Performance Racing Industry

The Performance Racing Industry Trade Show for the second year in a row was held in Orlando, Florida. It is a great opportunity for people in the industry to walk around and meet the companies that we do business with on a daily basis. For me it is great way to put a face with a name.

We attended all three days and it is awesome to walk around with people who have the same passion for racing. A few of our sponsors were on display at the show. Swiss Trax, which just came on board this fall, was showing off their wonderful flooring.

Something that was huge for me was that I had the opportunity to not only meet Kenny Youngblood, but he colored in a picture that he had drawn. Mr. Youngblood is one of the most famous motorsports aritists in history. I have been a HUGE fan of his work, and it was a honor to finally be able to see a him in action. Our artist, Glenn Ferguson, came out to walk around with us and also had the opportunity to speak with him. That made my weekend.

Now it is time to get ready for Christmas. Cookie baking and Christmas shopping with the rest of America. I hope all of you have a great holiday. We are putting together a great racing schedule for 2007. Make sure you check back and see if I am coming to a town near you.

See ya,
Elaine

Already Missing the Track

This is sad, I am counting down the days until my next race already and it hasn't even been two full weeks. It is going to be a long off-season. I feel as if we just got the new Embry-Riddle car up and running, and we put her away already. Well I guess that is how it goes. We have been working on the Miss Ta Fire getting her ready to be put back in action. I am going to make some test laps in her the first part of next year, and then it is off to the races.

This week, I have getting things done for Christmas. We have our tree up and some Christmas lights up outside. We are going to attend the PRI show (Performance Racing Industry) which is held in Orlando, FL. It is only 20 minutes from our house, so it is easy for us to go every year. Now it is time for the business end of racing. That is the hard part. Give me a race car and I can put her down the track, meetings can be challenging.

Well I will let you know how the show goes and the race team sightings.

Check back next week.

Elaine

The Last Race of the Year!!!!

Bradenton Motorsports Parks Snowbird Nationals was the scene for the final race. For the past 3 years, this race has ended the racing season for the Larsen Motorsports Jet Racing Team. This race gets bigger and better every year!!! Chris took off first thing on Friday morning to drop the trailer. E. Lowe (crew chief) decided to take the weekend off from jet racing to do some bracket racing at the same race. It isn't often that he gets a weekend off to enjoy himself and race, so we were very excited to be able to watch him have fun this weekend.

I stayed home in order to do an interview, as well as allow Andrew to go to school. We couldn't take it knowing that everyone was at the track, and by 2:00 we were on the road. When I pulled into the track, I couldn't believe how packed it was, I am talking every inch of space on both sides was filled with racecars. We arrived just in time to watch Freddy Sibley make a test run in his new jet funny car. After we walked around and said Hi to the racers, and caught up on old times.

We headed out to dinner and then back to the hotel to get a good nights sleep for the big weekend ahead. Saturday morning and it was beautiful warm and sunny, not bad for December in Florida. We were lucky to have Chuck and Chris Foster fill in for E. Lowe to crew the car. We all arrived at the track and set up for the weekend. It was so much fun to be back at Bradenton Motorsports Park. There were several people who showed up with Miss Ta Fire shirts on (fans from the past 3 years), and others that took time to stop and say HI.


You know when you just know that it is going to be a good day?? Well I just had a great feeling about this weekend and it did not disappoint. The race track was busting at the seems with racecars and fans. The caliber of cars was amazing. We had several guests with us this weekend, our sponsor Glen Ferguson and JoAnn from Ferguson Racing Art and George DeWees from Embry-Riddle.

Okay now on to the racing...Saturday night we lined up and blasted down the quarter mile twice. The crowd went wild. It was so much fun. When the crowd gets into it, it really makes a difference. We hung out signing autographs for a couple of hours after the last pass of the night, and then headed to Applebees for dinner. It is kind of bitter sweet to know that this is the last race of the year. Moments with the crew like this are so much fun, just going over old times, and replaying the evening is why we do what we do. But it was getting late, and we had to get up early to race, so back to the hotel.


Sunday morning, and it is HOT!!! We pulled into the track and got ready for the last pass of the year. Great racing action, and then it was time for us to line up. Freddy and Paul had a staging duel and it got the fans excited. But when Mark and I pulled out on the track, there was no way we were going to let them have all of the fun. We had the burner pop war that got the fans on their feet!!! When we crossed the finish line and coasted to the end of the track it was a perfect way to end a GREAT 2006 season.

I want to thank everyone that has taken time to stop and say Hi this past year. It is what keeps us going from track to track. There are BIG things on the horizon for Larsen Motorsports. Hang on because 2007 is shaping to be an exciting ride.

2006 Citrus Nationals at Moroso Motorsports Park

Well if you read the previous blog. you read that we were rained out from our last pass of the evening. But before that, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Memories from last year were the topic of conversation. I had am emergency appendectomy a few days before Thanksgiving, and was not able to cook Thanksgiving dinner, so in the spirit of last year our wonderful neighbor, said that she would cook it again this year. With our stomachs full of turkey and dressing, we packed our bags for the up coming weekend. First we had to make a quick stop at the airport to pick up Miss Peggie Horton, a good friend. She flew in to help us out at the race this weekend.

We caught up on old times on the way to the track and met up with Miss Frannie (rock n roll thunder) when we pulled in. After grabbing a quick dinner, we hit the bed to get ready for the big weekend to come.


When we pulled in the track, it was PACKED!!! The news was this was the biggest turnout in Citrus Nationals history. We had a bunch of special friends come out to see us, first the great fans that always take time to stop and say HI, and then some new friends that we met last weekend from the NASCAR race. Michael the "Cookie Man" baked Andrew some great cookies to help celebrate his 10th birthday. We all enjoyed them and so did my hips!!!

The weather was a little hit and miss at first, looked good, but when it was time for our first pass, the skies were clear and the car ran great. But when it was time to run the second pass, the rain started and it was time to pack it in for the night.


