NHRA Archives – Page 4 of 17 – Horsepower & Heels

Courtney Force teams with Advance Auto for 2017

December 14, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

NHRA Funny Car driver Courtney Force teams with Advance Auto for 2017 season, unveils new black and red Advance Auto livery.

John Force Racing and Advance Auto Parts, a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider in North America, serving both professional installer and do-it-yourself customers, announced major primary sponsorship of Courtney Force’s Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for the 2017 season. This multi-year sponsorship will begin with the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season opener, the Circle K NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, California, and cover the winningest female Funny Car driver in NHRA history throughout the season.

“I am thrilled to be driving the Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car starting in 2017. Last season, we made some big strides toward our first championship and I am very confident in my team led by my crew chiefs, Dan Hood and Ronnie Thompson, and that next season can be even better. I love the look of this red, yellow and black Camaro and I can’t wait to get it into the winner’s circle,” said Courtney Force.

Last year, Advance Auto Parts made a series of limited appearances onboard John Force’s PEAK Camaro Funny Car at select events, including a trip to the winner’s circle at the NHRA Carolina Nationals to start the 2016 Countdown. The relationship has expanded to encompass Courtney Force’s Funny Car team through this multi-year sponsorship.

“This is a real business-to-business deal for John Force Racing. We expanded our relationship with PEAK at the beginning of last season and we ran the Advance Auto Parts Funny Car a couple times,” said John Force, JFR CEO and 16-time Funny Car champion. “The opportunity came to grow the deal and they were interested in Courtney so it was a perfect match. We are excited to work with Sponsorship Integrated Manager Matt Davis and his team at Advance to help them grow their business across all their stores. I have done shows with Advance Auto Parts in the past and am looking forward to working with them again.”

Advance Auto Parts has been actively involved in motorsports through the NHRA, NASCAR and other motorsports series important to its customers.

“We are proud to be partnering with Courtney Force and the John Force Racing team for the 2017 season and beyond,” said Walter Scott, Chief Marketing Officer for Advance Auto Parts. “After working with John and the team last year through our partnership with PEAK, we got to know Courtney and felt she would be a great ambassador for our company. Our team members and customers love NHRA drag racing and we can’t wait to see the Advance Auto Parts Funny Car on the track in 2017.”

Megan Meyer Rookie Year-End Recap

November 26, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Determination Unmatched.

For most, a rookie season is a year filled with learning experiences and getting comfortable in a new class and racing environment. But not for NHRA Top Alcohol driver, Megan Meyer – who set her eyes on the goal of a championship in her first year. The young protege daughter of TAD racing dynasty Randy Meyer Racing, Megan began her first full season behind the wheel of the Racer’s Evolved A/Fuel Dragster in March, catapulting herself to a spectacular rookie season filled with plenty of exciting achievements.

Megan Meyer Rookie Year-End Recap

Megan’s season began with the debut of beautiful new Racer’s Evolved livery at the 47th Annual NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida. She quickly took to the top of qualifying, before being bumped by Mia Tedesco into the #2 position. Megan would soldier through the field, making it all the way to the final round at her first national event in the class. Though she wasn’t able to score the win light, her runner up finish was a strong start to her rookie season. She also picked up the Best Appearing Car award for the event.

Her luck would continue into her second appearance, at the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series (LODRS) Division 4 South Central Region “Nitro on the Bayou” season opening event. Her first time to race at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, LA; she got off to a slow start learning the new track surface and qualified in the No. 7 position. But she learned quickly, and was able to navigate her Racer’s Evolved A/Fuel Dragster to another final round, finishing as runner up yet again – her second straight final round appearance and second runner-up of the year.

The rookie hot streak Megan was riding continued into the 7th Annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, NC. Qualifying again in the No. 2 position, she would march onto her third consecutive final, this time earning her first Wally after an emotional win. She also picked up another special Wally award that morning – the second for Best Appearing Crew honors that weekend.

