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Enders defends Bristol event title in Pro Stock

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Enders wins in Bristol againNHRA Pro Stock driver Erica Enders entered the 15th Annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals as the reigning event champion, and successfully defended that title Sunday at Bristol Dragway.   The 2014 World Champion fought her way to her fourth final round in five races, ending in the winner’s circle for her 16th career win, the fourth of the 2015 season.

 It’s always been good to me,” Enders said. “I guess every driver has tracks where they go that no matter what you do wrong, it ends up right. But today we earned it. We made really good runs for the heat; it was really hot and tricky out there.

With temperatures in the low 90’s all weekend and an altitude adjustment for the naturally aspirated category Pro Stock class, crew chiefs Rick and Rickie Jones and Mark Ingersoll had their hands full as they guided Enders to four quick passes.

My crew chiefs were stressing, but they have this cool, calm, collected attitude, and their confidence comes over the radio in my ears. That in turn gives me the confidence I need to go out there and drive to the best of my ability.”

Enders started off by grabbing the No. 1 position in qualifying, running a 6.632 second elapsed time (E.T.) at 207.59 mph in her Elite Motorsports Camaro.  This would be her 16th career pole, and would match her against John Gaydosh Jr. in the opening round of eliminations.

In round one, Gaydosh Jr. would take the slight starting line advtange with a 0.010 second reaction time (RT) to Erica’s 0.027 second RT.   But Enders would regain the lead by the 330′ clocks, crossing the stripe with a 6.695 at 206.51 mph to his losing 6.787 at 196.27 mph.   She just missed the quickest pass of the round by 0.001 seconds to Chris McGaha, but would earn lane choice over Jason Line entering the round two match-up.

Enders and Line have a tough rivalry going, with Erica holding a 13-12 career advantage over Jason in previous meetings.   Both drivers know they have to bring their A-game to the starting line, adding to the pressure.   But Line would jump just a fraction to quick, turning on the red light with a -0.027 RT and handing Enders victory.   Her 0.017 RT on the way to a solid 6.698 second ET at 206.64 mph, again just missing the quickest pass of the round by 0.001 seconds to McGaha, but maintaining lane choice into the semi-final round.

She would face Shane Gray in round three, cutting a stellar 0.007 light against him and never trailing for the win, 6.703 at 206.45 mph to his 6.724 at 206.20 mph.  This time, she was able to capture the fastest pass of the round and critical lane choice into the final against McGaha, who was able to best her performances in each prior round by a mere fraction of a second.

As expected, it was a close race in the final against McGaha.   But Enders handled the pressure like a true champion, posting a 0.025 second RT against his 0.055 second RT, as they both ran side-by-side, her 6.685-second pass at 206.95 mph to his 6.689-second run at 207.46 mph.    At the finish line, it would be Enders with the win, the margin of victory 0.0349 seconds (approximately 11 feet).

You have to learn to win, and that’s something I never understood until we did it,” Enders said. “Greg Anderson and Jason (Line) had mentioned that to me when I was first starting, and I didn’t get it until we finally did it. You just learn how to handle yourself in those high-pressure situations. It’s a challenge, for sure, and you’ve got to remain positive in your thoughts, and that’s been a huge part of our success.”

Securing the back-to-back Bristol victory would propel her into the No. 1 position in the Pro Stock points chase leaving the event.   She holds a 14-point lead over rival Greg Anderson heading into the next event on the tour:  the upcoming Independence Day weekend 9th Annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio.

My guys are absolutely incredible,” Enders said. “They never cease to amaze me. I wouldn’t be where I am without them. This is the first team I’ve ever worked for where we’ve had a unified front and they have my back. I’m blessed to have an incredible group of men, and the chemistry is there. It’s always a positive environment.”

Female Racer: Sondra Leslie

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Sondra Leslie

Dating back to when she was just a teenager, 28 year-old Sondra Leslie has followed in the family drag racing tradition.   The sister of NMRA Factory Stock racer John Leslie Jr and Street Outlaw Crew Chief Melissa Urist, the Munster, IN native began her racing experiences over 15 years ago, learning the family racing habits.  Since then, she’s graduated to her own NMRA Factory Stock race operation, adding another accomplished driver to the family tree. 

