Game ON!!

As we head into the hot days of August, it is seams at this point every year that we stop looking at the 2012 season and believe it or not, start focusing on the 2013 season.  As Ferris Bueller said, "Life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around every once and a while, you could miss it."  So true, but you have to always be 10 steps a head of the game with your defense in place.  A lot has gone on in 2012, with the opening of the new Jet Shop in Daytona, Marisha coming on board to drive the Embry-Riddle Jet, you would think that we would take a year to coast.  NEVER!!!  Lots going on for next year.  We have extended our sponsorships and added some new partners.  Press release coming soon!!!  That that covers that money portion, the hardest part, but that is just the dollars and sense. We thought it would be fun to add some more teams!!! 

Yes, we will be going from a 2 car team next year to a 4 car team!!!  This is the most exciting.  Chris and I had a dream, to bring Jet Racing in the spot light.  Unfortunately, everyone in our industry just didn't want the same things.  So we decided that the easiest way to do this was to bring on just a few teams at a time.  We started looking for teams that had the same goals.  To elevate the Jet's to a level they had never seen before.  What was attempted by the NJRA, will be finished by the Larsen's!  It may take us a little while longer, but as long as we cross the finish line, the effort will be worth it.  Look for a lot of announcements coming soon for the newest jet teams!!!

My head spins at what is a head of us.  The only way we get through a day is just take it one minute at a time.  If you look at the big picture, it is easy to just lost in the amount of work that is a head of us, but if you break the jobs down and keep moving forward, you will get to the end.  Both Chris and I are willing to risk it all in order to see our dream come true, last year we just had to re group and organize the troupes.  So hang on because it is definitely GAME ON!!! 

Other new and exciting things on the horizon is our video reality series Playing with Fire.  This series follows Larsen Motorsports from the shop to the track, showing what it takes to put a team out there.  This is my brain child, as Chris likes to stay with the cars, my job is promotion, so I figured what way better to highlight the day to day operations.  If you haven't checked it out, you can check out  Playing with Fire on youtube, on Blip TV http://blip.tv/larsenmotorsport on on our iTunes podcast http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/playing-with-fire/id533842715?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4  You can also see some of promo videos that we have been working on! 

The Miller Jet Racing team just debuted our jet dragster die cast.  You can visit our website for information on how you can get yours.  There were only 5000 made, so get them quick.

Keep checking back.  We will continue to battle on in our jet racing war!!  Marisha is dong so well and at this point is a couple of rounds a head of the boss!!  YIKES, time to bring it for the remainder of the season.  It is time for me to let her run her race and for me to concentrate on my own.    GAME ON!!!

see you at the races,
luv ya,
e

Hot Rods

Well we are just back from the 10 anniversary of the Hot Rod Reunion that was in Bowling Green, KY.  I have heard so much about this race, and it seems as if we always were headed one place or another and never had the opportunity to stop in.  Well let me just tell you something, it lived up to all of the hype!!!  The car show alone is reason enough to make this a destination for Fathers Day weekend.  It was so cool to see these amazing Hot Rods cruising around town. 

Now the racing was pretty darn cool as well.  This year the NHRA Museum decided to spice things up a little and had both of our Jet Dragsters on hand to entertain the crowd.  We were welcomed with open arms by the Hot Rodders.  In fact I was surprised to find how long it had been since a lot of them had seen a jet car and the memories of the first time they had. 

All in all it truly renewed my faith in Hot Rodding and Drag Racing.  The fans were great, the racers were amazing and it was an honor to be able to say that we were a small part of the event.  Marisha and I did the very best we could and tried to put on a show to be proud of.  I think we brought the house down.  Check out our youtube page for videos that we have uploaded.  http://www.youtube.com/user/larsenmotorsport?feature=mhee

Other news, we are now on iTunes as a pod cast, which is pretty darn cool.  Just log into your iTunes account and search for Larsen Motorsports.  One last thing, Nitro has decided that he needs a little more attention, so stay tuned for our official Nitro Cam!!! 

I hope everyone is enjoying is enjoying their summer with friends and family.  Keep it real!!

luv ya,
e

Time to Kick It UP!!!

Well, we are in the middle of June and now have 5 races under our belt.  Marisha has done so well and we could not be prouder, except for one thing, she is kicking by behind!!!!  How does this happen.  The first race, it was more about just getting the teams up and running.  The second race, it was about fine tuning but she has beat 4-1 right now.  We headed into Atlanta with a lot to prove.   The first race we had a tuning issue and she took me.  I had the better light, but my car just didn't run up to par.  The second race, I knew it was now or never so as we lined up, it was going to be a drivers race.  Marisha hit a .002 light and she was off, but I still have a little left in me and hit a perfect .000 light to get the win light by .009 at the end of the race.  It was to be the best of three so Sunday was to be the tie breaker and I looked over at her, and she just smiled, she had nothing to prove, me on the other hand, I have been getting teased and was tired of looking at her tailpipe.  So we lined up, crew had done their job, it was gut check time.  I knew that I had cut it way too close the last time with that perfect light, and she was not going to give me any slack, so I had the challenge of getting a good light, but not to red light.  We pulled up to the line and I thought, what are you doing, just have fun and stop listening to everyone that is just stirring the pot!!!  It isn't about who wins or looses, it is about just being in the game and lining up to the starting line and doing what I love to do.  I could feel the tension just lifting and at that point I thought, lets do this!!!!