A semi-final finish at the 29th Annual NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston suburb of Baytown, TX was her first time outside the final round for the season, but did nothing to slow Megan’s determination. She held strong at the No. 2 position in the national points chase entering her hometown event at Heartland Park Topeka.

The 28th Annual NHRA Kansas Nationals marked the first time father-daughter would compete alongside one another, and although the team had their hands full fielding two cars, they kept their stride all weekend. Megan grabbed her first career No. 1 qualifying position, and advance to yet another final round, where she earned her third runner up and fourth final round appearance of the season.

Up next, the rookie would take on NHRA’s LODRS South Central Division at Osage Casino Tulsa Raceway Park. Megan qualified No 5. At the event, taking the win first round before falling in round 2. The Racer’s Evolved A/Fuel dragster earned the Best Engineered Car award for the event.

Mechanical issues at the 10th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, OH would present the first major challenge of her highly successful rookie season. The throttle would stick on her A/Fuel Dragster, causing extensive engine damage. The team would scramble to get her back-up engine put in the car, and ended up with a No. 4 qualifying attempt. She would get by in round 1, but would suffer her first holeshot upset in Round 2 of eliminations.

But Megan and her Randy Meyer Racing team rebounded quickly, with a fifth final appearance and runner up finish at the Route 66 Nationals event. She would hold strong to her No. 2 position in the points standing.

Shifting gears from rookie to mentor, Megan then was able to welcome her sister, Rachel’s Top Alcohol Dragster debut for their hometown regional LODRS event at Heartland Park Topeka – their first time competing together in Top Alcohol Dragster. Both ladies qualified well, with Rachel taking the No. 1 qualified position at her debut event, and Megan taking the No 3 position. But both ladies made early exits in the first round after encountering tire shake. This marked Megan’s first time losing in the opening round of eliminations all season.

Megan and Rachel again teamed up for the NHRA LODRS North Central Division event in St. Louis. This time, they swapped qualifying performances, with Megan taking the No. 1 position and Rachel coming in at No. 3. Both ladies took turns resetting the track record for the Top Alcohol Dragster class, and along with Mia Tedesco, the ladies held the top three qualified positions, as well as commanding eliminations. Megan and Mia would battle it out in an all-female final round, with Megan ending up with the runner-up finish. Megan recorded her second career No. 1 qualifier, her fifth final round appearance and fourth runner-up of the season.

The marathon stretch for Megan and the rest of the Randy Meyer Racing team continued onto Brainerd, MN for the 35th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. There, Meyer would again capture her third No. 1 qualifier of the season. She would run a new career best in round 1 and round 2 of eliminations with a 5.178 second, 278 mph performance. This bested Mia Tedesco’s previous record of the quickest female in the sportsman contingent. She exited in the semi finals after massive tire shake, which would be the catalyst that set off a mechanical downturn that left the Randy Meyer Racing team struggling with performance issues for several races.

The excitement and marathon of activities surrounding the Big GO – NHRA’s hallowed 62nd annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals event in Indianapolis, IN can be overwhelming and grueling on even the most seasoned racers. With a full schedule of media appearances and the week-long racing schedule of NHRA’s most prestigious event, Megan had her eyes on adding a coveted Indy win to her rookie season. She qualified right in the middle of the pack at the No. 7 position. But first round exit for Meyer put a damper on the weekend.

“We were all disappointed to go out in the first round of the U.S. Nationals. There was a tremendous amount of tough competition at the event, and unfortunately we couldn’t get a lucky break to get the win.”

Recouped from the grueling 5 week tour on the road, the 9th Annual NHRA Carolina Nationals gave Megan a chance to return to the site of her first victory, hoping for a repeat trip to the winner’s circle. She qualified strong, at the No. 3 position, and would take the win in round one, but would fall in the second round.

