Women Racing Archives – Page 8 of 41

National Business Women’s Day

September 22, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

September 22 is National Business Women’s Day, and what better way to celebrate than to highlight our Women in Motorsports Professionals!

National Business Women’s Day

National Business Women’s Day was born in 1983, when Congress passed a resolution, signed by President Ronald Reagan, declaring September 22nd the day for celebrating women’s place in the business world. It was also the historical date in 1949 that a group of Kansas City business women founded the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA), an organization that today still brings women together for networking and support.

Women’s place in the business world has been growing throughout history. During World War II, women entered the business world previously only occupied by men to fill the needed roles left vacant by the men serving in the war efforts. However, when the men returned, many women who had excelled during their tenures, rejected the idea of returning exclusively to family and home.

Throughout history, women have shared a burning desire to do something even when odds were against them. Despite the long-standing glass ceiling that relegated them to the home life, women continue to climb the ladders and shatter the ceilings in their industries. Very much the same as women’s charge for success in the male-dominated motorsports world.

Women in Motorsports Spotlight

Get to know all the featured women of motorsports, who each have PERSERVERED, OVERCOME, CONQUERED, LEAD, AND INSPIRED in the world of automobiles, racing, and motorsport.

Driver Feature: Lisa Tatum – Full Throttle

August 30, 2016 // by Mackenzie LaRue

When I was growing up there were few young female drivers in the sport of truck and tractor pulling. It was therefore quite challenging to see myself driving a pulling truck one day. However there was one young female driver that competed with my father, and nothing would make me happier than when she had a successful pull. That driver was Lisa Tatum, who still competes in the two wheel drive class and continues to be one of my tractor pulling inspirations.

Lisa Tatum – Full Throttle

Lisa Tatum was born a puller. With her father being a competitor, her mother attended truck and tractor pulls right up until the week Lisa was born. She spent her childhood watching her father compete and when her older brother became old enough to drive she cheered him on as well. Tractor pulling was something she loved her whole life and therefore she feels that it was destiny that she would one day drive her own pulling truck.

When Lisa was old enough to drive, it was a natural transition from crew member to driver. She began to drive a vehicle that her father purchased called ‘Hot Shot’ and became the third driver of her father’s vehicle ‘Foolish Pleasure’. Eventually, Lisa began driving her own vehicle and competing directly against her brother T.J. She now competes in a bright yellow chevy called Full Throttle, which features a 526 Keith Black Hemi with Veney heads and a Mike Janis blower. Her father Tony and brother T.J. do all the assembly on their engines and their parts come from Sassy Racing Engines.

Like many other pulling teams, Lisa Tatum and her father compete directly against one another on the track. Her father gave up his driving rights for many years so Lisa could have the opportunity to compete with her brother. When her brother began his family he stepped out of the drivers seat and her father Tony began to drive again. Lisa truly believes that it is a gift to compete with her father. They both want to win but they also want one another to win as well.

“As much as I don’t want to admit it, parents don’t live forever, and I’m making priceless memories with mine each weekend at the track.”

Living away from her family has made tractor pulling quite difficult for Lisa. She does not get to work on their trucks as much as she would like, but she makes up for that with the pulls. She does everything she can to contribute to the care of their vehicles, but focuses most of her attention as a driver.

Lisa believes that best part of truck and tractor pulling is equally the competition and the people. She loves the thrill of tractor pulling but also contributes the love of pulling to many of the people she has met through it. Lisa has found her best friends through truck and tractor pulling, including her fiancé, Tyler Slagh who competes with a mini rod tractor.

“I LOVE the thrill of pulling. I LIVE for that 300 plus feet ride. It’s in my blood, my heart, and my soul. I crave another trip down the track as soon as I finish the last ride. BUT, I don’t think the time and miles away from home would be worth it if I didn’t have people I truly loved out on the circuit.”

Lisa Tatum has experienced many successes since she began her driving career in 1997. She was the first two wheel drive points champion as well as the first female in the Professional Pulling League in its inaugural season. She was also the first female to win the finals at the National Farm Machinery Show. She also won the Jeff McPherson Memorial pull the year after he passed. He was a puller from Ohio and one of Lisa’s favourite trophies is from that event.