So I guess you want to know what happened right???  It was the best dang drag race of my life!!!!  We were side by side the entire way down the track.  I could see her out of the corner of my eye and let out a "YEEEE  HAWWWW!!!!  We went through the traps side by side and it was probably the closest races of my life!!!  To share this with Marisha was so amazing.  We pulled off the race track it didn't matter who got the win light, who had the better reaction time, who had the better ET, it mattered that we had a BLAST!!!!  I LOVE MY JOB!!!!  We found out later that the margin of victory was .004.  Okay so who got the win light...........me



luv ya,
e

Summer Time is Calling!!!!

As April is coming to an end, it is time to look forward to all of the travel over the summer.  It is so exciting as Marisha Falk, our new driver, hits the road for the first time.  We just returned home from our first Texas Motorplex race and I have to tell you, we had a lot of fun.  We are scheduled to be back for their Super Chevy race on May 12th and can't wait to get back. 

In the meantime, we are enjoying the time at the new shop and time to sit back and enjoy living in Daytona Beach.  Shop work will slow down and little, but we have have some new projects that are coming around the bend.  Look to hear more about the Adventures of Blaze coming out over the summer as well as our video series for a true behind the scene look at what it takes to run a race team. 

Probably some of the races I am looking forward to the most is the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green, KY.  We are lucky enough to be there racing June 15 - 16th.  I have always wanted to go to the race, but to be able to be one of the racers is even better. 

I hope everyone enjoys their summer.  Enjoy family time, BBQ's and friends. 

Luv ya,
e

No EXCUSES!!!!

Okay, so I truly have no excuses on why I haven't posted a new blog. in so long. I can give you all of the normal stuff, like I am so busy, but I am sorry it has taken me so long to update. I have so much to tell you, I just don't know where to start. Last July, we moved to Daytona Beach to the new Larsen Motorsports High Performance Vehicles Research and Development Center. Wow that is a mouthful. It was not move in ready and far from being the Jet Shop that it is today!! We worked day and night to put the new shop together. There are way too many names to give you, but we had an overwhelming amount of help. Finally on February 22nd, we held our Grand Opening. It was one of the proudest days in racing yet. To see how far we have come was very emotional to Chris and myself. My sister and brother in law flew down to help and I couldn't have done it without them. We are luck enough to have several new student interns that come in and help us each and every day. They have also been able to attend several of the races. We are now open to the public 3 days a week Tuesday-Thursday from 10-5, so if you are ever in the area and want to check it out, make sure you stop by.

That takes care of the shop, now we have to get to the racing. When I last blog. I had a little trouble in Cordova, IL with the Miller Jet Dragster. As luck was not on my side that day, I hit some very small debris on the track to take out my right front tire. We damaged the Miller car and it was out of commission for the rest of the season. We used the Embry-Riddle car for the remainder of the season. I was fine, but my spirit was broken. Not by the wreck, but the reaction. I give a speech about having the Guts to go for the Glory, and I guess I was saying the words, but wasn't believing them. Well all that has changed. I now believe that you have to have the guts to get back in there and give it your all. If we all caved when others tried to get you down, we would let the bullies win. I WILL NOT let them win. Chris was my rock and helped me get through this. You truly find out who your friends are and I am proud that I have some amazing ones!

So the racing went well for the rest of the season once I changed my attitude, but we had much bigger plans. We have been working on expanding our race teams for a while now, and Larsen Motorsports was proud to announce that Marisha Falk would be the new driver in 2012 for the Embry-Riddle team. Marisha is 25 years old, she is a pilot and an instructor at Embry-Riddle. She has been with Larsen Motorsports for a few years. She is new to drag racing, but has a lot of talent. She made her first laps down the quarter mile December 7th and licensed the end of February after testing every weekend and most Wednesdays at the track. She is going to be a force in racing and I can't wait for everyone to meet her.

So that takes care of racing, now on to the family. We not only moved our shop to Daytona Beach, we sold our home of over 20 years. Sad to say goodbye to neighbors and friends, but we needed to be close to the shop. We were lucky to find a home about 3 miles from the shop in a great neighborhood. Just this weekend, I finally feel like I am home when I walk in the door.

I wake up each and everyone morning thankful for everything that has happened in the past year, even the wreck. I have grown so much as a wife, mom, business owner, and a driver that I wouldn't change it for the world. Nitro is snoring beside me happy in his new life as well. He misses chasing the bad kitty, but I am sure he will find something to keep him busy.

Thanks for sticking with me. I still have some life left in me yet. I hope that we will see you somewhere on the road. Keep it shinny side up!!!

luv ya,
e

Failure is only a fact when you give up. Everyone gets knocked down, the question is: Will you get back up?

