Women Racing Archives – Page 6 of 41

Motorsport Team of the Year 2016

January 4, 2017 // by Horsepower & Heels

The Female Motorsport Team of the Year 2016 category received 25 nominations and 54 votes for the Horsepower & Heels Women of the Year Awards. This category recognizes the team that contributes the most to women in motorsports. An early front runner set the stage, but another nominee closed the gap for a 2 vote victory.

Female Motorsport Team of the Year 2016 – Randy Meyer Racing

Horsepower & Heels is proud to announce the winner of the Women of the Year Female Motorsport Team of the Year 2016 category – NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster Super Team, Randy Meyer Racing. Home of Meyer Sister Racing duo Megan Meyer and Rachel Meyer, the family TAD dynasty Randy Meyer Racing began with father Randy and has now debuted rising talent in rookie daughters Megan and Rachel. The team regularly assists other young developing drivers with licensing and TAD debuts.

Megan Meyer completed her first full season in the TAD class for 2016, with Rachel Meyer making her TAD debut mid-season. Both ladies are instrumental behind the scenes as well, crewing and maintaining the family business. Rachel will make her full-season debut with a new dragster in 2017, and the team plans to continue their winning legacy in the class.

Motorsport Team of the Year 2016 Runner Up – Dream Chaser Racin’

The Harley Pro Fuel team of Janette Thornley, Dream Chaser Racin’ is your Motorsport Team of the Year 2016 Runner-Up for the Horsepower & Heels Women of the Year Awards.

Motorsport Team of the Year 2016 Nominees

Larsen Motorsports
Elite Motorsports
Miss Behaving Racing
Hellion B Team
John Force Racing
Alexis DeJoria Racing
Melanie Salemi Motorsports
BMI Racing
Terri Chandler
Shannon Giust
Love Motorsports
Car Chix
Kayli Barker Racing
Cheryl Hryn Racing
Show N Tell Racing
Speed Sisters
Nancy Matter Motorsports
Cars Protection Plus
Boyce Racing
Sarah Burgess Racing
Karri Beebe Racing
Mad Mike Molea Racing

Feature: Stewart Sisters Racing

December 30, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

This young, up and coming New Zealand duo are making waves in the Karting Racing world. Say hello to the Stewart Sisters Racing team, our latest featured drivers!

Wellington, New Zealand natives Ashleigh and Madeline Stewart were born into the world of Karting Racing. Their grandfather and father, both established racers, introduced them to the sport from the time they were very little, and the sisters have grown up at the racetrack, spending countless hours participating in the family pastime. Once the girls came of age, it was a natural progression that both would carry on in the racing tradition.

Ashleigh Stewart – Stewart Sisters Racing

The older of the pair, eighteen year-old Ashleigh Stewart first attended the races when she was just 6 weeks old. Growing up around her father and grandfather’s racing background, Ashleigh couldn’t wait for her turn behind the wheel, getting her racing start at the age of 10, after begging her father for 2 years. Now in her eighth year of racing, Ashleigh competes in the Rotax Light Karting division.

In the beginning, as Ashleigh was learning and developing her skills, she admits that she was not particularly competitive within the field. But the junior racer worked hard, and with the help of her family and several driving coaches, has made considerable progress in her career and driving technique. This hard work began to payoff, and in 2015 she earned a first place Rotax Light win at the KartSport Manawatu Championship race. That year, she also finished 3rd in the Yahama Light division at the Kart\Sport NZ South Island Champs.

In 2016, she would begin studying under a new driving coach in Tom Williamson. Joining his team in Australia for 2016 has seen a major impact in her driving performance, as Ashleigh stepped up in driving skill and proved to be a front-of-field challenger all season long. She would finish 7th overall in Rotax Light at the KartSport NZ Nationals, and 2nd overall at the KartSport Hawkes Bay Blossom event.

For Ashleigh, this career-progression has taught her much both on and off the track. Being one of few females in the sport, she’s used to the attention — both good and bad.