Being a female has had a big impact on Lisa’s driving career. When she began pulling it was not rare for her to be the only female amongst all the classes at a tractor pull. She did encounter her share of individuals who doubted her abilities but proved that she belonged in the drivers seat, all thanks to her families support. Lisa claims that it was quite intimidating to be the only female, but she used this to her advantage and received a great deal of support due to her gender.

“Nothing like having every female in the crowd hinge their hopes on me doing well! I’m sure I gained more attention, newspaper articles, interviews, and tv time than I deserve thanks to my gender, but I’m always grateful and try to do whatever I can to present the sport in a positive light.”

Motorsports is definitely a more welcoming atmosphere to women than it was 20 years ago. There are so many women competing all across the board today. Lisa believes that just like any dream every girl should know that they can do anything they put their minds to, but it definitely helps to have a solid foundation like she has from her family.

In the future, Lisa hopes to continuing pulling as long as she is able. She would love to try out the mini rod class which is the class her fiancé competes in. He and his father campaign three tractors on the Lucas Oil circuit which makes it difficult for them to be at one another events. But as for right now her heart is still in the two wheel drive class!

“I guess I expect to just keep doing what I’m doing as long as I’m able. If I can keep the team owners happy and keep my seat, I’ll happily fill it.”

Lisa Tatum is an excellent role model for all women competing in truck and tractor pulling. She has excellent sportsmanship and also enjoys promoting the sport. Recently at the National Tractor Pulling Championships in Bowling Green Ohio Lisa was a representative for the Miles Beyond 300 Road Show, where she interviewed several tractor pulling legends.

Good luck with the rest of your season Lisa!

Holeshot win for Erica Enders in Seattle

August 9, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

When the pressure is on, champions rise to the occasion. A key holeshot win for Erica Enders in Seattle this weekend helped push the reigning NHRA Pro Stock World Champion into Countdown contention.

When Erica Enders and her Elite Motorsports/Mopar Dodge team needed to have a good performance in the opening round of the 29th annual Protect The Harvest.com NHRA Northwest Nationals presented by Lucas Oil on Sunday at Pacific Raceways, they got the job done.

Enders ripped off a .009-second reaction time against Alex Laughlin, winning a crucial round despite a slower elapsed time. And in beating Laughlin, who came into the race 10th in the points standings, Enders took over 10th, the final spot in the Countdown to the Championship.

“I said in my interview at the top end that it reminded me of the U.S. Nationals last year, racing Greg Anderson in the semifinals, where the winner of that round got to go into the Countdown in the No. 1 position,” Enders said. “If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times: Under pressure, we are awesome together.”

Enders’ pass was 6.581 seconds at 209.39 mph, but her .048-second advantage on the starting line was enough to hold off Laughlin’s 6.569 at 210.90 mph.

“My guys gave me a good race car,” Enders said. “It wasn’t a great run. We feel like we could have definitely gone a .56 out there first round, and it was important to put a little bit of a spread on Alex. It’s not a big spread, but we will take what we can get at this point.”

Enders now unofficially leads Laughlin by nine points with two races before the Countdown.

Enders had another excellent reaction time in the second round, .031, and was in front of No. 14 qualifier Aaron Strong before she had engine issues. Strong had beaten No. 3 qualifier Greg Anderson in the first round.

“We got a break with Greg going out first round,” Enders said. “Performance-wise, we had him covered a little bit and shoulda, coulda, woulda gone to the semifinals at least today. Jeggie (Coughlin Jr.) and I had a chance to meet up in the semifinals. He had Bo (Butner) covered three-hundredths on the Tree, I had Aaron covered five and a half and everything went away.”

Courtney Force injured in Seattle

August 8, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

NHRA Funny Car racer Courtney Force injured in Seattle after a racing incident in the first round of Sunday’s eliminations at Pacific Raceways. Force’s Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car made contact with the left guard wall.

Force exited the vehicle on her own power and was checked by NHRA emergency services personnel before heading to Valley Medical Center in Renton, Wash., where she was evaluated for head, neck, knee, elbow and shoulder injuries.