We all went out for dinner, and back to the hotel and was in bed by 11:00 for a change. The next morning the skies were grey and things didn't look great. We stopped a Publix to pick up Andrew's birthday cake. After hitting an armadillo on the way to the track (gross) we pulled in to drizzling rain showers. The skies cleared just enough to give us false hope, but in the end, it was just too much and the race was called.


On the way home, we stopped and picked up pizza and was home watching CARS by 6:00. Peggie had a early flight home the next morning and it was Andrew's official birthday Monday. We had a party with family and friends in the evening. Andrew likes a cake made by me, and decorated by Chris. This year it featured the new Embry-Riddle jet dragster.

This week will be spent getting ready for the Snowbird Nationals at Bradenton Motorsports Park this weekend. If you are in the area, make sure and stop by and say HI.

See you at the races!!

Elaine

Saturday night racing at Moroso Motorsports Park

Hey, I am sitting at the hotel on Saturday night, we were rained out for the final pass of the evening at Moroso Motorsports Park. It was a record crowd on had for their 25 anniversary. The Embry-Riddle jet dragster ran down the quarter mile with no problems. We are looking forward to our 3 passes tomorrow. Cross your fingers for sunny weather. Lots of great friends and fans came out to see us. I will post a full spot later time for bed.

Love ya,
Elaine

HOW THE OTHER HALF PLAYS!!!

Saturday November 18th the Embry-Riddle Jet Racing Team headed south. We were invited to be a part of the NASCAR experience and display the jet dragster in the Fan Zone before the final race in Homestead, Florida.

We arrived in Miami on Saturday afternoon then met up with the rest of our crew. I was given six credentials. It was real easy to find someone that wanted to go with us. Of course Chris, Andrew and myself, then George and Jeff from Embry-Riddle, that left us with one extra. My first thought was my friend Holly. She is a 3rd grade teacher at Andrew's school, and the BIGGEST NASCAR fan I know.


At dinner we tried to quiz each one to see which of them knew the most about NASCAR....I am going with Holly for the gossip, Jeff for technical NASCAR stuff, but the surprise hands down winner came from the "dark horse" George, when he pulled out all of the stops to take the checkered flag.

We had big plans to stay up and have fun, but the practical side of me said we had to leave for the race track at 4:45 a.m. so we were off to bed early.

Sunday morning was chilly, but otherwise a picture perfect day. Our display location was right on pit road in front of Dale Jr. Not a bad spot. We unloaded the dragster and set-up the display by 6:45. I was wondering how many fans would arrive so early since the race wasn't starting until 3:00, but by 8:30 a.m. the place was hopping.


I signed autographs from about 8:00 until 1:00. It was amazing. Race car fans are the best in the world. Talk about dedicated to their passion. I was overwhelmed by their welcome and genuine interest. Sadly the time came to pack the car up, but the main event was just getting started.

We didn't have a place sit to watch the race. Luck was on our side and we were invited by Jim from Jeldwen Corporation to share a suite right behind Jimmie Johnson's pit! To return the favor we invited the Jeldwen staff, at the race, to be our guests at our next race at Moroso Motorsports Park on November 25 & 26th. Andrew was even set up with headsets so he could listen to the drivers and crew during the race, pretty cool. By the end of the race, we were all NASCAR fans. It was great to watch Greg Biffle win the race and Jimmie Johnson take home the championship right in front of us.


Our team headed home on Monday morning stopping at Moroso to position the trailer for the upcoming race this weekend.

We are honored to have a special guest this weekend for the race. Peggie Horton is flying in from Texas to join us for the weekend. For those of you that may not know who she is, she is the late Ancel Horton's wife. Ancel was instrumental in helping Chris and myself when we were first getting started in jet racing. He passed away a year ago and we are happy that Peggie is coming down for a visit.

The next few weeks are going to be very hectic, with Moroso this weekend (Citrus Nationals) and Bradenton Motorsports Park (Snowbird Nationals)the following weekend. Then to cap off up the year, we will be attending the Performance Racing Industry show that is in Orlando, Florida. Keep checking back, I will try and update as much as possible.

See you all at the races!!!

Elaine

NASCAR here we come!!!!

A few weeks ago we were invited to display the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Jet Dragster at the final NASCAR race of the year in Homestead, Florida. It is a true honor for us to be able to do this. I am taking my camera, and am ready to have some fun. We have to be at the track at 5:30 Sunday morning November 19th. We will be on display from then until 1:30 right before the race. Andrew (Sparkplug) is busting at the seam with excitment.

Check back and you will see lots of action photos.

See ya,
Elaine

Becoming an Alumni

On Friday October 27th, Chris and I headed over to the Daytona Beach Embry-Riddle campus to take care of some business as well as have fun at their homecoming event. Their theme was Super Hero's this year, and it was pretty cool. There was a 15 foot tall Wonder Woman and Superman walking around the campus as well as Batman and Cat Woman. We stayed and watched the parade. It is hard for me to pick a winner, but I have to say that the SCAT club's helicopter was pretty cool.

Later was a special event. Chris and I were scheduled to receive an honorary alumni certificate. This was amazing. To be a part of such a prestigious institution, and in the highest of company, we really appreciate this honor.

After we headed home to pick up Sparkplug at my friends house. This was going to be our first weekend off in a few weeks. It was time to get things ready for the busy weeks to come. See you soon.

Elaine

Gulfport Mississippi

Back on the road. The team didn't get much rest this week as it was time to hit the road again. We had a tire blowout just on the north side of Gainesville. It was so nice to have E. Lowe riding with us so he could help Chris change the tire and get us back on the road. We arrived in Gulfport on Saturday morning. I didn't watch the weather report, and a cold front had pushed its way through, and of course I didn't have a thing to wear. It was off to the store. Chris dropped me off at Walmart to get some supplies while the guys went off to get the tire fixed.

