Ladies Leading the Track Walk at Indy

A very important group of young ladies will be leading the track walk at this year’s NHRA Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals. The group Girls Nite In will lead the track walk monday morning for the 60th running of the NHRA Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals. Girls Nite In was started by high school teacher, Jimmelynn Rice, after hearing the not-so-high-school conversations that her students were having in between class. So she decided to create a safe refuge for the girls to talk about all of the struggles they were going through. The first meeting gathered around 55 girls. A few years later, the word quickly spread. Today, over 100 girls’ lives are being changed by Girls Nite In. Not only all over America, but in countries such as Argentina as well. Girls Nite In is an amazing group that has set out to help adolescent girls work through their hardships and help them reach their maximum potential. Having the girls at a spectacular event like the U.S. Nationals, introduces them to even more positive female figures such as Erica Enders-Stevens, Courtney Force, Brittany Force, Alexis Dejoria, and Angie Smith to name a handful. Drag racing is such a diverse sport, that leaves its spectators with a positive takeaway during and after the race. To find out more about Girls Nite In check out their website. 

The 60th NHRA Chevrolet U.S. Nationals take place September 1st, 2014, in Indianapolis, Indiana.  

-Dallas Hollins

www.InsidePitRow.blogspot.com 

Find us on Twitter & Instagram: @InsidePitRow

Renault Done With Trying to Keep Up With Mercedes

Less than halfway through the 2014 F1 season, it appears that Renault is giving up on its efforts to try and catch the Mercedes power units. 

There is no doubt that the French manufacturer has struggled to keep up with the outstanding performance that Mercedes has put forth this season. Even though they are second in the Constructors Championship, Renault is sitting 158 points behind Mercedes. Many top notch teams have struggled to adjust to the regulation changes that the FIA put forth for the 2014 season. But no one expected the 4-time consecutive Constructors Champions to fall off the way they have. 

Infiniti Red Bull Racing has made it clear that they are not pleased with Renault’s performance, and were considering other engine options for 2015 and beyond. 

Renault F1 engine chief, Rob White stated in Autosprint, "We are pushing for next year in order to have a greater scope of development.”

"At the moment it is not possible to change the specification of the power unit without the permission of the FIA, and the federation does not give any permissions for performance reasons," Rob White clarified. 

While their performance is off balance this season, they appear to be making gains. Renault has had five podium finishes, including a win at the Canadian Grand Prix. While yes, it’s a bit late to try and catch Mercedes, it’s never too late for improvement. 

The ninth round in the 2014 Formula One World Championship takes place this weekend, July 4th-6th, at the Silverstone Circuit in Silverstone, United Kingdom. 

-Dallas Hollins 

www.InsidePitRow.blogspot.com

Find us on Twitter & Instagram: @InsidePitRow

Photo Credit: Sutton Images

Rookie Syndrome Plaguing McLaren?

McLaren Mercedes has not had the best of years so far. So far they’ve only seen the podium twice. Mclaren rookie, Kevin Magnussen and teammate, Jenson Button, scored second and third places finishes at the opening round of Formula One in Australia earlier this year. Other than that, both drivers have had some lackluster finishes in the 2014 season. Kevin’s second best finish was seventh place in Austria, while Jenson’s was a fourth place finish in Canada. 

Some people inside, and outside of McLaren have been quick to make Kevin Magnussen the scapegoat. McLaren Mercedes’ racing director, Eric Boullier, said that Kevin is currently dealing with “rookie syndrome”. According to Boullier, all of the feedback that the team is getting is truly helping the team along, but Jenson Button isn't so convinced. "Kevin is inexperienced, and although he is learning quickly, there is a still tenth or two [not] there from him not having as much information or experience as we should have."

Jenson is the most experienced F1 driver on the grid. Kevin is one of the least experienced F1 drivers on the grid. Of course, jenson has much more knowledge on racing, data, feedback, and media. While yes, kevin is new to all of this, he is no slouch.  