But it was the final race of the season that left the young rookie heartbroken. The 31st Annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals was the last chance for Megan to push her Racer’s Evolved A/F Dragster into the winner’s circle, and a critical race in holding her position in points standings. But it wasn’t meant to be, as Megan experienced the heartbreak of a DNF – failing to qualify for the event and being forced to the sidelines. This unfortunate incident ended up pushing her back to the #4 finish nationally and the #2 position regionally.

“Looking back at the successful year that we had, it was very heartbreaking for all of us to end our season by not qualifying for our last race of the year. Dallas was one of the races that I really wanted to win, and I knew that we had the race car that could compete in the quickest field of Top Alcohol Dragster, but we just could not repeat the same numbers as earlier this year. We believe that we have lost power due to a number of things that we cannot control throughout the year. These race cars go through tremendous tire smoke and shake that can really wear out parts fast, and forcing them to constantly run in the 5.20’s can do a lot of damage. I think our tires, clutch, motors, and the car have all experienced a lot this year, and it’s time that we refresh everything.”

“I am very hungry for another win, and I was a little disappointed that I made it to 6 final rounds this year but only came out on top once. I have an amazing and talented group of guys that work with us all year long, and with new sponsorship coming next year, as well as my sister coming on board as a full-time driver, we will be stronger than ever.”

Meyer is currently nominated for the honors of Division 5 Pro-Sportsman Driver of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and the Randy Meyer Racing team collectively up for Tuner of the Year. Each is a fan vote based award. Fans can place their votes at: https://form.jotform.com/52785826085972. Voting ends Dec 2nd.

2017 and Beyond

Though she has aspirations for a professional career in Top Fuel, Megan Meyer says for now, she has unfinished business in the Top Alcohol Dragster class, and intends to compete for the championship again in 2017. Proudly wearing the No. 4 designation on her dragster for the 2016, she has her eyes set on the championship in 2017 and is ready for the challenge of her sophomore season. Though her primary sponsor, Racer’s Evolved will not return in 2017, she is confident that a new partner will join the successful driver on her planned 17 race 2017 schedule. For now, the offseason gives the Randy Meyer Racing crew the opportunity to rebuild and renew equipment that saw plenty of action – and wear – over the course of their busy season. It also allows a very savvy and business minded Megan the chance to secure a new title sponsor to join along in the ride.

Rachel Meyer will join Megan on the tour full-time after her college graduation with a degree in Mechanical Engineer in May. The team will unveil a brand new dragster from Copeland Race Cars for Rachel’s 2017 debut at the NHRA Topeka Nationals.

Randy Meyer Racing will continue their “Rent-A-Ride” Program, welcoming rookie Justin Ashley (son of former Top Fuel and Funny Car driver Mike Ashley) to the team and allowing Megan to again step in as mentor for another young aspiring driver.

One thing is certain, the Meyer sisters and the rest of the Randy Meyer Racing team will be a formidable presence yet again in the Top Alcohol Dragster class. We wish them all the best of luck in 2017!

Meyer set for final Central region race

October 7, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Thunder in the Heartland | LODRS Central Region

NHRA Top Alcohol rookie Megan Meyer and her Randy Meyer Racing team are ready for Thunder in the Heartland, the final Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Central Region competition of the season. The event takes place this weekend at Thunder Valley Raceway in Noble, OK.

“This will be my first time racing at Thunder Valley, so I’m excited to add another drag strip on my list,” says Meyer. “There are 17 dragsters registered for this race, which is unheard of for a regional race but we are excited to give it our all to qualify good and take the win.”

The driver of the Racer’s Evolved A/Fuel Dragster has had quite a season in her first year in the class, currently holding onto second place in the points chase, and finishing as runner-up twice this season at the regional level.

“My father won this race for the first time last year, so it’s only fitting that I try my best to follow in his footsteps. Currently we are 2nd in points behind Gord Gingles, and we are going to try to get as many points this weekend to lock in our position. I’m extremely happy ending the season in second place, my goal for the year was to just be in the top 5 and we have done extremely well in my rookie year with two regional runner-up finishes. My dad and my guys have given me one of the best race cars in the nation and I couldn’t be happier and more excited to close out the season on a high note.”