We had a little time to spare, so we decided to head down to the beach to see how they were rebuilding after hurricane Katrina. You could see signs of the damage inland, but that did not prepare us for what we were to see when we drove closer to the beach. Leveled doesn't even describe it. There was an aquarium that was just twisted metal. How anything could survive is amazing. But the best part of all of this was the hope that things will get back to normal. You could see that they will rebuild, and it will be better than ever.

We were here with the invitation of the Ford Performance Club. This is an annual race that we came to in 2004, but they skipped last year because of the hurricane. These guys were ready to race. We were scheduled to do a small show on Saturday night durning test and tune, but mother nature had other ideas. It started to rain, and the track had to cancel the racing for the night. We hung out for a while to see if it would clear up enough for us to do a line show of smoke and fire for the racers and their families that had come to camp for the weekend. The rain cleared and we pulled out the dragster out on the line and fired her up. I did a full track fire show and had a great time.


The next morning we woke up early to go grab some breakfast and head to the track. When we walked outside, it was disappointing. The skies were grey and it had rained A LOT in the night. When we pulled into the track at 8:00 a.m. our pit area was flooded and the track was really wet. But the Gulfport Raceway team and the guys from the Ford Performance Club got it done.


We went up for our first pass at 2:30 and made 3 total passes down the quarter mile. The Embry-Riddle jet dragster did not disappoint. All of the passes went well and I now feel like she is ready to fly.

This race is special, it is what drag racing is all about, I am talking about true grass roots racing. The whole family comes out to the drag strip and camps, kids are running around, moms and dads it was great. This was really cool. Frank, photographer, said that it gave him goosebumps to see the dragracing that he didn't think existed anymore. It was an amazing weekend.

We have to give a BIG thanks to the Ford Performance Club, Bobby and Darrell, for having us come out, the Gulfport Raceway staff, Frankie for taking care of me, ALL of the fans that stopped by, and last but not least my husband Chris for giving me the chance to FLY!!!

Race Day

The Embry-Riddle race team headed for West Palm Beach Friday afternoon to Moroso Motorsports Park. We arrived early so we could set up and get things ready for a very busy weekend. Not only were we there to race, we hired a film crew to make a promotional video for the brand new Embry-Riddle jet dragster.

This was the first official race for our new team, and let me tell you it was sweet success. We had a wonderful weekend.

Now for some of the fun stuff. If you read my other blogs. I had put my back out the Tuesday before the race. Of course I didn't think this was going to be a problem, well let me tell you something, I have a new respect for back pain. I have since been to the Dr. and found out that I have a pinched nerve. Saturday was more painful than Sunday, but I made it through the weekend with a smile.


Now for the visitors, from Embry-Riddles Ft. Lauderdales center staff and students came out, as well as many from the SAE club out of Daytona Beach campus. It was so much fun to see them cheer their car on. I have my friends and fans that always come out to see me, which keeps me coming back year after year. This however was an anniversary for me and a special person. I met Chris and Chuck Foster a year ago. Chris was just diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of 15. We made a connection right off, and a year later their family has become my family. So it was a special weekend. Thanks to everyone who came out to see us.

For more info about the race, go to the race recaps. Now we are off to Gulfport, MS. Then to the Embry-Riddle homecoming. and it won't be long when we come back to our home track at Moroso for the Citrus Nationals. Take care and see ya soon.

Elaine

Getting ready for the big day!!!

The Embry-Riddle team tested on Thursday at Bradenton Motorsports Park, and I can report that the car is running great. We could only make 1/8 mile passes, and we ran in the 3's at over 200 mph. Momma is very happy.

Now we are getting things ready for our first official race with the new car at Moroso Motorsports Park this weekend (Oct. 14 & 15) If that was not enough pressure, we will be shooting our new promotional video with the ERAU jet dragster as the star.

We will spend the week getting things ready for the weekend. I will post the weekend results as soon as we get back. Chris is gone this evening, over at Embry-Riddle for meetings, and I am home nursing a bad back. (don't ask) check back soon.

Elaine

Getting Ready to Test

Hey guys, we are getting ready to hit the road to test tomorrow night. We are heading over to Bradenton Motorsports Park Thursday afternoon to try and get a couple of test sessions in. We have a race at Moroso Motorsports Park on October 14&15, so we want to make sure the Embry-Riddle car is ready to go.

I am sure some of you have heard about the recent jet car crashes. It is very sad, and my thoughts are prayers are with everyone involved. I had the opportunity to meet Kendall this past July when we were in Wisconsin for the Oshkosh airshow. The Gladiator team was putting on a show at the local dragstrip, and we went to see some of our fellow jet racers. She was very excited about driving a jet dragster, and it is unfortunate that it had to end in this way.

I will keep you posted on the testing, so check back Friday.

C ya
Elaine

Embry-Riddle jet dragster hits the Florida Mall!

September 23&24th the Embry-Riddle team gets a chance to stay close to home. George DeWees with the AMS (Aviation Maintenance Science) invited the team to help them promote the University at Latin Weekend at the Florida Mall in Orlando. This is our second year for this event. Because we live in Central Florida, it is not a surprise that there are people that visit from all over the World, but WOW, I think they were all there last weekend. We had the opportunity to meet people from everywhere. The jet dragster was at the center of attention. We arrived on Saturday morning, and finished up on Sunday evening. There were a lot of people from England asking about their countryman who recently crashed in a jet dragster. I had heard about the crash, and as always it makes you pause, but then you realize that this is a risky business, and things can happen, you just hope that your car handles the situation as best as possible. From what I have heard, the driver is doing well.

Other than the display, it has been kind of quite on the home front. In a previous blog, I mentioned that we were car shopping, well, I purchased a car, and I can cross that item off the list. It was sad to see the PT Cruiser go down the street for the last time. I would own another one anytime, great car.