Racing in the Blood

I was almost inevitable that Sondra would follow in the family footsteps.  Sondra LeslieMuch like her other siblings, Sondra would spend her teenage years at NMRA events across the country, helping and learning from her brother.   Before she was even old enough to drive, Sondra knew that she wanted to race herself.   She was dedicated to learning everything it took to be successful- from the upkeep and mechanical aspect, to the responsibilities of being a team owner and driver.

Breaking into the sport wasn’t always the easiest for Sondra,  who despite years of experience at the races, still had to overcome some skeptics within the community.

It’s very hard to get your start in this sport as a women because you are not taken very seriously at first. It’s been a unique experience showing everyone I’m just as dedicated as the next person,” she said of the early critics.

Her big break would come in 2009, when best friend and current crew chief, Ken Bjonnes handed over the keys to his supercharged 2005 Mustang GT and offered her a dream-opportunity: a chance to compete in the NMRA Super Stang class for the entire 2010 season.

Ken Bjonnes has been my teacher since day one. He knew I was a fast learner and with his years of experience behind this sport he was eager to teach me the ins and outs of drag racing,” said Sondra of the valuable coaching he provided.

Sondra wouldn’t let him down, indeed proving to be a fast study that would end her rookie season in the No. 5 position overall in the class.  She spent 2011 in the Super Stang class as well, finishing just outside the top ten.

Moving Up- Factory Stock

Sondra LeslieAt the end of her sophomore season, Sondra had the urge to move away from the index racing format of Super Stang and into a heads-up category.  With so much family experience in the Factory Stock class, she felt it would be a fitting match.  Together with her team and family’s input, the car was completely rebuilt for the 2012 season meeting the Factory Stock rule requirements.

Not all competitors were as supportive of her move into heads-up racing.   She was met with vocal critics that unfairly questioned her abilities, and as a result had to learn how best to manage these antagonists.

Several people would give me a hard time because I was a female entering ‘their’ class and would always try to discourage me and question my ability to race, say things like ‘I will never be competitive – I should not even try and come run with them.’  It was difficult at first to handle but you develop some tough skin being in this industry and you learn to just keep at it and always strive to do your best to prove the non-believers you are just as capable as them.”

She has been a staple of the class for the past four seasons, finishing in the top ten every year since her 2012 debut.    Her rookie Factory stock season, Sondra would finish No. 7 for the year, improving every year with a 6th place finish in 2013, and up to the No. 4 position at the end of 2014.  Much of this she attributes to her family.

So many times my family has stepped up to help me when I needed it the most. My parents for trailering my car to the events, my dad for cooking for us and making sure we ate throughout the day and making sure the car was always clean, my mom for video recording every pass I have ever made, my sister for filling in as crew chief when Ken was not able to make the event and always cheering me on, my brother for all his assistance and advise.”

Sondra Leslie Factory StockThis season, Sondra and her team upgraded her Factory Stock Mustang with a MPR Racing Engines built Coyote powerplant and C4 transmission.   Crew chief Ken and Lund Racing provide all the tuning, and Power by the Hour helped to assemble the car for its season opening debut in Bradenton, Florida for the NMRA Spring Break Shootout.    Strange Engineering, her largest sponsor, has been on-board with the program for the past 5 years, and Pappa Shine provides all the cleaning and detailing supplies to ensure the car is always photo-ready.   She is currently in the No. 2 position for points in the 2015 season, with 2 events remaining.

Future Goals for Sondra Leslie

Sondra plans to continue working on improving her Factory Stock program, fine-tuning the combination and improving her race day results.  Her goal is to put the car into the winner’s circle this season, and is constantly working on ways to improve as a driver.

Most challenging thing about racing for me: Not being so hard on myself. I am always looking for ways to become a better driver and even after having an awesome season opener weekend, there is always that ‘if I didn’t do this…’  or ‘I could have done this better…’ that plays over and over in my mind.   My ultimate goal in racing is to be as successful as my brother-in-law, John Urist, and my brother, John Leslie Jr.  I have some pretty big shoes to fill, but with their guidance I know I can achieve that goal.”

One of the most important aspects she has learned being a female driver in the sport is to work with people you can trust and always staying humble.   There are always people out there who don’t have the best intentions in mind, and this can put a racer in a compromising situation.

Work with people you trust. That’s good advice for anyone, but being a woman in this sport opens you up to certain issues that I’m sure you can imagine.”