McLaren’s average grid start is ninth, Kevin’s average race finish is eight, and Jenson’s is ninth. They’re currently sitting in sixth in the Constructors Championship. Jenson is eighth in the Drivers Standings, and Kevin is tenth. For the most part, the driver’s results are fairly even. The team is not its usual championship winning self, but it could definitely be doing much worse. There are so many reasons as to why they aren’t currently contending for the Constructors or Drivers Championship. One reason could be the chassis and its aerodynamic capabilities. The other could be their Mercedes power units just can’t compete with those of Mercedes AMG or Sahara Force India. The new 2014 regulations have thrown most teams for a loop, and McLaren Mercedes seems to be one of those teams. Quite possibly it’s just small mistakes from both drivers that are costing them points. Only McLaren knows. 

So can Magunessen’s so-called “rookie syndrome” be to blame for McLaren’s poor season? I think not. You win as a team and you lose as a team. There are improvements that need to be made all around. You can’t throw the blame on one person’s shoulders.   

The 2014 Formula One World Championship is far from over, the next round takes place July 4-6, at Silverstone Circuit, in the United Kingdom. 

-Dallas Hollins

www.InsidePitRow.blogspot.com 

Find us on Twitter & Instagram: @InsidePitRow

Photo credit: Motorsport.com

The Trouble Brewing Between Red Bull Racing and Renault

      Trouble may be brewing between the Infiniti Red Bull racing team and its engine supplier, Renault. Reports are, Red Bull might send Renault a bill at the end of the season over financial damage from lost performance. We all know that the race team we’ve seen this year, and the race team we’ve seen for the past four season, don’t seem to be the same. Four time world champion, Sebastian Vettel, has failed to finish two races this season. His teammate, Daniel Ricciardo has scored one win and two other podium finishes for the team, but was disqualified in Australia and failed to finish in Malaysia. Many teams have struggled with the new 1.6-litre V6 turbo engine that was mandated for this season. With the exception of those carrying Mercedes power units, of course. 

Another speculation is that Red Bull is talking to Volkswagen about supplying the team with their engines for next year. Volkswagen is already in other racing series, so branching out to F1 might be a good idea for both Red Bull and Volkswagen. One thing we do know is that Infiniti Red Bull Racing is going to go over their data from the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix and previous races this season in order to figure out a plan for next season. Something needs to be fixed in order for them to get back to where they were last year and the years before, whether it’s on Red Bull’s end or Renault’s. The team has two very talented drivers in the cockpit of their cars, but a million things have to go right in order for there to be success amongst a team. Something just isn’t there. 

When asked about the financial woes and the rumors about Volkswagen, team advisor, Dr. Helmut Marko, said it all was simply “nonesense”. But is it? Sure, Red Bull won their first race of the season two weeks ago in Canada, but the team has had a lackluster season in 2014, compared to what we’ve seen from them the past four years. While sending a bill to Renault might be a tad extreme when you look at the two’s success with one another over the past four years. However, talking to another manufacturer about supplying engines for next season, is not. 

Maybe Daniel Ricciardo’s win and Sebastian Vettel’s third place in Canada are a change in the tide for Red Bull and Renault. After all it was the best result they’ve had all season. The team is in second place in the Constructor’s Championship, 119 points behind Mercedes AMG. There are twelve races left this season, meaning if both Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton somehow manage not finish the next handful of races, Infiniti Red Bull Racing has a big chance to streak away with the Constructor’s Championship at the end of the year. Sure, that’s a lot to ask for, but after watching the Canadian Grand Prix, we all learned that absolutely anything can happen. 

The next round in the 2014 Formula One World Championship takes place June 20-22, in Spielberg, Austria.  

-Dallas Hollins

www.InsidePitRow.blogspot.com

Find us on Twitter & Instagram: @InsidePitRow

Picture credit: Motorsport.com

Erica Enders-Stevens Wins Big in Tennessee

      Erica Enders-Stevens is on a roll, racking up points and winning Wallys left and right. Last weekend in Bristol, Tennessee, Erica won her third race this season, further extending her Pro Stock points lead to 908 in the NHRA Mello Yello Championship. She has more wins this year than any of the other ladies competing in the series. Enders-Stevens also collected her tenth victory of her career, making her the third woman to make it into double digit wins, right behind Shirley Muldowney and Angelle Sampey. 

