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Castrol
Edge Winternationals - 10th to 13th June -
2010
Racing
is my
Passion
Interview
by Chelsea Woods Wednesday, December 23.
2009
Australian
Drag Racing
Champion
Results
Schedule
Related Issue:
Women
Racers
Directory,
Women
in Racing,
Women
Racers,
More
Women in
Racing,
Race
Schedules,
Notable
Women
Contact: www.mamastoyracing.com.au
or E-Mail
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Snippets
Made the final at Benaraby
Raceway's end of season drag race meeting on
11/28/09
* * *
Currently leading our
Super Street bracket in the Ausralian Championship
and tied on 2nd Place, with one young gun for our
Track Champsionship at Willowbank
Raceway.
Bio
Birthdate: 7/7/1956
Birth Place: Australia
Current Home Base: Ipswich
Add Additional Information: I'm 53 years old, a
wife, mother and grandmother and my passion is Drag
Racing of 16 years. Even after 2600 passes down a
drag strip I never tire or doing it.
Biggest influence: Women in racing!
Women you admire: Debbie Reed
Father's Thoughts: If he was alive I\d hope he
would be proud of me.
Your encouragement to others: Definitely give it a
go. You will be pleasantly surprised.
Learn about us: From Australian Women's Motorsport
Network director Sue Corbett
Schedule: This season which ends June next year, I
am hoping it's my year to win a Championship.
Results
Been racing since 1993 and
many winning results have come from this.
Racing is my Passion!
The Australian 2009/2010 ANDRA PRO SERIES Drag
Racing season has come to an end seeing the
Mama’s Toy Racing Team claiming the Super
Street Australian Championship.
Our Track Championship has also been finalized
seeing us in 3rd Place, remembering I’m
competing against males and females, young and old
at the age of 54 and being a wife, mother and
grandmother. I have placed in the top 5 in our
Super Street bracket for the last three years, and
considering it was only 2004 when I seriously began
racing at Major Events accumulating points for the
Australian Championship, I feel our team has
achieved much in this time. I thank my crew and
family for all their hard work and support over the
years, especially my crew chief and husband Warren
for without him I would not be where I am
today.
Competing against the young guns with their
youthful energy and high levels of concentration
(needed for this motorsport) is no easy fete and,
as we all come to realize, over time our senses
slowly diminish. However I don’t believe in
giving up and it’s not so much about winning
but how you play the game. I conquered breast
cancer in 2003 after going through the ordeal of
having chemotherapy and radium treatments and being
ill for many months. I’m now facing another
body malfunction (that I’ve had for a while)
bulging discs in my back (that cause a slight
walking problem) and have sciatica in my left leg.
Finally after waiting for months I get to see the
specialist on Monday. Yahoo, we may get some action
now.
But like I say, never give up, stay positive and
claim for yourself what you wish for in life. Reach
for the sky and you will be rewarded with your hard
work and effort.
Back to racing; our task at hand will be to
concentrate on testing with another motor in the
race car and setting it up correctly before the
commencement of the new season in September. The
old engine has been used for the past 11years and
(although still running strong and getting us to
many finals) the time has come for its
retirement.
We have attended a couple of test days at
Willowbank Raceway in sunny Queensland with the new
Chevy 350 running 11.36 seconds over the quarter
mile @ 120mph. Changing jets, power valve and
squirters has brought the car down to
11.20@121.44mph.
A few more adjustments will be made to get the
car off the line with a quicker 60-foot time. At
the moment 1.61 is it’s average sixty-foot. We
are staying in our Super Street bracket as this
then allows us to travel somewhat with our racing
and we are only expecting to run low 11 second
passes.
The racing calendar is jam-packed with events
all throughout the year giving racers in Australia
much needed practice time and competitive racing.
I’ve been involved in drag racing for 17 years
now and still can’t seem to get enough of this
motor sport. If I could I’d be at the track
every weekend as our home track (this being
Willowbank Raceway) has events most Wednesdays and
Saturdays.