Sondra Leslie Factory StockFor Sondra, continuing the family tradition of drag racing has been a rewarding adventure she cherishes with her family.    Not only has she added another branch to the Leslie family racing tree, but she also gets the pleasure of teaching the next generation of racer the ropes, involving her two nieces as much as possible at the racetrack.

Many people dream of following a race circuit and competing in it, I actually live that dream and I’m very grateful for this opportunity.”

We can’t wait to see where Sondra Leslie will go in the future!

New Gumout Dragster Livery unveiled

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Leah Pritchett Solid GoldNHRA Top Fuel driver Leah Pritchett and her Dote Racing team unveiled the new “Solid Gold” Gumout dragster  Friday afternoon prior to this weekend’s 15th Annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.

The new gold livery will adorn the dragster for the next three NHRA national events –  this weekend’s Bristol, Tenneesee event,  Norwalk, Ohio (NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals July 2-5) and Joliet, Ill (NHRA Route 66 Nationals July 9-12).

Solid Gold Gumout Dragster

The new livery is representative of the Gumout Expert Series, with its signature gold packing, an exclusive line of Gumout premium performance additives and kits available only at AutoZone.   The Expert Series includes products formulated with the most advanced cleaning and conditioning agents on the market. From single use products to specialty kits, the Gumout Expert Series lineup offers solutions to drivers looking to maintain newer vehicle performance as well as those with older vehicles who wish to restore lost engine performance.

We, at Gumout, are very excited to debut the new “Solid Gold” Gumout dragster Friday for Leah and the Dote Racing team at Bristol,” said Rusty Waples, Global Group Brand Manager at ITW Global Brands. “When we discussed our idea with Leah, she asked if we could really go gold and we told her, “absolutely!”  That said, it’s about as gold as you can get and it mimics our new packaging for the Gumout Expert Series. We’re enthusiastic to see the reaction of the NHRA racing fans as they get the chance to see the car close-up in the pits.”

Leah Pritchett Solid Gold UnveilingFor nearly 70 years, Gumout has been vehicle owners’ trusted source for automotive performance products and made a successful return to NHRA professional drag racing in 2014.

“We went back and forth on how to do this gold dragster and finally just decided lets be all-in and go big – and gold, bullion-style,” laughed Pritchett, recent runner-up at the NHRA Southern Nationals. “I love the red dragster, but this, this is going to be fun to roll out to the lanes the next three events for Gumout. Even more fun to roll out of Bristol with a Wally!”

Solid Gold Gumout dragsterPritchett enters the event after recording the quickest elapsed time of her 18-year racing career with a sensational 3.736-second clocking at Englishtown. This is on the heels of advancing to her first Top Fuel final round at Atlanta Dragway last month.

Qualifying for the 16-driver Top Fuel field will begin tonight with two rounds at 5:30 and 8 p.m. EDT. Final eliminations for the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals is scheduled Sunday (June 21) at Noon EDT. The ESPN telecast of the eliminations will be live on June 21 starting 3 p.m. EDT.

Haley James picks up second career win

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Haley James Norwalk
Photo: NMRA Digital

Norwalk Coyote Modified Victory for rookie James

National Mustang Racers Association Coyote Modified drag racer Haley James picked up the second win of her career at the 12th Annual McLeod Racing NMRA Ford SUPER Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio this past weekend.    The 18 year-old recent high school graduate began this season in Bradenton, FL as a complete drag racing rookie.  Since then, she has made quite a statement, securing the top spot in the ultra-competitive Coyote Modified class.

Haley James' Hellion Pit in NorwalkWeather would prove to be a big factor in the weekend’s events, as Haley and the Hellion Racing team would fight hot and muggy tuning conditions, with frequent racing rain delay interruptions.   Friday’s first test pass resulted in no-traction, and Haley blew the tires off in an aborted run.    Round one of qualifying, she was able to post an off-paced 8.483 second elapsed time at 162.18 mph, but rain would stop the round before the class completion and end the day’s racing action.

When racing resumed Saturday, Haley improved her position slightly, earning the No. 1 qualified position with an 8.400 second E.T. at 162.12 mph.  This would give the rookie a competition bye in round 1 of eliminations on Sunday.   She would use the round to blast off an 8.524 second at 161.44 mph performance, securing lane choice for round number two.