“I am beat up pretty good. My arm, my shoulder, and my right knee are banged up. I am really thankful that the second I got out of the race car there was already a Safety Safari person right there to help me get down. I couldn’t put any weight on my right knee. I want to say thanks to everyone that was at the track who helped me. I got right to the ER and the doctor checked me out. I am extremely relieved nothing is broken,” said Force.

Doctors released Force from the hospital Sunday evening, but expect her to be very sore following the accident. X-rays of her right knee, left elbow and left shoulder along with a CT scan of her head and cervical spine were negative. The tendon on the knee was intact but there was a contusion from contact with the steering wheel. Force will see a sports orthopedist in Lake Tahoe, Nev., where the family has a summer home for continued evaluation and to make sure there is not a partial tendon tear in the knee.

“I have to thank everyone at Simpson Racing and their Stilo helmet for protecting me. To hit a concrete guard wall and move it two feet and not break any bones is a testament to their equipment and NHRA safety requirements,” said Force.

Force will focus on her rehabilitation with the goal being to race at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minnesota in two weeks.

“I am going to see a physical therapist in Tahoe. Thankfully we have a weekend off. My goal is to get healed up as soon as possible. I want to say sorry to my team to have to witness that. We were planning on making a lot of changes to my car after this race and my dad joked that I gave them a head start,” explained Force. “I definitely feel bad we ruined the body and the chassis. Luckily we have some time and can get the car fixed up and my own body fixed up. I am looking forward to getting back as fast as I can. I want to thank all the fans for all their support.”

Force, the No. 3 qualifier, was racing Jeff Diehl in the first round when her Traxxas Funny Car smoked the tires. Force attempted to pedal her 10,000 hp race car before it made hard contact with the guard wall.

“I am really bummed out about the run. I am disappointed because I really wanted that win. I pedaled the car repeatedly hoping to just run him down but I got a little too aggressive. I think I hit the wall right where Ashley crashed a few years ago. I definitely have a love/hate relationship with this track since I have won here twice and have had two incidents but happy to be safe,” joked Force.

Papa John’s Pizza joined Leah Pritchett

August 8, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

The Top Fuel class just got a little more appetizing. National pizza franchise, Papa John’s Pizza joined Leah Pritchett and her Don Schumacher Racing Top Fuel dragster team at this weekend’s NHRA national event in Seattle, Wash. and will continue on with them on board at the upcoming race in Brainerd, Minn.

Papa John’s Pizza joined Leah Pritchett at the 29th Annual Protect the Harvest NHRA Nationals in Kent, Wash., ranked 10th in championship points in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. She won this year’s second event title near Phoenix. Pritchett would qualify in the No. 8 position for the event, pairing her first round against Morgan Lucas for Sunday’s opening round of eliminations.

Career-best E.T. leads to first round loss

Sunday morning’s routine for the popular 28-year-old driver from Redlands, Calif., who lives near Indianapolis, was disrupted by a rushed early call for prerace driver introductions. Race officials pushed the morning schedule ahead in an attempt to beat pending precipitation arriving before scheduled opening rounds of eliminations at Pacific Raceways.

The rain did come, and after about 90 minutes, the sky cleared and track was dried to set the stage for Leah Pritchett to race Morgan Lucas. As the higher qualified dragster, her crew chief, Todd Okuhara, had choice of lanes.

Pritchett beat Lucas to the finish line with her career-best elapsed time of 3.707 seconds at 325.30, but her day unfortunately ended before that when she was disqualified for leaving the starting line prematurely by 33-thousandths of a second and recorded a redlight (false) start.

“It’s going to take a lot more than that to break my spirit,” she said. “We win as a team and lose as a team. My guys have my back and I always have theirs. The plan today was to leave (the starting line) first and we definitely did that,” she joked. “I know I’m a better driver than that. That (3.70) was the best E.T. of my career, and we have a great car.”

It was her first red-light start in a side-by-side race in four years of driving a Top Fuel dragster.

One bright spot for her on the cloudy day was that she maintained her hold on 10th place in the Top Fuel standings when her closest challenger, Terry McMillen, also lost in the opening round. Pritchett, who won this year’s second event title in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, holds a 19-point lead over McMillen heading into the next event in two weeks at Brainerd, Minn.

