Enders on Jay Leno’s Garage

October 7, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Erica Enders and Jay Leno — Story/Photos via NHRA.com

Look for reigning Mello Yello Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders and Elite Motorsports team owner Richard Freeman on the premier episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, Wednesday night at 10 p.m. Eastern on CNBC. Enders will be showing the talk-show host/comedian and car enthusiast the ropes on how to drive a drag racing car.

“It will be a great way to introduce the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series to a new audience,” Enders said. “That was a great experience and a neat opportunity. I grew up watching Jay Leno and always enjoyed him throughout my life, so it was cool to be able to work with him. He shares the same passion for automobiles that we do, and that was pretty evident.”

Leno has a well-known private collection of automobiles, and Enders and Freeman will get the tour of his prized collection when NHRA returns to California for the season-finale in November.

Jay Leno’s Garage began as a YouTube series about cars and motorcycles with a one-hour special airing on CNBC last year, but its popularity has spurned a primetime weekly show that begins this Wednesday.

Enders and Freeman joined Leno after her Bristol win to film the show at Auto Club Dragway in Fontana, Calif. They used the Super Comp car of Division 7 racer Eddie Fischle, along with the support of Frank Hawley.

Enders and Leno cruised around in a new Chevrolet Camaro SS, and the two chatted about their respective careers to begin the show.

“It was fun to be able to drive him around in the Camaro,” Enders said. “We talked a little bit about his life and a little bit about my career. Then we spent the rest of the day teaching him to drive, so it was a neat deal.”

Enders is the perfect choice for driving coach, as she recently set an NHRA record by winning three consecutive final rounds on holeshots.

“It was a neat chance to be able to teach him how to drive a Super Comp car with Frank Hawley,” Enders said. “I ended up getting to make a pass in my buddy Eddie Fischle’s car, and he supplied us the cars for us to teach Jay to drive.”

Leno wanted to make more passes in the car at the end of the day, clearly enjoying his lessons behind the wheel.

“That goes to show how much he enjoyed it,” Enders said.

How do you think Jay will fair behind the wheel of a Super Comp car? Comment below!

Brittany Force lands No. 1 in Soggy PA

October 4, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Despite the wet and cold conditions that have plagued the 31st Annual NHRA Keystone Nationals this weekend in Reading, Pennsylvania, Brittany Force lands No. 1 qualifying position, the first of the 2015 season and fourth of her young career. The third year pro moved from 4th to 3rd in the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship point standings, going around Larry Dixon by four points on the strength of her three qualifying bonus points and the points allocated for the No. 1 qualifier.

Brittany Force lands No. 1 Qualifying Position

Force’s run was the strongest of a session that saw most of the Top Fuel dragsters struggle with the cold conditions. With a short field in Top Fuel of only fourteen race cars, Brittany Force will face No. 14 qualifier Dave Connolly in the first round. The winner of that 1st round pairing will receive a bye into the semi-finals.

“It is definitely tough going into tomorrow with only one run under our belt. It is not just our team but everyone out here. Everyone will battle that. Like Robert said we would like to have more runs but these are the conditions we all had to work with. We put down an awesome run in this Monster Top Fuel dragster,” said Force, who has raced to three semi-final finishes in the last four races. “We drove right through the shake zone and put an awesome number up on the scoreboard. We set a new career best record which we broke from our time and speed here last year. We like Reading and we went all the way to the final last year. We are hoping to take it all the way this weekend.”

The Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster launched hard off the starting line and flew right down the middle of the lane, running a 3.725-second pass at 331.53 mph. It was the smoothest run of the session and at the top end Force knew she had made a solid pass.

“I could tell that run was a good one because it just felt fast. Sometimes you know it is on a killer run. That run it just felt fast and clean. I knew it was a good one but my radio came unhooked so I was trying to talk with my guys to see what it ran,” said Force. “I didn’t know what it ran until I hoped out at the top end. Everyone was cheering when we rolled up so I knew it was something good.”

Brittany Force is 2-1 against Dave Connolly with her two wins coming in first round match-ups this season. Most recently Force dropped a semi-final race to Connolly last weekend in St. Louis. She hopes to vindicate that loss, by taking the win against Connolly to put her in the semifinal.

