Jet Dragster Archives – Horsepower & Heels

Larsen to appear on Jay Leno’s Garage

June 24, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Florida Institute of Technology Jet Dragster driver, Elaine Larsen to appear on Jay Leno’s Garage in July with a special episode that sees the popular television host join the Larsen Motorsports Jet team in Florida.

Jay Leno, the popular celebrity host and avid car collector, is set to take on Elaine and the Larsen Motorsports Jet operation in an upcoming episode of the CNBC television show, Jay Leno’s Garage.

Former late night show host Jay Leno, has created a new reality TV show to showcase his automotive passion, called Jay Leno’s Garage. The show follows Jay and his colleagues as they explore a wide variety of different cars, motorcycles and anything that moves all while meeting new people and making new acquaintances along the way.

The episode will air Wednesday, July 13th at 10pm ET/PT.

Visit LMSJETS.com for more updates on the show, exclusive, behind the scenes footage, and contests to win prizes!!!

Watch Jay Leno vs. Elaine Larsen – Jet Dragster

Elaine Larsen is the thrusting force behind the Jet Dragster superteam, Larsen Motorsport, home of the fastest girls in town. Can Jay Leno handle the heat in a drag race against Elaine? Tune in to the next episode of Jay Leno’s Garage to find out who wins.

Elaine Larsen receives Dick Moroso Memorial Award

March 22, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Larsen Motorsports Jet Dragster Super Team owner and driver, Elaine Larsen, was recently recognized by the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame as the recipient of the annual Dick Moroso Memorial Motorsports Award.

Elaine began her jet drag racing career by earning her license at Moroso Motorsports Park (renamed Palm Beach International Raceway – PBIR) in West Palm Beach, Florida in 2002. She is a two-time IHRA Jet Dragster World Champion, and the co-founder of the National Jet Racing Association.

She and her husband Chris, have developed and grown a multi-car jet drag racing super team that helps to educate, train and promote S.T.E.M. core curriculums through a new state-of-the-art 30,000 sq. ft. Jet Technology Center. Partnered with Florida Institute of Technology, the Jet Technology Center helps inspire and teach in the areas of Engineering, Fabrication, Human Factors and Artistry. Elaine currently has 7 jet drivers in her program, and has launched countless careers of young driving talents, crew chiefs, mechanical engineers and fabrication specialists.

Elaine Larsen receives Dick Moroso Memorial Award 2016

Elaine Larsen receives Dick Moroso Memorial Award at the Annual Palm Beach County Hall of Fame Gala, held March 20, 2016 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.

Larsen Motorsports 2016 Schedule

February 23, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Jet Dragster super team, Larsen Motorsports has a busy year planned for 2016. The Horsepower & Heels Female Motorsports Team of the Year has some new venues and drivers on deck for the season. Check out some of the personnel changes on the team and the Larsen Motorsports 2016 schedule below.

Elaine Larsen | Florida Institute of Technology

Elaine Larsen will return off her 2015 Championship season to drive the Florida Institute of Technology jet dragster. She replaces Shea Holbrook, who has returned to touring car racing in 2016.

Kat Moller | Matrix Systems

Kat Moller returns as well in 2016 to resume driving duties in her Matrix Systems jet dragster. Kat is beginning her third professional year with the Larsen Motorsports team.

Allison West | Applied Racing Components

Allison West will take over driving duties on the ARC jet dragster for 2016, after Marisha Falk retired at the end of last season.

Dawn Perdue | LMS

Dawn Perdue joins Larsen Motorsports again in 2016 to drive the fourth Larsen Motorsports jet dragster for the 2016 season.

Jake Elliott | Floating Driver

Jake Elliott served as crew chief on the FIT dragster in 2015, is a fabricator in the Larsen shop, and completed his licensing requirements behind the wheel at the end of 2014. The first male driver for the team, he will be gunning for a full-time seat in the Larsen camp, jumping in for driving opportunities during the year.

