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Fun Ford Weekend Spring Break Shootout 2003

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The Fun Ford Weekend Spring Break Shootout event for the 2003 season was held at the Orlando Speed World Dragway.    This is the Fun Ford season opening event, and for Erica Ortiz, it is a hometown event held right in the Horsepower & Heels backyard.

Erica Ortiz entered her turbocharged Mustang in the Drag Radial class for the event.   But weather made the weekend a soggy one.   Erica would be able to get in a few good runs, advancing to Round 2 of eliminations after defeating Frank Provenza in Round 1.   Unfortunately, the event would be postponed due to rain delay and would be continued at the next race the Peach State Nationals in Commerce, GA.

Fun Ford Weekend Spring Break Shootout

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NMRA Maple Grove 2002

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Erica Ortiz debuts a new paint scheme at the NMRA Maple Grove 2002 event in Reading, PA.  Her previously all-black Horsepower & Heels drag radial Mustang debuts a new, magenta-flamed paint job by Rick Doern.   The pink and black livery paid tribute to her pride in representing women in racing.

Popular magazine, Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords, shot the car for a featured spread, landing Erica the cover of the November issue in a feature entitled Beauty and the Beast.

NMRA Maple Grove 2002

Ortiz however had a difficult race weekend, battling tire spin throughout the event.  Her best performance time came during an early morning test session, where she ran a 9.51 @ 147 mph.

Plagued by tire spin and other slight technical problems, she qualified with an off-pace 10.7 @ 147 mph.   Unable to sort out the problems in time, Erica fell to competitor Ty Krean in Round #1 with a 9.70 @ 148 mph.

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Fun Ford Weekend Sunshine State Nationals 2002

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Erica Ortiz took her Horsepower & Heels Mustang to the Fun Ford Weekend Sunshine State Nationals event in Gainesville, FL  June, 2002.

She competed in the True Street class, a unique class that challenges street cars to a 30 mile road cruise before returning to the drag track for 3 back-to-back passes.  The key is, they have to complete the cruise and passes without servicing the car.   Each of those passes is then averaged for a final score.  The top score in each 9, 10, 11, and 12 second bracket was awarded a trophy, as well as the overall event winner with the fastest average.

Erica finished the passes, obtaining a 9.48 average at 150 mph. This took the top 9 second average category, and was also the over all True Street winner for the event.

2002 Fun Ford Weekend Sunshine State Nationals True Street Champion

The event marked Erica’s first victory in her drag racing career.

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