The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series heads into its eleventh event June 19-22, in Epping, New Hampshire.  

-Dallas Hollins 

www. InsidePitRow.blogspot.com

Find us on Twitter & Instagram: @InsidePitRow

Canadian Grand Prix Review

You can scratch the Bahrain Grand Prix off the top of your list of most exciting races of the 2014 Formula One season. The Canadian Grand Prix has clearly surpassed the excitement that Bahrain provided us. Lewis Hamilton was out qualified by his teammate for the second race in a row. Yet once again, Mercedes started on the front row for the race. Points leader, Nico Rosberg, lead the field into the first corner. While Lewis Hamilton fell back into third, behind the four time World Champion, Sebastian Vettel. Marussia may experienced the highest of highs in Monaco, but in Canada, they experienced the lowest of lows when their drivers, Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi took each other out on the first lap. A few laps into the race, as expected, Lewis Hamilton passed Sebastian Vettel, then caught up with his teammate, Nico. 

Halfway through the race, both of Mercedes’ cars were experiencing mechanical issues. Both Lewis and Nico were losing around three seconds per lap, but they still maintained a decent gap on the rest of the field. On the forty-fifth lap, Lewis Hamilton lost his brakes. He overshot his teammate by cutting through a corner, he then gave the spot back to Nico before he broke it to his crew over the radio that his breaks had gone out as he pulled in to the pits and retired the car. 

      Nico stretched his lead out until the final ten laps. the Infiniti Red Bull machine of Daniel Ricciardo was gaining, but it looked as though Nico was going to hold on to the lead to win the race, while Daniel Ricciardo would finish in second and Sebastian Vettel would end up third. With two laps to go, Ricciardo drove past Nico Rosberg to take the lead. Sergio Perez took his Sahara Force India machine to the fourth spot until Felipe Massa took Perez and himself out in a high speed crash. Fortunately, neither were hurt badly. The race finished under caution with Daniel Ricciardo getting his maiden win, destroying Mercedes AMG's perfect season. Daniel Ricciardo, Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button, and Nico Hülkenberg round out the top five. 

Rosberg has a twenty-two point lead over his teammate and rival, Lewis Hamilton. The next race is in Spielberg, Austria, at the Red Bull Ring June 20th-22nd.

-Dallas Hollins

www.InsidePitRow.blogspot.com

Find us on Twitter & Instagram: @InsidePitRow

Photo Credit: Motorsport.com

Ronnie Renner Claims Gold Medal #6

  

  Ronnie Renner has won his 6th X Games Gold Medal in the Step Up competition. The thirty-six year old had absolutely no problem clearing the thirty-four foot high bar, so much so that he had feet to spare as he went over. Of course, it should be easy.  He made history in 2012 when he cleared the bar at forty-seven feet at X Games LA. Not only is this Ronnie's sixth gold medal, it's his eleventh overall in his twelve year X Games competition history. Bryce Hudson walked away with silver, while 2013 X Games Munich Step Up Gold Medalist, Libor Podmol took home the bronze. 

This is the second day of X Games Austin competition. Look for more Moto X competition Saturday, June 7th, on ABC at 11:00 A.M. PST, and ESPN at 5:00 P.M. PST.

-Dallas Hollins

www.InsidePitRow.blogspot.com

Find us on Twitter & Instagram: @InsidePitRow

The Rivalry: Lewis vs. Nico

There’s almost nothing worse than your own teammate being your biggest rival. He’s on the same equipment, technology, crew, and the team shares each of the driver’s data. Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton know all about what this is like. You could see the tension between the Mercedes drivers at the start of the 2014 F1 season. But according to former karting boss, Dino Chiesa, the feud has been there since they were teenagers. Chiesa claims that Rosberg was the one who worked the hardest because he didn’t have as much talent as Hamilton. “Rosberg has always worked harder and does all the dirty work, the set-up, working with the mechanics and engineers. Lewis has never worked as hard behind the scenes as Nico.” 