“I guess for me it’s normally surprise when I tell people what it is I do, I don’t fit the typical type of person everyone expects would love motorsport. I love fashion, makeup and motorsport, they don’t usually go together. For a long time, I was not particularly competitive and everyone was my friend. Recently I’ve begun to race towards the front of the field and things have gotten more tense. I’ve had some criticism on social media but it generally backfires as there are more people who make positive comments that negative. The negative comments just make me want to race harder and to be better.”

Ashleigh Stewart - Stewart Sisters Racing

Being treated just like everyone else on the circuit is par for the course, and Ashleigh takes her off-track duties seriously as well, putting in work mechanically to aid in her kart setup, and keeping everything clean and performing well. In addition to her on-track training, she also keeps up with her fitness to handle the demands of racing.

I do a lot of fitness training at the gym. Fitness is really important for the long test days and also the longer races. My trainer is ex army so he pushes us hard but makes it fun at the same time and I really enjoy the challenge. I build muscle quickly so for me its about keeping a balance between weight training for strength and cardio for the endurance. It is important to be able to keep your concentration up at all times and being really fit is essential.”

For the upcoming year, Ashleigh will be making some big moves, heading off to attend university in Melbourne, Australia. In what will surely be a busy year both personally and in her racing career, Ashleigh plans to take much of the momentum she has gained this season in her driving and convert that into more podium finishes. She also aspires to make the bigger jump from karts to cars ultimately, and is looking forward to the new challenges that await in her journey.

I’ve had good pace over the past two years and I’d like to do a better job of converting that in to results. This year I want to get some solid podiums and work towards a move to cars in a year or two.”

Balancing her love for racing, and her feminine side has always been an easy measure for the eldest Stewart Sister, who doesn’t cave to the pressures that she must sacrifice her femininity to be taken seriously as a competitor in the sport.

The best piece of advice I got — and advice I often pass on, is to always show up as yourself. If you like pretty things and to look good then make sure you carry that through to your racing. There is no need to look like one of the boys to be successful in Motorsport.”

Madeline Stewart – Stewart Sisters Racing

Sixteen year-old Madeline Stewart followed closely behind her older sister in the family sport, taking up driving in 2010 and following in a very similar path as Ashleigh.

At the beginning I was very slow but we kept going racing doing as many meetings as possible. It was not until 2013 when I moved in to Juniors that I started to show any pace. We had the opportunity to go and race in Australia at the end of 2013 and that was a big boost. We brought the experience from racing in bigger fields back to NZ and in 2014 I started to race competitively.”

Now racing for the past 7 years, she competes in the Rotax Light and KZ2 divisions and has already amassed quite a few accomplishments in her young career. In 2014, she finished 6th in the Rotax Junior class of the KartSport New Zealand National Schools. She went on in 2015 to finish 5th in both Rotax Junior and Yamaha Juniors at the KartSport New Zealand Nationals, and 2nd in Rotax Junior at KartSport New Zealand South Island Championship.

Madeline also joined driving coach Tom Williamson and his team in 2016 and the results were quickly showcased with a No. 1 qualifying performance in Rotax Junior at the KartSport New Zealand Nationals and a 4th place finish. She also made the jump to Rotax Light at the New Zealand Rotax Challenge Round 5, and qualified first there as well in her first race as a senior.

Tom has some special techniques he uses to get the best out of the drivers in his team. Racing as part of a team has really improved my driving. I’ve had a few top five qualifying in the really competitive Rotax Pro Tour in Australia and Pole positions in NZ. Recently I’ve started racing in KZ2. They are the formula 1 of karting and are really challenging to drive. I raced at the CIK-FIA Asia Pacific KZ Championship in Macau as part of a 6 person TWM team.”

