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Las Vegas Gearhead Tour

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One good thing that comes from traveling for business, is that occasionally I get to do/see some interesting places that I likely would not have had the chance.

This week, I traveled to Las Vegas for a convention in the RV industry, but thanks to my good friend Eddie Maloney, I was able to escape for a few hours to see some of the greastest Las Vegas gearhead sightseeing opportunities Sin City has to offer.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Las Vegas Motor SpeedwayThe Strip at Las Vegas is probably one of my favorite tracks that I’ve never raced before. Having seeing it briefly back in 2010 on another work trip, the atmosphere and scope of the facility is breath-taking. Eddie actually works for the speedway, so he was able to take me around on the grand tour of the facility. Its massive and highly impressive. Many people never leave Las Vegas Blvd. to see what else the city has to offer, and by this are missing the impressive activities happening just north at the Speedway.  In addition to the Strip, one of the most scenic stops on the tour with the desert mountains in the background, there is also the expansive NASCAR oval, dirt tracks, road courses, exotic car racing experiences and more offered on the premises.

We drove through the pit area of the NASCAR track, as one of the prominent NASCAR teams was on the track testing.   We didn’t go near the garage area, but driving through the tunnels and just seeing all the infield area was a neat experience.

I promised Eddie that once we get back on the track, if we are able to find the sponsorship support to make a trip out west for an event at the Strip, I’d definitely make the long haul west for the chance to race at this legendary facility.

Location:  7000 North Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89115
Phone:  (702) 644-4444

 

Nellis Air Force Base

Nellis AFB ThunderbirdsAnyone who really knows me, knows that my first love has always been fighter aircraft.   In fact, its one of the reasons that I took up drag racing to begin with.  Just across the street from Las Vegas Motor Speedway, lies Nellis AFB.   During my 2010 trip to the national event, the Thunderbirds did a fly-by presentation at the track, which is as close to heaven on earth as you could possibly get me.   Eddie also happens to be AF himself, so he quickly zipped me across the street into one of the places I always dreamed of visiting.   Considering you have to be DoD ID’d to get in, I’d say this is a pretty VIP experience!

It happened to be a National holiday during my visit (MLK Day), and the base was pretty quiet, but I was still given the impressive tour of the facility.   The highlight— right there in front of me…. the entire Thunderbird squad on the ground.  About the only thing that could’ve made it better (aside from getting the chance to go up in one) would’ve been if I could’ve seen them taking off/landing…. perhaps another visit.    Either way, its a surreal moment getting to visit such a cool place.

Las Vegas Harley Davidson

Las Vegas Harley DavidsonThe brand new Las Vegas Harley Davidson dealership just opened in October of last year, and its spectacular.   Strategically placed just a few steps from the famous Las Vegas sign, its definitely a destination dealership.   They have a huge facility, with rentals, an expansive showroom, spotless service area, the largest Motorclothes display I’ve ever seen, and a lounge area for motorists.  They even have a Harley Davidson Wedding Chapel for those die-hards wanting to tie the knot in HD style.   They had a cool photobooth app too that sends out via social media or email a selfie postcard from your visit.   We spent quite a few minutes walking around checking everything out.   I imagine they have some great rides come through the area, and am considering renting a bike for some sightseeing next trip out if I can swing an extra couple of days in the desert.

Located:  5191 S. Las Vegas Blvd. Las Vegas Nevada, 89119
Phone:  888-218-0744
Hours:  8:00AM – 9:00PM, Daily

Carroll Shelby Heritage Center

Carroll Shelby MuseumThe final stop on the gear head tour took me to the Carroll Shelby Heritage Center.   The center is a relatively new facility that houses a large collection of all the historic cars in the Shelby stable, including the first Cobra, prototype cars, the GT500KR and other items in the Shelby legacy.   The center also houses a huge shop area, where work is being done on many different Shelby models.  A Blue Oval girl like myself is right at home, but even Shelby’s brief Chrysler/Dodge models can be seen on display.   They had the new 2015 Mustang Shelby model on display, and believe me, I drooled all over it.   The gift area was surprisingly reasonably priced as compared to much of the other tourist trap gouging you see.    I didn’t even know that this museum existed in Las Vegas, so it was a happy surprise to have had the opportunity to visit.