For the next pairing, James would face the 2014 Mustang of No. 4 qualified Ronnie Reynolds.   Reynolds had ousted Haley in the previous Maryland race during a staging battle that saw her ‘creeper button’, the button used to initiate the staging sequence for the turbocharged car, malfunctioned.    Haley was anxious to avenge the loss, and earn her way into the final.    Both racers would leave the starting line together, but Haley quickly powered her way out front to a 8.442 second E.T. at 161.96 mph to his losing 9.389 at 151.14 mph.

Norwalk Coyote Modified Final

The win in round two would pair her in the final round against veteran racer Johnny Lightning, the number two qualifier.    Rain continued to plague the event, but between rain clouds, the two top-ranked competitors were able to face off and complete the final round.   Johnny Lightning would leave with a slight starting line advantage, and the two were side by side until the eighth mile marker.   But a faulty throttle cable would cause Lightning to abort, and Haley thundered on to the win with a 8.463 at 162.16 mph to his losing 9.051 at 120.32 mph.

Watch Haley James vs Johnny Lightning in the CM Norwalk Final

Haley James leaves the event with the No. 1 position in NMRA Coyote Modified championship points.   The next event for the team will be the 10th Annual NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois on July 30th-August 2nd, 2015.

Transmission failure ends Enders day in Epping

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Erica Enders EppingElite Motorsports driver Erica Enders is no fan of the Grateful Dead, and after the 3rd annual NHRA New England Nationals on Sunday at New England Dragway, she’s even less so.  In drag racing, the term “deadhead” refers to a mis-alignment of gears inside the transmission, resulting in a failed pass down the racetrack.   And that’s exactly what happened on Sunday in the semifinals after Enders had the quickest car on the property in the previous two rounds.

The 2014 Pro Stock champion, Enders had the dominant car on Sunday in Epping. She qualified No. 4, but crew chiefs Rick and Rickie Jones and Mark Ingersoll tuned the red Chevrolet Camaro to a pass of 6.513 at 214.69 mph in the first round against V. Gaines. That was the quickest and fastest pass of the round, and the speed broke Jeg Coughlin Jr.’s year-old track record.

She went even quicker in the next round against Vincent Nobile. While Nobile made a pass of 6.546 seconds at 213.47 mph, Enders blistered the track with a 6.506-second run at 214.66 mph to advance to the semifinals.

But round number three is where her luck would run out.   Fellow competitor and good buddy Allen Johnson made a pass of 6.537 second at 213.33 mph, a run that Enders could have easily covered if she had matched her first- and second-round runs, but during her normal shifting procedure, Enders’ transmission deadheaded and her pass was 6.540 seconds at 214.21 mph. That gave Johnson a narrow victory to the final round.

It’s disappointing, for sure,” Enders said. “Instead of the gears lining up and going into the right gear, it just misses when it’s supposed to align and it doesn’t shift. It’s no one’s fault and it happens every now and then in Pro Stock, but that doesn’t take the sting out of it.”

Next on the NHRA schedule is the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals next weekend at Bristol Dragway.

It just wasn’t our day, but we had the quickest car on the property today thanks to my guys,” Enders said. “They’re the best guys out here, and I have complete faith in them all. We’ll be back in Bristol next week, and we’re the defending champions there, so our heads are held high.”

 

Strong run continues for Brittany Force

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Brittany Force NHRA Top FuelTop Fuel driver Brittany Force continued her strong run in her Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster at this weekend’s 3rd annual NHRA New England Nationals in Epping, New Hampshire.  For the third straight event, the Monster Energy team advanced in rounds, coming just short with a 1/100th of a second loss in the semi-finals.

Brittany Force qualified in the number 10 position.   First round of eliminations, this would match her up against the number 5 qualifier, Doug Kalitta.   With Doug holding the winning record at 6-3 against Force, and having been to the finals of this event the year before, Brittany would need to be at the top of her game in the first round to defeat the veteran.    She took the starting line advantage and never trailed, finessing the throttle when the dragster teetered on losing traction and salvaging the pass to a 4.287 second elapsed time at 211.03 mph performance.

Pedaling the car happens so fast and it comes with experience. I am still learning and every run is different. I think I handled that run pretty well. I got out of it and let it settle down and then I got back on the throttle nice and smooth,” said Force. “It hooked up again and got us far enough down the track to get the win over Kalitta. I don’t mind pedaling this Monster Energy dragster and I am getting better at it.”