DeJoria Breast Cancer Awareness livery

October 3, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Its been a dismal, cold, soggy weekend so far at the 31^st annual NHRA Keystone Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, but Alexis DeJoria’s new Breast Cancer Awareness livery was hot enough to light up the pits in Reading, PA. The NHRA Funny Car driver unveiled her new #FightLikeAGirl hot pink Patrón XO Cafe Incendio Toyota Camry livery today during a brief dry moment, the only racing action of the wet weekend so far.

Alexis DeJoria Breast Cancer Awareness Funny Car livery

DeJoria’s hot pink livery will be run all month long in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In conjunction, her Free Mammograms for the Fans program will give fans the opportunity to take part in free screenings to detect problems early.

“October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and we got to debut our bright pink Toyota Camry today during the first round of qualifying. We’re going to be running this pink scheme at the Dallas and Las Vegas October events as well. I’m looking forward to blinding all of my competitors!” joked DeJoria of her neon pink Camry and matching pink parachutes.

The rain and cold weather at the Maple Grove track this weekend made Saturday’s qualifying attempt the only action of the weekend thus far. Teams struggled to make it down the track, and Alexis was only able to post a 13.036 second pass at 76.76 mph for the No. 14 qualifying position. If the weather cooperates tomorrow, she will face No. 3 qualifier, Jack Beckman, in the opening round of eliminations.

ESPN will air today’s qualifying rounds and Alexis’ hot pink Funny Car tomorrow morning, October 4 6:00 a.m. – 7:30 a.m. EST (ESPN2)

Free Mammograms for the Fans

September 28, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

While many professional athletes celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness month by wearing pink uniforms or using other pink-ribbon awareness, NHRA Funny Car racer Alexis DeJoria goes above and beyond to fight the disease. Her “Free Mammograms for the Fans” program returns for the third year, allowing female race fans the opportunity to receive a free mammogram in the mobile mammovan while attending the NHRA race.

Alexis DeJoria Racing partners again with the Nevada Health Centers (NVHC) to offer any female ticketholder over the age of 40 attending the NHRA Toyota Nationals event in Las Vegas (Oct 30-31), a free mammogram, regardless of health insurance status. In addition, she has partnered with Baylor Health Care Systems (BHCS) for a similar program at the AAA NHRA FallNationals in suburban Dallas (Oct 16-17).

“With the success of ‘Free Mammograms for the Fans’ the last two years, we decided to expand the program to include the Dallas race, which now falls during National Breast Cancer Awareness month in October,” said DeJoria, an Austin resident who will proudly sport a hot pink Patrόn XO Cafe Incendio Toyota Camry Funny Carthroughout October in NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series competition.

Alexis DeJoria has been raising funds for the cause with the sale of special “Fight Like a Girl” bracelets, with 100% of the proceeds going to the “Free Mammograms for the Fans” program. The addition of presenting sponsors Patrón Spirits Company and Toyota assisted the program’s growth to Dallas and the Texas Motorplex.

“I really want to thank the Patrón Spirits Company and Toyota for their support, as well as Kalitta Motorsports, everyone who bought items on our eBay fundraising page, purchased our pink Fight Like a Girl bracelets and made donations,” said DeJoria, who has qualified for the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs. “It all goes toward this very wonderful life-saving cause and we would not be able to provide this service to our fans without their support.”

Those wanting to get screened at the race do not need an appointment or referral. Although health insurance is not required, those who are insured should bring their insurance information to the race. Test results will be sent via mail approximately ten days following the event.

“Toyota is extremely supportive of everything that each of our teams does to help promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we are excited that working extensively with Alexis DeJoria Racing on their ‘Free Mammograms for the Fans’ program has afforded us the opportunity to make an additional impact,” said Ed Laukes, Vice President marketing, performance and guest experience for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. “If we are able to save the life of so much as one mother, daughter, sister, wife or friend, it will be well worth our additional investment in our partners at DeJoria. It truly is rewarding to be able to assist one of our race teams on a program that is so meaningful to so many people.”

For more information, please visit www.alexisdejoria.com.

Enders just misses 4th consecutive victory

September 28, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Elite Motorsports driver and current NHRA Pro Stock points leader Erica Enders just misses 4th consecutive victory with a runner-up finish at the 4th Annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals on Sunday at Gateway Motorsports Park.