Well as usually it has been a little bit since I have checked in and man oh man do I have a lot to tell you. We have moved our race shop to Daytona Beach and are putting the finishing touches on the new shop. This is a dream come true for Chris and myself. We have worked so hard for the past 10 years and then some to get to this point and every morning when I pull into my parking spot, I think this is OURS!!!!

So not only it is the coolest Jet Shop, we are work with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to start up their Research Park. I can't tell you much yet, but stay tuned because there is so much going on right now. I never dreamed that 20 years ago when I went down the dragstrip in my 75 Vega, that it would ever turn into this. But here we are and I don't even know if I can dream big enough to know where this is going to take us. So in February we are having our Grand Opening. We will also do a mini opening in December for the PRI show. If you are in the area, I will post the dates and we would love to show you what we have been working so hard on.

With moving our shop, we had to relocate as well, so we sold our house and purchased a new one not far from the shop. Nice to be close, but still able to get away. We are still unpacking and putting the finishing touches on the house. Nitro isn't quite sure what is going on, and he misses chasing the squirrels and kitty's, but he is adjusting. He loves coming to work with us everyday at the shop and has made many new friends. Andrew is adjusting as well, he is doing the Florida Virtual School this year and I am so proud of him. He does his school in the morning and then afternoons he works with Chris in the shop to earn money for a car as he will be 15 very soon. YIKES!!!!

All of that should be enough, but we are just getting started. A few weeks ago we announced the addition of a new driver Marisha Falk. Marisha is 24 and will drive the Embry-Riddle jet dragster for the 2012 season. She is an Alumni of Embry-Riddle with a degree in Aeronautical Science. We have know Marisha for over 4 years when we met up at EAA in Oshkosh, WI. She looked at the dragster and was hooked. We have been working with Marisha for that past few years and she is going to make a great addition to the Larsen Motorsports Team. Marisha's dragster is at the shop getting the final touches put on her and as soon as possible we are going to have her start making some test passes. She is so talented and dedicated, I know she will make an amazing driver. I will be driving the Miller Welding jet dragster full time and we will be racing across the country together.

Speaking of racing, we have been busy on that front as well. Larsen Motorsports has visited a lot of our favorite tracks so far in 2011. Everything was going well until we hit the World Series of Drag Racing in Cordova, IL Friday nights pass went well came back the next day to make two passes on Saturday. Unfortunately on the first pass Saturday evening we had an issue. The car sustained some damage, and I am fine, but was very sad. I have to thank everyone at Cordova for helping us that evening as well as the Miller Road Show guys. Talk about true pros!!! Never fear, my beautiful baby is back at the shop getting worked on to be better than ever.

There is never any rest. We are working hard to put the Miller dragster back in circulation as quickly as possible while finishing up the year with the Embry-Riddle jet dragster. It has been an interesting experience. You sure do realize very quickly who your friends are in times of need. Failure is only a fact when you give up. Everyone gets knocked down, the question is: Will you get back up?

Take care, be safe and we WILL see you at the races!!!
luv ya,
e

Gotta Love it!!!

After almost 10 years driving a jet dragster, it is still so much fun to be knee deep in racing. Every year I always wonder how we are going to be able to do this and keep up the pace, and sure enough, we just keep getting busier. I wouldn't have it any other way. I realize that there are a million people out there right now that would give anything to be in my position. Racing for two teams, living my dreams with my family. Pretty cool!!!

Here are some highlights since we last talked. We have officially moved to Daytona Beach. We are in our new shop full time and have just purchased our new home!!! With the help from a friends and lot of very dedicated Embry-Riddle students, things are really starting to take shape in the new shop. A lot of back breaking work and so many long hours have gone into making this place shine!!! We can't move into our house for a few more weeks, but that works out as we are on the road racing for most of the summer.

Racing has been amazing. The new 2011 Embry-Riddle jet dragster is running great. She didn't have very many bugs, I think we are getting a handle on these jet cars. The Miller jet dragster continues to shine with her large fire!!! We have put many miles on both rigs getting them from Bradenton, FL to Norwalk, OH twice and just leaving Maple Grove Raceway.

For up to date news, we will be running at 3 NHRA National events this year. We are kicking it off with the US Nationals in Indy!!! Then we go back to Maple Grove and finally we hit Firebird Raceway Park in AZ. Jets have not run at National events in over 15 years. We can't wait to show everyone a little smoke and fire!!!!

Andrew is going into the 9th grade. Scary, I remember when he was so little and the only thing he cared about was his hot wheels cars. Soon he will be driving a real car. Chris has been very busy at the shop and just made a trip out to Prescott, AZ to catch up with the Embry-Riddle students working on a jet dragster!!!

All seems to be coming together. I hope that many of you check out the website www.ElaineLarsen.com to see where we are racing next and if you want up to date info, join my facebook page.