Off-track, Madeline also works out regularly to increase her physical fitness performance, and for the past 3 years has enlisted the help of a personal trainer to work on strength and endurance, both very important to driving karts and especially critical in the more physically demanding KZ2 vehicles. She spends a lot of time going over data from races to help improve, and can handle most of the mechanical duties on the kart when needed. For Madeline, the toughest part comes in balancing her racing ambition and her school studies:

The hardest thing has been fitting in school with my racing particularly with the international travel. Education is very important to me as well as my racing. I have to do well at school over the next two years to ensure I can go to University when I want to as well as it being a really critical two years for my Motorsport career. Motorsport is as much a mental game as it is physical. The physical side is relatively easy to overcome with an good exercise program but the mental side is much more difficult especially for a woman. You’ve got to work hard not to let the external factors affect your performance. Having a great coach helps, especially one that treats you as an equal with your team mates.”

Being one of the few females in the sport hasn’t really affected Madeline much directly. Though the attention of being a young woman on the track comes with added pressures and sometimes judgemental critics that examine performances under a microscope, she hasn’t experienced much negativity related to her gender.

I’ve only had one major incident with another competitor telling me I should get out of the way and that females should not be allowed to race. When I was younger there was a general feeling that I was not as good because I am female. All that just made me want to do better and push myself harder. Now days I get mostly positive reactions, I am just as fast as the boys and have earned their respect. The funniest experience was in Macau where I got lots of attention for being the only female in KZ. I had lots of people wanting to take selfies with me.”

That experience came on a recent trip to Macau for the CIK-FIA Asia Pacific KZ Championship. Madeline was the lone female racing in KZ, and had the attention of media and fans during pre-race ceremonies on the starting grid. Media, officials and other drivers were all encouraging of Madeline and lined-up to take selfies with the popular young driver.

Madeline Stewart - Stewart Sisters Racing

For 2017, Madeline’s goal is to qualify for the Rotax World Grand Final in Portugal and to place in the top 10 for the KZ2 division. Future goals include more KZ2 races across Europe, and an aspiration to visit the United States for the SKUSA Super Nats in Las Vegas, NV. She aspires to drive karts professionally in Europe eventually, or has considered a move to cars possible one day.

One thing is certain – the Stewart Sisters Racing duo have only just begun their colorful career journeys. We can’t wait to follow their stories and adventures in 2017 and beyond

From all of us here at Horsepower & Heels –

Best of Luck to Stewart Sisters Racing!

2017 Women of Australian Motor Sport Expansion

December 29, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Good news from down under – an announcement of 2017 Women of Australian Motor Sport expansion in committee. The Women of Australian Motor Sport (WAMS) has increased and renewed presence slated for 2017, with Samantha Reid continuing on as Chair and leading the committed group who work to promote and encourage women’s participation across all facets of motor sport within Australia.

An initiative of the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport, WAMS was founded in 2010 and celebrates its seventh year. In 2017, WAMS will see the welcome addition of four new members including Ebone Coats (an active motorsport official in the NT), Kelly Handley (a racer and marketing professional from NSW), April Welsh (a Formula Vee racer and committee operative in WA), and Rachelle Wilson (motorsport project manager and committee operative in NSW).

The WAMS committee was originally based in Victoria, but will now have committee members based across 3 countries, four states and one territory, which Reid says is a positive step forward for the growth of WAMS and assisting women nationally.

“When WAMS first began it was based out of Victoria, so to now have a reach from coast to coast is incredibly valuable to the committee and CAMS in understanding the local motorsport environments and the unique challenges faced right across the country and internationally in the growth of women’s participation in the sport,” said Reid. We want to be able to help as many women as we can nation-wide with our current programs and also gain further insight into how we can potentially tailor new initiatives to suit each region. We look forward to working with our new members to see how we can best support all of our states going forward.”

A respected racer and safe driving ambassador, 2017 will be Samantha Reid’s third year as Chair alongside her role as Delegate to the FIA’s Women in Motor Sport Commission (WMC) in France. Inaugural committee member Karyn Hamer (Vic) will continue as Vice Chair along with returning members Laura Byrnes (WA), Bernadette Cappello (International), Filippa Guarna (International) Dr Karyn Lun (Qld), plus CAMS-appointed Executive Officer Marie Dinsdale to assist with administration.