Larsen Motorsports 2016 Schedule

Date	Event	Location
February 26	Florida Tech Exploration Day	Florida Tech Campus Melbourne, FL
March 4-6	IHRA Spring Nitro Nationals	Orlando Speed World Orlando, FL
March 17-20	47th Annual NHRA Gator Nationals	Gainesville Raceway Gainesville, FL
March 25	Florida Tech Exploration Day	Florida Tech Campus Melbourne, FL
March 26	Race for Autism Cure	Orlando Speed World Orlando, FL
April 1-3	Melbourne Airshow	Melbourne International Airport Melbourne, FL
April 9	Florida Tech Discovery Day	Florida Tech Campus Melbourne, FL
April 21-24	7th Annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals	Z-Max Dragway Charlotte, NC
April 28- May 1	NMRA Ford Nationals	Maple Grove Raceway Reading, PA
June 3-5	Chevy Performance Nationals	Atlanta Dragway Atlanta, GA
June 9-12	NMRA Ford Super Nationals	National Trails Raceway Columbus, OH
June 25	Atlanta Night of Fire	Atlanta Dragway Atlanta, GA
July 22	Florida Tech Exploration Day	Florida Tech Campus Melbourne, FL
August 26	Florida Tech Exploration Day	Florida Tech Campus Melbourne, FL
October 29	Orlando Night of Fire	Orlando Speed World Orlando, FL
November 19	Florida Tech Exploration Day	Florida Tech Campus Melbourne, FL
November 25-27	Citrus Nationals	Palm Beach International Raceway West Palm Beach, FL
December 2-3	Snowbird Nationals	Bradenton Motorsports Park Bradenton, FL

Larsen Motorsports wins Innovation award

January 25, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

IHRA Jet Drag Racing super team, Larsen Motorsports, was recently recognized by the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast as their 2016 Innovation Company of the Year.

The award selects a business who demonstrates innovation in product or service offerings, manufacturing productivity or processes, sales and marketing approach that result in increased investment. Larsen Motorsports, Inc was selected for carrying out the goal of bringing new talent in driving, design, engineering, maintenance and development of their jet drag racing development program. The program, which was recently expanded, reaches talent from around the world from their Brevard County, Florida location in Palm Bay.

Founders Elaine Larsen and Chris Larsen accepted the award on behalf of the company at the EDC’s Investor Update Meeting on January 20th, where companies were displaying locally made products in the Made in Brevard showcase exhibit.

“Our passion is to create a unique hands-on training experience that will inspire the next generation of learners into STEM related majors”, stated Chris. “With a unique business focus, a niche home as the anchor of Florida Tech’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Design (CAMID), and a team of innovators creating new and inventive product designs, we are honored to be a part of this business community and appreciate the EDC’s recognition as an innovator making a difference.”

The Larsen Motorsports team trained and provided development for the four jet dragsters teams in the program, nicknamed the “Fastest Girls in Town”. As driver, Elaine Larsen won the IHRA Jet Dragster Championship for 2015, aided by her crew chief and engineering student, Paige Sanchez. Other development program drivers in the program: Shea Holbrook, Kat Moller, Allison West, Dawn Purdue and Marisha Falk – all drove the 250+ mph jet dragsters. The Larsen Motorsports team also won the Horsepower & Heels Female Motorsports Team of the Year for 2015.

Elaine Larsen to drive FIT Jet Dragster for 2016

January 6, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Elaine Larsen to drive FIT Jet for Florida Institute of Technology

IHRA Jet dragster driver Elaine Larsen, who just completed a four-win 2015 season that earned her a second consecutive IHRA Jet Dragster world championship, announced today that she will step into the driving cockpit of the Florida Institute of Technology jet dragster for 2016.

“I am really excited to drive the Florida Tech jet dragster, not only because I expect to bring my championship abilities to this great team, but also because this will allow me the opportunity to showcase to the world all of the hard work and dedication of students and faculty at Florida Tech.”