“We get to race at Brainerd with Papa John’s, and we continue our chase to get into the Countdown thanks to Papa John’s, FireAde, Mopar and Pennzoil. Stability is something I’ve been hunting for for a very long time, and Don Schumacher has been able to provide that with our partners.”

Papa John’s founder, chairman and chief executive officer, John Schnatter, visited DSR headquarters a few weeks ago and got his first experience with nitro when DSR fired up Pritchett’s dragster.

“This means so much to me, our team and the sport of NHRA drag racing,” said the graduate of Cal State San Bernardino. “We are huge fans of Papa John’s Pizza and are confident it will help fuel us to victory,” added Pritchett. “My dream is one day to walk into a location and order a ‘Leah’s Nitro Pizza’ on the Papa John’s menu. One requirement – it has to be spicy!”

Schnatter founded Papa John’s in 1984 when he knocked down a wall to a broom closet in his father’s tavern in Jeffersonville, Ind.. He then sold his prized 1972 Z28 Camaro to purchase $1,600 worth of used pizza equipment and began selling pizzas to the tavern’s customers out of the converted closet to help save the business. Today, Papa John’sis the world’s third largest pizza delivery company with over 4,900locations in 50 states and 40 countries and territories.

“I am excited to add another quality ingredient to our Papa John’s team with our sponsorship of Don Schumacher Racing and Leah Pritchett,” said “Papa John” Schnatter. “Leah’s passion for racing is like my passion for pizzamaking; always looking for ways to improve and get better.”

Pritchett’s dragster is a salute to his iconic, gold muscle car that he reacquired and owns today.

Alexis DeJoria injured in first round accident

August 1, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

NHRA Funny Car driver, Alexis DeJoria injured in first round accident during the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals, is undergoing treatment for a broken pelvis after a trip to the local trauma center.

DeJoria, driver of the Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry, was competing in the left lane alongside opponent John Force in the opening round of eliminations on Sunday morning at Sonoma Raceway. The Patrón Toyota Camry lost traction and made a violent turn to the left as soon as DeJoria stepped on the throttle, causing her Camry to make impact with the left retaining wall.

DeJoria exited the vehicle under her own power, but immediately knew something was wrong. Upon a quick evaluation from on-site medical personnel, she was transported via ambulance to Queen of the Valley Medical Center in nearby Napa. After x-rays and a CT scan, doctors diagnosed DeJoria with a high-energy fracture of the left pelvis. The fracture was caused when she struck the wall. The injury does not require immediate surgery, but is extremely painful. DeJoria is in good spirits and was more concerned with the condition of her race car, and if it was ok. She was released from the hospital on Sunday afternoon, and will start intense physical therapy as soon as possible, determined to get back on the track.

The Patrón Toyota Camry qualified No. 11 with a 3.946 second, 319.45 mph performance before Alexis DeJoria injured in first round accident.

DeJoria and the Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car team were scheduled to compete next at the NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle, Washington, but due to injuries sustained, that race is to be determined.

Project Speed: Holbrook and Mueller attempt Land Speed Record

July 27, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Project Speed: Holbrook and Mueller attempt Land Speed Record

Motorsport hot shoe Shea Holbrook will join fifteen USA national Cycling champion Denise Mueller in attempt to be the first woman in cycling history to break the paced bicycle land speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Holbrook will pilot the pace car in which Mueller will draft, to bore a hole through the wind at very high speeds. In what they are calling Project Speed, the duo of Holbrook and Mueller will attempt Land Speed Record run this fall.

Project Speed is one woman’s story of athletic empowerment. The spirit of Project Speed began in 1899, when Charles “mile-minute” Murphy paced the world’s fastest train-the Long Island express- to 60 mph on a single speed track bicycle. Newspapers of the day reported “women fainted at the news!” In the 117 years since that feat, the ultimate bicycle speed record has changed hands eleven times, always by men.

That final bastion of male dominance ironically may fall at the hands of one of the most powerful cyclists in the world, who happens to be a woman who has never fainted. Denise Mueller owns fifteen USA Cycling national championships and is gunning for the ultimate paced speed record of 167 mph set nearly 20 years ago by world motor pacing champion Fred Rompelberg of the Netherlands.