After qualifying in the No. 3 spot, Enders continues to prove unstoppable at the tree, with another stellar driving display in St. Louis. Last week, she became the first driver in NHRA history to win three consecutive finals on holeshots when she won in Charlotte, and looked to be on track to extend that historic marker this weekend, leaving first on all her opponents, including reaction times of .002, .002, and .003 in her last three rounds.

“I’m super comfortable in the car,” Enders said. “I know what I’m capable of, I know what my guys are capable of, and that gives me peace of mind. I’m able to go out there and do my job. We’re going to leave with our heads held high, go to Reading, and try to continue to spread the points on those KB boys.”

Enders began her day by blitzing Alex Laughlin with a pass of 6.586 seconds at 210.87 mph, to his losing 6.819 second at 200.23 mph run. Crew chiefs Rick and Rickie Jones and Mark Ingersoll made improvements on her Transportation Impact Camaro for her second round matchup against Elite teammate Vincent Nobile. Enders left with a .002 light advantage and made a pass of 6.620 seconds at 211.66 mph to get the win over Nobile, who ran a 6.561 second at 210.31 mph E.T.

Another incredible .002 light gave Enders a holeshot on semifinal opponent Bo Butner, who made the quicker pass, a 6.520 at 212.43 mph, but Enders’ 6.524-second pass at 212.06 mph was enough to hold him off and put her in the final round.

Enders just misses 4th consecutive victory

In the final, Enders again had an unbelieveable .003 light, but her car went into uncharacteristic tire shake. All she could do was abort the run and watch teammate Drew Skillman get his first career victory with a pass of 6.529 at 211.63 mph.

“Of course we want to win, but today was Drew’s day,” Enders said. “It was just meant to be for him. If I have to lose, I’m glad it’s to my teammate, so we’re still able to share the winner’s circle under the Elite Motorsports banner.”

By racing to the final round, Enders extended her points lead to 113 over KB Racing driver Greg Anderson, who lost in the second round.

“It was a great points day,” Enders said. “The competitor side of us allows us to be frustrated when we don’t win, but we’ll go back and go through our notes, and one of us will stay and test tomorrow. It’s a great day. A.J. helped us a lot by beating Greg second round, and I was able to put another 40-point spread on him. That’s all that matters. We’ve got to keep pace. I really wanted to win four in a row and have eight for the season and have those records, but God has a bigger plan, and I’m OK with that. We’ve got our eye on the big prize.”

Second round loss for Alexis Dejoria

September 28, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

NHRA’s Alexis DeJoria, driver of the Patrón XO Café Incendio Toyota Camry Funny Car, struggled in qualifying for the second consecutive weekend at the 4th Annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis, MO. She was able to regroup and recover on eliminations day, but bowed out in the second round

Lackluster Qualifying Position

After a 4.073 run in her second qualifying attempt, Alexis DeJoria was unable to make her way cleanly down the track in qualifying. That 4.073 second pass was good enough at the time for the sixth provisional spot, but was bumped back into the 12th position before racing began on Sunday.

Second round loss for Alexis DeJoria

Her first round match up would be against Tommy Johnson Jr., who had eliminated her just one week prior in Charlotte. DeJoria was ready for a chance to return the favor, and the pair left together at the tree. She would charge ahead by the finish line, running her first three second pass on the weekend and defeating Tommy Johnson Jr, 3.966 second E.T at 292.77 mph to his losing 4.332 second E.T. at 211.49 mph.

In the second round she would face Ron Capps. Although she posted another consistent light, traction issues returned and the Patrón XO Café Incendio Toyota Camry Funny Car fell to tire smoke before half-track against Ron Capps, resulting in a second round loss for Alexis DeJoria.

“Very much like our last weekend in Charlotte, we did not qualify the best but we got in the show and that is all that matters,” said DeJoria. “In the first round, we ran our best time of the entire weekend and won the round. We went into the second round and shook the tires. I still feel like we can do something in these last few races. We are just trying to find that consistency. I have to just keep sticking to my guns and work on my part and hope the best. I have the upmost faith in my team and I know we will have something for them in Reading.”

Alexis entered the weekend 7th in points for the Countdown to the Championship. She leaves the event in the same position, 204 points outside of the leader, teammate Del Worsham (unofficial results).