Drag Racing has given me the highs and lows that
come with any form of sport but the pleasure
derived unsurpassable. Imagine sitting behind the
steering wheel, strapped firmly by a harness into a
racing seat, helmet buckled up with a V8 purring in
your ears ready for racing. The excitement is
building and adrenalin pumping through your veins.
The lights are activated and you stomp on the go
pedal accelerating at speed down the quarter mile.
Puts a smile on my face every time! -:)
Castrol Edge Winternationals
- 10th to 13th June - 2010
The Castrol Edge Winternationals Event, held at
Willowbank Raceway, was massive to say the least.
It\'s the biggest drag racing event outside of
America.
This four-day meeting began on Thursday 10th
June and continued on until Sunday the 13th with
around 485 racers with their crew competing for the
Australian Championship in their respective
brackets.
The crowd rolled in each day and filled the
grandstand to cheer on the racers.
Set-up day for us was on the Wednesday and
qualifying saw us with 3 runs on the Thursday.
Friday and we had 2 rounds of racing both of
which mama claimed the win light.
Early Saturday morning and round 3 was at
8.36am. We dialled-in 11.64 and ran 11.65 for the
win once more.
Now we had to wait until Sunday for the final
three rounds of racing.
Okay this is the quarterfinal! It begins at
8.06am. This time I’ve dialled-in 11.63. I had
a .047 reaction to my opponents .129 and I ran
11.67 backing down slightly near the finish line
for another win.
Next up a solo pass for an entry into the final.
We ran this pass with the race car running 11.627
so our dial-in for the final would be lowered.
Our final race was at 3.49 pm and I knew it
would be a tough race as I was up against the young
guy who had won our Track Championship.
The reactions were close…mine was
.057…my opponents .031…so I’m in
with a chance. We both broke out and I lost by one
thousandths of a second.
I claimed the Runner-up position at the
Winternationals and placed 3rd in our Track
Championship for the 2009/2010 season.
The most glorious victory of all is being the
winner of our Super Street bracket in the Rocket
Allstars Racing Series and being an Australian
Champion.
How many motorsports do you know of where a 53
year old grandma can compete against young guys in
their 20’s and be able to win a
championship?
Drag Racing is the best!
But remember…do it safe in a controlled
environment…do it at the tracks.
After all our family and friends are way too
precious to lose.
Thank you to our family, friends and fellow
racers who gave me so much encouragement throughout
this four day event.
I definitely believe this helped me to stayed
focused on my racing and to win the Australian
Championship is absolutely astounding.
I'm blessed to have such fantastic support! Love
you all!
Australian
Drag Racing Champion
Terri Sander is a stalwart of
Australian Drag Racing, with her Rover,
affectionately known as Mama’s Toy, a regular
fixture on the Willowbank Raceway quarter mile.
I had the privilege of
interviewing her for Girlracer Magazine late last
year in what turned out to be an insightful and
inspiring interview. Little did I know that six
months later she’d be wrapping up her first
ANDRA (Australian National Drag Racing Association)
Championship for Super Street at the biggest event
on the Australian drag racing calendar, the Castrol
EDGE Winternationals. After the event I had the
opportunity to speak to Terri about this event,
winning her first Australian Championship and
preparations for the new season.
How would you sum up your
2010 Winternationals?
This four-day drag racing
season finale was just the best! It began for us on
the Wednesday as we unloaded the race car and set
up our chairs, tables and anything we needed to
make our days at the track as comfortable as
possible. We had all three qualifying passes on the
Thursday and two rounds of racing on the Friday.
Then we had an early rise Saturday morning for the
third round.
The excitement was
building after each round win and I was feeling
relaxed and confident going into the final three
rounds on Sunday. I went into this event in fourth
place and 60 points shy of the leader and after
winning the fourth round Warren knew the day before
that if I’d won this race I then had the bye
run into the final and had the Australian
Championship wrapped up. He managed to keep this
fact to himself on the Saturday though, knowing
full well you take on one race at a time and never
think ahead. I still had to front for the
semi-final and final and only needed the runner-up
position to confirm the championship win. I claimed
the Runner-up placing and only lost by one
thousandths of a second.
