Women Racing Archives – Page 12 of 41

Pritchett racing in Charlotte

April 20, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

NHRA Top Fuel driver, Leah Pritchett, has just confirmed that she will be competing at the 7th Annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, NC. She will take the seat driving the Nitro Ninja Top Fuel dragster owned by the Lagana family with backing from primary sponsor FireAde 2000.

Pritchett and her entire Bob Vandergriff Racing team were recently released after a retirement announcement by owner Bob Vandergriff, Jr. This left the recent event winning Top Fuel driver scrambling once again as a free-agent to continue her driving career in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

Since the surprise announcement last Monday, Pritchett was able to coordinate a joint effort between her primary sponsor in FireAde 2000 and longtime partners Bonifante Friction, Aerodine Composites, and her friends in the Lagana family. Prtichett racing in Charlotte is, for now, a one-race commitment allowing Leah to continue accruing points, and maintaining visibility on the circuit while searching for a long-term opportunity.

It has been a whirlwind of a week, but continuation of my pursuit to compete in Top Fuel has been made possible by FireAde 2000, with joint efforts of longtime partners Boninfante Friction, Aerodine Composites, and of course the Lagana family. Having partners able to come in clutch at the last moment enables me to enter one more race at this time, and will help me stay relevant in the NHRA Mello Yello Series Championship Point standings,” said Pritchett. “This will also buy me a bit more time to work on sufficient funding for the rest of the season to compete with a readily available team.”

FireAde 2000 joined Pritchett at the beginning of the season as a multi-race sponsor on her BVR dragster for 2016. Although her run there ended prematurely, the fire safety company has stepped up to support Leah at the 4-Wide Nationals event with the Lagana team.

Just as the FireAde products continue to surpass industry standards, whether fighting blazing wildfires on the land, in the oil fields, or with a can of FireAde 2000 that should be in every garage or household, they continue to exceed my expectations. FireAde is helping me get through this high temperature of a time, and as a dedicated partner, I look forward to representing them as best I can for as long as am I able to.”

Ron Thames, CEO and Founder of FireAde is also excited about this weekend stating, “In a short time Leah has proved to be an incredible ambassador for our company, on and off the track, and we are pleased to be able to continue our partnership with her and support her efforts during this time”.

Pritchett is grateful for the opportunity, and welcomes being surrounded by friends in the Lagana family and even a few of her former crew members at BVR. Ironically, she will be driving the same dragster she competed against just a few weeks ago at the Gatornationals, driven by rookie Tripp Tatum. The Nitro Ninja dragster runs on a limited schedule, but are always competitive, headed by crew chief John Stewart.

Beyond working alongside and being close friends with the Laganas, I feel fortunate to bring the proper resources to their operation to compete at this event. Experiencing this portion of my journey with people I know, respect, and trust, makes this quick turnaround of a time, that much more rewarding. I will even have a couple of my former crew members from my BVR dragster driving down and working on the car with me this weekend.”

Qualifying sessions for the 7th Annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals presented by Lowes Food begin on Friday at 4:30PM and 7:30PM EST. Television coverage will be on FOX Sports 1 with qualifying coverage on Saturday at 10 PM and eliminations Sunday at 4:30 PM EST.

Leah Pritchett free agent again

April 11, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

An announcement by Bob Vandergriff, Jr. delivered a shocking blow in the NHRA Top Fuel pits today – unfortunately leaving Leah Pritchett a free agent again.

Competition Plus reported today that the two-car Bob Vandergriff Racing Top Fuel operation has been shut down effective immediately. All employees, including Top Fuel driver, Leah Pritchett, were released.

Vandergriff sited a personal decision to retire immediately from NHRA Drag Racing to spend time with his family. The loss of his friend and primary supporter, C&J Energy’s Josh Comstock, influenced his departure and immediate retirement.

I’ve missed a lot of things in my children’s lives over the years and the desire to spend more time at home with my family has weighed on me greatly the last few years and when combined with the struggles the oil and gas industry has been facing over the last 12-18 months it seemed like now was the right time to retire,” said Bob Vandergriff, Jr. according to a statement. (Source: Competition Plus)

Speculation about the financial state of C&J Energy, BVR’s primary sponsor, preceded the announcement as annual financial records showed a plummeting loss in 2015 for the publicly traded C&J Energy Services (NYSE: CJES) of $872.3M. (Source: Market Watch)

Leah Pritchett Free Agent Again

No stranger to free-agent status, Pritchett also encountered the loss of a ride when Dote Racing announced it would not return to NHRA Top Fuel competition after their 2015 partial season. Hard work and hustle during the off season led her to a late PRI announcement that paired her with Quaker State, FireAde and teamed her with Bob Vandergriff Racing.