Brittany Force wins Rd2 vs CramptonThough pedaling would get her the win out of round one, she would give up lane choice in the next round to number 2 qualified Richie Crampton.  The drivers are even at 3-3 in previous encounters.   But it would be Brittany this time, taking the win with a superior 3.885 second pass at 316.08 mph as Crampton hazed the tires.  The run was the second-fastest of the session, and gave Force lane choice into the semi-finals.

Now in her third consecutive semi-final round, a personal best for Force, she was paired with three-time Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon.  Hoping to propel herself to her first back-to-back final round finish, and another shot at her elusive first win, Force was ready to turn the tables on the veteran, who held a 2-0 record against her.   Though it would be Brittany out of the gate first, Dixon overcame a starting line disadvantage (.100 to .081) to get the win, with a 3.855 second E.T. to Force’s 3.894 second performance. The margin of victory was just 0.0105 seconds (approximately 5 feet).Another semi-final for B Force

“Looking back at the last three races I think this Monster Energy team is on fire right now. We have never performed like this. It is more than just performance this whole team has pulled together. We are pushing our dragster during qualifying and then showing up on race day and going rounds.  I am very proud of the entire team especially my crew chiefs Todd Smith and Ronnie Thompson. They had to be patient all year long because we couldn’t push the car because we didn’t have the funding. Now with Monster Energy we can really press it. Overall it was a great weekend and you can’t complain about going to two semi-finals and a final in the last three races. We are ready to get to Bristol and that is one of my favorite tracks.”

Brittany leaves the event No. 8 in NHRA Mello Yello Championship Points heading into this coming weekend’s 15th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tennessee.

Firestone Racing’s Cara Adams

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MeCara Adams Women in Motorsportset Cara Adams, Senior Project Engineer of Race Tire Development for Firestone Racing, the exclusive tire manufacturer for the Verizon IndyCar Series.   On the track, she is responsible for the design and development of Firestone’s tires for the oval circuits, including the Indianapolis 500, superspeedway and mile oval tracks.

Breaking Gearhead

I have always been fascinated by how things work. I liked to take things apart and put them back together… most of the time.”

Cara grew up with a passion for dissecting and reassembling things around her.  The daughter of a high school science teacher, she was regularly surrounded by neighborhood science camps growing up.    Her grandfather, an engineer for NASA, was the inspiration that led her to pursue her Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on vehicle dynamics from the University of Akron in Ohio.

While attending college, she would take an interest in Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers), a program in which students design, build and race an open-wheeled race car.   Through this program, she attend ed a few Champ Car races in nearby Cleveland, Ohio.

I was so impressed by the engineering of these machines, I started going every year.   I remember being fascinated by the cars flying through the chicane in turns 9 and 10, watching the motion of the cars as the chassis reacted to braking, turning, and acceleration as the drivers navigated that tricky section of track.  I could have watched that for hours.”

Her start in the program wasn’t a glamorous one.   She began at the bottom, cleaning up the shop area.   From there, Cara began learning how to use a mill and lathe, machining small parts and becoming more engaged and useful around the shop.   She progressed to cutting and bending the tubes for the frame, using FEA to help design uprights and designing the safety systems that go in the car, like the impact crush zones and various electronics.

Away from school, Cara would again encounter the racing bug as a passenger in a friend’s supercharged Mustang.   She was instantly hooked, and decided she wanted to own a car that fast.

I saved up, bought a car that needed some work, and decided to learn how to make it fast.  Since then, I’ve worked to improve upon just about every area of that car.”

Cara Adams engine rebuildHer first engine rebuild would come on a Honda CBR F3.   Learning the inner workings of the engine was fascinating to Adams.  She would wrench away on her own cars, and then take them to local drag strips, auto-cross events, or road courses to test  her work and results.

From that moment on, I knew I wanted to work in the automotive field, and that I would love an opportunity to work in racing.   I wanted this to become a full time job.  Seeing the results of my own hobbies gave me confidence to work in racing for a living.  I am very blessed to do this for a living.”

Turning Passion into Paychecks

Her first entry into the profession would come in 2003, working with Bridgestone Americas’ Tire/Vehicle Dynamics team.   Working with the Formula SAE team, there wasn’t much time for “typical” college activities like eating, sleeping, doing homework or having a social life.  Every spare moment was spent down in the shop machining new parts or working on new designs.    She gained experience working during this time, but had her heart set on working with the Firestone Racing team.  Breaking into a full-time career in racing is difficult regardless of the role, but Cara was determined to make her dreams a reality.