I hope everyone has a great summer and we will see you at the races.

luv ya,
e

In Memory of a Great Friend Dick Rosberg

On May 23, 2011 a legend in drag racing passed away. Dick Rosberg, a dedicated family man, a record breaking racer and an amazing friend left us today. It is with a heavy heart for those of us who is left no longer have this amazing man that was such a charmer. We all have many memories and Dick has touched so many people in his entire life. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and for all of the friends that will miss him. Chris and I were lucky enough to have him in our life. We will miss you my friend.

Luv you,
e

Jet Shop

The middle of May is here already and we have already been so many places. Last weekend we were in Norwalk, OH for the NHRA division race. We only had one shot at running as the weather was not good for racing. We ran 5.40 at 296 mph. Not a bad way to kick it in. As racing is always fun and exciting, we have so much that is going on behind the scene. Some of you may not know, but we are moving and opening our new shop in Daytona Beach, FL. We will be moving into Embry-Riddle's new Research Park. Our new shop is over 12,000 and we are giving her a beautiful facelift. It will be open to the public during the week when we are not off racing around the country.

I thought driving a screaming fast jet dragster was challenging, not even close to what we are doing. We have our home of 21 years for sale, we have closed all of our other shops and closing our eyes and taking that leap of faith. You know in the Transformers movie when he says you don't want to regret that you didn't get in the car. Well we definitely got in the car. So not only are we in the middle of a full race season, we are showing our home, while renovating our shop and looking for new homes. Anything else........bring it on!!!!!

Other than that, it seems like life is just flying by. This summer we have soooooooo much planned for the summer 2011. We are visiting new a race tracks Maryland International Raceway, in June for the NMCA. Can't wait for that. We will also be back to the EAA Air Venture in Oshkosh, WI, Summit Motorsports Park Night Under Fire and then are you ready for this.......We will be at the NHRA's race at Maple Grove Race way in October. If you haven't checked out the schedule lately, make sure you do as you don't want to miss a second.

If you are not my friend on Facebook, make sure as that is the easiest way to stay up to date on every that is going on. Okay so I forgot something very very exciting that is happening in June. Chris and I will be celebrating our 25 wedding anniversary. He is my best friend and I can't believe that it has already been 25 years. When we took that leap of faith 8 years ago for him to quit his job and for us to go racing full time, we never guessed that this is where we would end up. Here is a thought I want to leave you with:

In response to those who say to stop dreaming and face reality, I say keep dreaming and make reality. ~Kristian Kan

luv ya,
e

Kickin in the New Year!!!

Okay the time is ticking away so quick. I can't believe that it is already the middle of April and we have completed 4 races. The brand new Embry-Riddle car has made her debut, 2 airshows and a tornado. HUMMMMM sound like fun, you bet ya!!!!! We kick off the year with the Miller Jet Dragster in Bradenton, FL two weeks later we traveled to Belle Rose, LA. I couldn't be happier on how the dragster is running. She is coming back just as good as last year not skipping a beat. Now the new Embry-Riddle Jet Dragster, we had to shake down and get her running. New cars are always fun, if you believe that Nitro says HA!!!! After a few bugs, we got her running great. Hey maybe we are getting good at this. She made her debut at Cycle Palooza and then just ran at the ADRL show.

Now on to the tornado, yes a tornado. We were just sitting there and the next thing we knew it the skies opened up and I thought I saw the scarecrow!!! Luckily we didn't have any damage, but unfortunately others were not as lucky. Clean up was not fun, but the airshow must go on.

So now I have to talk about the ADRL show. The cars were amazing, we were there for a reason....filming a new promo for Larsen Motorsports. We always try to change things up every year, but I think this is going to be pretty cool. We wanted to show the entire operation. i can't wait for the production team to finish and I will post it as soon as possible.

So that covers the racing, now lets talk about the business side of Larsen Motorsports. We are moving!!!!!! Yes moving. I can't wait, Daytona Beach here we come. The new shop is getting a facelift as we speak, crews are working so many hours to make her a show place. Photos to come. Moving the shop means we are selling our house and buying a new one. Wish us luck in this real estate market. So here we are almost to Easter and guess what we are doing???? Racing of course. We are heading to Summit Motorpsorts Park this weekend to have a little fun. Others will be hunting Easter Eggs, we will be hunting MPH and ET!!!!

If you aren't my facebook friend, log on today. That is the best way to keep up to date with everything that happens at Larsen Motorsports. I hope everyone enjoys their weekend. Be safe and make sure and have fun!!!!

luv ya,
e

Power Block TV

Hey Everyone,

Make sure you check out Power Block TV this weekend, March 19-20. I had the chance to bring the Miller Jet Dragster to the studio and spend some time with Courtney. Very cool. Go to www.PowerBlockTV.com to get show times near you.

luv ya,
e

Hello 2011

Well here we are almost at the end of January and 2011 has already kicked off. Crazy. Larsen Motorsports has a lot of very cool things on the horizon, but we have to make sure and keep focused on what is in front of us first. So, what has been going on, LOTS. I flew out to Nashville to meet up with Miller Marketing to do a TV show called Power Block TV which airs on Spike. We were asked to bring the Miller Jet Dragster and myself for a couple of days of shooting. Sounded like fun. When I was telling people of my plans all I heard was "you get to meet Courtney Hansen, she is HOT!!!" Not wow, you get to go and see the Muscle Car, Trucks, Xtreme 4x4, and Horsepower stages and see what goes on behind the scenes. Crazy boys!!!! Anyway, I flew in and meet up with Travis from the Road show and Vickie from Marketing. We loaded in the car at the Power Block studios and got the tour. Very very cool. It was impressive to see that the sets were as cool in real life as they are on TV. A lot of work goes on in the studios, it isn't just shipped out and the brought back to the show. I would have loved to have taken pictures, but of course, they won't let you do that, which I totally understand. Sorry!!!