Located: 6405 Ensworth St. Las Vegas, NV 89119
Toll Free: (844) 9 SHELBY (844-974-3529)or call (702) 942-7325
Hours:  Mon-Sat, 9:00AM – 6:00PM; Closed Sundays

 

You can see more photos from the trip in my Las Vegas Gear Head Tour album.

The Brickyard

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So, as is my norm here lately, I had another whirlwind weekend in celebration of Memorial Day festivities. (I’m almost dizzy looking at my calendar anymore)

Originally, I had planned to make a trip to Indy all weekend, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I had been added to the Dixie Derby All-Star team. We had a home bout on Saturday, which I played in and we ended up winning 154-41. Great night for sure. Thanks for everyone that came to watch, I had a great time!
I didn’t get to celebrate long at the afterparty, because after that tiring day, it was up bright and early headed out to Indianapolis, IN. I had a few different reasons to be going to Indy, but one of them was to definitely catch part of the Indy 500 in person. I’ve never seen an Indy race live, especially not at the hallowed Brickyard, so I raced the 6 hours up there early Sunday morning to catch the race. (thank GOD for radar detectors…. and drafting… and fun travelers with the same idea in mind)
I arrived around lap 90, but by the time I got parked and hiked the 2 miles to the track, it was somewhere around lap 140 or so. To my luck, they weren’t even checking tickets anymore, so I just walked in and grabbed an empty seat on Turn 2. I had a bunch of friends there that I hoped to meet and sit with, but unfortunately, you can’t exactly hear a cell phone well from the track, so I just gave up and sat in the stands next to some *interesting* people.
Of course, I learned after I made it about 1.75 miles of my hike that I’d hauled my camera with me for NOTHING, being that I had conveniently left my only CF card in the USB reader at work back in Huntsville. Grrrr….. I can be thoroughly brain-dead sometimes. But I did catch some of the *BIG* Meira crash, as it happened right in front of me. They took awhile to get him out, I had a sick feeling as they don’t make it a point to say anything about the driver’s condition over the PA. I thought I saw him moving on the stretcher, so that was a hopeful sign. Thankfully, he’s okay, just has some broken vertebrae and will have some therapy to go through for the rest of the season.
So, the best evidence of my 1st trip to an Indy car race comes from my negative 3.0 mega pixel camera phone. And let me tell you how hard it is to actually CATCH a 2oomph car whizzing by with that sucker too. ::Shakes head in disgust::
Danica Patrick again did really well, landing in the 3rd spot at the race end behind Helio and Wheaton. Helio had a huge lead, but I was secretly hoping for some last lap antics by Danica that would’ve moved her into 2nd. Sarah and Milka both finished the race, but out of the top 10. Oh well, next year for my girls!
Monday’s rainy trip home was far from fun, as I was thoroughly exhausted and had to fight some pretty crappy conditions. (Hello Mustang, time for some new tires!) I made it back into town around 8pm, snuggled up to my little chihuahua, and tried to unwind before heading back to the grind.
And it doesn’t appear that my schedule will be letting up any time soon! Next weekend: Evansville, IN for Derby. Following weekend: Knoxville, TN for derby, where I’m actually skating with the Knoxville team, who was short players. Week after? FLORIDA for fun, sun, family…. and oh yea, WORK too. Then possibly a bonzai run back to Bowling Green, KY for the nostalgia race. Yippeee-aye-ahhh!
Derby Photos: Angela Zaborny; Indy Photos: My crappy Blackberry.

Traveling the country one track at a time

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One of the great things about racing, is that it has allowed me to travel the country, one racetrack at a time. I tried to sit down and think of all the tracks I’ve been to, which isn’t an easy task. Sad part is, that although I’ve been all over the U.S., I couldn’t tell you much about the cities I’ve visited BESIDES which track surfaces are good and how the pit parking was.