I met with the head of race tire development, and asked him what skills and traits he wanted to see in a race tire engineer.  I told him my goal was to work for the Firestone Racing team, asked him for advice and took everything he said to heart.  I picked up a couple of Vehicle Dynamics textbooks, and also and started teaching myself how to code in the MATLAB programming language, as that was not one of my strengths at the time.  I was determined to go into the interview and give them no choice but to hire me as the next race tire engineer.”

Cara Adams FirestoneTaking heed of that advice, Cara would remain adamant about her ambitions and soak up as much knowledge and experience as she could.   She would learn from mentors that would help further her goal of breaking into the racing world.

I learned most of what I know from my first manager, Page Mader, and our lead engineer, Dale Harrigle (Dale is now the Chief Engineer of Bridgestone Americas Motorsports).  It is unbelievable the work and knowledge that goes into designing these racing tires that withstand high loads and speeds of IndyCars.  At some tracks, the tires withstand speeds of more than 240 mph and the right rear tire can bear loads equivalent to the weight of a Honda Civic or a Chevrolet Cruze!”

Pestering her way into Racing

Her dream job didn’t happen by accident, as Cara often credits herself as “pestering her way into racing”.    In 2007, Cara strategically planned a trip to visit her younger sister, also an engineer who had just begun working for Boeing in Seattle.   The Champ Car Portland Grand Prix was also scheduled that week, so Cara reached out to the Firestone Racing team to volunteer for the group.

Since Portland was only three hours from her apartment, I told the group I’d come out and volunteer that weekend ‘since I was there anyway.’  In reality, I chose that weekend to fly out in hopes I could work with the Firestone Racing team.”

Her pestering paid off, when later that year she interviewed for and was hired on by the Race Tire Development team with the Firestone Racing brand, carrying primary responsibility in road and street course tires.

The Bumpy Road to Open Wheel

Cara Adams and Danica PatrickHaving made her way into racing, her first official business trip would be to a tire test session at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  Assigned to work with drivers Marco Andretti and Danica Patrick, Cara had a busy week to get her feet wet in the sport.  Bad luck would strike, as Cara became ill before her trip, and would rupture her eardrum on the flight down, spending the night before the test in the emergency room.   Despite these setbacks, she would soldier on through the entire test, spending all day on pit lane learning about IndyCar and Firestone racing and getting feedback from the drivers about tire performance.

I found that the IndyCar community is a fantastic group of people- one of the reasons is that almost everyone that works in IndyCar does it because they want to be there.  This leads to a very focused, dedicated group of people in all ranks of the organization, be it a team, or supplier like Firestone.”

The Firestone team travels to about 17 races per year, not including on-track testing, and Cara often feels that she spends more time with her IndyCar family than with her own family.  The height of this busy road life occurs during the month leading up to the Indianapolis 500, when the culmination of the Indianapolis Rookie Orientation Programs, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course open test, the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, and the Indy 500 practice sessions/qualifying /race  require Cara to live in the same hotel room for over a month.  Luckily, her husband loves racing too, and is more than willing to come out for a visit.

In addition to the on-track products, Cara oversees rain tire development and all of Firestone’s racing force and moment testing (testing the tire and creating a model that teams can use in their vehicle simulations).

 I have the privilege of working for a fantastic company that respects its employees and I’m fortunate to work with a great team of people.  It is important to choose a company with values you respect.   Bridgestone creates a great collaborative environment that gives us the flexibility to be innovative while designing high-performance tires, whether they’re on the race track, on the highway or in a farmer’s field.”

Experience and Inspiring Others

Though being among a smaller minority of women working in the male-dominated racing community makes you stick out just like any big difference in a large group, Cara insists that this diversity works to her advantage.

Instead of just being “the tire guy” (although I am still called that), people quickly learned to know me as Cara, the Tire Engineer and Force and Moment expert.  Having diversity among a group, whether gender, area of expertise or anything else, can lead to different ways of thinking about the same issue and can yield unique solutions to any challenges you may face.   A small minority of the ‘old school’ racers might initially be more skeptical of a female engineer in the paddock, but like everyone, you prove yourself by your performance.  Once they see your work ethic, talent, passion and ability to solve challenges, it doesn’t matter whether you’re male or female. Brown, black, white or purple – everyone respects results.”