Anyway for those of you that want to know, No Courtney was not there on the the first day. The next morning and we were back at the Studios. You could feel the difference in the air on filming day. Time for hair and make-up and before you knew it my turn had come. Here is your Courtney scoop, she is as pretty in real life as she is on TV. Very tall and beautiful. But here is the best part, she is really nice and knows her stuff!!!! We had a blast talking to each other, and I was so impressed when I walked away. All of the camera guys and the producers were great and a lot of fun to work with. Now the guy who put my mike on, I have to wonder about him!!! wink wink!!!

We shot our part and then it was time for some photos. I will post the photos that they send to me as soon as I get them in. The show will air March 19-20 on Spike Network during the Power Block time in the morning. I hope that you will watch.

Back to the airport and time to fly out as we had a Military Days to set up for the next day. It was at University High School in Orange City, FL We brought out the brand new 2011 Embry-Riddle Jet Dragster to help recruit students. It rained on Friday, but it didn't matter, the students still came out and asked a lot of great questions. We loaded the dragster up and hit the road. 2 events done already.

The check list is long for 2011, but if we just keep marking them off, things will get done. My 2011 schedule is going to be posted, so make sure you mark your calenders and come out to support us. I am going to be adding some merchandise to my website soon as well. Also for those of you that love jet cars and want to keep up to date with your favorite drivers, don't forget to check out www.njraracing.com

luv ya,
e

Where has the time gone

Well it is a chilly December day and I am just trying to avoid doing my work. Anyone out there feel the same way???? Some days it is just hard to get focused as you can tell from my lack of blogs. Well where we left off was not a good place and I just had to take a break to get my head together. I had just had an issue with my Embry-Riddle jet dragster in Columbus, OH and it set us back more than what I had hoped. But the good news is that all is good now. I took a few weeks off to heal mentally and physically. It was sorely needed. It seems like for the past few years I have had only one speed and that is all out. The wrecked forced me to take things a little slower for a bit and what I found out about myself is that I only have one speed!!! Please don't ever make me take things slow again. So lets get to the good stuff....RACING!!!

We tested the Miller Jet Dragster the first part of November to get me some seat time before my first race schedule for the Orlando Night of Fire. You always wonder after you wreck if you are going to be the same in the car or how it is going to feel. Well let me tell you the butterflies were moving around pretty bad when they were putting me in the car but when I heard Chris say "here we go in 3,2,1!" and the car came to life, the only feeling I had was HOME!!! This is what I was put on the earth to do! I love my jet cars!!! We made some 1/8Th mile passes to make sure all was good and my baby didn't disappoint. 218 mph in the 1/8Th and boy oh boy did that feel good! Here are a couple of photos from the day.



Hopefully you can tell from my smile that I LOVE this life!!! So we loaded up the car and it was time to get ready to race. The Miller Jet Racing team loaded into Orlando Speed World where we were racing a good friend Terry Rosberg and the Thriller jet dragster. Orlando was the first track that I ever raced at, and it was great to be back. They had a packed house and the crowd sure did get a great show. 6 jet teams 2 jet trucks and 2 wheel standers. Unfortunately it rained after our first pass and it cut the evening short, but WE WERE BACK!!!

The next weekend we headed south to Palm Beach International Raceway in West Palm Beach, FL tough life!!! We were racing Jerry McCart and his Glory Days jet dragster. 4 great passes, what more can you ask for. A good friend was on had to catch this amazing photo. Get your hot dogs ready!!!


Rest, who needs rest, I had been off for 2 months and it was time to race. So for the last race of the year we head to Bradenton Motorsports Park for the Snowbird Nationals. To say that we were ready to have a good time would be an under statement. We loaded into the track and just knew that it was going to be a great day. Saturday morning and the sun is shinning we got to the track. Again I was racing Jerry McCart. Standing room only and the crowd is pumped up!!! On their feet cheering going wild and the jet cars blasted down the 1/4 mile!! Huge fire and Bob Motz ending up the show with his amazing jet semi!!! Everyone made great passes down the track and we put an end to 2010!!! After we hung out with all of the other racers and let our hair down, sorry no photos!!!! What a way to end the year. We loaded up the car for the last time and headed home.

The next week was the Performance Racing Industry show in Orlando, FL where all of the who is who of racing comes out to see what the manufacturers have for us. This year we had a booth. Larsen Motorsports had a huge announcement. The National Jet Racing Association (NJRA) was launched. Now for more info on what the NJRA is you need to visit our website at www.njraracing.com to get the scoop.