The list that I can remember is about 40+ right now, including a few over the ocean in Puerto Rico. I’m hoping to add to it as the years go by. (or as I can remember where else I’ve been!)

A look at all the tracks I’ve been to in my brief career
  1. US 19 Dragway — Albany, GA
  2. Goodtimes Drag Strip — Baileyton, AL
  3. Houston Motorsports Park — Baytown, TX
  4. Beechbend Raceway — Bowling Green, KY
  5. Bradenton Motorsports Park — Bradenton, FL
  6. Bristol Dragstrip — Bristol, TN
  7. National Trails Raceway — Columbus, OH
  8. Atlanta Dragway — Commerce, GA
  9. One Way Dragway — Cottonwood, AL
  10. Cordova Dragway Park — Cordova, IL
  11. Southeastern Int’l Raceway — Dallas, GA
  12. Darlington Int’l Dragway — Darlington, SC
  13. Dothan Dragway — Dothan, AL
  14. Douglas Drag Strip — Douglas, GA
  15. Texas Motorplex– Ennis, TX
  16. Gainesville Raceway Park — Gainesville, FL
  17. Huntsville Dragway — Harvest, AL
  18. Emerald Coast Dragway — Holt, FL
  19. O’Reilly Motorsports Park — Indianapolis, IN
  20. Carolina Dragway — Jackson, SC
  21. Route 66 Raceway — Joliet, IL
  22. Lakeland Motorsports Park — Lakeland, FL
  23. The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway — Las Vegas, NV
  24. Twiggs Co. Raceway — Macon, GA
  25. Gateway International Raceway — Madison, IL
  26. Montgomery Motorsports Park — Montgomery, AL
  27. Summit Raceway Park — Norwalk, OH
  28. Orangeburg Dragstrip — Orangeburg, SC
  29. Orlando Speed World — Orlando, FL
  30. Phenix Motorsport Park — Phenix City, AL
  31. Pomona Raceway — Pomona, CA
  32. Ponce International Raceway — Ponce, Puerto Rico
  33. Maple Grove Raceway — Reading, PA
  34. Silver Dollar Raceway — Reynolds, GA
  35. Old Dominion Raceway — Richmond, VA
  36. Rockingham Dragway — Rockingham, NC
  37. Puerto Rico International Speedway — Salinas, Puerto Rico
  38. Alabama International Raceway — Steele, AL
  39. Heartland Motorsports Park — Topeka, KS
  40. South Georgia Motorsports Park — Valdosta, GA
  41. Palm Beach International Raceway — West Palm, FL

I don’t even want to think how many road miles that adds up to!

My favorites are Bristol’s Thunder Valley for the beautiful scenery and awesome atmosphere as the cars race through the mountain valley, and Norwalk’s Summit Raceway Park because of the midway and great hospitality (and because it was my first 6 sec, 200mph pass there). The ultimate package has to be Ponce Int’l Raceway in Puerto Rico, its a drag racer’s dream! More on that in another blog post though…

I’m hoping to add the rest of the NHRA tour onto my list at some point (in the not-so-distant future).

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!

 

Gainesville NHRA and Ashley Force-Hood

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Ashley Force and Erica Ortiz sit down and chat for Horsepower & Heels TV

Its been over a week since I got back from a great trip to the 40th Annual NHRA Gator Nationals, and I’m just catching up enough to sit down for an update.