Past committee members Patricia Chant and Sarah Harley will not return to the 2017 Women of Australian Motor Sport Expansion Committee; but their contributions to women in Australian motor sport over the past years lives on through their unquestionable passion and commitment to the sport and the vital roles they played in WAMS Projects as well as supporting the QLD motor sport scene whole heartedly. Both members are highly regarded by WAMS and will no doubt continue to share their expertise in relevant WAMS programs.

Successful initiatives run in the past year with the assistance of the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) included the WAMS Junior Development Scholarship, International Officials Exchange program between Australia and Singapore, the new Virgin Australia Trans-Tasman Female Officials Exchange program, plus ongoing driver opportunities offered by the FIA WMC, the WAMS Event Endorsement Package, WAMS Profiles of the Week, Driver Fitness Camps, Come and Try Track Days plus continued media aimed at raising the awareness of the successes of women across all facets of motor sport.

2017 Women of Australian Motor Sport Expansion Committee

Samantha Reid (Chair and FIA WIMC Delegate)
Karyn Hamer (Vice Chair)
Laura Byrnes
Bernadette Cappello
Filippa Guarna
Dr Karyn Lun
Ebone Coats
Kelly Handley
April Welsh
Rachelle Wilson

Learn more about the 2017 Women of Australian Motor Sport Expansion Committee Members: ABOUT US | WAMS Committee

Teresa’s Garage Radio Show

December 28, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Featuring the latest news from women in motorsports and female car enthusiasts worldwide, Teresa’s Garage Radio Show is a weekly live radio show geared towards women in the automotive industry and motorsports. Listeners can tune in live every Tuesday from 2 – 3 PM PST on 1180 AM KCKQ in the local Reno area or online via the Teresa’s Garage Radio Live Stream. Live comments and questions are welcomed and listeners are encouraged to call-in to the show toll free at 844-790-8255.

Teresa’s Garage Radio Show Hosts

The show is hosted by Teresa Aquila, a veteran mechanic, educator, public speaker, and a 20-year columnist for the Happy Herald from Boca Raton, FL. Her mechanical career has spanned 41 years working on everything from Porsches, Heavy Equipment and classic vehicles which she owns and has personally restored. She created Teresa’s Garage Radio Show as a way to encourage and inspire women in motorsports and automotive. Features include interviews with women involved in the motorsports world: racers, professionals, crewmembers and more. The show covers technical info, auto and motorsports news and other enthusiast related pieces.

Earlier in 2016, the show teamed with popular women’s motorsport website, CarChix.com and founder Jeanette DesJardins played show co-host. Teresa is now adding new co-hosts Staci Segura and Nikkita Martino, two of CarChix’s featured Calendar girls for the 2017 line-up, and regularly welcomes guests to the show.

Teresa’s Garage Online

In addition to the weekly radio show, the Teresa’s Garage website is a wealthy of useful information for car enthusiasts and includes articles filled with technical tips, automotive history and news, a car show directory, business directory, reviews and much more.

Empowering Women One Wheel At A Time, dedicated to women who dare to be different and who desire to become more knowledgeable on caring for their car.”

Want to be featured on Teresa’s Garage?

The show is always on the look out for unique stories about women in the field and other news. Have a story idea or want to be featured on the show? Contact Teresa’s Garage via email.

Check out more on Teresa’s Garage Radio Show

2017 Search for a Champion Contest

December 27, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

The 2017 Search for a Champion Contest has begun. This annual sponsorship contest hosted by spark plug manufacturer, Champion, features On Track and Off Track sponsorships based on judging and a fan vote period. The popular contest has helped boost the careers of many racers, including many women in the sport.