Leah Pritchett joined the BVR team at the beginning of the 2016 season. She earned her first professional victory in the Top Fuel class in just her second event with the team.

With no word on the details of the Quaker State or FireAde agreements, the sudden loss of her BVR team makes Leah Pritchett a free agent again.

It is beyond unfortunate, surprising, and a tip of a seahorse to say the least with the retirement news of Bob…

Posted by Leah Pritchett on Monday, April 11, 2016

Her back against the wall several times before, we are confident the smart and business-savy NHRA Top Fuel champion will be back soon.

Our best wishes to Leah Pritchett and the entire BVR team as they pursue other opportunities.

LODRS Runner up for Meyer

April 10, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Fresh off a final appearance at the NHRA Gatornationals event, A-Fuel driver Megan Meyer continued her winning momentum with another runner-up finish at the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series (LODRS) Division 4 South Central Region “Nitro on the Bayou” season opening event.

The event marked the first Top Alcohol Dragster regional race for the South Central Division at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, Louisiana. Megan Meyer and her Racer’s Evolved sponsored team, led by father and renowned Top Alcohol tuner, Randy Meyer, had never raced at the facility previously.

“Racing in Belle Rose, LA is a first for myself and my father, so we were both excited to be racing somewhere new,” said Megan of her LODRS debut.

The weekend started a bit off-paced for Meyer and her Racer’s Evolved team. Qualifying attempts on both Friday and Saturday resulted in traction problems on the unfamiliar track surface. But the rookie driver showed poise and control, pedaling her Racer’s Evolved A/Fuel dragster down the track to a No. 7 final qualifying position with a 5.511 second at 270.48 mph effort.

“Two quick pedal jobs for me landed me with a 5.51 at 270, which isn’t that bad of a pass, but definitely not what I was wanting,” the ambitious young driver said.

LODRS Nitro on the Bayou Eliminations

Her first round opponent on Saturday evening would be fellow competitor and friend, No. 2 qualified David Brounkowski. Without a complete pass in qualifying for data on the new track, Meyer and her team made some small changes between qualifying and the start of eliminations and were optimistic that it would put them back on-target.

Those changes would pay off, as Megan quickly closed a small starting line gap to power onto the round win, with a 5.294/271.19 mph to Brounkowski’s 5.613/251.91 mph. She also captured low E.T. for Rd. 1 with this impressive improvement, and would earn lane choice in Rd. 2.

On Sunday, Meyer would take on the No. 6 qualified Monroe Guest in Round 2 of eliminations. Although Guest would take a slight advantage on the start, Megan would take the semi-final victory, improving yet again with a 5.280/272.45 mph effort. Guest ran into traction problems early, sending Megan into her second consecutive final round against the No. 1 qualified Gord Gingles.

Meyer would not have lane choice entering her second consecutive final, and Gingles as the top qualifier, had been the car to beat all weekend. The pair left with nearly identical reactions, and Meyer posted a 5.358/270.97 mph run. But it would be Gingles holding onto the win with his 5.319/269.29mph.

LODRS Runner up for Meyer | TAD

This was Megan Meyer’s third career TAD runner-up finish. In March, she made her way through the field to a runner up finish at the NHRA Gatornationals event. She had also earned another regional LODRS runner-up finish at her 2015 debut in St. Louis.

The LODRS Nitro on the Bayou event marked the first of six South Central divisional races, where drivers accumulate points towards regional and national championships.

Megan Meyer partners with Horsepower & Heels

This weekend also marked the start of a new partnership between Megan Meyers and Horsepower & Heels, an organization dedicated to celebrating, promoting and supporting women in motorsports.

We are truly excited to have Megan joining with us at Horsepower & Heels. Her competitive and enthusiastic spirit represents everything that Horsepower & Heels is passionate about, and we look forward to showcasing her career and helping to support and promote her efforts in NHRA Drag Racing,” says Erica Ortiz, Horsepower & Heels founder.

Horsepower & Heels publishes regular news, features and updates on women in a wide variety of motorsports – from drivers, crew personnel, motorsport industry professionals and other women involved in automotive and racing. In addition to promoting the careers of female motorsport participants, Horsepower & Heels continues to expand offerings to help women in the sport by offering specialized training, public relations and marketing programs, and helps to build a network of trusted partners for and with women in motorsports.

Readers can follow Megan Meyer and her rookie Top Alcohol Dragster season at www.horsepowerandheels.com.