Brittany Force throws the first pitch

September 25, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Brittany Force throws the first pitch at St. Louis Cardinals home game

Brittany Force throws first pitch — NHRA fuel dragster driver Brittany Force throws the first pitch at the St. Louis Cardinals game, September 24, 2015 Photos by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

Thursday evening, NHRA Top Fuel driver Brittany Force took the mound at Busch Stadium for the ceremonial first pitch before the Cardinals defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 7-3. Beforehand, Brittany Force, the 2013 NHRA Rookie of the Year, was nervous but excited.

“I was nervous about it all day and really have been nervous since we decided to do it. I had a bad experience throwing out the first pitch once before. I told myself I would never do that again. I decided to give it another try at the Cardinals game. We had a busy day before the pitch with a press conference and media interviews,” said Force. “We actually got down on the field for a few minutes and then we had some time to wait. I asked the Cardinals staff if there was a place I could practice. I just wanted to calm my nerves. I went into the hallway and practiced throwing a few pitches with Marc Gewertz who is one of the National Dragster photographers. I am so glad he helped me out. It calmed me down and he gave me some good pointers.”

As Force took the field she thought about how her racing career played a major role in not just affording her this opportunity but also putting her in position to make a solid pitch.Waving to the crowd, five-time Top Fuel finalist Brittany Force throws the first pitch – a nice straight pitch right to catcher Travis Tartamella a recent call up by the Cardinals.

“I think the biggest cross-over from racing to baseball was the importance of practice. I get in my race car for about ten minutes before we run and I just go over my routine. Going through the motions just makes me more comfortable. That is the same process I did for the game last night,” said Force. “Everyone with the Cardinals was so nice. Will Patterson from the Cardinals let me get down on the field earlier in the day. He said the Cardinal fans would be awesome and he was right. Some time you climb in your race car whether it is first round or final round and there are some runs you are so nervous but I just tell myself it will be over in four seconds. You just have to do the best job that you can. The pitch turned out really well.”

Erica Enders lands new long-term sponsor

September 22, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Enders signs sponsorship with Transportation Impact

She kicked off the Countdown to the Championship with a convincing victory at the NHRA Carolina Nationals, but reigning Pro Stock world champion and points leader Erica Enders and her Elite Motorsports race team weren’t done working. They continued their good fortune into weekday meetings, where they have just announced a major associate sponsorship deal with Transportation Impact.

The privately-held logistics company specializes in helping some of the largest companies in the world drastically reduce their shipping costs. Transportation Impact, an Inc. 5000 company based in North Carolina, was founded in 2008 by Keith Byrd and Travis Burt and has quickly earned a reputation as one of the top small-package negotiation and parcel-auditing firms in the shipping industry.

“We are excited to team up with Erica and the Elite Motorsports team,” Transportation Impact Co-Founder Travis Burt said. “Both our team and theirs have a championship mentality. We both work hard each day to be better than we were yesterday, and we at Transportation Impact have little doubt that this partnership will help both sides reach new heights.”

Elite Motorsports owner Richard Freeman, who spearheaded Enders’ ascension to becoming the first female champion in Pro Stock history, is thrilled to sign a long-term deal with Transportation Impact that he believes will help his team achieve its future objectives.

“I’m humbled and grateful that everyone at Transportation Impact thought enough of what we’re doing to come on board and give us some tremendous support,” Freeman said. “Since Erica joined us a year and a half ago, we’ve won the championship, we’ve won 13 national events, including the last three in a row, been No. 1 qualifier 11 times, and put up an 89-28 race day record. That’s better than anyone in the sport and we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished. At the same time, we feel like we want to do so much more, and having companies like Transportation Impact lend support will help us reach all of our long-range goals. We are firing this deal up right now so they can ride with us to what we hope will be a successful championship defense.”

Enders admits she’s riding along on a euphoric high at the moment, and having a new sponsor recognize the team’s potential adds a lot to her current situation, on many levels.

“It’s been an incredible month and having Transportation Impact come on board today just makes it that much better,” she said. “We scored a really big win in Brainerd (Minn.), and that kind of set up this run we’re on. Then we get to Indy, the biggest race in our sport, and we get another win that ties me with my No. 1 idol, Shirley Muldowney, with 18 career wins. Now we come to North Carolina and get another win to kick off the playoffs and sign an incredible new marketing partner. I need to pinch myself. I’m so blessed to be driving this car and to have such an awesome group of people behind me making it happen, and that now includes everyone at Transportation Impact. We spent some time at their facility, and I told everyone we met we’re going to do everything we can to get them a championship this year.”

