Celebrating, promoting and supporting female racers and women in motorsports

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Much ado about Danica

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Danica Patrick, 2005 Indy 500
Danica Patrick, Indy 500

Much ado about Danica….

Congrats to Danica Patrick for her accomplishments in Indy this past weekend. She has proven what I have tried to explain to so many potential marketing partnerships… Give us the opportunity, and we will outshine all else. Danica lived a dream this past weekend that so many others out there like her have yearned for… she proved that her talent paired with the support of a high caliber team can achieve what none others were capable of. She was not the first, Fischer and others had competed before her, but they did not have the benefit of ARGENT and late night talkshow host Letterman behind them. They needed someone who believed in them so that they were given the team it takes to win…

When was the last time a 4th place finisher was noted in the media, beyond the top ten results? Yet Danica graced newspaper covers and television highlights all weekend long. In fact, I do not even know the name of the man who won the race. His win was dwarfed by Danica’s accomplishments, as the entire world sat rivvetted to their televisions watching her battle for the finish. Countless people (myself included) who never watch the IRL tuned in to see the girl with the talent take a stab at the top. And now Danica (and importantly… Argent… hint, hint) are household names that brought a whole new crowd back to the Indy Racing Leagues.

Women in motorsports are such a unique marketing avenue… they appeal to the masses, and are one of the best yields on investments imaginable. Argent could now not put a price on the benefits that their support of Danica has yielded them…

My hope is that companies will now take notice of this and offer their support to other women. Maybe one day a company will see the benefits in supporting my efforts, and realize that my dedication to marketing their company will reward their investments three fold.

Anyone out there care to support THIS fast female???

::ERICA::

Read it. Online. Anytime.

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That’s one of our marketing slogans at the paper I work for (The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer)

Read It. Online. Anytime.

Its kind of amazing how much the internet has mainstreamed into our daily lives. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m about at the point where I can’t live WITHOUT it. Its how I stay in touch, in the know, up to date. You really can find ANYTHING on the web, you just have to know how to find it. But as much as I am constantly online, reading, writing, browsing, surfing, or however you refer to it, I never stood still long enough to carve out my own place…. Kind of silly seeing how I have built sites for countless others.

So, what does a girl do when she’s stuck at home, miserable from having her wisdom teeth pulled? Why, stay up all night and create her own site!

Welcome to Horsepower & Heels!    I have big dreams for this site, both for my own racing and to have a place where all women racing can find info and resources.

So, here it is… its not done yet, but I’ll promise to keep updating it as often as I can. Thanks for coming and looking around. Hopefully, it’ll interest a few watching eyes, and some much needed help will come my way. Or maybe that’s just the hydrocodone talking.

A girl can dream, right?

Fun Ford Weekend Buckeye Nationals 2003

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Fun Ford Weekend Buckeye Nationals 2003 Norwalk, Ohio

After pulling into a muddy Norwalk racetrack Friday afternoon, Horsepower & Heels driver Erica Ortiz unloads the car to find a leaky head gasket.   The team had just replaced heads before the haul and the new sealant didn’t adhere properly.    Although she missed Round 1 qualifying, Erica had the car back to running late that night.

In the morning, Ortiz lined up for 2nd round qualifying. But after violent tire shake the first 660 ft, the best she could muster was a 10.03 @ 158 mph. She headed back to the trailer to ponder how to make the car hook, and improved in the 3rd round to qualify in the #3 spot with a 9.325 @ 159.55 mph.

In Eliminations, Erica took the win with a 9.23 @ 160.30 mph against Brad Hevwagen. But in the second round, Erica lost the hook and the round against Randy Haywood, after a close pair of 9.20’s from both.

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Fun Ford Weekend Old Dominion Nationals 2003

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After a disappointing finish in the previous race in Gainesville, the Horsepower & Heels Racing team had only 2 weeks to put together an entire new engine program for the Fun Ford Weekend Old Dominion Nationals event in Richmond, VA.

New Engine Combo

Friday’s test pass was the first time the new motor had ever been run. The maiden voyage first qualifying run on Friday yielded a 9.38 @ 158mph E.T., with driver Erica Ortiz peddling hard the bottom end of the track to maintain traction. This put Erica in the #4 spot for Saturday’s “Race within a Race” shootout event.    The race within a race, sponsored by Innovative Turbo Systems matched the top 8 qualifiers from Friday’s qualifying in a shoot out ladder during Saturday’s qualifications.

Race within a Race Drag Radial Shootout

Saturday morning, Erica was paired 1st round against rival racer Christina Eldert’s new coupe in a women’s racing battle. After all was said and done, Erica advanced to the 2nd round as the top female with a win on the tree and at the light.   But in the 2nd round, Erica spun hard off the line again and was defeated by Norris McKay, who went on to win the shootout event and the Innovative Turbo prize money.

Eliminations

With a final qualifying effort of 9.21 @ 158, Erica was #4 on Sunday’s ladder for eliminations. Her first round match up paired her with Alex Vretto. Unfortunately, Erica had problems on the line spooling up and lost on a hole shot, running a quicker 9.24 to Alex’s 9.44.

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Fun Ford Weekend Texas Thunder 2003

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Fun Ford Weekend Texas Thunder 2003, Baytown, TX

After a successful outing in Atlanta, Erica Ortiz would enter the Fun Ford Weekend Texas Thunder event #1 in points in the Drag Radial class. The Horsepower & Heels driver sought to maintain the points lead and improve on her string of runner up finishes.

The unbearable Baytown, Texas heat made tuning a difficult chore, but Erica gave it her best all weekend.

 

Fun Ford Weekend Peach State Nationals 03

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Fun Ford Weekend Peach State Nationals

April 2003- Commerce, GA

This race would be the finish to the previous rain-delayed FFW Spring Break Shootout event in Orlando,

Runner up, FFW Spring Break Shootout 2003

After qualifying #3 with a 9.003 @ 159mph, Erica makes history as the first female in a final round in the drag radial class for Orlando’s rain-delayed final against Chris Little. The car lost traction, and Erica runners-up with a 9.90 @ 159mph.

First woman in the 8’s in drag radial

Entering Atlanta eliminations on Sunday, Erica gets a lucky break with several competition bye runs. She ran the fastest lap of round 1 with an 8.90 @ 163 mph and becomes the first female in the 8’s on a drag radial!

Runner-up, FFW Peach State Nationals 2003

Again, she reaches the Atlanta finals to face Big Daddy in an all-Innovative turbo final round. Despite a hole shot by Erica, the car again lost traction, and she could not catch him, running a 9.40 @ 153mph.

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