Now entering the second year of partnership with Florida Tech, the team will formally open its Larsen Motorsports High Performance Vehicles Research & Development Center this February at the university’s Palm Bay research center, located near their main Melbourne campus. The 30,000-square-foot facility, featuring full-concept design, engineering and fabrication capabilities and room for up to nine race teams, will continue to enhance the unique and powerful educational impact of the Florida Tech-Larsen Motorsports relationship.

“I am excited to work at the shop and on the track with Florida Tech students,” Larsen said.

Larsen’s crew chief during her 2015 championship run, Paige Sanchez, returns track side and at the development center for the 2016 season. Sanchez is currently earning her master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Florida Tech in addition to her duties as crew chief for Elaine.

“Whether developing a computer model, fine-tuning our General Electric J-85 turbo jet engines or getting dirty with some routine maintenance, the hands-on experiences I get at Larsen touch on multiple STEM disciplines and really enhance my classroom education,” Sanchez said.

The R&D Center hosts upwards of 15 Florida Tech students on any given day, providing hands-on learning experiences in a variety of curriculum ranging from aerospace, mechanical and electrical engineering majors to those studying communications, marketing, and human factors.

“We have laid out our facility to enable us to provide student and internship opportunities that center on the STEM areas of science, technology, engineering and math,” said Chris Larsen, Larsen Motorsports CEO and co-founder

If the coming year is anything like 2015, it promises to be a busy one for the students, the Larsens and all of Larsen Motorsports. Last year, the team traveled the country – and into Canada – for a dozen races, while making numerous appearances with the 5,500-horsepower Florida Tech jet dragster, from the Melbourne Air Show to campus events including Discovery Day and homecoming.

Larsen Motorsports 2015 [VIDEO]

December 19, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Check out this cool 2015 Jetlife video for Larsen Motorsports! Watch Elaine Larsen, Marisha Falk, Kat Moller, and Shea Holbrook tear up the track in their Jet Dragsters!

Larsen Motorsports | JETLIFE 2015

Video footage by Les Mayhew

Elaine Larsen cinches Jet Championship

September 29, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Elaine Larsen, owner of the Larsen Motorsports Jet Dragster team, was able to cinch the 2015 IHRA Jet Dragster World Championship at the San Antonio Nationals this weekend. With one race to go in the 2015 season, Larsen and her female crew chief, Paige Sanchez, were able to race their Miller Welds Dragster to a runner-up finish at the event, securing the championship points lead for the title.

Runner up at San Antonio Nationals

Although Elaine would post a faster 5.892 second at 265.96 mph pass in her Miller Welds Dragster, her teammate Shea Holbrook would leave quicker off the starting line, earning a holeshot victory against the reigning 2014 IHRA Jet Dragster World Champ.

Larsen cinches Jet Championship

Larsen, who has recorded four wins this season and five runner-up finishes in 11 races to date, was able to defend her 2014 title to retain the Jet Dragster World Championship with one race to go, the upcoming IHRA World Finals in Memphis, TN (Oct 9-10).

Elaine has over 20 years of drag racing experience, and with husband Chris Larsen, operates Larsen Motorsports, a hot spot of driver and engineering development for women in motorsports. Her crew chief, Paige Sanchez, a Mechanical Engineering student, made sure that the Miller Welds Dragster was in championship contending form all season. The duo promote “Girl Power” in the male dominated world of drag racing, and encourage education and advancement through their Jet Technology Center display at races. There, fans can watch Paige service the General Electric J-85 engines used in the Miller Welds dragster.

Shea Holbrook wins first IHRA Jet race

September 28, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Multi-motorsport standout Shea Holbrook just earned her first jet drag racing victory at the IHRA Nitro Jam San Antonio Nationals. She defeated the newly crowned IHRA World Jet Drag Racing champion, Elaine Larsen for the Ironman win, the first win of her rookie drag racing season.

Holbrook took her Florida Institute of Technology dragster to an impressive 5.920 seconds at 268.98 mph performance against Elaine Larsen, but it was her 0.0562 reaction time that nailed the holeshot victory against Elaine’s faster but losing 5.892 second at 265.96 mph.