Entering the 2017 Search for a Champion Contest

Contestants register on the Search for a Champion contest site, submitting a short video, photos, and a short essay on why they feel they should be the next “Search for a Champion” winner. The entry period began in early November, but submissions are accepted through January 3, 2017 at 11:59PM ET.

Once the submission/entries close, first round of voting begins on January 5th and runs through February 2nd to narrow down the field to the finalists. The second round of voting determining the winner will then take place February 23rd through March 23rd, with the winners selected at that time.

Prizes – 2017 Search for a Champion Contest

The sponsorship contests will award two Grand Prize winners (one from each category) a $50,000 sponsorship for the 2017 season as the 2017 Search for a Champion winners. Twenty-five First Runner-Up Finalists will receive a $500 Champion sponsorship. Twenty-five finalists will also receive a $100 Champion sponsorship as well.

Past Search for a Champion Winners

Several women in motorsports have participated in the Search for a Champion program. NHRA Drag Racer, Carly-Jo Ellingson was the 2015 Search for the Champion Grand Prize Winner. Her life and racing career changed dramatically from the experience of being part of Team Champion, and she is still thriving in her career.

Champion has given me the means that are necessary to climb through the ranks of nhra drag racing, one step at a time! I’ve since become a very well-known face in drag racing these days, which has helped me to promote my operation and take on a whole new world of competition! My team and I have been able to travel more in the past two years than we probably ever could have, and that was all thanks to Search for A Champion. Additionally, if I hadn’t won the grand prize in 2015, we probably couldn’t have made all the repairs and improvements on the car that had to be made in the past two seasons. What’s more, Champion has helped me become better known in the racing community as a strong, talented racer.

Newly Engaged Mia Tedesco

December 23, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Congratulations are in order for the reigning 2016 NHRA Super Gas World Champion, newly engaged Mia Tedesco!

Tedesco, who is just coming off a stellar season with three championships and a variety of honors to her name, was surprised by her long time beau, Andi Price, who popped the question on the evening of December 22nd.

All the best to Newly Engaged Mia Tedesco & Andi Price!

2016 Horsepower & Heels Women of the Year Awards

December 19, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

It’s time for the 2016 Horsepower & Heels Women of the Year Awards! The second annual award program allows our readers and fans to nominate and recognize their favorite choices for woman of the year in motorsports based on their performances on and off the track.

2016 Horsepower & Heels Women of the Year Awards Categories

The 2nd annual 2016 Horsepower & Heels Women of the Year awards recognize women in seven award categories:

Female Racer of the Year
Female Crewmember of the Year
Female Motorsports Professional of the Year
Female Rookie of the Year
Female Team of the Year
Most Improved
Most Influential Woman of Motorsports

Each category allows fans to select one woman for nomination. Once the ballots have been counted, the woman with the most votes in each category will be declared the winner.

View the 2015 Horsepower & Heels Women of the Year Winners

Voting is open now through December 29, 2016 11:59PM EST. Votes will be collected into a database and winners will be calculated by tally of votes. Only one nominee per category, and one ballot per person/email accepted.

Winners will be announced on December 31, 2016 and posted on this website.

Vote NOW | 2016 Horsepower & Heels Women of the Year Awards

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Trouble viewing? Click here to submit your vote.

Stellar year for NHRA hotshoe Mia Tedesco

December 15, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

A stellar year for NHRA hotshoe Mia Tedesco, the NHRA multi-class driver who racked up an impressive collection of hardware at the season closing awards ceremonies. The 22 year-old Tedesco pulled double-duty all season between her Top Alcohol Dragster and her Super Gas racecars in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series National, Regional and Divisional events.

Three championship titles in one season

The Pittsburgh, PA native became the first female to win the ultra-competitive Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Super Gas World Championship in her CARS Protection Plus/VP Racing Fuels Super Gas Chevrolet. She captured two wins in Chicago in the class – both the divisional event in June and the subsequent national event win in July. She also claimed the Division 3 title for Super Gas in the class, making her only the second racer in history to double-up with a National and Division 3 win for the season.