The team ran into a slump mid-season during a tough 5-race tour, where performance gremlins kept them out of the winner’s circle. But they regrouped and came out strong in Charlotte, the last National series race, and are excited for their final regional race of the 2016 season.

“The forecast says it will be in the mid-70s all weekend long which is perfect weather for our cars, so we predict we will run some quick numbers. At our last race in Charlotte, we were able to attack our gremlin that has been messing with us and we had some promising results. Unfortunately we lost in the 2nd round, but we still made small improvements that we are happy with.”

The Lucas Oil Drag Racing Central Region event at Thunder Valley Raceway kicks off today with qualifying for TAD Friday and Saturday at 1pm and 4pm. Eliminations will take place Sunday, at 1pm and 3pm.

Current Points Standings in Top Alcohol Dragster | Central Region

(as of 9/30/16 -- from NHRA.com)

Gord Gingles 341
Megan Meyer 235
Dean Dubbin 170
Spencer Massey 149
Gary Cooper 128
James Stevens 107
Michael Manners 86
David Brounkowski 85
Rachel Meyer 75

New Driver Joins Randy Meyer Racing in Thunder Valley

Megan Meyer and the Randy Meyer Racing team will also welcome a new teammate at the Thunder Valley LODRS Central Region event. Chuck Grospitch, 25, from Olmsted Falls, OH earned his Top Alcohol Dragster license earlier this year.

A mechanic at Don Schumacher racing, Grospitch works professionally in the sport as a crew member, but a long time Bracket Racer and Super Comp driver, he is anxious to get a chance behind the driver’s seat this weekend alongside his new teammate, Megan Meyer with the Randy Meyer Racing team.

“I grew up bracket racing and progressed into Super Comp, before going to work for Pro teams,” says Grospitch. “ I love the thrill of turning the win light on and it’s always been a dream and a goal of mine to race Top Alcohol. I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to be apart of the RMR team. Randy runs a top notch operation and I’m looking forward to working with him and the Meyer family to start my career.”

Brittany Force finishes Runner Up at Maple Grove

October 3, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

For the second time in three years, NHRA Top Fuel driver Brittany Force finishes runner up at Maple Grove during the Dodge NHRA Nationals. She faced two-time world champion Antron Brown in a rematch of the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in what has been one of the closest final rounds so far in the Countdown as both dragsters ran identical elapsed times of 3.721 seconds. Force came up .003 of a second short to Brown after both drivers had nearly equal reaction times with Brown slightly edging Force, a three-time winner this season at the stripe.

“It was definitely a crazy challenging weekend. Everyone only got one qualifying pass, we blew up in the second round and that just makes it tough on everyone. I have a strong team behind me. They pulled through today and we made it to the finals. I have the greatest group of guys on this Monster Energy team. When I saw the time slip I couldn’t believe how close that race was,” said Force.

After qualifying in the No. 12 position, Brittany Force and the Monster Energy team would pick up her first career win over three-time world champion Larry Dixon in a very pivotal first round. It was a close race, with Force’s 3.728 second run prevailing over Dixon’s 3.760. Force got the win by a wing at the finish line. This was Force’s first win over Dixon in five previous races. Force ran the same elapsed time as her second round opponent Doug Kalitta, but he was awarded lane choice into round two based on the higher speed posted.

When Force pulled up beside Mac Tools teammate Doug Kalitta in the second round for her third consecutive semifinal appearance at the Dodge NHRA Nationals, Kalitta was already in motion when the tree dropped, earning a redlight disqualification and handing Force’s Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster the win. Force was so focused on her run that when her dragster shook she pedaled her race car leading to a massive motor explosion. It was a costly win for Force, but it moved her up to the No. 4 position in the Mello Yello point standings.