Fourth career win for Alexis DeJoria in Vegas

April 4, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

After a slow start to the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season, “lady luck” has once again found her way to the Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car team. Progress from chassis changes made in Gainesville finally paid off at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, landing a fourth career win for Alexis DeJoria.

DeJoria qualified No. 6 with a 3.947 second elapsed time, placing her against Tommy Johnson Jr. in the opening round of eliminations on Sunday with lane choice. She would take the win in the Rd. 1 match-up, running a 4.006, 313.00 mph against Johnson Jr.’s 4.073, 308.35 mph effort.

Round two, DeJoria would meet former Funny Car champion Robert Hight, taking the holeshot win in a spectacular side-by-side finish – a 4.005 second, 315.86 mph effort defeating Hight’s quicker, 4.004 second, 320.20 mph pass.

Alexis would move onto take on 16x Funny Car champion and defending event winner, John Force, in the semi-finals, running 4.012 at 316.97 mph to his 4.053 at 319.52 mph. The win here pushed Alexis DeJoria into her seventh career final round against Kalitta teammate, and former World Champ, Del Worsham.

Vegas has been lucky for Alexis since 2013, where she has finished in the semi-finals or better. This year, hoping for a repeat of her 2014 NHRA Vegas Spring National event win, Alexis squared off against her teammate in another tight race to the finish. Lady luck didn’t disappoint in another hard-fought win, 3.968 at 315.49 mph defeating Del’s 3.988 at 323.58mph.

This wally marked the fourth career win for Alexis DeJoria in Funny Car competition, and the third straight event win for women in the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Series.

“To be a part of that, it’s incredible. Three women in the last three races including myself have won. It’s an amazing time in NHRA Drag Racing. We’ve come so far.”

The win comes after a rough start to the 2016 NHRA season and a 2015 season that included more ‘downs’ than ‘ups.’ DeJoria suffered two first round losses and bottom-half qualifying efforts at the past two events in 2016. But as history would have it, the Tequila Patrón team would find success once they returned to the Vegas drag strip.

“Man, we just needed to catch one break. Lately, we couldn’t get down the track much in qualifying and then the first round, we would turn it around and do so well, but the other person would just do a little bit better so it was a lot of tough breaks,” said DeJoria, whose last win came at the 2014 U.S. Nationals.

Racing her teammate and mentor, Del Worsham in the final was a memorable occasion for DeJoria, marking the first all-Kalitta Motorsports final.

“It’s been a dream of mine to race Del in the finals, and going up against him, it’s no easy feat. I was pretty excited to race him in the final but man, I wanted to win so bad,” said DeJoria.

Sorting out some issues that had been plaguing the team, their hard work finally granted them the consistency that proved key this time, leading the team to a fourth career win for Alexis DeJoria.

“This fourth trophy was definitely a difficult one to come by. It took a lot of races to get here but we’ve been consistent all weekend. We made four good runs in qualifying and on race day as well. I don’t know the last time we’ve done that. We definitely didn’t do it at the last race, that’s for sure. It’s just been such a turnaround. The last race was heartbreaking because I knew we could do better and we definitely accomplished that this weekend,” said DeJoria.

DeJoria’s win moved her from ninth in the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship points standings up to eighth with 233 points. The win also earned her a spot in the prestigious Traxxas Nitro Shootout.

“I’m just so proud of my team. My guys have worked so incredibly hard and really turned everything around. They’ve done such a good job and it’s just been an awesome weekend. To top it all off, the Patrón Spirits Company’s corporate office is here, and to be able to put our Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry in the Winners Circle once again in their backyard is just incredible.”

Toddcast Podcast – Erica Ortiz

April 1, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Toddcast Podcast – Erica Ortiz

Horsepower & Heels founder, Erica Ortiz caught up with Toddcast Podcast host, Todd Hancock, about her drag racing history, being a woman in motorsports, her first drag racing experience, being an adrenaline junkie, and more!

The Toddcast Podcast is a music, entertainment, sports and lifestyle show based in Canada.

Check out the full conversation on the Toddcast Podcast!

Listen Online: https://soundcloud.com/toddcastpodcast/erica-ortiz-the-full-convo

Air Date: April 1, 2016

Dina Parise at New York International Auto Show

March 29, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Special guest and IHRA Pro Mod driver, Dina Parise will display her championship-winning Cadillac Pro Mod “Stella” at New York International Auto Show 2016. Held at the Jacob Javitz Center, the New York International Auto Show showcases the latest automotive trends, new designs and other automotive innovation.