What a great trip! The Gator Nationals have become a semi-traditional trip for me, being the first east coast race of the season, and my first chance to get away and “smell the nitro” for the year.
As usual, the trip kicks off at the Gainesville Ale House on Thursday night, with a chance to catch up to many of my racing friends and a few personal friends from home that come up for the weekend from Orlando.
But the highlight of this year’s trip was my opportunity on Friday morning to visit with Ashley Force courtesey of JFR PR pro Elon Werner. I met Elon through the new @JFR_Racing twitter campaign, and he invited me out to chat with Ashley in the pits. The JFR Twitter accounts allows fans to follow the instant team updates throughout the weekend to get a “behind the scenes” feel from the races in real-time.
(Check out my growing list of Drag Racing Twitter Accounts for other team updates)
Right now, Ashley is living the dream of a lot of us women racers in the PRO leagues of drag racing, being one of the few women competing this year in the NHRA. The advancement of women in racing is a passion of mine, so I was very eager to sit down with the top gal in our sport for some insight into what its like out there with the Big Boys. Ashley is in her third year as a professional Nitro Funny Car racer with her father’s premiere funny car team. She’s had incredible success as a racer, and is an inspiration to many.
Armed with my Horsepower & Heels TV Cam, I spent about 20 minutes with Ashley in her driver’s lounge chatting about what its been like for her as a woman out on the circuit and how she’s progressed through the ranks to reach professional status. PNN and I are now sorting through the editing, and we’ll be kicking off Season 2 of Horsepower & Heels TV with this insightful look at the leading lady in NHRA Nitro Funny Car.
Stay tuned for more coming soon!!!

2009 Gator Nationals

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The 2009 NHRA Gator Nationals are back in Gainesville, FL this weekend, and as is tradition now, I will be attending from Thursday-Sunday.
I’m even MORE excited to go this year, because I have a few exciting meetings lined-up during the course of the weekend, and a few surprises in store for Horsepower and Heels.com when I get back! I can’t mention anything yet, but believe me, its a *BIG* surprise!’
If you’ll be at the Gator’s, I invite you to stop by the Nitromater.com meet ups on Saturday and Sunday mornings at 10am in front of the Nitro Mall. Or, come out to the Gainesville Ale House Thursday night for the traditional NHRA party.
Keep an eye on my Twitter updates for some real-time commentary on the race too!

2009 World of Wheels Atlanta

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Its been a LONG while since I was around some good ole hot rods, so I was really excited to attend the 2009 World of Wheels Expo in Atlanta this weekend. I managed to remember to bring my fancy-pants camera, which I haven’t drug out in over 2 years. After reviewing my photos from this weekend, I’m WAAAY out of practice, and did more fumbling with the thing than anything (hello FLASH, what happened to you?!?) , but you’ll get the picture.

I LOVE rat rods and the work and creativity that goes into them. There were many need rat rods and choppers at this show, my favorites being the old skool tow trucks and themed bikes.
There were some iconic cars there as well. I’m a huge Speed Racer fan, so the Mach 5 rendition was especially cool to me. The Foose P-32 Roadster was also on display, as well as both the original and the latest rendition of the KITT cars from Knight Rider (As much as I love Mustangs, I still don’t think the Mustang as the new KITT car seems right to me).
They even had a stunt street bike exhibition set up in the far corner, but of course my shoty photography skills got a major FAIL in that department. My blurry attempt at getting the endo stoppy action:

2009 Ford F-150 Adventure: Part Two

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Part Two of Horsepower & Heels’ Ford F-150 Adventure Series

The Proving Grounds.
You might as well have brought me into the Holy Land, because this is about as sacred to us Ford Fans. This is the facility where they conduct all the R&D and testing before vehicles even make it to the production line. The facility consists of acres upon acres of different driving conditions: High Speed test tracks, Off Road, Fire Testing, Accelerated Durability, Handling, Towing, etc.; you name the condition, and they have an area devoted to its testing and development.

The F-150 has been put through its paces from concept through production, along with an impressive several million mile road testing across the country in all of the elements.

As part of my special media launch, we were invited to test the new F-150 against the competition: Toyota’s Tundra, Chevrolet’s Silverado, Dodge’s Ram. Ford set up 4 of their testing sites for us to drive not only the new F-150, but also each of the competition’s vehicles.

Accelerated Durability.
The first course we tested on was called Silver Creek 2, the accelerated durability course. The test event consists of a strip of what looked like river rocks that you hit doing 30 mph, and a washboard section to test the truck’s handling and its durability over the harsh conditions.

We first watched a demo of the grueling Silver Creek 1 by one of the professional drivers. The course is so punishing that drivers can only attempt the course 4 times in a work day because of the physical beatings taken. Videos played before the demo showed the F-150 along side of each of the competitors. Its amazing what the films showed in slow motion: the amount of frame and body flex in the beds, the movement laterally by the axles bouncing, the handling and control (or lack thereof) in each truck.