Nerves don’t come
into the equation anymore but the excitement and
adrenalin still run through my veins and it’s
an awesome feeling be able to compete in front of
such an enormous crowd. Our days were also made
extra special with the presence of not only our two
children being there supporting us, we also had the
thrill of having our two beautiful little
grandchildren with us at the track, one six years
of age and the other 20 months.
On the completion of
racing all finalists come back up the track to the
presentation dais at the start line. While waiting
to be called up many people approached me giving
congratulations and as I stepped forward to accept
our third ANDRA gold Christmas Tree trophy this was
when the reality of it all set in.
I was smiling from ear to
ear… I had become an Australian
Champion.
How do you feel about
winning your first Australian Drag Racing
Championship?
To become the Super Street
Australian Champion had been a goal I set for
myself and one of our crewmembers actually said to
me early on in the year that he felt like this was
to be our year for success. I’m very proud and
pleased to have won this title at the age of 54 and
being a wife, mother and grandmother. I’m over
the moon with delight and the support I have
received from family, friends and racers has been
absolutely amazing. I’ve been competing since
1993 but it was only in 2004 that I seriously took
on the challenge of competing at the major events.
It’s not so easy taking on the young guys with
their youthful energy and high levels of
concentration (needed for this motor sport) and as
we all come to realise as we age our levels of
concentration can dwindle. It’s definitely a
time in my life that I will remember and treasure
forever.
Was it particularly
satisfying given the adversity you’ve had to
overcome to achieve it?
Yes, it was an extremely
satisfying achievement given the fact that I have
to race against people young and old, male and
female. My husband was actually amazed at how I
managed to keep my concentration up over this four
day period especially as I went into this event
having a slight body malfunction with bulging discs
in my back (that I’ve had for a while) and
Sciatica in my left leg causing constant pain. I
was determined to push through this in order to do
my very best in racing and believe we can do
anything we set our minds upon. Racing is my
passion and I have always believed you should have
fun first with your chosen sport and if success
comes your way then that’s an added
bonus.
I understand that
you’ve put a new engine in ‘Mama’s
Toy’, how’s it going?
Yes, my husband Warren
worked hard assembling another Chev 350 and J&L
Race Engines did the machining, balancing of the
engine, flowing of the heads and gave technical
input with the selection of parts.
The plan was after the
seasons’ finale, in June, the old motor was to
come out and this one in as soon as possible to
give us enough time to set it up correctly before
the commencement of the new racing season in
September. After three test days at Willowbank
Raceway and only a few minor changes, being made so
far, like jets sizes, squirters and power valve, we
are very pleased with her performance
already.
The car has run a best
elapsed time of 11.20/121.44mph over the quarter
mile and because we race dial-your-own (this being
a self-nominated time you think your car will run
over the quarter mile) consistency is vital for
racing success. The Rover’s last three passes
have been 11.226, 11.225 and 11.225. Very
consistent!
You travelled across the
country to attend events last season, what was that
like? Will you be doing the same this
season?
We have intentions of
travelling once again to Palmyra Dragway at Mackay
as this seems to be a happy hunting ground for us.
In the six years of competing at Palmyra we claimed
the runner-up position on our first visit, a
semi-final appearance another year, had a
rained-out meeting and last season we came up
trumps with a win. Again we will compete at
Benaraby Raceway in Gladstone as we did last year.
Here we also claimed the runner-up position! I love
being at the tracks but don’t really enjoy
travelling all that much.
The opportunity to travel
and race at the Perth Motorplex came about last
season when another racer was looking for company.
Our group ended up being about 14 people in total.