Though a rookie in drag racing, Florida native Shea Holbrook is a veteran behind the wheel, competing in SCCA road racing competitions for over 7 years. She teamed up with Jet Dragster veteran and women in racing pioneer, Elaine Larsen and Larsen Motorsports to teach her the ropes of drag racing a 300+mph jet dragster. The opportunity came as the result of a successful crowd funding campaign through Dark Horse Pros.

“A big thanks to Chris and Elaine Larsen for presenting this idea. I don’t think they nor I thought we’d ever put a road racer in a jet dragster but hey, so far so good! Around this time last year we were in talks about this program and we ran a Dark Horse Pros crowdfunding campaign. Thanks to fans, supporters, friends and family we exceeded our goal by 103% in 30 days. I’ve always been a big fan of wearing your heart on your sleeve and I thank everyone for allowing me to do so.”

Shea and her FIT jet dragster team have just one more stop on the IHRA Nitro Jam schedule, the IHRA Summit World Finals in Memphis, TN October 9-10, 2015.

Shea Holbrook headline speaker at WIA conference

June 22, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

The Women in Automotive Conference announced the addition of 25 year-old racer Shea Holbrook as one of the headline speakers for the event.

The conference is set for August 18-20, 2015, at the Ballroom at Church Street in downtown Orlando, Florida. The three-day conference includes a recruiting event, speakers, breakout sessions, workshops, and booth displays – all centered on the goal of educating and inspiring women in all areas of the automotive industry.

Shea Holbrook on passion for women of motorsports, marketing and mentorship

Shea Holbrook is not only a professional female racecar driver, but also business woman and co-owner of Shea Racing, spokeswoman and entrepreneur with a passion for motorsport, marketing, and mentorship.

Fear is a state of mind, will is an action taken.” Shea lives by this quote and believes through commitment and determination, anything is possible.

Her first mark in the sport was earned when she won the Long Beach Grand Prix in 2011 becoming the first female to win a major Touring Car race at the venue. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and a minor in Marketing from the University of Central Florida in May of 2012. That same year, she became a part of the TRUECar Racing Women Empowered Initiative. She is currently competing in the Pirelli World Challenge as well as piloting a jet dragster in the IHRA Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series at speeds approaching 300mph.

Jet Dragster driver Marisha Falk steps down

June 6, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Larsen Motorsports Jet Dragster driver Marisha Falk announced that she will step down from full time driving at the conclusion of the 2015 season. The 28 year-old from Kenosha, WI is in her fourth season with the Larsen Motorsports team and is one of four Larsen Motorsports jet dragsters that currently compete in the IHRA Nitro Jam Series.

Marisha is the currently the driver of the Applied Racing Components Jet Dragster, but plans to step out of the full-time position, into a back-up driver role for the Larsen team. This will allow new Larsen Motorsports drivers to gain seat time as part of a recently introduced Larsen Motorsports expansion.

Marisha driving for us is among the best things that has happened to Larsen Motorsports,” said Elaine Larsen. “Four seasons of outstanding performance and dedication to the growth of our company have shown her commitment not only to LMS but to the sport of drag racing.”

Falk plans to participate in testing with the Larsen Motorsports team in order to keep her license current, and may occasionally be seen at races beyond 2015. She also plans on being an integral part of the team’s driver development program.

She will be hugely missed by her fans but rest assured, Marisha could return in an LMS car,” said Chris Larsen.

Marisha Falk has a Bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Science and Masters of Business Administration, she has over 10 years of flight experience and her multi-engine air transport rating, and works as a worldwide private jet charter specialist with Paramount Business Jets, putting her knowledge of the aviation industry to use.

I am grateful for the opportunity Chris and Elaine Larsen have given me to drive for our team over the past four years,” said Marisha. “I am excited about future opportunities to mentor and share my knowledge and skills with upcoming drivers. I cannot thank the entire racing community enough for being so welcoming and supportive; you have definitely made my racing career thus far much more meaningful. It is with great sadness that I close this chapter in my life to open so many more.”