“When you are further down the track and you blow the tires off it is easier to handle. You know where you are at on the race track and you know what is happening. When it happens instantly it just rattles your head and it is just hard to focus on what is going on,” explained Force. “I didn’t notice that he red-lit beside me because I am trying to get this Monster Energy dragster to hook back up and get down the track. When I felt it blow up and there was nothing happening I saw him out the window and I thought he was going to get the win. At the same time I saw our win light and all that was happening in two seconds. There was a lot going on and that was a lot to wrap your head around. I wish I would have seen my win light sooner and maybe I wouldn’t have blown it up but hey it was a show for the fans watching on Fox.”

Brittany Force finishes Runner Up at Maple Grove — Photo: Gary Nastase

In the semifinals, Force was paired up with fellow Countdown competitor and No. 1 qualifier Leah Pritchett. Both drivers launched simultaneously, but Pritchett went up in smoke while Force made the strongest Top Fuel run of the semifinals. Force’s winning time of 3.731 seconds at 325.06 mph was the quickest and fastest of all four Top Fuel dragsters. The win set up a replay of the Brainerd Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals against Antron Brown where Force got her third win of the season.

“I was trying to do what I did first round and second round which was stay positive. I went up there thinking we are going to get this win. I said it with Dixon. I said it with Kalitta and I said it before the semifinal race. I used that positive energy to really drive myself. That is what I using to make sure I did my job every round today,” concluded Force.

This set the stage for one of the most exciting final rounds of the Countdown. Both Force and Brown left with nearly identical reaction times, running nearly identical E.T.’s at the finish line. But it was Brown who would take the win, by a mere 19 inches.

“This was still a great weekend for us. We would have obviously have liked to be in the winner’s circle but we still have a lot of positives. We moved from 5th to 3rd in the points. The tough part is we have to keep this momentum and keep moving up. The No. 4 and No. 5 drivers are right on our tail. We are going to have to stay on our game. Hopefully at the next race we will get all four of our qualifying passes and do exactly what we did this weekend to get the win,” added Force.

Meyer finishes 5 week tour

September 23, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Returning to the site of her first win in Top Alcohol Dragster, NHRA rookie standout Megan Meyer was ready to get back on top at the 9th Annual NHRA Carolina Nationals after a difficult 5-week race swing in her Racers Evolved A/Fuel Dragster.

This past weekend concluded our 5 week tour, from Brainerd to Charlotte. We struggled with some unexpected gremlins but we have made some necessary changes to get back to performing our best.”

The Randy Meyer Racing team has worked hard between the tough five-week swing to sort out the Racer’s Evolve Dragster. In the first round of qualifying, Meyers was up in smoke at the hit, aborting the run for a 14 second timeslip. Round 2, Meyer posted a 5.345 second, 275.17 mph performance, moving her up to the No. 9 position. In the third and final qualifying session, Megan Meyer was able to jump up the ladder with a 5.278 second, 277.49 mph pass which netted her the No. 3 final qualifying position for the event.

In eliminations, she faced Artie Allen in Round 1 of eliminations, taking an advantage at the tree with her 0.05 reaction and putting distance between them at every interval, with a 5.340 second, 278.69 mph performance.

Round two, she would face Shawn Cowie, but would not have lane choice. The first time these two competitors have met in competition, and Cowie would take a marginal lead at the tree. Meyer hazed the tires a bit, running an off-paced 5.433 second, 275.00 mph ET. Cowie would continue on for the eventual event win in Top Alcohol Dragster class for the NHRA Carolina Nationals.

We had 2 holes out at the hit, which slowed us down quite a bit.”

The Randy Meyer Racing team will next head to their final Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Regional event in Noble, OK at Thunder Valley Raceway Park October 7-9.

Holeshot win for Erica Enders in Seattle

August 9, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

When the pressure is on, champions rise to the occasion. A key holeshot win for Erica Enders in Seattle this weekend helped push the reigning NHRA Pro Stock World Champion into Countdown contention.

