FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN FEMALE PRO STOCK TEAM FORMED
On the heels of current successes by women in motorsports, including Melanie Troxel’s Top Fuel victory at the season-opening CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals, Minorities Empowered Nationally Through Organized Racing (MENTOR) announced this week the formation of the first African-American female-owned NHRA Pro Stock team.
The announcement originally was scheduled for later in the year, but MENTOR founder Phil Coleman said everything was just about in place.
“It is time to cut the baby from the cord and let her fly on her own,” said Coleman. “This is truly a historic period.”
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Team owner Cynthia Taylor (CynTay Motorsports) is a former certified senior-level administrator/manager in the Detroit-area school system and former marketing and public relations director for African-American Pro Mod driver Ronnie Hood. The Detroit/Indianapolis-based team will take delivery of its new ride this summer and make its debut at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. The driver will be selected from among three “naturally gifted Pro Stock/Pro Mod-ready African-American and Hispanic drivers.”
Coleman emphasized that the program was part of a long-running driver-development initiative. “As our name implies, we are mentors,” he said. “Our drivers range in age from 17 to 27, and all have been in the six-second zone. We have the technical expertise, a winning crew chief, equipment, and skill sets to go rounds. We also have a strategic alliance with good friends Roy Hill and Ron Jones [Roy Hill’s Drag Racing School], who have been instrumental in our program's development for many years."
“I have always been a pretty good communicator and recognized long ago the importance of surrounding myself with people who excel in their respective fields. I feel like I have accomplished this goal,” said Taylor, who has actively promoted MENTOR and NHRA Youth & Education Services (YES) presented by U.S. Army nationally in the last several years. “Phil [Coleman], Ronnie [Hood], and Roy [Hill] are brutal hard-core Pro Modified racers in another sanction, and it is just a matter of incorporating their skill set to NHRA Pro Stock-style racing. Besides, Roy and Ronnie proved long ago they know how to win in the NHRA."
DMI Technologies is the team’s primary sponsor, but, added Taylor, “Like every other team out here, money is always an issue. CynTay Motorsports has enough funding for several races this year and will be looking to add additional corporate sponsors.” [3-3-2066]
BYE-BYE DRAGSTER?
Ashley Force, seen here testing her dragster before the season started, just did some testing in a Funny Car and she began her orientation as a Fuel Coupe pilot with a bang (please excuse the Agent, he just couldn’t resist). On her first lap in her own Fuel Funny Car while testing at Phoenix a part malfunction caused her to lift the blower on her first burnout. After a couple of other aborted tries she made a hard leave to the 330 and had a .888 60-foot time. The car was the one her dad John drove at the end of last year.
After Ashley made her laps, dad got in the car and made a half-tracker with a .858 sixty. So the car was no pooch. By all accounts from those at the test Ashley is a lot like her dad as a driver. She should be making full passes as soon as they can find a way to medicate dad enough so that he can watch without having a stress attack. (Ron Lewis photo) [3-3-2066]