To complete the powered by women theme, the Range Rover Sport SVR pace car will be driven by professional driver Shea Holbrook. The 26-year-old is a 6-time Pirelli World Challenge winner and has competed in the International Hot Rod Association driving a jet dragster at 278 mph.

“Denise has unbelievable athletic ability and willpower like none other I’ve seen. From the moment we spoke over the phone there was an unexplainable connection and I knew I wanted to be a part of what will be a historical moment. I’m ecstatic to take on the responsibility of being Denise’s pace car driver. Ultimately, I will drive the car that literally bores a hole through the wind and allows Denise to draft at very high speeds. Something I cannot wait to do,” a thrilled Holbrook said of the opportunity.

Denise Mueller, equally as thrilled to have Shea Holbrook as part of the female team explained Holbrook’s importance to Project Speed.

“Shea fills the gap we were searching for making what I believe, a dynamic duo. Her expertise behind the wheel, ability to engage and fully understand what it will be like for me behind the Hoehn Range Rover and overall charisma fuels us toward achieving this goal,” said Denise Mueller.

Since 1899, motor pacing records have had a long tradition in elite cycling. Fewer than a dozen people have tried, all have been exclusively men that have accomplished the feat. Some attempts have ended in near disaster. Fred Rompelberg set the current paced record of 167 mph behind a modified race car in Bonneville, UT. He nearly died in the attempt, and needed three years to recover after initially crashing on the salt at over 140 mph.

Mueller and Holbrook will be coached by 3-time Olympic racer and cycling Hall of Famer John Howard. Howard set the world record of 152 mph in 1985 at Bonneville. In addition to being Mueller’s coach, he’s also her biggest supporter.

“Denise has extraordinary power, the highest wattage I’ve seen from a female. She is also an amazing bike handler, having made the podium at the worlds in downhill mountain bike racing,” Howard said of his athlete.

The goal is to get Mueller to beat her coach John Howard’s record by reaching 153 mph and Fred Rompelberg’s paced record by reaching 168 mph. Passion, precision and persistence will all be required to set Denise up for a wildly successful ride across the salt flats. With a best in class team on her side, Denise and Shea are poised to take the salt by storm in September, 2016.

Follow along as Holbrook and Mueller attempt Land Speed Record and learn more on how to get involved at www.TheProjectSpeed.com and/or www.SheaRacing.com. Project Speed is a special program of Perimeter Bicycling, a nonprofit organization (501c3) 100% of your contributions will go to Project Speed & is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Successful Stadium SUPER Truck debut for Sara Price

July 27, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

A successful Stadium SUPER Truck debut for Sara Price at the Honda Indy Toronto event on July 15-17. The 23-year-old Price was the first female to start in the SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Trucks Presented by TRAXXAS competition. The Canyon Lake, California resident made her debut behind the wheel of the 650 hp rated BitTorrent No. 78 after just a single practice session in Charlotte, NC in June.

Sara Price, a Champion motocross and UTV racer, would make three appearances on the 1.755 mi (2.824 km) temporary street circuit throughout the race weekend. Her performance included feats hitting speeds upwards of 140 mph, and launching her BitTorrent No. 78 truck over 20 feet in the air off of the four course aluminum constructed ramps.

Successful Stadium SUPER Truck debut for Sara Price | Friday Practice

Price would take to the track for the first time on Friday afternoon for a 20 minute Practice/Qualifying session. She was careful and cautious, patiently feeling out the No. 78 truck, and avoiding damage. Price would constantly lay down lap after lap, learning the braking zone of each corner and what marks she needed to hit in Saturday’s first race. Feeling comfortable with her driving, Price was already posting competitive times to run toward the front of the pack.

“Practice I had 1 goal to just go out there and get as comfortable as I can with the truck and track and stay calm and collected, keeping the truck in 1 piece and have a good foundation to build speed off of, I did just that!” said Price.