With new partner Transportation Impact along, Erica and the Elite team head to the next stop in the playoff series, the 4th Annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals held at Gateway Motorsports Park outside of St. Louis, MO, Sept. 25-27.

Record-breaking weekend for Enders

September 21, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

NHRA defending Pro Stock champion Erica Enders added another national event victory to her resume this weekend during the 8th Annual NHRA Carolina Nationals, her first win at the Charlotte, NC area zMax Dragway facility. The win captured several historical milestones for the current points leader, and keeps her a front-runner for the Countdown to the Championship.

Enders began the weekend with consistent qualifying efforts, landing the No. 3 spot for Sunday’s eliminations with a best pass of 6.536 seconds at 211.83 mph. She would take on V. Gaines in the opening round, taking the early lead off the starting line and never looking back, with a 6.565 second pass at 211.10 mph to defeat Gaines 6.645 at 209.33 mph.

In round 2, Enders would dispatch Chris McGaha with the fastest pass of the round – a 6.588 at 210.11 mph, taking the advantage at the tree yet again. Though McGaha would run the second-fastest time of the round- a 6.620 at 210.18 mph, it wasn’t enough to catch Enders. She would earn lane choice into round 3. However, something went amiss on the Elite Motorsport Chevrolet Camaro during the run, and the team returned to the pits, thrashing to prepare for their semifinal match-up with veteran racer Allen Johnson.

“In the second round we had an issue with our clutch and were able to barely make it up for the semifinals against (Allen Johnson),” Enders said.

The team got her to the line for the semifinals, and Erica’s uncharacteristic 0.031 second reaction time left her chasing Johnson, who posted a 0.010 second reaction. She chased him down to the finish line, running a 6.586 second at 210.31 mph pass to his losing 6.611 at 209.59 mph, passing him by just 18 inches at the stripe. The margin of victory was 0.0048 seconds, but it was just enough to land Enders in her third consecutive final, where she would face Vincent Nobile.

It’s just a confidence booster in getting in the race car up there when my crew chief (Rick Jones) said, ‘Hey, look up in the right corner of your windshield. What does that say? It says No. 1. There is a reason for that.’ Just having them stand behind me even when I might not be there mentally that day it pumps me up. They are there for me. My guys are who make me a better driver.”

Enders would take the hole-shot win against Nobile in the final, running a slower 6.581 second, 210.97 mph to his losing 6.575 sec at 211.13 mph performance.

That is pretty neat,” Enders said of winning in Charlotte. “Back when I drove for Cagnazzi (Racing), this was one of the facilities that they had never won at. It was obviously a goal of ours. Coming in this weekend, I had runner-upped three or four different times here, a couple at the Four-Wide Nationals and one at the regular race. This was actually the place where the win lights malfunctioned and we thought we got our first win against Greg Anderson, but then they were like, ‘Sike, you don’t get it,’ and took the trophy over to him.”

History for Enders in Charlotte

Not only did she land her first win at the zMax Dragway facility, but she crossed off quite a few more milestones in the process. The win marked the third straight victory for Enders, the second hole-shot victory in a row, and ties marks set by Sampey (2002) and Muldowney (1977) for the most consecutive wins by a female racer. In addition, her class-leading seventh victory of the season ties Sampey’s 2001 season effort for the most female racer wins in one season. It also marked her 19th-career professional win in Pro Stock, a feat by which she passes Shirley Muldowney on the all-time female racer win list for the No. 2 position. She trails only Angelle Sampey (41 wins) for the winning-est female racer in drag racing history.

It’s a true blessing, and to be able to pass Shirley — it was crazy in Indy to tie her. Angelle is a friend of mine, lives about 20 minutes from my house (in New Orleans). She is by far the winning-est female in NHRA drag racing, so it’s definitely cool to put my name alongside of theirs, a true honor.”

Enders, who entered the countdown as the No. 1 seed, retains the No. 1 position and increases her lead in the Countdown to the Championship by 83 points going into race No. 2.

Yeah, it’s pretty incredible,” Enders said. “My PR guy was telling me some stats on the way down the hallway and that is pretty surreal. I feel like I’m in a dream. I just don’t know what I’ve done to deserve such a great group of guys and to work for such an awesome team owner. We have fun together and that is what makes it so cool. We are able to be successful and have fun. Nobody said that you had to be miserable while you are doing it.”