Rosberg hinted at a rivalry with his teammate during a pre-season interview with Telegraph Sport saying, “It will definitely be harder, yes. The more success we have the tougher it is.” So far this year, every Q3 has ended with the Mercedes drivers qualifying one-two. With the exception of the Australian Grand Prix, Lewis and Nico have managed to finish one-two in every race. Nico is a measly four points ahead of Lewis in the driver's standings. Hamilton has four wins, Nico has two. Keep in mind that there have only been six races so far this season. 

In Bahrain, Lewis made it clear about where he stood with Nico. “We are not friends. Nico and myself can count our friends on one hand. He doesn’t come in my five friends, I am not in the five friends he has. We are colleagues.” The race itself was very close, and Nico was not happy about finishing second to Lewis. During the Spanish Grand Prix, Lewis questioned his engineers about the strategy he was placed on in comparison to the one they gave Nico. 

Once in Monaco, Lewis told the press that he was hungrier than Nico because unlike his German teammate, he wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth. During the final qualifying session on Saturday, Nico made a mistake on the last lap that caused a yellow flag, impeding Lewis’s lap, in which he had just set his fastest sector. Lewis was not pleased with Nico on Saturday, and he definitely wasn’t pleased when Rosberg got an early lead and kept it until the checkered flag dropped. There was no interaction between the two during the podium presentation. Mercedes non-executive chairman, Niki Lauda was very upset with the way the two drivers handled themselves at the Monaco Grand Prix, saying that he was to talk to both Nico and Lewis about their actions. 

Last week, Lewis posted a picture of he and Nico as teenagers with the caption: “We’ve been friends for a long time & as friends we have our ups & downs. Today we spoke & we’re cool, still friends #noproblem". They might still be friends, but the rivalry is very much there. With the intense battles on the track, and the not-so-friendly words spewed away from the track, these two are always in each other’s heads. The next race is the Canadian Grand Prix, this weekend May 6th-8th, in Montreal Canada.  

-Dallas Hollins 

www.InsidePitRow.blogspot.com

Find us on Twitter & Instagram: @InsidePitRow

Photo Credit: Motorsport.com, Instagram.com

Monaco Grand Prix Review / Canadian Grand Prix Preview

The 2014 Monaco Grand Prix was by far one of the best we've seen so far this year. The final qualifying session had quite a bit of drama. In Q3 with one lap to go, Nico Rosberg overshot a corner and drove his Mercedes-powered racecar into a runoff area, thus causing a yellow flag, and impeding the other drivers' final lap. It may or may not have been pure coincidence that Lewis Hamilton, Rosberg's teammate and biggest rival, had just set his fastest time in the first sector. Even after an investigation made by race control, Nico Rosberg maintained his pole position for Sunday's race. An off-pole Lewis remained tight-lipped during the post-qualifying press conference, but his body language spoke volumes. The 2008 Formula One World Champion was not pleased with his teammate's actions. Mercedes didn't have too much to be upset about because both of their cars started on row one for the sixth consecutive race this season. The race itself went as expected, Mercedes finished first and second. However, it was Nico Rosberg who graced the top step of the podium with Lewis in second, and Infinity Red Bull Racing's Daniel Ricciardo rounding out the top three. This is Nico's second win of the year, the first being the Australian Grand Prix, as well as his his second victory in Monaco. 

There wasn't too much excitement on the first few rows, but the drive of the day is a two-way tie between Marussia's Jules Bianchi, and Sahara Force India's Nico Hülkenberg. Jules had an absolutely fantastic drive from nineteenth to ninth, scoring the team's first ever points paying position in their eighty three race history. Nico Hülkenberg on the other hand, drove from eleventh to an impressive fifth-place finish, driving on super-soft tires for the last fifty one laps of the race. He scored a solid ten points which pushed him to fifth-place in the points, while Sahara Force India is fourth in the Constructor's standings. 

So what's to come this weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix? Lewis is a three-time winner of the Canadian Grand Prix, while points leader Nico Rosberg's highest finish at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is fifth. You can't count out either of Infinity Red Bull Racing's drivers, especially Sebastian Vettel, who won last year's Canadian GP. Sahara Force India, McLaren, and Williams will also be in the fight for points. We might just see Marussia take the fight to the top ten once again. There's one thing I know for certain, the Canadian Grand Prix will be a blast! It starts this weekend, June 6th-8th, in Montreal, Canada.