So 2010 is over and it is time to look to 2011 and what it has in store for us. I can sure tell you that we have lots of exciting things happening. New shops, new dragsters, new trailers and graphics, TV, and hopefully new adventures with all of the fans!!! So for 2010 we put away the smoke, fire and the screaming fast passes down the 1/4 mile until the first race of the year where we will do it all over again!!! Ain't life great!!!

luv ya,
e

Labor Day

Hello, I hope that this blog. finds everyone healthy and happy on this Labor Day weekend. It is a day that people should be spending with thier families enjoying bbq's. We have been very busy at Larsen Motorsports these past few weeks. Unfortunally everything has not gone well. This past Saturday we were racing at National Trail Raceway in Columbus, OH and had a problem with the Embry-Riddle jet car. As I was driving her down the track, a cross wind lifted the car and I hit the wall. I am fine, and the Embry-Riddle Jet Dragster did just what she was supposed to do and absorbed the hit for me. At time like this you have to take a step back and look at all of the safety features on the car and thank GOD for everyone that makes our cars so safe. Larsen Motorsports has never skimped on safety, and always been one to over do, and it truly paid for its self this weekend.



We want to thank all of the safety crew at National Trail and the NMRA as well as fellow racers that were there for support. Conrad Scary's crew are the best. My guys give me the best car everytime to go down the track in and I am so proud to have each and everyone of them on the team.



All will go on with the Embry-Riddle team, we are going to make a couple of schedule adjustments, but other than that, you will see us back on the track shortly. Thanks for all of the well wishes, and we hope to see you all at the races very soon.

luv ya,

e

Who does this?????

Who does this???? This is the question that I have been asking myself a lot lately. We have been jetting all over the country for the past few weeks and we finally landed in Orlando at midnight on Monday evening. Now it is time to gather up everything and hit the road again. I was working on travel plans with Jennifer (my friend/travel agent) and we both realized that we are working for the next 19 weekends with only 3 of them off. How does that happen. I think I need to fire the scheduler. Oh yeah... that is me!!!!

We are now officially a two car team. We have been racing both the Embry-Riddle jet dragster as well as the Miller Welding Jet Dragster at many events this summer. I have to say, both cars are doing great and behaving themselves. The Miller car had a few new car blues, but she worked them out producing a 277 mph pass at Route 66 this past weekend. Not too bad for a brand new car. Now both cars are ready to go, and hopefully the rest of the summer will continue to have great racing action.

We are heading out for the 8th year in a row to the EAA Oshkosh AirVenture. We are here with ERAU and always have a lot of fun. We will hold our 3rd annual Bowling tournument again this year so watch out Vedalo and Orgon Aero, you are both going down!!!! Then I finish up on Friday with the Lunch with the Stars before flying out to Norwalk, OH to race the Miller team at the Night Under Fire. We will meet up with 3 other jet car teams as well as Bob Motz, the Forces, Wilkersons, and other top fuel teams. My family will be coming out to enjoy the evening. If you have never gone to this show before, it is a must to put on your bucket list!!!!

Then we are heading to Charlotte, NC to race at Z Max dragway with 4 wide jets again this year. In the mean time here are some photos that I have taken while on the road this summer. If you want to keep up with the teams, please make sure to follow us on facebook or twitter!

See you at the races!!!

luv ya,

e

The Dog Days of Summer

The Dog Days of Summer are upon us. We left home to start the summer in Maple Grove, PA with the Embry-Riddle jet dragster, then back home to pick Andrew up on his last day of school. Then fly off to Michigan to make a quick stop at the school of some of my biggest fans. Speak in front of the entire school, then whisked off to visit one of my sponsors Matrix Systems, to tour the factory and finally ended the day at a backyard BBQ. Up again early the next day to work the Roush Museum with my good friend Susan and display the jet dragster with some of the NASCAR guys. Time for me to work on Friday evening making a nice pass down the track. Saturday morning and back to the track for two more passes with the new Miller Welding Jet Dragster. Sunday my best friend Jennifer, picks me up at the hotel to hang out with her family and to do a little pre-father's day shopping. Best Buy here we come. After a GPS and few other things, we headed back to her house where we spent a nice night. Morning and it is time to get back at it. I am supposed to be at a local distributor event for the Miller team and the weather isn't looking good. But a few good fans stopped by before Jennifer to the rescue takes me to the airport to make my flight home for just a couple of days.

Back at home and it is just Chris and myself. Andrew is staying with his Aunt Nancy and Uncle D. He is fishing everyday and having a great time. Chris and I are celebrating our 24th anniversary. Yes 24 years we have been side by side. Chris made a reservation for us on the beach at the Don Cesar in St. Pete, FL. What a beautiful place. We enjoyed fun in the sun for just 24 hours. We only had a small amount time and then back to the airport. Yes oh Yes Jennifer back to the rescue to pick us up at the airport and drop us at our rig.