‘Miss Mia’ also piloted her 275 mph CARS Protection Plus/Schepel Motors/NGK/Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster entry to the North Central Regional Championship, while finishing in the Top Ten for the National Top Alcohol Dragster points chase, with a strong No. 8 standing. She earned three regional wins for the season – Gainesville, St. Louis and Columbus, Ohio.

Driver of the Year Accolades

In addition to her impressive class standings and championships earned, Mia was also named Super Eliminator Driver of the Year, which encompasses drivers from the categories of Super Gas, Super Comp, Super Stock, and Stock. But the top accolade earned by the NHRA hotshoe was the highly-coveted Person of the Year award in front of a large crowd of her peers, family and friends.

“Getting the Person of the Year award was very cool,” Tedesco said. “I wasn’t expecting it so I was surprised and also very honored to win.”
“We had a big group of us there,” Tedesco said. “It was nice to be able to win and to be able to share it with my family and crew members; none of it happens without their love, support and hard work.”

“It’s great to look back on the season now and see everything we accomplished, but you’re not really thinking about it at the time. You just want to race one round at a time and hope it works out. It worked out pretty well for us this year.”

Courtney Force teams with Advance Auto for 2017

December 14, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

NHRA Funny Car driver Courtney Force teams with Advance Auto for 2017 season, unveils new black and red Advance Auto livery.

John Force Racing and Advance Auto Parts, a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider in North America, serving both professional installer and do-it-yourself customers, announced major primary sponsorship of Courtney Force’s Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for the 2017 season. This multi-year sponsorship will begin with the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season opener, the Circle K NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, California, and cover the winningest female Funny Car driver in NHRA history throughout the season.

“I am thrilled to be driving the Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car starting in 2017. Last season, we made some big strides toward our first championship and I am very confident in my team led by my crew chiefs, Dan Hood and Ronnie Thompson, and that next season can be even better. I love the look of this red, yellow and black Camaro and I can’t wait to get it into the winner’s circle,” said Courtney Force.

Last year, Advance Auto Parts made a series of limited appearances onboard John Force’s PEAK Camaro Funny Car at select events, including a trip to the winner’s circle at the NHRA Carolina Nationals to start the 2016 Countdown. The relationship has expanded to encompass Courtney Force’s Funny Car team through this multi-year sponsorship.

“This is a real business-to-business deal for John Force Racing. We expanded our relationship with PEAK at the beginning of last season and we ran the Advance Auto Parts Funny Car a couple times,” said John Force, JFR CEO and 16-time Funny Car champion. “The opportunity came to grow the deal and they were interested in Courtney so it was a perfect match. We are excited to work with Sponsorship Integrated Manager Matt Davis and his team at Advance to help them grow their business across all their stores. I have done shows with Advance Auto Parts in the past and am looking forward to working with them again.”

Advance Auto Parts has been actively involved in motorsports through the NHRA, NASCAR and other motorsports series important to its customers.

“We are proud to be partnering with Courtney Force and the John Force Racing team for the 2017 season and beyond,” said Walter Scott, Chief Marketing Officer for Advance Auto Parts. “After working with John and the team last year through our partnership with PEAK, we got to know Courtney and felt she would be a great ambassador for our company. Our team members and customers love NHRA drag racing and we can’t wait to see the Advance Auto Parts Funny Car on the track in 2017.”

Megan Meyer Rookie Year-End Recap

November 26, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Determination Unmatched.

For most, a rookie season is a year filled with learning experiences and getting comfortable in a new class and racing environment. But not for NHRA Top Alcohol driver, Megan Meyer – who set her eyes on the goal of a championship in her first year. The young protege daughter of TAD racing dynasty Randy Meyer Racing, Megan began her first full season behind the wheel of the Racer’s Evolved A/Fuel Dragster in March, catapulting herself to a spectacular rookie season filled with plenty of exciting achievements.