The Elite Motorsports team packs up and heads to the next stop on the Countdown tour, the 4th Annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals held at Gateway Motorsports Park outside of St. Louis, MO, Sept. 25-27.

Featured Racer: Ashley Strickland

September 4, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Dials, Digs and Dresses- Ashley Strickland, the 23-year old drag racer, former collegiate volleyball player and pageant queen from Concord, NC shows her diversity and success in a unique blend of experiences.

Family Racing Roots

As a small child, Ashley Strickland routinely frequented the local racing circuits with her father, an avid bracket racer who competed in the non-electronics classes. She remembers vividly her father’s Lenco-equipped Dodge Daytona, which he raced consistently throughout her childhood, upgrading to a short-wheelbased Anglia. Watching her father’s racing adventures, she was eager to enter the junior dragster ranks, begging her parents to allow her to compete in the Junior Drag Racing leagues.

During Christmas when I was seven years old, Santa Claus brought me my first junior dragster! I made my first pass when I was 8 years old, and started running regularly when I was the age of 10.”

With the help of her dad, she campaigned in the Junior Dragster series for several years before moving up into “big cars” of the Top Eliminator class in 2007 at the age of 15. She entered in a few bracket races at non-sanctioned tracks that would allow her to drive under the age of 16, and did some grudge racing on the east coast. Once her sixteenth birthday arrived, she was a staple in the highly competitive IHRA Top Eliminator Class, winning three races, two runner-up finishes and several semi-final showings in her first year in the class.

Her younger brother, who makes up the other half of her Strickland Racing team, joined in the Junior Ranks as well, and the pair have benefitted from lots of coaching from Dad, who sold his racecar to focus on his children’s racing careers.

My dad has constantly given me driving lessons over the years. I have gotten endless speeches about what to do and what not to do in any given situation. I have always tried to hold an open mind and learn as much as I possibly can.”

Volleyball Scholarship puts racing on hold

The young teenager balanced her high school workload, a part time job, school athletics career, and racing with precision and determination. But her busy schedule would come to a cross road nearing her graduation, and important decisions had to be made. Ashley accepted a volleyball scholarship at Averett University in Danville, Virginia.

When I was traveling and visiting colleges, I never knew about college sports being year-round… I had always drag raced in addition to playing volleyball, and decided to hang up my drag racing for the most part as I played volleyball in college. I moved to a different state and focused on my new passion of volleyball at the time.”

This put racing on the backburner while she attended college and focused on her volleyball schedule. When her schedule allowed, she would return home to race from the end of April until the first of August. Just in this limited schedule run, Ashley won two races and made several semi-final appearances in regional races around the North Carolina area. Despite the limited schedule, Ashley still finished in the top 15 of the area’s series championship points standings.

Trading in her helmet for a tiara

While in her freshman year of college, a flyer would catch Ashley’s eye while studying for her finals. The local Miss Danville-Pittsylvania County pageant was looking for contestants, and on a whim, Ashley decided to enter. She paid her $50 entry fee, wearing one of her high school prom dresses and recruiting the help of a family friend to do her hair.

My mom, Mrs. Tammy, and my brother and I traveled up to Virginia, where I went to college, and stayed in the dorm rooms while I competed in the pageant. I knew I wouldn’t win. I had no talent, didn’t go to the gym and workout a day in my life (for the swimsuit category), and had no idea how to walk in heels and a bathing suit on stage in public. I actually “youtubed” how to accurately walk in heels and do a “pageant bikini walk”, and other pageant items.”

But winning is exactly what Ashley ended up doing, taking the overall pageant win as well as the swimsuit and interview portions of the competition. She was named “Miss Danville-Pittsylvania County”, and then went on to compete for the title of Miss Virginia, for the chance to represent the state in the national “Miss America” pageant.

She has competed in a few more competitions since, recently winning the title of The Southeast Thresher’s Queen in June, representing the Southeast’s largest Antique Farm and Tractor event in the annual Independence Day celebration. Her experiences in the seemingly polar-opposite worlds of drag racing and pageantry proved to be very complimentary, as Ashley recounts that the quick-thinking interview portion of pageants were not unlike the quick reaction and lighting sharp reflexes and thinking needed in drag racing, helping her keep cool under pressure.