We meet up with Uncle D and Andrew and then Kansas City, MO here we come. The Embry-Riddle team has been at this wonderful competition called Skills USA and for the third year we are back!!! We spent a week with these extraordinary students and I always leave feeling very inspired. This year was no different. Watching these students excel is just so much fun. Thursday afternoon and no time to rest, we need to hit the road to make Atlanta by the next day in order to make their night of fire!!!

Friday evening and we meet up with the Road Show rig and it seems as if some of the crew decided to race in the test and tune session. Saturday and back to the track. HOT HOT HOT!!! Florida does not have anything on Atlanta in the heat department. The crowd is small at first, but as the day goes on, the crowd slowly fills up and makes for a great night of racing. The Miller team makes a couple passes. Every time I get more laps in the new dragster, it gets better and better. We ended the night with great fireworks and then eating every dessert on the Ruby Tuesday's menu!!!!

Sunday morning and back at the track to tear down. Then nap and pool. Monday morning and I am getting itchy to get back home for the first time in a couple of weeks. But we have one more stop at the Air Gas display. At first I was thinking, "what are we doing here?" Just as those words popped into my head, people started pouring in!!! Now, of course, they were all there to see me, not the FREE lunch that they guys were putting on!!! HUMMMMMM. No matter who or what they came to see, it sure was fun when the place was packed!!! Some of my good friends from the track came out to see us as well. But home was calling me and we headed out!!!

For the first couple of hours we did great, but about 6 hours into the trip home we lost it and didn't think we were going to make it. But finally at 11:00 p.m. we walked in the door!!! Home sweet home!! It was sweet until it was laundry time.

We will be home until July 5th and then it is NASCAR time in Chicago. Time to switch over the clothes and get some sleep. ZZZZZZZZZZZZ I will check in later and let you know how that all turns out.

luv ya,
e

Summer Time!!!

The summer is officially here. We found that out yesterday while testing our new Miller Jet Dragster at Bradenton Motorsports Park. It was an amazing day, and the Miller Jet Dragster is behaving herself now!!! New cars always have the new car blues, but she is acting like the lady she is now!!! After we loaded up and celebrated at our favorite place to eat at in the Bradenton area. Woodys River Roo!!! Right on the water and it is hard not to have a good time while you are at the Roo!!

As summer is gearing up, the racing if going to get hot and heavy. This weekend we are heading to Reading, PA for the NMCA race then barely enough time to fly home, get Andrew and get to Milan, MI for the Jack Roush Museum on Wednesday and then racing for the weekend. The rest of the summer looks just as crazy, from Kansas to Atlanta to Chicago, this summers schedule is amazing. Lots of great racing, lots of great fun. Make sure you check out the schedule to see if we are coming close to you!!!

Now for all of the other exciting news, Blown Away is getting ready to start filming. This is going to be so much fun. The film crew is going to out at many of the races coming up capturing what we do behind the scenes. It is going to be a crazy ride, but I can't wait for it all to start. I will keep you all up to date as things unfold!!
luv ya,
e

ALL COMING TOGETHER!!!

So much has been happening these past few weeks I don't even know where to begin. Lets start with my new car. Larsen Motorsports is proud to announce partnering with Miller Electric. This has been a long time in coming and we are very excited. The dragsters have all been welded with Miller equipment so we will definitely have the Power of Blue behind us. The Miller Jet Dragster will travel around the country not only racing, but going to many different shows. You will have to check the Miller schedule to see where the dragster will be. Now lets talk about how the dragster is getting from race to race. She is riding in comfort in the Miller Road Show 1. They have totally refitted their rig for my new baby. New graphics inside and state of the art equipment. My new Miller Jet Dragster will live the life of luxury. I just want to know if there will be room for me????? You can find more about the new Miller race team on our website and choosing the Miller team.

So where does that leave me with the Embry-Riddle team? We are also racing her across the country adding some Western dates to our schedule. This is the brand new Embry-Riddle Jet Dragster, the sister car to the Miller Jet Dragster. We have all new uniforms, graphics on the trailer and are working with Embry-Riddle with new projects. So if you want to see the where the Embry-Riddle team will be, you can go to the site and choose ERAU team.

Now of you thought that running two race cars was going to keep us busy, come on. We are working with McCabe Productions and they are producing a Reality Show about what goes on behind the scenes at Larsen Motorsports. The show is schedule to air in 2011 and we will be filming at several of the race tracks across the country. Nitro better be ready all of the girl pugs will be after him!!! I think he wants a dog house with a star on it and chicken 3 times a day!!

I know that this is a lot in just a short time. We have been working on everything for several years and it has finally all just come together. This is just the tip of the iceburg. Keep checking back because things are moving faster than my jet car at this point. Look for a lot more photos, a lot more up dates and a lot more fun!!!

We are heading out to Norwalk, OH this weekend where we will debut our brand new Miller Jet Dragster, so if you are in the area, make sure you come out and say HI.

luv ya,
e

Where is Spring???