My first test vehicle on this event was the Toyota Tundra. The amount of flex in the C-style frame versus Ford’s Boxed Frame is very noticeable in the course. The whole truck was difficult to control, and performed the worst of this test. My 2nd vehicle was the Silverado. Though it did not handle as smooth as the F-150, it was at least in control and not as severe in frame vibration and flexing. Driving the F-150, you can tell the amount of refinement that went into the truck helps immensely in driver comfort through such a test, as well as its very controlled, straight on track handling of the conditions. Leaving off with the Dodge, who challenges the tried and true leaf-spring suspension with coil springs, it is surprising the lack of control in the situation. Ford 150 takes the win here, with Dodge Ram getting the low grade.

Handling.

Round two of testing brought us to the autocrossing segment, where we took the trucks, each carrying an 800lb. payload, through a specific course that testing cornering, maneuvering, and overall handling under load. In this round, the steering telemetry and handling response were the key items under scrutiny. Ford’s F-150 has great road response and steering feel, and with the addition of traction control found standard on most autos today, it keeps you out of trouble. The solid frame and the hearty suspension make the F-150 a strong player, though the versatility in packages does have some effects between the different models in terms of overall handling. Coming in a distant last was the Silverado, whose steering just was not comfortable at all and took corners very sloppily. The Ram was respectable, and the Tundra, though nothing impressive, didn’t sit so out of place here either.

 

Towing.
For the towing event, each truck was hooked up to a 20 ft. enclosed trailer weighing in at 8,000 lbs (the limit of the Ram’s towing capacity). The F-150 boasts 11,300lb. towing capacity, so this was light work for the trucks. The F-150 shines in the towing arena. It is the only model in the group that features integrated trailer braking, with a smart system that senses required brake pressure for the speeds. Gone are the trailer ball/hitching effect, the F-150 tows with such finesse, that its easy to forget you have a trailer behind you. Power bands delivered via the 6 speed transmission are right on target, with excellent ratios to not only pull the load with confidence, but maintain in uphill grades. Engine braking is very intuitive, with downshifting occurring on call from a light touch of the brake pedal. The integrated system also utilizes a unique algorithm to factor in on board anti-sway of the trailer, and also includes a rear view camera with motion sensor tracking and trailer hitch locator. Excellent addition to aid the weekend towers. The camera is viewed via the on board computer for those equipped, and will appear in a special rear view mirror for those who opted not to have the on-board computer.
The Dodge Ram, though its larger Hemi was strong initially, the gear ratios in the transmission make the Hemi struggle upon shifting into 2nd gear on the incline. Shift points are sloppy, with hunting and searching as it downshifts at inopportune times. The Tundra did not seem to have a sweet spot in the braking pedal at all for engine braking. The worst of the bunch came courtesy of the Silverado, whose finicky steering was again problematic especially in the handling while towing.
Off-Road.
They definitely saved the best for last, as we were able to take the Ford F-150 FX4 models out onto the offroad event (apparently, they couldn’t torture the competition, so for this event, the FX4 was the only vehicle tested.) Being that offroading has become one of my favorite pass times, I was excited. My ride along engineer, quickly picked up on my desire to really experience the truck, so we pushed the envelope on the routes selected through the mud. Its impressive ability to handle everything we threw at it really made this more than just a factory trim package. The new F-150 is a functional off road vehicle. The only complaint was that going through some of the really dense mud, while you are powering through, if the rev-limiter is touched from wheel speed, it automatically arms the traction control, instantly killing power and thereby getting us stuck. Other than that, the truck is a dream.

All bias aside, it is clear why Ford is leader in the class on the light duty pickup with F-150. It outshines its competitors not only in utility and safety, but also in refinement and durability. The 2009 has been nicknamed the “Toughest Truck” as a progression from the previous models of “tough” and “tougher”. Its easy to see why Ford enthusiasts are loyal to their trucks. Driving the competition against the truck, you could really see its strengths, I only wish they offered these testing events nearby dealerships, so you could really make an informed decision before you buy.