-Dallas Hollins 

www.InsidePitRow.blogspot.com 

Find us on Twitter & Instagram: @InsidePitRow

Photo Credit: Motorsport.com

Courtney Force Scores Victory #100 for Women in the NHRA

Courtney Force made herstory over the weekend in Topeka, Kansas, as she collected the 100th professional win by a woman in the NHRA. Not only was it the 100th win for women, but it was Courtney’s fourth victory in only her third year of Funny Car competition. She had made history the day before when qualified #1 in the Funny Car class, while her older sister, Brittany Force, qualified #1in the Top Fuel category. Brittany made it all the way to the semifinals, but Courtney was the Force sister who wound up with the Wally in her hands. She flew past Cruz Pedregon in the finals with a 4.148 at 306.46 MPH to get the win. Not only did Courtney walk away with the Wally for the race win, she received a commemorative “100 Wins for Women” Wally as well. In winning fashion, Courtney took a selfie in the Winner’s Circle with her Wallys and crew guys in the picture. This is John Force Racing’s sixth victory in Funny Car so far this season. 

100 professional wins for women is a huge deal. The NHRA has shown more gender diversity than any other form of professional motorsport in the world. For comparison, Formula One hasn’t had a female competitor on the grid since 1992, and no female has ever won an F1 race. The 2014 IndyCar season has seen Pippa Mann finish 24th in this year’s Indy 500, but Danica Patrick remains the only woman to have ever won an IndyCar race. NASCAR has two women competing in two of their major series, Danica Patrick and Jennifer Jo Cobb. However, a woman has yet two win a NASCAR race. NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series’s track record with women over the association’s sixty three year history is simply remarkable. Other racing series should take notes, because the world of motorsports needs more prominent, winning female figures. 

Congratulations on your fourth win, Courtney! Thank you for capturing victory #100 by women! 

-Dallas Hollins 

www.InsidePitRow.blogspot.com

Find us on Twitter & Instagram: @InsidePitRow

Check out a list all of the professional wins made by women in the NHRA: 

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20140525/nhra/140529859

Picture Credit: NHRA/ National Dragster

The Diversity of the NHRA

 When you think of professional motorsports series, you generally think of Formula One, IndyCar, NASCAR, and NHRA. Of course there are many, many other professional motorsports series out there. The four mentioned are just amongst the most popular. Out of the four, there is no professional racing series as gender diverse as the National Hot Rod Association. 

  NHRA has had more success with women in its series than any other. Over the span of the association’s sixty-three year history, there have been 100 wins in the four professional classes by the women of the sport. Angelle Sampey, Shirley Muldowney, and Erica Enders-Stevens lead the way with the most wins. So far this season Erica Enders-Stevens, Alexis Dejoria, and most recently, Courtney Force, have collected five wins. Eight women have already competed in the four professional categories of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series in 2014, not to mention the dozens that compete in the sportsman ranks. Only eight races into a twenty-four event season, this looks to be a very promising year for the ladies. 

Danica Patrick and Jennifer Jo Cobb are the only women competing in any of the three major NASCAR series. There have yet to be any female winners in NASCAR. In IndyCar, Pippa Mann is the only woman that has competed so far this year, but so far has only raced in one event, the Indy 500. The first and only win by a woman in IndyCar came six years ago, by Danica Patrick at the Indy Japan 300. Formula One hasn’t had a woman compete in its series since Giovanna Amati’s three race stint in 1992. However Susie Wolff is currently a reserve driver for Williams Martini Racing, and Simona De Silvestro is an affiliate driver for the Suaber F1 Team. There have only been five female racecar drivers in Formula One, but none have captured a win or stood on the podium.

It’s hard to pinpoint why exactly the NHRA has had so much success with their racecar drivers that happen to be female. It’s hard to pinpoint why other racing series haven’t had as much success with women. One day, we will have a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion that is a woman. One day, we will have a female Formula One World Champion. The way NHRA Pro Stock points leader, Erica Enders-Stevens’s season is going so far, we might just see the first female World Champion in that class at the end of the year. It’s all simply a matter of time. Before you know it, all forms of motorsports will have much more diversity in every aspect.  