So all we hear about is global warming and how the earth is changing. I want WARM weather!!!!! I am ready for the heat. Sitting in a hotel in White, GA and it is only 46 outside, YUCK!!!! I want to pull out my summer clothes and complain about how hot it is!!! I know how about a little cheese to go with all of this.

We are in White, GA doing a display at Toyo tire factory. Last night we fired the Embry-Riddle jet dragster up in the parking lot. We will do it one more time tonight and then head to Atlanta Dragway to run the NMRA race. I am still getting used to the new car. She is a different dragster, with a GE J-85 in her. She doesn't like some of the things that my Pratt and Whitney J/60 liked, so I am in the middle of a learning curve. All good.

Last weekend we raced in Bradenton, FL for the NMCA races. Lots of fun on Saturday, but Sunday left a lot to be desired. It rained so hard on Sunday we were looking for the no wake zones in the pit area. After the race, we had dinner with some new friends. I will keep you posted on some new things that are happening with Larsen Motorsports. We meet up with them and went over the next days schedule. I did a radio commercial and had a lot of fun. I will post pics and news very soon.

After playing MISS SUPERSTAR, time to get back to my real job and we headed back to the track to tear down as was too wet to take things down on Sunday. The NMCA finished up their race Monday while we were there. Then it was off to boot camp. This boot camp was HARD. Miss Brenda knows how to make us dig very deep and get the most out of work-out. I am feeling stronger than ever. Now I just need to eat healthy.

Well lots going on for Larsen Motorsports. If you go out to the track to see us, at some races you will notice a lot of cameras following us around. I will keep you posted on what that is all about. I guess that is it for now, back to the hotel room where I should be doing work. Focus Elaine, Focus!!

Luv ya,
e

OUCH!!!!!

Okay so before we get to the title of this blog. we will go back a little. After the last blog. We were going to head back to the track and get the new graphics for the trailer. We are getting there. The new graphics are on the sides and the trailer is at the shop right now with the guys working very hard on the rear door. I will post photos later this week. The new fire suit has not come in yet, but Simpson is working hard. I received my new helmet freshly painted by Joe Graska this weekend. I let him have a little fun and he did not disappoint. It is really cool. I will post a photo later this week. I am getting geared up and ready to go for the first race of the season. I turn on the TV and watch the weather and what do I see.......80% of rain on Saturday. You have got to be kidding. This race was already rained out and here we go again. No time to complain, you pack up and head to the track no matter what.

Friday came and I was waiting for our newest crew member to come over as I was riding with him to the track. His name is David Crohe. I have known David, his wife Melissa and their two girls for a very long time. When we were starting to look for some extra help, we thought of our friend David. He accepted and here we are. So Andrew, Nitro and I loaded in his car and it is off to the races. We get in have some dinner and call it a night. Our other crew, Mike Mathes, is driving in from Georgia to help show David about the dragster. Great Guys!!!

Well Saturday morning and I am afraid to look outside, but it has to be done. Guess what, it doesn't look half bad. The weekend just looked a whole lot brighter!!! We head out to the track and things are getting ready to roll. We unload the car and guess what, we are back in the ball game. It is race day baby!!!! I am racing a friend Jerry McCart this weekend and we are ready to have a little fun.

We gear up for the first pass and to say that the butterflies are making a home in my stomach, is an understatement. It is always the case for the first race of the year. But as soon as the helmet goes on and you get strapped in, it is game on!!!! We had a lot of friends that came out to cheer us on and even though the sun wasn't shinning, we put on a great show. The Embry-Riddle dragster ran straight and true. It sure felt great to be back behind the wheel. As soon as we got back from the pass, it started to sprinkle. But the owners of Bradenton Motorsports Park did the right thing, they canceled the race for the rest of the day, as the rain was only supposed to get worse as the day went on. They gave everyone that came on Saturday FREE tickets to get back in on Sunday and had the jet cars come back on Sunday to finish the show!!!! YES!!! More racing!!!!

Sunday morning and it has gotten a little chilly overnight, but we are ready to go. We arrived to the track early to attend the RFC chapel service, where something magical happened. Nitro met a women. She is a 3 1/2 year old pug named Gabby!!! She was soooo cute. The looked each other over and decided us humans were just weird.

After we separated the Pugs, it was time to go racing again. We get the car ready to go and made one more great pass down the quarter mile. 287 mph, not a bad way to start off the new year. We are heading out west from here. Lots to do and see. Check the schedule to see where we are going next. I have a few more races to add to it, but we are pretty much sold out at this point. Not a bad thing to have happen. I will dust off the camera and get you some photos of the new stuff and post them very soon.

I hope you all are going to watch the Superbowl this weekend. GO SAINTS!!!! Just a little shout out for my No Problem buddies!!! Okay so back to the title of the blog. OUCH is what I am feeling right now. I thought I had friends, but obviously thought wrong. Somehow I was talked into joining this workout boot camp. What was I thinking. There is a reason I not like lunges!!!!! There will be NO photos of this!!!! Even my fingers hurt, how does that happen. But hopefully it will pay off in the long run. DON"T mention RUNNING!!!


luv ya,
e