Cara Adams IndycarCara has been able to use her career experience as a Race Tire Engineer to help introduce engineering to the younger generations, speaking to children of all ages about the importance of math and sciences and showing them the possibilities within the field of engineering.   She has fostered some fantastic mentoring relationships with young people.

As an engineer who is female working in a mostly male dominated sport, I hope to be a role model who inspires young girls to believe that being an engineer is a very attainable goal.”

Future Goals

Going forward, the same goal that has propelled Adams thus far in her career continues to motivate and drive her: to be not just the best female engineer, but the best in her field.

I always have the same goal, regardless of my role: Be the best at what I do, provide engineering solutions to challenges no one has yet thought of, contribute to and/or lead a successful team.  More specifically for my job, my goals are: To make safe, consistent, innovative tires that go fast, and to provide excellent customer service to the IndyCar teams – listen to their feedback and use it to continuously improve the performance of our tires.  I don’t want to be the best ‘female engineer’;  I want to be the best engineer, period!”

And for those who are wanting to pursue their dreams in the racing world, she offers:

Don’t let anyone tell you what you can or can’t do, what you are or aren’t good at, or who you are.  If you have a goal, do everything in your power to accomplish it, and don’t be timid if you run into obstacles.  It’s important to have a good support system.  I have been blessed with a great network of people who know me and believe in me.  Having people who care about and support you, and provide you with genuine feedback is priceless.  If you don’t have a mentor, reach out to someone you respect and ask for advice.  Having someone in your field with whom you can discuss your career, challenges, or simply use as a sounding board for ideas, will help you along the way. You may even give back as much as you get out of a good mentoring relationship.  And, if you have others that can learn from you, be a mentor for them.”

Brittany Force runner-up in Top Fuel

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Brittany Force falls just short of first win

Brittany Force runner-up Englishtown
Brittany Force Photo: Gary Nastase, John Force Racing

For the fifth time in her career and the first time this season, Brittany Force raced to a runner-up finish in Top Fuel at the 46th Annual Toyota NHRA Summernationals in Englishtown, New Jersey.     Her bid to become the eighth woman to win in drag racing’s Top Fuel class fell just short to New Jersey native Antron Brown in the final round.  Force qualified No. 6 and worked her way to the final round by defeating Richie Crampton, Tony Schumacher and Terry McMillen.

Overall this was an awesome day for this Monster Energy team. I am so proud of every one of my guys. They put everything into this dragster this weekend. We went all the way to the final and I don’t even know how that happened it was just a blur today. You can tell they are bummed and they really wanted to take home that win but I am so proud of them and especially my crew chiefs Todd Smith and Ronnie Thompson,” said Force.

Force and the Monster Energy team faced Richie Crampton in the first round, hoping to avenge the semi-final loss against Crampton in Kansas.    Both former Rookie of the Year recipients were quick off the line, but Crampton lost traction immediately and aborted, while Brittany thundered through to a  3.848 second elapsed time at 316.01 mph.  The win was critical for the team and would move Brittany into round two with lane choice against 8-time Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher.

Again, the pair would leave the line together, but Schumacher would also go up in smoke instantly, allowing Brittany to take the win with another consistent 3.838 second E.T. at 314.02 mph.  For the second race in a row, Force bested the former World Champ, evening her career head-to-head record against ‘The Sarg’ at 3-3.

It always helps when you get multiple round wins against anyone. We just use that to keep moving forward and to keep pushing a little bit harder. Really now having Monster Energy on board we now have the power to push harder. We can be more aggressive and push the performance,” said an excited Force.

Brittany Force runner up
Brittany Force launch Photo: Gary Nastase, John Force Racing

Force moved on to face Terry McMillen in round number three.    She would again reach the finish line first with a 3.899 at 314.09 mph, but would lose a fuel line at the top end and upset the blower.  This would cost her lane-choice in the final against Antron Brown.   Though she would leave first, Brittany shook the tires shortly after the launch.  She tried to pedal, but seeing the hometown boy was out ahead she clicked off.   Antron drove straight through the finish, with a solid 3.843 at 318.47 mph.

We pushed it all the way to the finals this weekend. Earlier in the season we were playing it safe because we didn’t have a sponsor and we couldn’t press as hard on the parts. We are a lot more confident and we are proud to be teamed up with Monster Energy.”

