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Horsepower & Heels partners with Race4Girls

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Horsepower & Heels Racing has partnered with Race4Girls, a special organization designed to assist and promote women in motorsports.

Selected as one of the 20 Race4Girls drivers in 2012,  Erica Ortiz will help assist with the mission of bringing awareness and support to women involved in a wide variety of motorsports.

“Supporting Women in Motorsports has been a passion of mine for years, which is why I was so happy to find Race4Girls, an organization that gives great support, resources, encouragement and camaraderie to women out there competing on the track at a wide variety of levels.” — Horsepower & Heels driver, Erica Ortiz

Race4Girls provides support to female drivers by raising fan donations and awarding grants to drivers for much needed equipment and other expenses toward their racing endeavors.

Contributions can be made at www.race4girls.com. The organization requests a minimum five dollar donation. The contributions go in to a general fund from which drivers can request a grant. Registered drivers are required to earn points and “qualify” for a grant and can receive multiple grants during the racing season.

 “If one half of one percent of the race fans in the U.S. make a five dollar contribution, we will be able to provide funding for better equipment for 150 races or more.”  –Tracey Passantino, founder of Race4Girls

Race4Girls.com is the first website which offers speed enthusiasts a common place to show their financial support for women racecar drivers. Many drivers have offered fans an opportunity to help support a “fan car” but no organization has attempted to raise funds from fans to support a larger group of female drivers.    More details about how Race4Girls works can be found at www.race4girls.com.

 

Have helmet, will travel

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Erica in a FiresuitAs is the case in the drag racing world, you always have to stay prepared.

Have helmet, will travel.

I received a phone call of a possible driving opportunity that may be coming in the near future, but since it’s been a few years, my NHRA Advanced ET Competition license has expired and I will need to complete the licensing procedure all over again.

That means I need to find a car capable of running 7.50 or faster, and complete my 6 runs (one half pass, 3 moderate runs, and 2 full passes faster that 7.49).

That wouldn’t be a big deal normally, except that my own car isn’t running at the moment, and I can’t afford a trip to a place like Frank Hawley’s just to get the license again.

So, I’ve put out a call to all my racing friends to see if someone would be willing to let me make a few passes to get my license again.  I can’t offer any cash right now to “rent” their car, but I can provide great crew slave labor and awesome PR help for their team!

So far a few people are checking for me, fingers crossed I find someone so I can get this key roadblock out of the way.  If you know of anyone or have a car you’d let me shoe, please send me a message!

Erica Enders for People’s Choice

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K&N Horsepower ChallengeErica Enders has really been on fire this season after her return to Cagnazzi Racing, and I’m expecting her first win to come any time now this season in Pro Stock.

Its good to see EE doing well, after struggling for the past few years.   See what a difference a great team can make when a great driver is paired?

Erica Enders for People’s Choice

I’d love to see EE go for the glory this year in the K&N Horsepower Challenge, so I’m asking everyone to get out and vote for Erica Enders in the People’s Choice entry.   She’s doing so well this season, she may not need it… but it sure would be great to have her win the People’s vote!

Good luck, EE!

Behind the wheel of a Top Fuel dragster

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Every year, my company attends a week-long industry trade show in Las Vegas, and every year it falls on the same week as the NHRA race.    Unfortunately for me, something always prevents me from checking out the famed Strip, and I was determined NOT to let that happen this year.

Thanks to a little pre-planning on my air tickets, I was able to head out to the track on Friday of the NHRA event for qualifying.   This was made even better by a comp ticket and media parking pass by one of my clients that produces the ESPN2 coverage of the event.  (My company manufactures equipment found on those big TV trucks).

So Friday morning, I dropped off my suitcase at the airport for my redeye flight that night, and headed over to grab a rental car for the afternoon.    Words can not explain how excited I was to travel the 40 or so miles outside the lights of the Vegas Strip to the thunder and excitement of the Vegas DRAG strip.

Behind the wheel of a Top Fuel

When I arrived, I stopped into say hi to my friends at the Strasburg Top Fuel pits.   And then I was given a chance that put me on cloud 9…. I was asked to get behind the wheel of a top fuel dragster to steer the car to the starting line and back to the pit from the scales.