Successful Stadium SUPER Truck debut for Sara Price | Saturday

A historic and successful Stadium SUPER Truck debut for Sara Price would begin Saturday with a start in the 4^th position. The qualification spot is based off a complete inversion from Friday Practice/Qualifying times. In the first lap, Sara experienced mechanical failure, with the truck dying on her. Having to restart it, Price would get passed by multiple competitors. But Sara would keep calm, and resume her own race, learning each time around the tricky circuit. The young California motocross standout would adapt quickly and keep her truck 100% without a scratch to the equally prepared 650 hp high flying trucks. She would finish her successful SUPER truck debut in a very respectable eighth position for her first SST race.

“I lost a lot of positions early on due to my truck turning off but I recovered quickly and stayed out of the carnage, gaining a lot of confidence in the truck, staying smooth and collected. Couldn’t of asked for a cleaner first race and now I know what to expect,” Price said.

Successful Stadium SUPER Truck debut for Sara Price | Sunday

Using the knowledge learned in Saturday’s first race, Price would make her second SST start on Sunday. Turning heads early, and capitalizing on a mistake by former CART/Champ Car Champion and Toronto native Paul Tracy, she would move from the fourth starting position to the lead on Lap-1. Able to hit all her marks, and catapult her truck off the 36 in. high ramps Price, would lead her first three-laps of competition in an impressive way.

A double team by SST standout Robby Gordon of Orange, Calif., and 2015 SST Champion Sheldon Creed of Alpine, Calif., would overtake the newcomer Price. The veteran pair would work their way thru traffic to apply heavy pressure to Price for the lead. A pass on the inside, and the tandem overtook the first two positions.

Sara would hold her ground, running with the lead pack until Lap-8. Her brakes would being fading considerably on her SST, forcing her to miss multiple braking zones. She would ultimately finish in a very respectable ninth place as a result.

Overall, a very successful Stadium SUPER Truck debut for Sara Price, who not only made history as the first woman to compete in the series, but also earned the respect of all her male counterparts by keeping the truck clean and running a good race.

“It was really cool to see Sara running up the front off the pack on Sunday. The way she approached the weekend was a credit to her and sponsors. As they say to finish first, first you must finish! Look out boys there is a new girl in town.” – Paul Morris, Fellow Stadium Super Truck competitor and podium regular, Australian Motorsport Legend.

Price is hungry to return back to the track to look lead more laps and capture her first SST podium finish.

“On the line of the second race I knew what I needed to do and where I could push it, and start being more aggressive, I wanted to show I belong up front and I did just that, leading those 3 lap was a feeling I can’t even describe – the adrenaline was intense, the crowd was going crazy, but I stayed calm and collected and proved I belong up front with the best,” said Price.

Sara’s break through and record setting weekend was supported and fully documented by BitTorrent Inc., a media company dedicated to empowering radical voices in sports, music, film, and more. Their global consumer media platform gives athletes and brands outside the mainstream exposure to over 200 million fans.

Improved performance for Erica Enders in Denver

July 25, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

It has been a difficult season thus far for the reigning NHRA Pro Stock World Champion. But this weekend saw improved performance for Erica Enders in Denver that keeps the Elite driver optimistic for a turn around. Qualifying second for the event is proof that her Dodge Dart is now a contender, despite a second round loss due to parts failure.

Enders earned the No. 2 qualified position for the 37th Annual NHRA Mopar Mile High Nationals with a 6.933 second pass at 198.03 mph. Though it was a less than ideal run, with Enders out of the groove for parts of the run, it was her best qualifying effort to date this season. The Elite team has struggled with their switch to Mopar this season, also contending with rule changes in the Pro Stock class and the drastic move to Fuel Induction.

“We’re certainly pleased with our performance gains this weekend,” Enders said. “It shows that our hard work is paying off. Having said that, we still have a long way to go.”

She beat Alan Prusiensky with one of the best passes in the first round, 6.970 seconds at 197.42 mph. That gave her lane choice against Allen Johnson for the second round, but Johnson’s good fortune in Denver continued.

The two friends and rivals got off the line almost identically, but Johnson sped to the win with a pass of 7.000 seconds at 196.53 mph while Enders lost elapsed time from her first pass and ended up with a run of 7.026 seconds at 195.62 mph.

“We had a parts failure that round,” Enders said. “We should have been able to go out there and run a .98 absolutely no problem because we took where the failure in the run happened and did a run completer from there. We were actually on a better run than Greg (Anderson) in that round and he went a .99.