When Erica Enders and her Elite Motorsports/Mopar Dodge team needed to have a good performance in the opening round of the 29th annual Protect The Harvest.com NHRA Northwest Nationals presented by Lucas Oil on Sunday at Pacific Raceways, they got the job done.

Enders ripped off a .009-second reaction time against Alex Laughlin, winning a crucial round despite a slower elapsed time. And in beating Laughlin, who came into the race 10th in the points standings, Enders took over 10th, the final spot in the Countdown to the Championship.

“I said in my interview at the top end that it reminded me of the U.S. Nationals last year, racing Greg Anderson in the semifinals, where the winner of that round got to go into the Countdown in the No. 1 position,” Enders said. “If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times: Under pressure, we are awesome together.”

Enders’ pass was 6.581 seconds at 209.39 mph, but her .048-second advantage on the starting line was enough to hold off Laughlin’s 6.569 at 210.90 mph.

“My guys gave me a good race car,” Enders said. “It wasn’t a great run. We feel like we could have definitely gone a .56 out there first round, and it was important to put a little bit of a spread on Alex. It’s not a big spread, but we will take what we can get at this point.”

Enders now unofficially leads Laughlin by nine points with two races before the Countdown.

Enders had another excellent reaction time in the second round, .031, and was in front of No. 14 qualifier Aaron Strong before she had engine issues. Strong had beaten No. 3 qualifier Greg Anderson in the first round.

“We got a break with Greg going out first round,” Enders said. “Performance-wise, we had him covered a little bit and shoulda, coulda, woulda gone to the semifinals at least today. Jeggie (Coughlin Jr.) and I had a chance to meet up in the semifinals. He had Bo (Butner) covered three-hundredths on the Tree, I had Aaron covered five and a half and everything went away.”

Courtney Force injured in Seattle

August 8, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

NHRA Funny Car racer Courtney Force injured in Seattle after a racing incident in the first round of Sunday’s eliminations at Pacific Raceways. Force’s Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car made contact with the left guard wall.

Force exited the vehicle on her own power and was checked by NHRA emergency services personnel before heading to Valley Medical Center in Renton, Wash., where she was evaluated for head, neck, knee, elbow and shoulder injuries.

“I am beat up pretty good. My arm, my shoulder, and my right knee are banged up. I am really thankful that the second I got out of the race car there was already a Safety Safari person right there to help me get down. I couldn’t put any weight on my right knee. I want to say thanks to everyone that was at the track who helped me. I got right to the ER and the doctor checked me out. I am extremely relieved nothing is broken,” said Force.

Doctors released Force from the hospital Sunday evening, but expect her to be very sore following the accident. X-rays of her right knee, left elbow and left shoulder along with a CT scan of her head and cervical spine were negative. The tendon on the knee was intact but there was a contusion from contact with the steering wheel. Force will see a sports orthopedist in Lake Tahoe, Nev., where the family has a summer home for continued evaluation and to make sure there is not a partial tendon tear in the knee.

“I have to thank everyone at Simpson Racing and their Stilo helmet for protecting me. To hit a concrete guard wall and move it two feet and not break any bones is a testament to their equipment and NHRA safety requirements,” said Force.

Force will focus on her rehabilitation with the goal being to race at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minnesota in two weeks.

“I am going to see a physical therapist in Tahoe. Thankfully we have a weekend off. My goal is to get healed up as soon as possible. I want to say sorry to my team to have to witness that. We were planning on making a lot of changes to my car after this race and my dad joked that I gave them a head start,” explained Force. “I definitely feel bad we ruined the body and the chassis. Luckily we have some time and can get the car fixed up and my own body fixed up. I am looking forward to getting back as fast as I can. I want to thank all the fans for all their support.”

Force, the No. 3 qualifier, was racing Jeff Diehl in the first round when her Traxxas Funny Car smoked the tires. Force attempted to pedal her 10,000 hp race car before it made hard contact with the guard wall.