I know, I know… so what?   It wasn’t running or anything.  But let me tell you, for someone like me that wants SOOOO bad to be looking down that long body and out that cockpit, I was in heaven.    I was able to feel how it steers (or doesn’t, depending on how you look at it), I worked the handbrake while being towed around, and got to experience the smells and heat of that nitro engine fresh off a pass.  It was a dream come true, just short of being in a firesuit ready to make my OWN pass.

I think I look good in that seat, don’t you?

AIM HIGH: Extraordinary Stories of Hispanic and Latina Women

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Aim High Extraordinary Stories of Hispanic and Latina WomenHorsepower & Heels driver Erica Ortiz is featured in the first edition hardcover book, Aim High: Extraordinary Stories of Hispanic and Latina Women.

 Aim High: Extraordinary Stories of Hispanic and Latina Women is a book that offers hope and inspiration. Author Laura Contreras-Rowe traveled the country meeting and interviewing inspirational and amazing Hispanic and Latina women.   This book features 33 thought-provoking positive role models from all over the country and from different professional backgrounds to tell their story, delivering a powerful message that despite financial challenges, family obligations and horrific environment or events: a young Hispanic or Latina woman can succeed to astounding heights with courage and tenacity.

Horsepower & Heels driver Erica Ortiz had the honor of being recognized in the book.

May 2010 International Latino Book Awards
1st Place in Best Gift Book
2nd Place in Best Cover Design
Honorable Mention/3rd Place for The Mariposa Award for Best First Time Book

2010 IPPY-Independent Publishers Book Award
Gold/1st Place in Best Non-Fiction Multicultural Juvenile/Youth/Young Adult

Aim High: Extraordinary Stories of Hispanic and Latina Women

(Amazon Affiliate Link)

Publisher: Laura Contreras Rowe, Inc; 1st edition (2009)
ISBN-10: 0984246304
ISBN-13: 978-0984246304

Congrats Force girls

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You know, nitro Funny Car driver Ashley Force-Hood has been having a heckuva year. She’s won several events, led the points chase, been to a handful of finals…. Girl is on Fire. (not literally. That would be BAD.)

Love it.

 

Courtney Force scored a win

But there are 2 more Force girls out there racing worth the mention, and one looks to me to be making quite the splash too. Younger Force spawn Brittany and Courtney are both competing in Top Alcohol Dragster while they are attending college. Courtney is also all over the internets with a column in USA Today and participating in all sorts of cool Fiesta Movement shenanigans. (check out her twitter here or youtube antics here)

 

This past weekend in Seattle, both younger sisters made it to the semi-finals, having to face off against each other. With Courtney taking the win in that pairing, she would be the lone Force car left heading to the final rounds for that day.
Courtney Force defeated Chris Demke in that final to score her first TAD win, the lone Wally in the JFR pit for the day.
I’m a huge fan of all the Force girls, but something just stands out to me about Courtney, and I’m really excited to see her move up and join her dad and sister in the nitro categories. I *suspect* it may just be in a JFR dragster and not the typical flopper, but its just a hunch and would be cool to see. My fear is that her eventual move to funny car may be filling the seat of her retiring dad, and I don’t think I’m ready for that yet.
Where ever she ends up, she seems to have the whole package: trademark Force good looks, articulate, engaging, and royal drag racing blood to boot.
Congrats Courtney on the first of many wins!

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!!!

Another black and pink racecar

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One of the biggest things I’ve missed is my signature Black & Pink racecar paint jobs. Which is why I’m really excited that the other Erica racing is not only driving a Mustang this year too, but has gone with a Black/Pink color scheme for her DragStar Pro Stock ride.

Its been a tough road for racers lately, so I’m super excited for Erica Enders getting back to the Pro Stock arena. The car, which is sponsored by DragStar Racing, will be part of Cunningham Ford Pro Stock Racing program.
Amazingly, this year we are sharing not only the first name, but both of us are driving mustangs, and both cars will rock a similar paint scheme. Although I originally planned a similar Black/Pink theme based on my blog format, my car will now be a dark charcoal color with the pink/black accents instead.
With any luck, this will be the year for the Ericas Comeback Tour– Enders taking on the Pro Stock boys, and myself dealing with the Pro Street crowd! Good luck, Enders!