Not all came on the trip with us though as some
flew over! I wouldn’t think we’d do this
journey again anytime in the near future. It was
such a long road haul! We had lots of mishaps along
the way like 11 flat tyres these being either on
the transporter that was carrying the racecars or
the bus we were in or on the trailer we were
towing. We had a blown headlight, leaking brake
cylinders, blown fuses in the transporter, battery
terminal problems and would you believe the bus
door blew off and lots more. It was one hell of a
ride but we did enjoy it and made some good
friendships on the way. Even when things started
turning pear-shaped everyone tried to make light of
the situation with lots of raucous laughter. They
were definitely a great bunch of characters to
travel with across our country. I fou
nd the track at the Perth
Motorplex to be superb and the officials very
friendly and helpful. Something I hadn’t seen
in my 17 years of racing was a grudge run at a
major event. The whole meeting was run so smoothly
that they had time for these grudges and they were
most welcome with having the opportunity to race at
night in front of the many spectators.
As someone who has done
literally thousands of passes, what do you think
the key ingredients to a successful pass
are?
I liken it to a great
recipe… you can leave out some of the
ingredients but must use the main ingredients for
success. I’ve now made 2733 passes down a drag
strip (but who’s counting) and still
can’t get enough of this great motor sport. I
believe to have a successful pass in competition
and in the ‘dial-your-own’ racing first
you must have a race vehicle that is predictable
and reliable to enable you to get the dial-in
correct. Then you have to be switched on yourself
on the day of racing and be able to maintain
concentration even when distractions may occur. An
example of this is when you’re lined up ready
to go into the burnout pad and there’s a
hold-up happening, this may cause you to lose
concentration. Another key ingredient is to run
your own race. By this I mean block out what your
opponent is doing and concentrate solely on what
needs to be done with your own vehicle. What you do
at the 1000ft mark and finish line is also very
important. You must look to see where your opponent
is on the track and then decide for yourself…
do I keep my foot flat or do I ease off slightly.
This is sometimes the case with
‘dial-your-own’ racing because if you go
under your nominated time you will lose the race
unless you both ‘breakout’ in which case
the one that goes under by the least amount takes
the win. It also helps to know your opponents
vehicle. If you know what mph they have you can
then judge more accurately what needs to be done
near the finish line.
Key ingredients in a
nutshell: predictable and reliable race vehicle;
right frame of mind; concentration; and
awareness
Is there anything else
you’d like to say?
Once again I’d like
to thank Girlracer for this exposure of our racing
achievements and Chelsea Woods for the
interview.
Thank you to my wonderful
husband Warren who’s always been there for me
and without him I would not be where I am today.
Thanks to our crew member John Mackay and other
family members and friends for their hard work and
support over the past 17 years of my racing
career.
I’d like to say to
all you girls out there in this big wide world of
ours…reach for the stars and make your dream a
reality…and if you don’t have a goal then
create one.
Benaraby Raceway
had their end of season drag race meeting on 28th
November with a Test'n'Tune format the night
before.
Mama, Warren, some of the
crew and friends decided to make the 7 hour trip to
have some fun and compete at this event. Conditions
on arriving at the track both days was very hot and
dusty.
We had four runs of the
Friday night with the first pass being rather
hairy. Lots of wheel spin off the line and I was
wrestling with the steering wheel trying to keep
the old girl, (not me, the Rover - lol ) headed in
a straight line.
Benaraby's tree reads in
.4 of a second and my first reaction was a red
light. My other reactions:.470 .461 .459 Best
elapsed time on this day was 11.75
Before qualifying
commenced on Saturday, I pulled out the Portatree,
purchased from Bullseyeracing a while back, to
practice my reactions. We had 5 qualifying passes
and quickest ET was 11.71 Reactions: .471 .345
OOPS! .421.518 sleep time then .416
Racing for us commenced at
6.40pm with it being CHICAGO SHOOTOUT racing which
means 3 races to determine who's in the final. We
dialled in 11.76 in the first round of racing with
a .482 to my opponents .678 reaction and mama being
the winner.
Second round and I'm up
against Australia No1... Paul Dilley. We dropped
the dial-in to 11.71 and ran 11.75 with a .487
reaction to his .543 and again mama was the
victor.
I had a BYE in the third
round as the other racer I was to come up against
(James O'Sullivan) destroyed his engine at the
finish line on his last pass. Because of this style
of shootout even though I'd just won 2 rounds of
racing this last run would be the decider as to
whether or not I'd make the final.