Dina Parise will showcase her award-winning ‘Stella’ the 3,000HP Pro Mod Cadillac that earned her the 2015 IHRA Pro Mod Championship as part of the Lincoln Technical Institute booth (1E Hall). Parise will be in the booth for photos and autographs on Wednesday, March 30th from 10AM to 12PM.

A regular partner with Dina Parise Racing, Lincoln Tech’s accelerated career training programs help mold the future of students. Their education and training programs cover a large variety of fields in six disciplines: Automotive, Skilled Trades, Business and IT, Cosmetology, Health Sciences, and Culinary.

I am thrilled to be appearing at the New Your Auto show along with Lincoln Tech for many reasons. Their career training programs are second to none,” said Parise. “They believe in pushing people to following their dreams. Lincoln Tech speaks to what people are passionate about, and encourages them to expand on it. That is surely a recipe for success in my book!”

The Lincoln Tech booth is part of the 2016 Automotive Career & Education Fair at the New York International Auto Show. The New York International Auto Show’s Career Fair brings carmakers, suppliers, and advanced automotive training programs together so candidates can learn about careers in the automotive industry.

Parise will also speak at the National Awards Banquet, the awards ceremony that recognizes winners of regional and state contests held to determine the nation’s best automotive students. The winning student teams will be at the NYIAS to represent their state at the national finals. The National Automotive Technology Competition will take place on Tuesday, and winners for the title of The Nation’s Best Automotive Technician selected at the banquet ceremony.

I am honored to have been asked to address these talented students at the Awards Banquet,” said Parise. “I’m looking forward to giving them some insight into my life and how I made my way into the automotive industry. I will convey to them that it was not always an easy road but in the end it was completely worth it! I don’t ever want them to give up.”

Top 5 Greatest Women Drivers in Motorsports of All-Time

March 29, 2016 // by Matthew Young

Motorsport, just like many other sports, is male dominated. If you ask both men and women why it is like that, you will get a myriad of responses. Some will say that this is due to the sport requiring physical strength, hunger, and determination that is ostensibly a domain of men. Yet, if you go over the history of motorsport, you will notice that women have been there all along. However, the numbers indicate that female drivers are a rare breed. There are some great female drivers and below we take a look at the top five greatest women drivers in motorsport of all time.

5. Lyn St. James

Lyn’s love for cars began at a young age because of her father’s love for machines and her mother using a car because she was crippled. Although she studied music in high school and became a piano teacher, she soon found out that she also had a passion for car racing. She got into racing in 1964 after critiquing a loser of a race who told her to try and do better. Lyn went on to win the race. She was the Indie Rookie of the year in 1992 and the fastest Indy 500 woman of 1995. Those are the two notable victories she is remembered for in motorsport. Lyn St. James is the first female to win Indie Rookie of the year. St James contested 15 Indy races and scored one top 10 finish.

4. Lella Lombardi

Her interest in racing began while being driven to the hospital at breakneck speed after a hand injury sustained playing handball. Lella started saving money hard, passed her driving test and finally bought herself second hand Fiat. Her career was going nowhere until she met a racing driver and began to work as a gofer for him. She became his co-driver and soon won her first race after she was given the chance. Her name is written in Formula One history as the first woman to have scored points in a championship race. Her notable accolades are the Ford Mexico Series Championship in 1973 and the Spanish Grand Prix of 1975 where she finished sixth.

3. Pat Moss

It is hard to picture someone coming from driving Land Rovers to car racing. Yes, that is possible, and that is what set the successful foundation for her racing career that lasted 20 years. Though she got lessons from her famous brother Sterling, the love of driving Land Rovers on the farm had a significant influence on her rally career. She is recognized for her participation in the Liege rally of 1960 and the Tulip Rally of 1962. Her other notable accolades include winning the European Ladies’ Rally Championship five times, and the Mote Carlo Rally eight times.

2. Shirley Muldowney

There is no better way to describe Shirley Muldowney than to call her the first lady of drag racing. Her love for car racing comes from her husband Jack Muldowney, who she got married to aged 16. She is ranked fifth by NHRA in its list of top 50 all-time greatest drivers, proving just how good she really was. Shirley Muldowney is the first female driver to win an NHRA national event. Her other accomplishments in motorsport includes winning NHRA Top Fuel World Championship in 1977, 1980, and 1982. Because of her success in motorsports as a woman, she was inducted into International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2004.

1. Michele Mouton

Michele Mouton started as a rally co-driver to her friend. After being a co-driver for a few races, her father asked her to try it herself, and after she had agreed, her father bought her a rally car so that she could compete with men in one of the most difficult rallies in France. She is remembered for her participation in 1981 Sanremo rally, Pikes Peak International Hill Climb rally of 1985, and German Rally Championship of 1986. Once she stared racing on her own, it did not take long for her to get noticed. She is also the founder of Race of Champions.