We are gearing up for a very busy October. We will be testing the dragster one more time before her official debut at Moroso Motorsports Park on October 14&15. Then the weekend after we will be traveling to Gulfport, MS. We haven't been back since the hurricane, and are excited to go back to see how all of the racers are doing.

I guess that is it for now. Catch ya later.

Elaine

Fun on the Beach

Well as I am writing this, we just got home from a great weekend at the beach. George DeWees and his family invited us over for a weekend of fun. We left town Friday when Andrew got out of school. Our first order of business was to check in to the GREATEST cottage in the world. (see attached photo) After hitting the beach for an hour, we met the DeWees's to see their son play a high school football game. After the game we dropped the kids at the house and the adults went out for a night on the town.

The next morning it was back on the beach. The DeWees's met us, and we had a wonderful day. The waves were wonderful, and Andrew is a champion boogie boarder. Later we met up with them again for dinner and a night of fun. We went to the Speed Park in Daytona Beach. It is home of the Nitro Alley, a dragster thrill ride that takes you from 0 - 75 in 3 seconds.

George, Chris and myself lined up in the dragsters, now I must tell you this is my story of how things happened. Obviously George bribed the ticket taker to get the fastest car. Chris and I were left to the dogs!!! When the tree hit, George was off and running, while Chris and I were left in the dust. Now the first time we thought "Wow beginners luck" But on the second time, when we couldn't catch him, we knew something was up. George took the first two rounds of racing, while Chris took the last round. I ended up loosing ALL three rounds of racing. Now I smell a rat!!!

Now I am sure that George and Chris have different versions of the story, but I am sticking to mine!!! We then hit the go karts and had a great time. I rode with Andrew in his go kart and realized that I definitely like to be in the drivers seat.

The next morning Chris and I woke up early and sat down by the beach to watch the dolphins swim in front of the cottages. What a wonderful way to start the day. We then met up with the DeWees's one more time for a picture perfect day on the beach. We loaded up and headed for home. Racing is our life, and we love it, but it is nice to take a time out every once and a while to enjoy family and great friends.

Thanks for listening,

Elaine

Rocking the ERAU campus!!!

The Embry-Riddle jet team was invited to come out to take part of the Student Activities Fair. We were there to help represent the SCAT club (Society of Civil Aviation Technicians) as well as the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) club. It was amazing to see everything that is available to the students at Embry-Riddle. To give you an idea, there is a surf club, skydiving club, rock climbing club, Muscle Car Association club, and many many more. The University never fails to just amaze me with how well rounded and how great the student involvement is.

Back to the day. Chris headed out to do the display the day before in order to meet with some of the staff. I arrived there on Tuesday, Sept. 12th just in time for the set up to be complete. Not bad timing. They had the car out on display and were selling t-shirts as well as auctioning off slicks from the dragster. The SCAT club received all of the profits.


This also was a day for the media to come in and see the jet dragster. A couple of news stations as well as a newspaper came out to video and photograph the car and interview some of the students about the car. We fired her up for everyone, and had a great time.

I left for home to pick Andrew up from school (a mom's job is never done) and Chris went on to be a guest speaker at the High Performance Vehicle's course that has just started at Embry-Riddle.

We met back up at home, and called it a day. We have been real busy back on the home front. Chris is repairing the Miss Ta Fire to be put back in action real soon, as well as continuing to build up another jet dragster. I have new car fever bad. We have taken off the graphics on our crew car, the PT cruiser, and I am starting to go car shopping. Any suggestions????

Our next display is going to be at the Florida Mall in Orlando on September 23&24. It is Latin Weekend, and we will be out representing the AMS (Aviation Maintenance Science) Department of Embry-Riddle. If you are in the area, please make sure and stop by to say HI.

Our next race is at Moroso Motorsports Park in West Palm Beach on October 14&15th. Make sure you mark your calenders as they always put on a great show.


SEE YA!
Elaine

TESTING Embry-Riddle Jet Dragster

Okay it is time to get down to business. The weather in Florida has not been on our side. It seems like we have had so much rain, which is good, but not when you are trying to get you race car dialed in. We got the green light to head to Bradenton Motorsports Park last Saturday on August 26th in the morning for their test and tune. We knew the rain would be there in the afternoon, so we arrived at the track before gates opened at 10:00 a.m.

When we were in the line waiting to get in, a fellow racer walked up to me and said "Hey aren't you that rocket lady on TV?" I heard that the spot I did for Horsepower TV back in March has been playing a few times. It is so cool when people say things like that to me. We work really hard and try to do the best job possible, to be able to share this with others is amazing. So after my head unswelled, it was time to get to work.


We were joined at the track with our friends, Annie, Chuck, Chris and Mose. I really appreciate all of their dedication and help. With the help of my crew, we prepared the Embry-Riddle Jet Dragster go head down the track. The first pass with the humidity very high, we pulled in the staging lanes only planning on making an 1/8th mile pass. The et. was 4.17 with a speed of 191 mph. The car ran straight down the track just perfect, but she was starved for fuel. So when we made it back to the pits, Chris changed the tune-up a little. When we lined up the second time the car reacted much better, she definitely like the extra fuel. The 4.07 et. with the 196 mph showed the potential that has yet to be awakened.

Unfortunately, the rain came as we were pulling back through the pits, so it put a stop to our testing. But it gave us enough data to the car tuned up and ready to fly. Keep posted for the next test session to see how the new car is running.

On the Miss Ta Fire front, we are going to put her back together ASAP. She needs very minor repairs, but until we get the Embry-Riddle Car dialed in, she has to take a back seat.

Now we wait for the path of the current hurricane to see if we are going to be in the path or not. I have gone to the store to stock up on all of the supplies, and we will prepare more as the day gets nearer. Wish us luck.


Elaine

HAVING SOME FUN!!

There is a saying "ALL WORK AND NO PLAY" Well we decided to play this weekend. Some good friends, Don and Vera, purchased a beautiful boat about a year ago, and we have not had the time to go for a visit until this weekend. It is a 35 foot sport fisherman boat. They have it docked in Ft. Pierce, Florida. We left home on Friday afternoon and made it there for dinner Friday evening.