-Dallas Hollins 

www.InsidePitRow.blogspot.com 

Find us on Twitter & Instagram: @InsidePitRow

Midfield Teams On the Rise

    

        Too often we forget about the power of the newer and/or small-budget Formula One teams. Four races into the 2014 F1 season and we have already seen how the new rules and regulations have shaken things up for the teams. Some of the big teams such as, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, Infiniti Red Bull Racing, and Scuderia Ferrari had and still have their struggles with the new 2014 rule changes. One team in particular has done quite well this so far this season, Sahara Force India. The team is currently sitting third in the Constructor Championship. Sahara Force India driver, Nico Hülkenberg, who was at one point third in the points, is currently holding down a solid fourth place in the Driver standings. His teammate, Sergio Perez, had a third place finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix and is tenth in the points. Nico is a mere five points away from Fernando Alonso's third  place spot, and Sergio is two points out of ninth place. Sahara Force India isn't the only midfield team that is making gains. The Williams Martini Racing team is sitting in sixth in Constructor standings. Williams driver, Valtteri Bottas, is seventh in the points, while his teammate, Felipe Massa, is in eleventh place.

One thing we know for sure is that it will be a very interesting season. The fifth round of the Formula One World Championship will take place this weekend, May 9th-11th at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain. 

-Dallas Hollins

www.insidepitpow.blogspot.com

Find us on Twitter & Instagram: @InsidePitRow

Photo Credit: Motorsport.com 

Erica Enders-Stevens Returns Home to Texas

The O’Reilly Auto Parts Spring Nationals in Houston, Texas is just one day away. Guess which Texan is leading the points in Pro Stock? Houston native, Erica Enders-Stevens. Erica currently has a forty two point lead in the Pro Stock category. So far, she has had great success this year with double-up wins in Las Vegas at the K&N Horsepower Challenge and SummitRacing.com Nationals. Along with two runner-up finishes in Gainesville, Florida and Charlotte, North Carolina.  

Enders-Stevens announced at the end of the 2013 season, that she would make the switch from Cagnazzi Racing to Elite Motorsports for the 2014 season. So far, we are seeing the upside of the move. Erica first made history in July of 2012, when she became the first woman to win an NHRA Pro Stock event. So far, she has collected seven Wallys. Making her the third most-winning female in NHRA history, right behind Angelle Sampey and Shirley Muldowney. 

This weekend’s event in Texas will be the sixth race in a twenty four race season. Translation: Anything can happen. However, Erica is a proven winner who has a fast car and great team behind her. Might we see the first female NHRA Pro Stock World Champion this year? I would like to think that we will, but only time will tell. Let's see if the hometown girl can bring home another Wally this weekend. Good luck, Erica! 

-Dallas Hollins

www.InsidePitRow.blogspot.com

find us on twitter & instagram: @insidepitrow

Catching Up with Brittany Force

           

       Brittany Force is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with. The Auto Club of Southern California Road to the Future award winner, is now in her sophomore year in the Top Fuel ranks. We talk about everything from her goals for the 2014 season to must-have beauty products!

Now that your rookie year is behind you, what are you focusing on this year? 

BF: Right now, pretty much the same goals I had last year. Qualify at every national event, go after my first win, and just keep improving. To be able to come out here and we ran career best ET, 3.77, that’s really exciting. My guys are pumped, they were excited when that number came on the board so that’s just pushing us. Really to just go after our first win would be my number one goal right now. 

What are you guys doing to help prepare for next year? 

BF:  We’ve had a good time running with Castrol, my dad’s been with Castrol for 28 years. I was excited when they took me on board, it’s just a bummer that it has to end. Castrol’s been awesome, they’ve always been so supportive. To run my rookie season with Castrol Edge on my car was just awesome. I’m gonna fight it out for them this year, and try to bring home a win for them. Unfortunately, we wont be with them in 2015, so right now we’re just shopping around trying to find sponsors. We’re talking to a few people but we don't have anything lined up, so hopefully we’ll get something in the works pretty soon.