More female drivers have had success in motorsports, but the above are the top five of all-time. Do you agree with our selection? If not, who else do you think should be included in the list?

L4– Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles 2016

March 28, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Today marks the halfway point in the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles. After 3 stages, the teams are feeling the effects physically, mentally and mechanically. L4– Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles 2016 should be a welcomed respite. Part of the ongoing Coverage of the 26th edition of the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc – the all-woman, off-road rally raid that brings women between the ages of 18 and 65 from more than 30 different countries together in the Moroccan desert.

L4– Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles 2016

Monday, March 28, 2016

The marathon L3 stage proved very discouraging for many Gazelles. Several sustained injury, others were unable to reach checkpoints before returning. Mechanical breakdowns were plentiful and fatigue set in with grueling cracks and terrain that assaulted their kidneys, necks and tired bodies. But L4– Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles 2016 promises a reprieve, with wide flat zones, some hilly terrain and easy to navigate plains.

Distance will be the main challenge today, the Gazelles must try to cross the last oued to reach the base camp before nightfall. The cracks of the oued are difficult during the day, and prove almost impossible by night.

IZOUGGUERHN / IZOUGGUERHN – Ideal distance 160 km – Estimated time 9:00 7 CPs – Looped leg

Follow along live: http://www.rallyeaichadesgazelles.com/en/Rally/2016/live/

Motorsports Business Round Table – E Racing

March 28, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Horsepower & Heels founder, Erica Ortiz participated in the Motorsports Business Round Table – E Racing Magazine. The panel of 6 consists of motorsports professionals from around the globe. Together, they discussed diversity in motorsports, the Dare to be Different program, and what challenges face women in F1.

Erica gives her opinion on the issue of gender equality, and what she believes is needed by women in racing to reach the top levels of the sport. The stagnation of young girls who fail to get support to reach the professional level, and the changes needed in mentality at the boardroom level of the sport to help women reach their goals and succeed.

Motorsports Business Round Table – E Racing

Published: March 2016 Volume 3, Issue 1

L3 – Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles 2016

March 27, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

The first marathon leg of the competition, L3 – Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles 2016 will span two days, leaving the bivouac EL BEÏDA and finishing in IZOUGGUERHN. Part of the ongoing coverage of the 26th edition of the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc – the all-woman, off-road rally raid that brings women between the ages of 18 and 65 from more than 30 different countries together in the Moroccan desert.

L3 – Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles 2016 [MARATHON]

Saturday, March 26, 2016 | Sunday, March 27, 2016

All teams made it back from the L2 course to prepare for the marathon 2-day adventure awaiting them in L3 – Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles 2016. The next two days, the teams will be covering over 230 km in complete autonomy, 14 CPs, and camping out in the desert overnight with no mechanical assistance. The beginning of the marathon will be all about crossing the 20 km sprawling sand dunes of ERG CHEBBI. Some as high as 200 meters, the Gazelles have 3 possible routes to choose from to cross the dunes:

Route X: The ‘Expert’ course, mandated for those in the expert class and an option for others who dare, faces walls of sand and check points at high peaks that will prove to be daunting to obtain. They will have to circle the bases and find ways to climb the dunes to advance.
Route Y: Passes very close to the highest peaks, but proves easier to navigate. The terrain is more rugged, and will get more challenging through the day.
Route Z: The least intimidating of the 3 routes, sticking to the feet of the dunes. Perhaps the best option for less experienced Gazelles, as it has less steep dunes and shallower hallows, it still presents the challenge of lots of sand to face.

All routes will have to clear with enough time to cross the soft sands as they exit the dunes to the last checkpoint of day 1, setting up camp in the open bed of sand for DAY 2.

On Sunday, they will face Oued Rhéris, an almost 6 kilometres wide ephemeral river bed that can remain dry for decades at a time or suddenly flood following heavy rains – with huge cracks and crevasses to navigate, and wet zones that will stop any vehicle in its tracks.

After the oued, a wide plain with very few landmarks and 30-kilometer long headings leads to an area that some call Gazelles Hell. The map of this area is strangely sparse and the features are not easy to identify for navigators, it will be hard to find their CP in order to continue their route.

EL BEÏDA / IZOUGGUERHN – Ideal distance 230 km – Estimated time 18:00 – 14 CPs (2 day – MARATHON)

DAY 1

Day 2

Follow along live: http://www.rallyeaichadesgazelles.com/en/Rally/2016/live/