CLASS CEILING
Femme Fanatic Sports: A look at motor sports from a female perspective -- the NHRA
Tery Red (Crew Chief for Rig Tech Motorsports )
Apr 18, 2018, 8:22 pm
Welcome to Femmefanaticsports, which covers the feminine perspective of Motorsports, etc.
Four lane race debuts at Las Vegas Strip
When: April 6-8, 2018
Where: Las Vegas, Nevada.
What: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Debuted it's first event on a Four Wide Lane!
One of my favorite things of all time is being at the Houston Zoo at feeding time to hear the thunderous roar of the majestic lion as he awaits his breakfast. The power of the vibrations rising from the waves sent from the ground, rattling my bones, readjusting my footing, Inciting my heart to throbbing!
The next best thing I find that really gets the adrenaline going is being in the stands at a Motorsports Park. In Belle Rose, Louisiana there is No Problem Raceway, then there is Texas Motorplex in Ennis and of course Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, just to name a few.
These tracks are host to some of the wildest rides in the 1/4 mile. You have the John Force Racing, Team which includes some of the fastest women on the track- Brittany Force with a 3.667 second- pass at 330.31 mph at Pomona Autoclub Raceway, the same track where now retired Alexis Dejoria was the first woman to break the 3 second Funny Car barrier. Wild, right? When you consider that these ladies are contending with amazing male counterparts like John Force, Tony Schumacher and Clay Millican, now that's very classy ladies, amazing feat indeed. The aforementioned are all traditional two-lane tracks.
So now to the point; each time the 11000 horsepower engines torpedoed off the starting line, it was quadruple the excitement. This novelty track is the first of its kind on the West Coast.
And the winner is: Steve Torrence took the win in Top Fuel in the four lane quad dual beating out "The Sarge "(#1 Qualifier), 3× World Champion Antron Brown and Doug Kalitta.
JR Todd took the win in Funny Car; Vincent Nobile took the top in Pro Stock.
Houston's very own Erica Enders is a formidable contender as 2x Pro Stock World Champion in this circuit as well with Melling Performance as her Sponsor, as she has shown us before, she is the one to watch.
Visiting a nearby track can be an excellent time for family bonding. It makes for a thrilling field trip for the home school setting . It allows boys and girls to get a closer look at the mechanics of professional racing teams and their garages on wheels.
All you gear heads can walk the pits to quench your quest for your inner machine head. Don't forget earmuffs/plugs for the little ones, seat cushions for the stands, sunscreen, sun visor/caps, comfortable walking shoes for your visit to the pits, And your need for speed!
NHRA Mello Yellow Drag Racing Series Enthusiasts can get a taste of this excitement in our own backyard:
What: NHRA Spring Nationals, Houston,Tx
When: April 20-22
Where: Royal Purple Raceway 2525 FM 565 Baytown,Tx 77523
Pro stock: Houstons' very own Erica Enders-Stephens.
Top Fuel dragster: Leah Pritchett (Don SchumacherRacing).
Top Fuel Dragster: Brittany Force (John Force Racing).
Funny car: Courtney Force (John Force Racing )
With 19 games left in the regular season, the Astros sit 4 1/2 games up on the Mariners as they get ready to host the Athletics on Tuesday.
One factor that's stayed consistent for the Astros in recent years, is their ability to step up their game against tough competition, and to play down to lesser teams like the Reds, who swept them last week.
Which is why we're not ready to say the 'Stros have punched their playoff ticket. Missing the postseason however would require a both a surge from the Mariners and a collapse from Houston.
But based on how the Astros have been pitching over the last month (Top 3 in ERA), you have to like their chances to finish strong and secure the division once again.
One of the big news items from the Diamondback series was the return of Kyle Tucker. Tucker didn't do a whole lot in the two games he played in, but having him back does give the Astros lineup a different feel.
With Tucker and Bregman both in the lineup, the Astros have a formidable Top 5. It will be interesting to see how Joe Espada juggles the lineup moving forward, and if he drops Tucker to the five spot in games they are facing a left-handed starter.
Speaking of Tucker and Bregman, we've had countless discussions about whether they will sign extensions with the Astros. In Bregman's case, the new contract Matt Chapman signed with the Giants will likely serve as a measuring stick (6-year, $151 million) for Bregman's next deal.
Don't miss the video above as we preview the playoff push, breakdown Tucker's return, and weigh the pros and cons of signing Bregman to a deal comparable to Chapman's.
Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.