During the interview portion, you have to be able to think quickly. Drag racing gave me the ability to think quick and act in an appropriate manner in order to answer all questions that were given to me, not just skirt around an answer. Though drag racing definitely did not help the part of walking in heels, I would not have been as well-rounded in the pageant world if it were not for my drag racing background.”

Returning to her love of racing

In 2012, Ashley would return home, transferring to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She would also return to her first love of drag racing, running the full schedule in 2012. She won five races, had six final round appearances, and numerous semi-final finishes. She placed in the top eight at her local IHRA track, was crowned the NHRA 2012 zMAX NHRA Track Champion, and earned a spot in the NHRA Division 2 Race of Champions in her first year competing in the NHRA. Just one thousandths of a second separated her from being named the NHRA Division 2 Super Pro Champion at her first Race of Champions appearance.

In 2013, Ashley would again land in the top 10 in IHRA Track Championship points for the season, as well as a Top 10 finish in the IHRA finals. She would move onto running Super Comp in IHRA in 2014,capture two semi-final appearances in same weekend (21 rounds of eliminations won in two days), a NHRA LODRS Division 2 appearance as well as an NHRA national event appearance in Atlanta, also finishing in the top 10 for Rockngham Dragways yearly points championship.

Ashley recently graduated from UNCC, earning her degree in Psychology, and a double minor in Biology and Women’s and Gender Studies. She works as an Account Executive at ESPN Radio in Charlotte, and coaches Volleyball in her off-time.

I still coach, and coach on the national level. Coaching allows me to still be involved in the sport, yet give me the ability to affect young girls lives and support them in ways that I wished I had received while I was playing in college. “

Racing on

Her 14 year racing career continues to thrive as well, racing her Race Tech dragster, powered by a NASCAR Dodge R5 engine every opportunity she has.

Recently, we have teamed up with Joey Arrington at Race Engines Plus for our engine design and combination. Noah and I both run a R5 NASCAR engine that is designed and built by MOPAR. It is a street legal, and NASCAR legal engine that we have put into our drag cars. It is a high-winding RPM engine that is tons of fun to drive. “

Like many racers, she feels the most difficult part of the sport lies in finding the funds to compete. Ashley has worked hard with her family to put together a team able to be competitive an offer value. Her partnerships with companies like Speedwire which helped with electronics, AED with the engine carburetor that has allowed her consistency, and many other people along the way have been instrumental to her success staying on the track.

My parents help tremendously with our racing operation. …Without money, cars would not be able to be at their best, nor would drivers be able to attend the races. As a recent college graduate, I have struggled with finances as I have been on my parent’s skirt-tail for the past several years. Now with it time to be on my own, it is a struggle.”

She has had a plethora of positive experiences in the drag racing world, but added that there are a few incidents where being a female in the male-dominated sport of drag racing have resulted in some less than sportsmanlike comments from her competitors. She shakes them off quickly.

It is a given that men do not like to be beat by a girl. …I believe anytime someone is a minority, there will be criticism. In my experience, I have always tried to take criticism and learn from it. If it is negative, I try to make it a better driver and a stronger person in general.”

She credits her parents for raising her to be a strong woman and have a strong mind-set that is able to overcome adversity and succeed in high-pressure environments. She enjoys meeting young kids who look up to her for driving a racecar, and enjoys sharing her story in hopes that it may inspire some to live their dream regardless of obstacles they may encounter. Ashley offers this advice for young, up and comers:

As a female driver, I think that it is very important that you know who you are in order to experience success. By knowing yourself, you will be able to drive better and be an all around better driver. Furthermore, learn your car. Do not rely on other people to do everything for you. Be able to diagnose problems if something were to arise with the car. Pay attention to what your car does in different situations and how your car acts at various tracks. All of this is very important when it comes to being a successful driver. “

In the future, Ashley aspires to make racing a full-time profession, adding that Top Fuel would be her ultimate dream. While she says that it may not be always a realistic goal for her personally, she would love the opportunity if it presented itself.

It seems like such an incredible rush, and it would give me the opportunity to see the country in addition to meeting endless people. I love to meet new people everywhere I go, and I feel like I have a diverse background so I am able to relate to all kinds of people, no matter age or gender.”

For now, she says that she will continue racing, and plans to do so for many years to come.

Racing is in my blood, and it is impossible to keep a true racer away from the track. I am looking forward to running a variety of races, but always excited to be on the track no matter where it is!”

Horsepower & Heels wishes you the best of luck, Ashley Strickland!