“I am really bummed out about the run. I am disappointed because I really wanted that win. I pedaled the car repeatedly hoping to just run him down but I got a little too aggressive. I think I hit the wall right where Ashley crashed a few years ago. I definitely have a love/hate relationship with this track since I have won here twice and have had two incidents but happy to be safe,” joked Force.

Papa John’s Pizza joined Leah Pritchett

August 8, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

The Top Fuel class just got a little more appetizing. National pizza franchise, Papa John’s Pizza joined Leah Pritchett and her Don Schumacher Racing Top Fuel dragster team at this weekend’s NHRA national event in Seattle, Wash. and will continue on with them on board at the upcoming race in Brainerd, Minn.

Papa John’s Pizza joined Leah Pritchett at the 29th Annual Protect the Harvest NHRA Nationals in Kent, Wash., ranked 10th in championship points in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. She won this year’s second event title near Phoenix. Pritchett would qualify in the No. 8 position for the event, pairing her first round against Morgan Lucas for Sunday’s opening round of eliminations.

Career-best E.T. leads to first round loss

Sunday morning’s routine for the popular 28-year-old driver from Redlands, Calif., who lives near Indianapolis, was disrupted by a rushed early call for prerace driver introductions. Race officials pushed the morning schedule ahead in an attempt to beat pending precipitation arriving before scheduled opening rounds of eliminations at Pacific Raceways.

The rain did come, and after about 90 minutes, the sky cleared and track was dried to set the stage for Leah Pritchett to race Morgan Lucas. As the higher qualified dragster, her crew chief, Todd Okuhara, had choice of lanes.

Pritchett beat Lucas to the finish line with her career-best elapsed time of 3.707 seconds at 325.30, but her day unfortunately ended before that when she was disqualified for leaving the starting line prematurely by 33-thousandths of a second and recorded a redlight (false) start.

“It’s going to take a lot more than that to break my spirit,” she said. “We win as a team and lose as a team. My guys have my back and I always have theirs. The plan today was to leave (the starting line) first and we definitely did that,” she joked. “I know I’m a better driver than that. That (3.70) was the best E.T. of my career, and we have a great car.”

It was her first red-light start in a side-by-side race in four years of driving a Top Fuel dragster.

One bright spot for her on the cloudy day was that she maintained her hold on 10th place in the Top Fuel standings when her closest challenger, Terry McMillen, also lost in the opening round. Pritchett, who won this year’s second event title in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, holds a 19-point lead over McMillen heading into the next event in two weeks at Brainerd, Minn.

“We get to race at Brainerd with Papa John’s, and we continue our chase to get into the Countdown thanks to Papa John’s, FireAde, Mopar and Pennzoil. Stability is something I’ve been hunting for for a very long time, and Don Schumacher has been able to provide that with our partners.”

Papa John’s founder, chairman and chief executive officer, John Schnatter, visited DSR headquarters a few weeks ago and got his first experience with nitro when DSR fired up Pritchett’s dragster.

“This means so much to me, our team and the sport of NHRA drag racing,” said the graduate of Cal State San Bernardino. “We are huge fans of Papa John’s Pizza and are confident it will help fuel us to victory,” added Pritchett. “My dream is one day to walk into a location and order a ‘Leah’s Nitro Pizza’ on the Papa John’s menu. One requirement – it has to be spicy!”

Schnatter founded Papa John’s in 1984 when he knocked down a wall to a broom closet in his father’s tavern in Jeffersonville, Ind.. He then sold his prized 1972 Z28 Camaro to purchase $1,600 worth of used pizza equipment and began selling pizzas to the tavern’s customers out of the converted closet to help save the business. Today, Papa John’sis the world’s third largest pizza delivery company with over 4,900locations in 50 states and 40 countries and territories.