Just a few years ago, you were a school teacher. What crystalized your love for drag racing? 

BF: I’ve always loved drag racing. To be out here it’s my second home, my second family, everyone out here, I love being out here. Nothing will ever change that. Whether I went into teaching or some other kind of profession, I’d still be out here on the weekends supporting my family just because I've always had a passion and love for the sport of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing, I love to be out here. My plan was, I graduated school, ended up getting my teaching credential, worked with 6th, 7th, and 8th graders for an entire year, and I loved every second of it. I wanted to get back in my A/Fuel car and really start competing. Then after a few years of that I thought I’ll go back to teaching, was my original plan. I wanted to get back in the seat of my car and really compete, I wasn't able to be as competitive as I was when I was running A/Fuel because I was still going to shcool at the time so I didn't go to every single event. I really wanted to get back in that car and really start competing out there. Then the oppertunity came along to jump in a Top Fuel car. If you would've asked me two years ago if I'd be competeing in Top Fuel car I would've said no. Those things are way too fast, those things are crazy, there's no way. I'm one, I will always try something once. That opportunity came along and I jumped right in. The problem was once I got in, I wasn't coming out, I was hooked. So my whole career path changed and that's crazy because two years ago I would've said no way I would be driving a Top Fuel car.

                  

     

What can you tell as about your new reality TV show? 

BF: You know that’s still in the works, my dad keeps bringing that up. It's definitely a challenge. I didn't love it the first time around, but if it's going to be a way to bring new sponsors to fund our team for 2015, I'm onboard for it. 

What can NHRA do to attract a female audience?

BF: I really think the girls coming into the industry has helped draw in a younger crowd. If I stand at the back of my pits, I have little kids that come up, little tiny ones, and younger girls, all tell me that for some of them it's their first race, some of them say that they want to be racecar drivers so that's really exciting. I really think that the younger generations are all into Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and I think that pulls in the younger crowd. Courtney went and did the ESPN Body Issue, and that pulled in a whole new crowd of fans that we never had before. They suddenly saw her on the cover and thought 'What is this girl doing? Why is she on the front cover?' and maybe it pulled some of them to our races, so any way we can get exposer. For me, I'm new to Twitter and Instagram. I got it last year, I'm not as good as I should be on it, but I enjoy it, it's fun. It's a way to connect with the fans. Most of the fans on my Instagram and Twitter, they're a younger crowd so I definitely think that’ll pull in people.

Do you have any raceday rituals or superstitions? 

BF: No, I really try not to have too many rituals. When I get suited up, I put my right glove on first then my left, I always have the same routine. When I get in my car and everything's suited up, I like to sit in there and people will think I'm going crazy in there because they’ll see me moving around and the whole car’s shaking because I'm moving in there. Really, I'm just checking that my belts are all locked in and my steering wheel's on. Eric Medlen actually went down the track one time and his steering wheel came off, so it's happened before, and that terrifies me. Every run I make no matter what, when I'm in that car you’ll see me in there moving around checking everything, that's something I can't go down the track unless I do. 

What could we find you doing outside of the racetrack? 

BF: I’m a big movie fan, I see every movie that comes out, I'm just like my dad. I'll go to the movies a few times a week just to catch up on my favorite movies. I love going to the beach with my sister, but just the normal SoCal girl things, but movies are my favorite thing to do. I love to travel, as much as I'm on the road I still love to travel. Courtney and I, last year on our offseason went to Thailand which was awesome. We tried to plan a trip this year, it just didn't happen. 

Where would you like to go next? 

BF: There are so many places I want to go to. I’d like to go to Egypt, I want to go to Morocco. I want to go to Germany, there's so much to do. I love traveling, seeing new cultures, trying different food, and the whole experience of it all. We went to Thailand and like I said, it's amazing, so that's something that I love to do, is travel. 

What's your favorite movie? 