Visit my Event Photogallery for more pictures, and look for more on a future episode of Horsepower & Heels TV!

2009 Ford F-150 Adventure: Part One

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I just got back from Detroit, Michigan as a guest of Ford at their newly renovated Michigan Proving Ground Facility. The event: a week-long media launch for the new 2009 F-150.

I’ve never been to a media launch before, so this was definitely a new and fun experience for me.
The event started off for me with a 50 mile road test drive of the current F-150 to a dealership, where Ford had many of the new 2009 F-150’s waiting in all types of available combinations. With 7 trim packages, 3 engine options, 3 box options, and 3 bed options, there are more combinations to choose from than I could possibly begin to discuss. So I started off with a basic XLT extended cab, and headed out with a Ford engineer to experience the truck first hand.
REFINEMENT.
The first thing you notice in the new F-150 is how quiet and smooth it rides. At idle, it doesn’t feel or sound like its on, which for me, means I’m very glad it has a safety switch on the starter to keep you from trying to start an already running car. Its THAT quiet! Refinement was high on the list for the new F-150, and they succeeded with great results. The truck doesn’t drive like a truck anymore. The steering is smooth and responsive and the plush new interior makes the ride feel more luxury than utility. Gone are the vibrations felt through the steering and the harsh road ride. Its mild mannered ride makes you think more softy than built tough.
POWER.
With the 5.4L V8 boasting a healthy 320 horsepower and 390 ft. lbs of torque, it is a noted improvement over the prior model. The new 6 speed transmission makes power transfer smoother and keeps the healthy engine in its power band longer. There is also a new SFE model that boasts increased fuel mileage via a 4.6L 3V motor. Though I only tested the 5.4L models, the buzz from those that did try out the 4.6L were that there was little noted power differences… no more of the sluggish smaller V8.
DURABILITY.
Ford leads the market already, so how do you improve upon the best? The Ford Tough moto is something that its customers look for in their truck. With so much improvement made to the refinement to the truck, would the ultility suffer as a result? The answer is a firm NO. Ford was able to achieve a perfect trifecta, and still managed to make the truck lighter, and stronger than years prior.
FORD WORK SOLUTIONS.
Tool Link. Crew Chief. Cable Lock.
After completing our road test, we headed back to the hotel for a reception and presentation of a new fleet option system in Ford Work Solutions. This is a wonderful example of embracing the aftermaket and working to provide customers with affordable, factory supported real solutions to real world problems.
The packages are built with an on-board computer/blutooth keyboard/printer combo with high speed connectivity built in that allows a mobile office workstation and even remote access your office desktop. A great tool for contractors to streamline billing and other tracking measures directly from the jobsite. The computer also has built in Garmin Navigation and real-time traffic, weather, and gas pricing for fleet efficiency.
The new Tool Link system option takes efficiency to a new level, with the aid of RF Transmitters and RF tool tags. The RF transmitters located in the bed of the truck allow for tool tracking by communicating with the on-board computer. After a one-time set up, each tagged tool emits its own RF code, recognized by the computer to ensure that all of your tools leave with you after each job. With job-level grouping, it also ensures that your workers are geared up for the jobs they will be assigned for the day. The Cable Lock system allows an in-bed cabling system to secure all tools.
The beauty of the system lies in Crew Chief interface. Crew Chief acts as a mobile dispatch center, tracking location, vehicle speeds, idle time, fuel consumption and more on each of the fleet vehicles. The management system pairs with navigation to allow you to look up a job address and dispatch the closest truck (and if also equipped with Tool Link, the closest properly equipped truck) to your new jobsite.
The F-150 has made an excellent solution to the pressing needs of contractors looking to save in fuel economy and fleet management. With many business owners looking to downsize their fleet vehicles in size and efficiency, this is a vital new tool for small and medium sized fleets.
Up next, I get the chance to take the new F-150 onto the Michigan Proving Grounds for testing against the Silverado, Tundra, and Ram.
Look for a complete sneek preview in a future episode of Horsepower & Heels TV!