost, I broke my finger, dislocated a knuckle and pulled a tendon in my hand, and I was way tired, but it was still a good experience. My friend Chuck came out along with my cousin Ana and her boys, so it was great seeing family and friends as well.

Then, on top of all of the craziness, I had 2 days once I got home to move to a new house my roommate and I were renting. With a broken finger. NOT fun. One of my coworkers and his wife helped me move most of it Monday night. I had to be out by Wednesday, and after a trip to Atlanta on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning to pick up my badly missed little Chihuahua, handle some work, and meet a special new friend (more on that next blog), it has been an exhausting month.

Stevens Top Fuel
Missed my team qualifying because of weather

Which brings me to this weekend: the St. Louis NHRA race. I went to this race last year, and was planning to go this year as well. The Stevens Family Top Fuel Dragster, which some may remember is the team I have been working with to get a top fuel ride once we find funding to license and run, had a one-race deal for St. Louis, and I had planned to go there and shoot some video of the team and me with the dragster to put together a promo reel for the sponsor chase. However, Friday afternoon when I was getting ready to pack up and leave, the weather sirens started going off, making the drive not look like such a great idea. That fact, combined with the radar outlook for Saturday showing rain all day long, made me decide to stay home after lots of back-and-forth. A decision I instantly regretted the next morning when Dave Stevens called me saying it was clear blue skies and sunny there. DOH! [photo Competition Plus, Roger Richards]So the team ended up qualifying and getting into the show. They went out first round to Morgan Lucas. Of course, I missed all the action. I’m super sad. 🙁 So much for luck… I gambled and lost in Vegas, Ohio, and St. Louis! DARN!

Season 2 kickoff with Ashley Force-Hood

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Ashley Force-Hood and Erica Ortiz

You may remember a few months ago (where the heck is time going lately!) that I had a chance to sit down with NHRA Nitro Funny Car driver Ashley Force-Hood for some gal chat to kick off Season 2 of Horsepower & Heels TV…

Its been a hectic few months, but the folks at PNN just finalized the episode. Though I wish we could have included all 20 minutes of great insight from Ashley on a wide variety of topics, PNN and I chose to give some insight to viewers from Ashley into the very unique side of being a woman at the races.

 

Hope you enjoy!