BF: Favorite movie? I also like to read. Right now I'm reading 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo'. Favorite book ever would be 'The Hunger Game' series, and I love the movie. Twilight! I'm such a nerd, I watched all of those. Courtney and I are obsessed with those movies. I love the movie, The Social Network. Honestly, it's hard to pick one movie, because there's so many good ones. Comedy, I guess 'What's Your Number?'. That's one of my favorite ones with Anna Faris, it's one of my favorite all time movies. 

What's one makeup product you can't go with out? 

BF: I guess I'd have to go with two, it'd be chapstick and mascara.  

Follow Brittany Force on Instagram & Twitter: @BrittanyForce

-Dallas Hollins

www.insidepitrow.blogspot.com

Find us on Instagram & Twitter: @InsidePitRow

Catching Up with Courtney Force

We caught up with one of the most popular and personable stars of the NHRA, Courtney Force, driver of the Traxxas Ford Mustang Funny Car. We discuss everything from her raceday superstitions to John Force Racing’s plans for the future. 

How is the chassis different this year? 

CF: We built it in house at John Force Racing, which we did last year’s too. It’s just the new design, kind of new and improved. My dad was running it last year when he won the championship, so I’m running the same design on mine now.

What are your top three goals for this year?

CF: My top goals, well we want to pick up another win. I’ve definitely got my eyes set on Indy, I would really love to do well there. You know we want to get into the top ten for the Countdown to the Championship and we’d love to get that ultimate championship at a the end of the year. I mean i think thats everyones goal out here. I’m obviously still a new driver but you know what, I think we have a great car and a great team and I think if we try hard enough we’ll get close. 

Over the years there have been more females in the world of motorsports, what do you think the NHRA needs to do to attract a younger female audience? 

CF:  Well you know, I have quite a few fans that are young females that come up to me at the ropes that are interested. I think the coolest part is that they can get involved going into the Jr dragster field and they can start pretty young. I think it’s just a matter of time for the young kids to look at the sport and see how great it is, and show that you can be a girl and you can be in a sport that goes over 300 miles per hour if you want to. I think it’s kind of cool to be apart of a male dominated sport and I just think it’s fun. It’s only a matter of time. 

You sister Brittany is doing quite well in Top Fuel, would you ever consider driving another class? 

CF: I don’t know, I love driving my Funny Car. I always tell her that I would love to jump in her Top Fuel dragster and take it for a spin. She’s been doing a great job, she actually just ran her career best at 3.77 ET. which is pretty amazing. We’re proud of her, she’s improving every time she’s out there and it’s a lot of fun watching her. I don’t know if I could get in that, I’m definitely set on the Funny Car class but it would be fun to compete against her.

                         

Do you have any raceday superstitions? 

CF: I don’t know if I have too big of a superstition, but I’m always liking to put on my left glove or my left boot first, before my right for some reason. You get the same fist bumps from the same crew guys every time and you don’t want to screw that up. I listen to music before my run and I think that kind of helps relax me. I guess those are my main superstitions. 

What’s on your raceday playlist? 

CF: Honestly, I listen to a lot of different stuff, I mean country or even house music. A long song, but with good motivating words and it’s enough to kind of block out everything else that’s going on around you and kind of get in the rhythm and kind of forget about everything else. 

What would we find you doing away from the track? 

CF: During the offseason I’ve been pretty busy doing a lot of appearances and interviews. we were on The Queen Latifah Show which was a lot of fun. We are busy just trying to be out here and promote ourselves and sell our sport and looking for new sponsors. So that was our offseason, that’s what we kept busy doing. I also got to make it out to a few other different type of races as well. 

 what is John Force Racing doing to help the team for next season onward once Castrol and Ford leave? 

CF: We’re definitely getting ourselves out there to talk to other sponsors, new ones. We just signed on with PEAK Antifreeze, we just announced it. We’re obviously talking to a lot of new people, but won’t be announcing anything until next season, if we have something big to announce. We’re just kind of getting out there and talking to as many people as we can and seeing what we can get. 

Follow Courtney Force on Twitter & Instagram: @CourtneyForce

-Dallas Hollins

www.insidepitrow.blogspot.com

find us on Twitter & Instagram: @InsidePitRow