“I am excited to add another quality ingredient to our Papa John’s team with our sponsorship of Don Schumacher Racing and Leah Pritchett,” said “Papa John” Schnatter. “Leah’s passion for racing is like my passion for pizzamaking; always looking for ways to improve and get better.”

Pritchett’s dragster is a salute to his iconic, gold muscle car that he reacquired and owns today.

Alexis DeJoria injured in first round accident

August 1, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

NHRA Funny Car driver, Alexis DeJoria injured in first round accident during the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals, is undergoing treatment for a broken pelvis after a trip to the local trauma center.

DeJoria, driver of the Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry, was competing in the left lane alongside opponent John Force in the opening round of eliminations on Sunday morning at Sonoma Raceway. The Patrón Toyota Camry lost traction and made a violent turn to the left as soon as DeJoria stepped on the throttle, causing her Camry to make impact with the left retaining wall.

DeJoria exited the vehicle under her own power, but immediately knew something was wrong. Upon a quick evaluation from on-site medical personnel, she was transported via ambulance to Queen of the Valley Medical Center in nearby Napa. After x-rays and a CT scan, doctors diagnosed DeJoria with a high-energy fracture of the left pelvis. The fracture was caused when she struck the wall. The injury does not require immediate surgery, but is extremely painful. DeJoria is in good spirits and was more concerned with the condition of her race car, and if it was ok. She was released from the hospital on Sunday afternoon, and will start intense physical therapy as soon as possible, determined to get back on the track.

The Patrón Toyota Camry qualified No. 11 with a 3.946 second, 319.45 mph performance before Alexis DeJoria injured in first round accident.

DeJoria and the Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car team were scheduled to compete next at the NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle, Washington, but due to injuries sustained, that race is to be determined.

Improved performance for Erica Enders in Denver

July 25, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

It has been a difficult season thus far for the reigning NHRA Pro Stock World Champion. But this weekend saw improved performance for Erica Enders in Denver that keeps the Elite driver optimistic for a turn around. Qualifying second for the event is proof that her Dodge Dart is now a contender, despite a second round loss due to parts failure.

Enders earned the No. 2 qualified position for the 37th Annual NHRA Mopar Mile High Nationals with a 6.933 second pass at 198.03 mph. Though it was a less than ideal run, with Enders out of the groove for parts of the run, it was her best qualifying effort to date this season. The Elite team has struggled with their switch to Mopar this season, also contending with rule changes in the Pro Stock class and the drastic move to Fuel Induction.

“We’re certainly pleased with our performance gains this weekend,” Enders said. “It shows that our hard work is paying off. Having said that, we still have a long way to go.”

She beat Alan Prusiensky with one of the best passes in the first round, 6.970 seconds at 197.42 mph. That gave her lane choice against Allen Johnson for the second round, but Johnson’s good fortune in Denver continued.

The two friends and rivals got off the line almost identically, but Johnson sped to the win with a pass of 7.000 seconds at 196.53 mph while Enders lost elapsed time from her first pass and ended up with a run of 7.026 seconds at 195.62 mph.

“We had a parts failure that round,” Enders said. “We should have been able to go out there and run a .98 absolutely no problem because we took where the failure in the run happened and did a run completer from there. We were actually on a better run than Greg (Anderson) in that round and he went a .99.

Though she lost in the second round after an unfortunate parts failure slowed her pass, the improved performance for Erica Enders in Denver means her Dodge Dart is now a contender.

“I think we would have been a solid to low .98. Should have, would have, could have, but it would definitely have been enough to beat AJ. This is just his lucky track.”

Johnson ended up racing to his 10th consecutive final round here, beating Vincent Nobile in the final. Enders, meanwhile, looks forward to continuing the Western Swing next weekend in Sonoma, Calif.

“We’ll load up and go to Sonoma definitely with our heads held high because of the gains made here,” Enders said. “I’m looking forward to racing at sea level again, or closer to sea level, and kicking ass in Sonoma.”