Brittany Force Top Fuel
Brittany Force Photo: Gary Nastase, John Force Racing

Two weeks ago, Force raced to her first semi-final finish of the season, and her advance to the final round of Englishtown moves her up in the Mello Yello point standings from 11th place to 8th place.    The runner-up finish marked the first final for her new sponsor Monster Energy, who last saw the final round with Kenny Bernstein’s Funny Car team, where they lost to John Force at Brainerd August 2007.

Brittany Force, in her third professional year of Top Fuel, is only 29 points out of 7th place with nine races left in the regular season, and is now headed to Epping, New Hampshire for the 3rd Annual NHRA New England Nationals this weekend.

I love having back to back races. That is the best part about having some momentum. We ended on a good note and we went to our fifth final. We only have a few days off and we go right back into the next one. I like to get into that groove and so does my team,” said Force, on the prospect of racing three weekends in a row.

 

Runner-up finish for Alexis DeJoria

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Alexis DeJoria finals Englishtown Alexis DeJoria finishes 2nd at Englishtown in Funny Car

Alexis DeJoria and the Patrón XO Cafe Incendio Toyota Camry Funny Car team raced to their first runner-up finish of 2015 at the 46th annual Toyota NHRA Summernationals.     The sixth final round appearance of her Funny Car career, DeJoria and her Patrón team had one of the most consistent cars throughout eliminations on Sunday.

Patron Funny Car warm up in EnglishtownIn the opening round, the No. 10 qualified DeJoria would take on No. 7 qualifier Jack Beckman.   Beckman had the upper hand in their previous meetings, with an 11-4 record.    Beckman would leave first, but quickly lost traction and spun the tires as Alexis would power on to victory with a 4.089 elapsed time at 302.96 mph to his 4.458 second E.T. at 206.39mph.   That pass would earn DeJoria lane choice for the second round.

Dom Lagana would also take the reaction advantage against DeJoria in round two, but aborted the run when he also lost traction, as Alexis again made another strong 4.168 second pass.  This would place her in the semi-final round against Kalitta teammate, Del Worsham.

This would be a close race between the Kalitta Camrys.   Although Worsham would take a slight advantage off of the starting line, DeJoria was on his tail and passed him by 330 feet in route to a run of 4.120 to his competitive 4.138 second pass.   The margin of victory at the finish line was just 0.0015 seconds, or approximately 8 inches.    Alexis would also just edge out reigning World Champion and current points leader, Matt Hagan, for lane choice into the finals.

Alexis DeJoria in EnglishtownThe final round was a nail-biter from start-to-finish.   The two launched off of the starting line with nearly identical reaction times (0.079 versus Hagan’s 0.074), with DeJoria pulling away to take the early lead.  She led the race to 330 feet, but Hagan recaptured the lead at 660 feet, by just 0.001 seconds.   He would hold onto the win, defeating DeJoria by a 0.0114 second margin of victory and less than a car length.   An exciting race but unfortunately DeJoria just barely missed setting off the win light with her 4.138-sec pass to his 4.132.

What a day. I’m just beside myself right now,” said DeJoria a three-time Funny Car winner. “To do this well at the Toyota NHRA Summernationals is awesome. I’ve never won in Englishtown and I’ve definitely never made it to the finals here, so it feels good. I’ve really got to give it up to my team- they’re the main reason we went so far today. They’re such an excellent group and they’ve really got my back. I love these guys like a family. I wasn’t the greatest on my reaction times every round, but when it mattered, I really pulled it off.  It was a hell of a final against Matt Hagan. I didn’t give anything up on the starting line, that’s for sure, and I’m leaving Englishtown pretty stoked.”

Although she missed putting her Patrón Toyota Camry in the Winners Circle by just a few thousandths of a second, advancing to the final round enabled the Patrón team to gain sixty valuable points. The team has struggled with only a pair of semi-final finishes over the course of the first eight races, and has sat at the bottom of the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship points throughout most of the season. They entered Sunday of the Toyota NHRA Summernationals in the No. 10 spot with only a one-point advantage above the No. 11th ranked driver.   The runner-up finish allowed them to move up to the 8th spot, and put much needed points on the board in an ultra-competitive Funny Car class.

“We picked up quite a few points this weekend, and we’re starting to get back into the swing things so I’m really glad we’re back at it up in Epping next weekend.”

Now ranked eighth, the Patrón XO Cafe Incendio Toyota Camry Funny Car team leaves Old Bridge Township Raceway with 487 points. They compete next at the 3rd annual NHRA New England Nationals in Epping, N.H., June 12-14.