Saturday morning we got up, had breakfast, and hit the water. The weather was overcast, but the seas were nice. We didn't go far, but attempted to do a little fishing. After deciding Publix (grocery store) was the best value, we headed back. We made a quick stop at a cove for Andrew to stop and swim. He found a new pet, a hermit crab, he named Crusty.

Pete, the owners brother-in-law, had just purchased a brand new Corvette convertible. We decided that we needed to go for a ride. When he tossed me the keys I said "no way" but got in the drivers seat before he could change his mind. Let me just tell you I now have "VETTE FEVER" so bad I can taste it. I made every excuse to do errands and take the car.

Andrew is now a great fisherman. He caught 6 catfish, and a head of another fish. It was a great weekend of fun and relaxing. Too bad on the way home there was a exotic car dealer that just happened to have a couple of corvettes for sale. BAD NEWS!!! Now I just have to talk Chris into this....any ideas?????

We will be testing the new Embry-Riddle car this coming weekend August 25&26, so it is back to work. I will post et's and speeds and tell you how the car ran. Have a great week

Elaine

RIDE OF A LIFETIME

Okay, so if you read the last blog. you found out things weren't gong our way. Well when things turn around they really turn around. First I was asked to go for a ride with the Aeroshell guys. They fly a T-6 Texan. Talk about COOL!!!!! I rode with Steve and we were the left wing. Check out the Oshkosh recap for photos and a bigger story. Oshkosh is amazing. It is so overwhelming when you realize what some of the pilots can do with these aircraft. Sean Tucker, if you have never seen him fly there is no describing it. Also the wing walkers, Patty Wagstaff, and the list goes on and on. Every afternoon we were right in the middle of the show. Then the vending area. Anything and everything you would ever want to see is there. I can't wait to see what next year has to bring.

We headed south on Monday morning. Our goal was to make it to Chattanooga, but as we pulled through Nashville, we somehow got in the middle of a police chase. Now some of you might ask, HOW??? Well we were minding our own business and this lady goes flying by us and sure enough it started with 4 cops chasing her, and it ended up with over 15 leading the way through Nashville. It did wake us up. The police finally caught her, and we continued on. Paul Miller was coming home from a race and he waited for us on top of Monteagle. There is this nice Best Western with a country restaurant attached. We spent Monday night there and headed the rest of the way to Pauls shop where he was going to help us with the Embry-Riddle jet dragster.

So as things were looking up, we headed to Paul Millers shop. Tuesday, we got things set up, and on Wednesday at 7:30, she really came to life. With the help of Paul and the guys at the shop, Chris and I hopefully have a fine tuned machine. I can't wait to take her down the track and she what she will do.

We pulled into our drive way on Thursday at 3:30 and had to jump in the shower in order to go to Andrew's orientation for school. All in a day's work.

Elaine

On the Road

Well, if you haven't read my Miss Ta Fire race recaps, I had a small problem in Nashville, TN. On the third and final run of the evening, the car took a sharp right and I hit the wall. There was minor damage to the car, and I am fine. It did change our plans for the summer. We were supposed to race in Texas and Shreveport against the Invader, Curt Eierdam. I had to call and tell them to find a car to fill in for us.

But the show must go on. We had E. Lowe return the Miss Ta Fire home to Florida, and we continued on to Oshkosh, WI to do our display for Embry-Riddle. We arrived in town and cleaned the rig up. The next day we headed to the airshow. This is our second time in Oshkosh, but it still amazes me. The amount of aircraft in the air at any given time is just scary.

I was given a chance to dyno a brand new Roush Mustang in the Ford tent. Lets just say I shouldn't quit my day job. The days are long and hot, but it is nice to see people from all across the world that are attending this years show.

The reception the brand new Embry-Riddle jet dragster has received has been all we could have hoped for and more. We have been given some pretty cool opportunities since we have been here in Oshkosh. I am still at this time waiting to hear if there is a spot left on the Aeroshell team to fly in their show on Sunday. If there is, you can be sure I will post all about it. We found a really cool restaurant in town where you get to cook your own steaks. YUM!!

We are hitting the road on Sunday. I will keep you posted.

Elaine

IT'S ALIVE

Well after a year of very very hard work, it was time to see if our new Embry-Riddle Jet Dragster was going to fly. We were going to try and make the Test and Tune out at Moroso Motorsports Park on Wed. July 12th, but with rain in the forecast, we went to our sponsors in Daytona Beach to test fire her up to check for leaks and make sure everything was working correctly. First fire up and it felt good, a few small leaks, but things looked good. Then the problems started. She had a leak in a major area where we were going to have to pull the engine to repair. Well Dr. Torch to the rescue. My welder just so happens to live in Daytona, so I give him a call and ask him what he is doing for the next couple of hours. What would we do without friends. He came over to Emnry-Riddle to help Chris and George pull the engine. Welded up the spot and we refired the dragster about 2 hours later. It was a long day.

We headed home very optimistic. We then decided we would take the dragster to our local track on Thursday night to make sure everything was working. We fired her up and made just a couple of engine only launches. She handled great. It was time it hit the road to see what she could do.

Friday morning we tried to pack everything we could think of as you just can't go to your local auto parts store to get supplies. We pulled into Moroso Motorsports Park about 3:00 and were welcomed back to our home track. We unloaded the Embry-Riddle car and I was busting to see what she could do. We fired the car up, things looked good, I started on the fire show, and nothing, then raised the rpm to do burner pops, and nothing. So I went down the dragstrip doing an engine only to see how she handled. The car ran straight and had no problems. We were still optimistic that it was just a minor glitch. Went back to the pits and Chris made some adjustments, back to the starting line. We had fire this time, but no burner pops. Again another engine only and back to figure this out. We started to call some of our friends in jet racing to see if they had ever had this happen. They all gave us some suggestions. We were feeling good. Back to the starting line and I couldn't get her to respond at the higher RPM's. Now were started getting frustrated. It was 12:00 a.m. and we were getting really tired. We had time for one more run, and back we went. Fired her up and we still had the same problem.