Megan Meyer Rookie Year-End Recap

Megan’s season began with the debut of beautiful new Racer’s Evolved livery at the 47th Annual NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida. She quickly took to the top of qualifying, before being bumped by Mia Tedesco into the #2 position. Megan would soldier through the field, making it all the way to the final round at her first national event in the class. Though she wasn’t able to score the win light, her runner up finish was a strong start to her rookie season. She also picked up the Best Appearing Car award for the event.

Her luck would continue into her second appearance, at the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series (LODRS) Division 4 South Central Region “Nitro on the Bayou” season opening event. Her first time to race at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, LA; she got off to a slow start learning the new track surface and qualified in the No. 7 position. But she learned quickly, and was able to navigate her Racer’s Evolved A/Fuel Dragster to another final round, finishing as runner up yet again – her second straight final round appearance and second runner-up of the year.

The rookie hot streak Megan was riding continued into the 7th Annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, NC. Qualifying again in the No. 2 position, she would march onto her third consecutive final, this time earning her first Wally after an emotional win. She also picked up another special Wally award that morning – the second for Best Appearing Crew honors that weekend.

A semi-final finish at the 29th Annual NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston suburb of Baytown, TX was her first time outside the final round for the season, but did nothing to slow Megan’s determination. She held strong at the No. 2 position in the national points chase entering her hometown event at Heartland Park Topeka.

The 28th Annual NHRA Kansas Nationals marked the first time father-daughter would compete alongside one another, and although the team had their hands full fielding two cars, they kept their stride all weekend. Megan grabbed her first career No. 1 qualifying position, and advance to yet another final round, where she earned her third runner up and fourth final round appearance of the season.

Up next, the rookie would take on NHRA’s LODRS South Central Division at Osage Casino Tulsa Raceway Park. Megan qualified No 5. At the event, taking the win first round before falling in round 2. The Racer’s Evolved A/Fuel dragster earned the Best Engineered Car award for the event.

Mechanical issues at the 10th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, OH would present the first major challenge of her highly successful rookie season. The throttle would stick on her A/Fuel Dragster, causing extensive engine damage. The team would scramble to get her back-up engine put in the car, and ended up with a No. 4 qualifying attempt. She would get by in round 1, but would suffer her first holeshot upset in Round 2 of eliminations.

But Megan and her Randy Meyer Racing team rebounded quickly, with a fifth final appearance and runner up finish at the Route 66 Nationals event. She would hold strong to her No. 2 position in the points standing.

Shifting gears from rookie to mentor, Megan then was able to welcome her sister, Rachel’s Top Alcohol Dragster debut for their hometown regional LODRS event at Heartland Park Topeka – their first time competing together in Top Alcohol Dragster. Both ladies qualified well, with Rachel taking the No. 1 qualified position at her debut event, and Megan taking the No 3 position. But both ladies made early exits in the first round after encountering tire shake. This marked Megan’s first time losing in the opening round of eliminations all season.

Megan and Rachel again teamed up for the NHRA LODRS North Central Division event in St. Louis. This time, they swapped qualifying performances, with Megan taking the No. 1 position and Rachel coming in at No. 3. Both ladies took turns resetting the track record for the Top Alcohol Dragster class, and along with Mia Tedesco, the ladies held the top three qualified positions, as well as commanding eliminations. Megan and Mia would battle it out in an all-female final round, with Megan ending up with the runner-up finish. Megan recorded her second career No. 1 qualifier, her fifth final round appearance and fourth runner-up of the season.

The marathon stretch for Megan and the rest of the Randy Meyer Racing team continued onto Brainerd, MN for the 35th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. There, Meyer would again capture her third No. 1 qualifier of the season. She would run a new career best in round 1 and round 2 of eliminations with a 5.178 second, 278 mph performance. This bested Mia Tedesco’s previous record of the quickest female in the sportsman contingent. She exited in the semi finals after massive tire shake, which would be the catalyst that set off a mechanical downturn that left the Randy Meyer Racing team struggling with performance issues for several races.