Though she lost in the second round after an unfortunate parts failure slowed her pass, the improved performance for Erica Enders in Denver means her Dodge Dart is now a contender.

“I think we would have been a solid to low .98. Should have, would have, could have, but it would definitely have been enough to beat AJ. This is just his lucky track.”

Johnson ended up racing to his 10th consecutive final round here, beating Vincent Nobile in the final. Enders, meanwhile, looks forward to continuing the Western Swing next weekend in Sonoma, Calif.

“We’ll load up and go to Sonoma definitely with our heads held high because of the gains made here,” Enders said. “I’m looking forward to racing at sea level again, or closer to sea level, and kicking ass in Sonoma.”

Courtney Force finishes second in Denver

July 25, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

NHRA Funny Car driver Courtney Force finishes second in Denver at the 37th Annual NHRA Mopar Mile High Nationals. Force qualified No. 1 for the event, and advanced to her 16th career final round, before falling to her father, John Force in a close race. She leaves the event in the No. 2 position in NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car point standings.

Bandimere Dragway proved to be a successful event for Courtney Force and her Traxxas Funny Car team. The 28 year-old picked up eight key bonus points throughout qualifying, grabbing the No. 1 qualified position with a 3.917 second ET at 318.39 mph. The pole was her tenth career No. 1 start, and Courtney has converted those No. 1 qualified positions into wins in four of those attempts.

“We had a great weekend out here starting off the Western Swing at the Mile High NHRA Nationals in Denver. This is one of the most challenging race tracks and I’m so proud of my team because I definitely think that we turned things around in a huge way coming to this track. We did quite a bit better than we have in the past and it definitely goes to show the type of team that I have working on my car. My crew chiefs, Danny Hood and Ronnie Thompson, they’ve given me a consistent race car round by round,” said Force.

In the opening round of eliminations, the youngest racer in the John Force Racing stable was paired up with Jim Campbell, the first time the two racers had met in competition. Force easily dismissed Campbell, running a 3.972 second, 315.42 mph pass that was good for low of the round and lane choice as she advanced to the quarterfinals.

Her round 2 match-up with Tommy Johnson Jr. marked their fourth meeting this season. Both drivers left with nearly identical reaction times, but Force was able to pull away with an early lead. The Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car raced straight down the groove to get the second round win with a 4.016 at 315.56 mph to Johnson Jr.’s 4.032 ET at 315.71 mph. It was an extremely close race with a margin of victory at .0154 seconds, approximately seven feet. Force is now 7-4 against Johnson Jr. in eliminations.

Unfortunately, she lost out on lane choice for the third round of eliminations against teammate and JFR President, Robert Hight. The teammates have met four times this season, with Courtney showing a match-up record of 7-10 against Hight. But a stellar performance by Force leading with an .052 second reaction time and race day low ET of 3.937 seconds at 322.04 mph took the immediate win after Hight red-lighted and fouled out on the starting line. She would take lane choice into the finals against her father, 16-time champion John Force.

The final round would prove to be a close one. John would take a slight advantage at the starting line, which would prove to be all that he needed by the finish. He would take the hole shot win, running 3.965 seconds at 319.45 mph to Courtney’s quicker, but losing 3.963 at 314.75 mph.

“I’m proud of my dad for getting that win. We were right there. He was right out my window the whole way down. I actually thought we had him. We had a little bit of trouble with the belt on the car. It kind of shredded up right at the finish line and he went by me for the win. He’s done a great job all weekend in his Realtree PEAK Camaro and he definitely snuck up on me with that camo, so great job to him and his team, but our Traxxas team is going to be ready for Sonoma,” said Force.

Courtney Force finishes second in Denver, not only for the event, but also in NHRA Mello Yello championship points. The team heads to the next stop of the western swing, the NHRA Toyota Sonoma Nationals, in Sonoma, CA on July 29-31.

“I’m so proud of my guys. We moved up to second in the points in this Traxxas Chevy Camaro. We were one of the fastest on the mountain for the Fastest Name in Radio Control cars. I’m really proud of all they did this weekend. I’m bummed we weren’t able to go home with the win against my dad in the final round, but excited that it was on the FOX network. I think that’s huge for our sport.”