Back in the pits, we were tired and frustrated. Then Chris thought that if we took the pipe off of the Miss Ta Fire, which has some of the fuel system in it, we could get it to work. The big question is would it fit. So, here was the plan. E. Lowe would take the kids back to the hotel, Chris and I would drive the 3 hours home to remove the pipe, get extra parts and come back for the next night of testing. We got home at 4:00 a.m. and hit the bed for about an hour. With a lot of coffee, we were back at it hard at work. We removed the pipe and hit the road. Back at the hotel, the kids are trying to drive e. lowe crazy!!!! We all met back at the track. We remove the ERAU pipe and cross our fingures. The Miss Ta Fire pipe slides on like melted butter!!!!! A cheer goes up and we are back in business. There is a road race going on that day at Moroso and racing doesn't start until 5:00. Get get everything put back together and wait. We decide to take it out back of the track to fire it up and see if it is fixed. We start the car. We have smoke, We have fire, I throttle the car up to 80% for the burner pops cross the fingures and nothing.

I know they say there is no tears in racing, but the looks on everyone's faces said it all. We towed the car back to the pits, Chris had one more ace up his sleeve and we were going to try it all. Change the hot streak nozzle and back to fire her up. At this point we just knew it was going to work. She fires, smoke, fire, and then.......nothing. Well I guess that is racing.

They had been announcing at the track that we were there and going to run the car later. So not to disappoint the fans, we pulled the car to the starting line, did a smoke and fire show made an engine only run down the track. Loaded the car up scratching our heads.

We were very hot and tired, but the glass was still half full. We took stock in what we had done this past week. The car fired up, she spit fire, and she ran straight as an arrow down the strip. Life isn't all bad. We will figure this out and the Embry-Riddle Dragster is going to fly.

On a side note a very good friend of ours passed away. Bob Foster. He was a special friend who we will miss a lot. I am dedicating my next races to Bob, as he loved to hear how I would fly down the drag strip. I know all of my good buddies are looking out for me, and I hope to do them proud.

We are hitting the road for the next 3 weeks. We are racing in Nashville July 22nd, then head to Oshkosh for the air show right after. Then it is off to Texas. Now, this Texas race is very special to me because of a racer and a good friend Ancel Horton. He passed away about a year ago. I want to do this race in his memory. It will be very special for me to see his wife Peggie again.

Now for the fun stuff. To you know who, I won't be able to tell you what color your flame is as Chris hasn't had time to install the rear view mirrors on the car!!!!!

Fantasy of Flight ACE Camp

The FAA and Larsen Motorsports has been planning an event for about 3 months. It is called the ACE Camp. It is a camp geared towards careers in Aviation. The FAA and Embry-Riddle invited us to come out and help with the kids that had to write an essay in order to be a part of this two-day camp. We brought the Miss Ta Fire jet dragster over to Fantasy of Flight which is very close to us. What a pleasant change to drive 20 minutes to get to work.

It was fun to watch the kids and parents faces when they pulled in and saw the dragster sitting out front. When I told them we were firing it up, I think they were ready. Other in the Aviation Community gave their speeches, and then it was our time. We fired the car up and had a lot of fun. They had a lot of questions, and then it was time to wind down and enjoy the rest of the day, or so we thought. Mr. Ben Coleman from the FAA and Mr. Kermit Weeks, the owner of Fantasy of Flight had a special surprise for Chris. It was our 20 year anniversary and they wanted it to be special for Chris. Mr. Weeks was doing the Flight of the day in a P-40. This is the only one in existence that is up and flying, and he invited Chris to go along for a ride. He did some pretty cool maneuvers and the kids at the camp and I voted if Chris was going to loose his lunch. I lost and Chris kept his lunch.

The next day was more of the same. We pulled out the car and waited for the kids to arrive. We had to pull out at 12:00 on Thursday in order to make it to Atlanta for the night of fire.

We had some special visitors this week. Tom, a guy that stood up for Chris in our wedding, and his family came for a visit in sunny Florida. We also had another visit from Curt Eierdam from AZ. He was here for a working conference. Curt came out to Fantasy of Flight to check the place out. We are racing against each other in Kennedale, TX.

Have fun and check back later.

Elaine

R & R for Larsen Motorsports

After not having a vacation for 3 years, we decided it was time to get away. I booked a cruise a couple of months ago and we have been counting down ever since. We have found that if we stay close to home we end up leaving early and coming home to work. Not a good thing for vacation. So a cruise it was. We went with some friends and left out of Miami on a Carnival Cruise ship the Valor. It stopped in Nassau Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Martin. We then were at sea for the rest of the 7 days. I have never eaten so much in my whole life. I have to get back to my normal weight for the up coming race in a couple of weeks.

While we were in Nassau, we swam with the dolphins. Now it sounds really nice, but they are a little intimidating. This coming from someone who isn't afraid to blast down the quarter mile at speeds over 270, but when it comes up to you and makes all of that noise, you think it is going to peck your eyes out with its nose. Over all unfortgettable.

Then in St. Thomas we went to a beach to snorkel. What beautiful water and the fish were everywhere. We also did some shopping. Then to St. Martin. Chris and his friend Jim got off the ship and did an excursion where they raced sailboats on a team. Of course their team won.

Then we headed out to sea for a couple of days getting back to Miami. All in all a wonderful vacation. But by the last day, we were starting to get antsy and ready to get home and get back to work.

It is overwhelming all of the work that just sits and waits for you. I started the new website www.lmsjets.com before we left. If you haven't checked it out, make sure you do so. We also received a phone call that the Horsepower TV show that we filmed back in March aired the first weekend in June. I of course missed it, but have a copy coming from my good buddy Frankie!!! There also was a press release made about our new Embry-Riddle jet dragster. We have received so much positive feedback. I can't wait to take it out to the track.