The excitement and marathon of activities surrounding the Big GO – NHRA’s hallowed 62nd annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals event in Indianapolis, IN can be overwhelming and grueling on even the most seasoned racers. With a full schedule of media appearances and the week-long racing schedule of NHRA’s most prestigious event, Megan had her eyes on adding a coveted Indy win to her rookie season. She qualified right in the middle of the pack at the No. 7 position. But first round exit for Meyer put a damper on the weekend.

“We were all disappointed to go out in the first round of the U.S. Nationals. There was a tremendous amount of tough competition at the event, and unfortunately we couldn’t get a lucky break to get the win.”

Recouped from the grueling 5 week tour on the road, the 9th Annual NHRA Carolina Nationals gave Megan a chance to return to the site of her first victory, hoping for a repeat trip to the winner’s circle. She qualified strong, at the No. 3 position, and would take the win in round one, but would fall in the second round.

But it was the final race of the season that left the young rookie heartbroken. The 31st Annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals was the last chance for Megan to push her Racer’s Evolved A/F Dragster into the winner’s circle, and a critical race in holding her position in points standings. But it wasn’t meant to be, as Megan experienced the heartbreak of a DNF – failing to qualify for the event and being forced to the sidelines. This unfortunate incident ended up pushing her back to the #4 finish nationally and the #2 position regionally.

“Looking back at the successful year that we had, it was very heartbreaking for all of us to end our season by not qualifying for our last race of the year. Dallas was one of the races that I really wanted to win, and I knew that we had the race car that could compete in the quickest field of Top Alcohol Dragster, but we just could not repeat the same numbers as earlier this year. We believe that we have lost power due to a number of things that we cannot control throughout the year. These race cars go through tremendous tire smoke and shake that can really wear out parts fast, and forcing them to constantly run in the 5.20’s can do a lot of damage. I think our tires, clutch, motors, and the car have all experienced a lot this year, and it’s time that we refresh everything.”

“I am very hungry for another win, and I was a little disappointed that I made it to 6 final rounds this year but only came out on top once. I have an amazing and talented group of guys that work with us all year long, and with new sponsorship coming next year, as well as my sister coming on board as a full-time driver, we will be stronger than ever.”

Meyer is currently nominated for the honors of Division 5 Pro-Sportsman Driver of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and the Randy Meyer Racing team collectively up for Tuner of the Year. Each is a fan vote based award. Fans can place their votes at: https://form.jotform.com/52785826085972. Voting ends Dec 2nd.

2017 and Beyond

Though she has aspirations for a professional career in Top Fuel, Megan Meyer says for now, she has unfinished business in the Top Alcohol Dragster class, and intends to compete for the championship again in 2017. Proudly wearing the No. 4 designation on her dragster for the 2016, she has her eyes set on the championship in 2017 and is ready for the challenge of her sophomore season. Though her primary sponsor, Racer’s Evolved will not return in 2017, she is confident that a new partner will join the successful driver on her planned 17 race 2017 schedule. For now, the offseason gives the Randy Meyer Racing crew the opportunity to rebuild and renew equipment that saw plenty of action – and wear – over the course of their busy season. It also allows a very savvy and business minded Megan the chance to secure a new title sponsor to join along in the ride.

Rachel Meyer will join Megan on the tour full-time after her college graduation with a degree in Mechanical Engineer in May. The team will unveil a brand new dragster from Copeland Race Cars for Rachel’s 2017 debut at the NHRA Topeka Nationals.

Randy Meyer Racing will continue their “Rent-A-Ride” Program, welcoming rookie Justin Ashley (son of former Top Fuel and Funny Car driver Mike Ashley) to the team and allowing Megan to again step in as mentor for another young aspiring driver.

One thing is certain, the Meyer sisters and the rest of the Randy Meyer Racing team will be a formidable presence yet again in the Top Alcohol Dragster class. We wish them all the best of luck in 2017!