I guess that is it for now. Check out our schedule. I would love to see you at the races.

Elaine

A Week in the Life Of Larsen Motorsports

Okay again as the age old saying goes "Be careful what you wish for" well, two years ago I wished to be busy. It doesn't even come close. Lets see, since my last post we have traveled to Ft. Lauderdale for our sponsor to open up a new location for an extended campus, debuted our brand new Embry-Riddle Jet Dragster and went to a gala in West Palm Beach. Where to begin...

Ft. Lauderdale May 16th. The Embry-Riddle sponsored Miss Ta Fire headed south to help celebrate the new location of the extended campus of Embry-Riddle in Ft. Lauderdale. You can find out more information about this campus at http://fusion.erau.edu/ec/wwc/centerinfo.cfm?CODE=03 We pulled onto the campus and the weather looked questionable, but we unloaded the dragster and set up the display. It didn't take long for the weather to change. One of the the employees from the building described it best "I tried not laugh when I saw your husband go out and cover the car, but when he went airborn trying to keep the canopy down, I lost it" I don't know how the bad weather surprises us, but it always seems to catch us off guard. But, what makes us strong is how we handle the situation. First we repositioned the car under the covered entryway, then we proceeded to greet the guests and had a wonderful time drawing attention to the new location. It made the day worth it when a couple of guys driving by stopped because they saw the trailer, when they asked why we were there, we told them about Embry-riddles extended campus and they said they had heard a lot about it and were very interested in more information in continuing their education. WOW. We ended the day on a high note.

On the way home we dropped the car and trailer in West Palm Beach at Moroso Motorsports Park until Saturday, headed the rest of the way home. On Wednesday we cleaned up the brand new Embry-Riddle Jet Dragster and the trailer for its debut the next day. This is something we have been looking forward to for many many months.

May 18th, THE DAY IS HERE!!! We travel to Daytona Beach to Embry-Riddle. On the way we stop by Andrew's school to pick him up. The kids in his class came out to see what was going on. As we got closer to Daytona I started to get more excited. They had not seen the car, trailer or uniforms and as we drove through the entry we were not disappointed. When we pulled in, you could see heads turn. We pulled to the Aviation Maintains Building where it all started, and unloaded the dragster. FINALLY!!! We Made it!!! We were scheduled for a photo shoot and then for a party they were hosting for local community colleges. It was wonderful. We loaded the car and left the car and trailer in Daytona for a a display we will be doing on May 24th. Let me tell you it was hard to leave the new baby!!!

Now we are on to May 20th. We were invited to help celebrate Moroso Motorsports Park receive the Providencia Award for Palm Beach County. This was really a honor for Larsen Motorsports. It was time for us to dress up and have some fun. We picked up the Miss Ta Fire Jet Dragster and headed for the convention center to put her in her place for the evening. After that it was time to relax. It is not often we get to dress up in formals, but it is fun. We went to the party and stood by the car to help describe the dragster to the guests. Then it was time to go to the party. I was proud to be there to witness Moroso Motorsports Park receive the award. After we headed back to the hotel and get some deserved sleep. The next morning we headed home. What a wonderful week. The highs with the debut of the new car and the lows of the rain. Keep checking back for our next trip on the road.

Home Sweet Home in West Palm Beach

Home Sweet Home, that is how I feel when I pull through the gates at Moroso Motorsports Park with the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Miss Ta Fire jet dragster. We were asked to come in a day early for a display. They have had the honor of winning the Providencia Award. Which means that they have been a leader in trying to advance tourism in Palm Beach County. They were having a get together at the race track. Moroso is involved in a wide variety of racing, from their Road Course, Kart Track and of course their Drag Strip. This is a complete motorsports facility.

We were there on Friday night to help promote their Drag Strip portion. After everyone arrived, it was time for us to show off a little. We were scheduled to make a full pass down the track, but mother nature had other plans. Instead we did a line show complete with smoke, fire and burner pops. It was just a teaser for the following evening.

Saturday morning and the track doesn't open until noon so we went to one of our favorite restaurants The Boulevard for breakfast. We had invited a lot of our Embry-Riddle family to come out to the track that evening so it was time to get to work.

ESPN was on hand to help with a Girls truck race that evening. They asked if I would give some suggestions on how to win the race on camera. Our Embry-Riddle friends started to show up and it was almost race time. Everyone made great first round passes. We went back to the trailer and was met with wonderful fans. Our friends that had come out for the event were very impressed. In the middle of all of this, of course no race could be complete with out a bikini contest. Sparkplug wanted to be a judge, but I pulled the MOM card and said NO!!!

For the second pass we were all in the staging lanes suited up and in the cars when the first rain drop hit. It didn't take long for the others to follow, so sadly we went back to the trailer to pack things up for the night. But the up side is we all met at another of my favorite places Abby Road for a late night dinner.

Sunday morning and it was time to get down to business. We had three passes to complete and things were going to be rushed. Of course it had to rain just enough to make us worried, but things dried off, heated up and it was time to race.

Everyone made all of their passes with no problems. It is nice when things come together. We finished up the day packing things up and saying goodbye to our racing friends that we won't see again until the next races in WPB. I will however face up against Mark Smith in Nashville this July.

Thanks a lot to all of the track personal who always make us feel at home, to Chris and Chuck who came out to help this weekend, to the Embry-Riddle family, and of course last but not least to the fans that take the time to stop and say HI!!! WE LOVE YOU!!

Elaine

Douglas Race

Time to go racing!!!! April 14 & 15th. While others were scrambling to finish their taxes, the Miss Ta Fire team was heading out of town to Douglas, Georgia to go have some fun. We decided to leave home on Thursday night as Sparkplug was off from school on Friday. It was a great decision. We made it to Lake City and pulled in for the night. Chris and Andrew watched some TV and we all went to bed early to get some rest for the weekend. My crew chief E. Lowe (who loves to get up at the crack of dawn) left home with the crew car and caught up with us before we could get out of bed. We had breakfast and headed out.

We made it into town at 12:00 and met up with Paul Miller and his crew. Paul was one of the two jet drivers that signed off on my license, so it is always fun to run up against him. He is now driving the Dream Machine 3, that is owned by Dale Keesee. You might have seen this car before, it has been on display at most of the Super Chevy's across the country. We all hooked up and met Tim (the track manager) at the Golden Correl for lunch. Paul is always trying to fatten me up!! It didn't work this time, just salad for me thank you.

We then headed to do a display in front of the local Burger King. At 4:00 I was picked up and taken to do a radio spot. After promoting the race, it was back to the display to load the car. We were scheduled to each do a qualifying run on Friday night. One of the highlights of the night was when the announcer talked about Paul and his crew which was driving the Barbie Car. They tow the car with a Pink Tracker and we like to tease Dale that it is the Barbie car. We both made great passes. I had low et. and Paul had the top speed. After the runs, it was time to get some food. Yes, this is all I think about!! Huddle House, the best place to go after a race. Okay the only place still open. But hey I love their loaded hash browns.

The next morning Chris and E. Lowe went to the display and unloaded the car while I stayed back at the hotel to give Sparkplug some extra time to sleep. (It is good to pull the Mom card) they picked us up and we finished the display and headed to the track for race day. I got to meet some really cool people. That is my favorite part about racing. You get to hear so many cool stories and make friends all over the country. We also had the pleasure of having some of the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Family come out to the race. Terri who works in Risk Management decided to see what all of the fuss was. I think she thought it was worth the risk.

The first pass went great. I was lucky enough to get off the starting line first to win on a whole shot. The next pass Paul decided to beat the light and I chased him down. All in all every pass was over 200 mph and the fans went wild. I want to thank Terri for taking the time to come check us out.

We spent Easter driving home from the race. Came home and started preparing for this weekend where I will be in West Palm Beach racing again. Thanks for stopping by at the races. Hope to see you all again.

Elaine

Sun-N-Fun 2006

The title says it all. It was Sun-N-Fun for the entire week. The Miss-Ta-Fire crew was invited to join Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to help with their display at the Sun-N-Fun airshow in Lakeland, Florida. We headed to the event on Monday morning to drop off the truck & trailer and get everything into position. While we were there, Chris received a phone call from his former auto teacher Mr. Button. (it is hard to now call him Larry even though we are in our late 30's) He came into town for a short visit and made us a top priority. Pretty cool. He was a huge influence on Chris's decision to go into the aeronautical field as well as sharing his love of drag racing.

After meeting with Larry and his brother, it was early to bed to get ready for the big week. We were on display from Tuesday until Sunday evening. I was worried that the beginning was going to be slow and the days would drag on. I don't know if we were just lucky, but everyday the show was swamped. It just kept getting busier and busier. The days just flew by. I can even begin to guess how many photos I signed and how many times I told people how fast my car was.

Every afternoon we were treated to an airshow from 2-5. Not a bad way to end the day. Each day built up to the main events on the weekend. People say what I do is crazy, they don't even know what crazy is until you see how they make the airplanes dance in the air. These guys are nuts!!!!!

On Thursday we saw a big puff of black smoke and heard two loud bangs. My stomach sank, I just knew the worst had happened. Well it turned out to not be as bad as we had thought. It hadn't rained for 41 days in central Florida so the grass was really dry. A low ground clearance sports car pulled into a grass parking lot and and the hot exhaust system caught the grass on fire. The fire proceeded to burn down 24 cars. Can you imagine coming back to a charred and burnt car???? Luckily we received some well needed rain early Sunday morning.

I believe the final count on the jet car handouts was almost 2500. We had a great week and had the opportunity to meet a lot of really cool people. One that comes to mind is Matt. This 15 year old was pretty cool. He has a great attitude and I can't wait until our race in Commerce, Georgia where he is planning to help crew our car.

My Spring so far.....

Hey guys,

I got some flack about not posting to my blog from a friend (Curt) in Arizona. So here I am to fill you in of all the stuff that has been going on. We have been going crazy trying to get things finished up with our new jet dragster. Graphics are going on, Trailer has been painted, new uniforms have been ordered. I also had to get fit for a brand new firesuit. All of this takes so much time. Just making the right decisions.

In the middle of this my buddy from Arizona took time to stop in and help me celebrate my birthday. He gave me what every girl wants for her birthday...jet car parts. Which is pretty nice considering he also races and I am sure he could have saved the parts for a rainy day. We are meeting up for the first time on the dragstrip on August 4th in Kennedale, TX.

This week has been spring break for Sparkplug. We headed out with some friends to the west coast of Florida to Homosassa Springs and Crystal River to see the Manatees. The weather turned cool, but we had a GREAT time. I lost my cell phone in the river, and Sparkplug caught a fish. Those are the highlights.

Today has been a pretty cool day. We had a lunch meeting with the people of Fantasy of Flight. It is almost in Lakeland Florida. We are going to be doing a display there in June and wanted to work out the details. This place is amazing. It is just 30 min. from our house, and we have never taken the time to stop by and look. I couldn't believe it. It is first class all of the way. You need to have at least 3 hours to do this place justice. If you do stop by and visit, make sure you eat there. GREAT onion rings!!!

Miss Ta Fire

Hey guys. I hope everyone had a great time last weekend at Moroso Motorsports Park. We will be back April 22 & 23 to race there again.

Horsepower TV came out to film us. It was really cool.

I had the chance to meet Jessie Harris, the Queen of Diamonds. I have been waiting to meet her for a couple of years. She was everything I was told. We are racing again in May at Kanawha Valley Dragway.

I will check back in soon.

Elaine