The rule to win this round
was not to red light or breakout. I aired on the
side of caution with my reaction and waited for the
lights to come down and had a .594 and ran 11.76 on
my 11.73 dial-in.
The word came back that we
had succeeded and made it into the final. It's now
around 10pm. Our dial-in 11.73 my opponent
12.27
Reactions: mama .536 Oops
.... another snooze! Must be a bit late for
grandma...lol. opponents .516 My run: 11.735
Opponents: 12.280 for the win and the margin was
only .015
The whole team was just
rapt that we made the final. I found the track
itself to be rough in the right hand lane,
especially mid-track, however manageable and I
enjoyed racing immensely.
I also had the opportunity
to have a chat over the PA System with the
commentator as did other racers and the atmosphere
at Benaraby Raceway was absolutely fantastic. The
meeting was run extremely well by the organisers
and everyone so friendly, to the extent that we
would not hesitate on travelling again next year to
compete.
Schedule
My plan for 2010 is to hopefully win one of the
championships. I have been aiming for our Track
Championship at Willowbank Raceway and also aiming
for the Australian Title.
Our season for 2009/2010 ends in June next year
at the biggest drag racing meeting of the year the,
"WINTERNATIONALS" at Willowbank Raceway.
After this the engine will be freshened up and
hopefully I'll be running a bit quicker. However we
intend to stay in our Super Street bracket due to
our budget and this in turn allows us to travel
with racing as well.
Interview
by Chelsea Woods Wednesday, December 23.
2009
Terri Sander is an
inspirational woman who loves to drag race!
I’ve seen her and the
Mama’s Toy Racing Team out at Willowbank
Raceway almost every time I’ve been out at the
track. Her dedication to her racing caught my
attention and she was kind enough to let me
interview her for Girlracer.
What follows is an
inspirational story about a woman who has not only
been very successful at racing but has also used
her involvement in the sport as a motivator to
overcome serious illness.
How and when did you
get involved in Drag Racing?
I was introduced to the
sport of drag racing back in 1993. My late
brother-in-law Steve had not long taken up drag
racing and my husband and I decided to check it
out. We’d been sitting in the grandstand
watching for a while and something made me turn to
Warren and say, “I wouldn’t mind trying
that.” A look of surprise came over his face
and I myself found this statement strange as it
came from someone who didn’t even drive on the
streets very much and really derived no pleasure
from doing so.
I have no idea what
possessed me to even suggest such a thing, but
I’m extremely glad I did.
My first pass was 24th
July 1993 in our grocery getting four speed manual
Bluebird Station Wagon that only ran 19 seconds
over the quarter mile. However after this run and
heading back to our pit area I had found out for
myself why they call it the, ‘Quarter Mile
Smile’ I had the biggest, cheesiest grin on my
face, the adrenalin was absolutely amazing and I
couldn’t wait to do it again.
I had not only achieved
something I never thought in my life possible but
also had an instant love of this
motorsport.
What were some of the
difficulties you faced in getting into the
sport?
Luckily the basic
requirements for a beginner to start out in
Australia are simple. All you need is a vehicle,
(bike or car) long sleeves, long pants, closed in
shoes and Australian standard helmet and it was
only $16 to enter a Street Meeting or Test n’
Tune event.
My biggest hurdle was the
first run. I’m lined up in the staging lanes
and my heart was pounding in my chest (to the
extent that I thought it was going to jump right
out), my palms were all sweaty and shaking and my
helmet felt like a lead weight. I was nervous as
all hell, but I’d made my mind up to do it and
I was determined to see it through.
How did you overcome
them?
My aim was just to get the
car and myself down the track safely and in one
piece. Warren had given me a quick run-down on how
I was to perform this first run and the track also
had a drivers briefing for newcomers to the
sport.
A burnout wasn’t
necessary and at that stage I wouldn’t have
known how to do one anyway. I veered around the
burnout pad slowly driving up to the lights or
Christmas Tree as it’s called. Prior to this I
studied how others approached and took off when the
lights were activated.
After this I entered
Street Meetings and began in the Powderpuff
Eliminator (all ladies bracket). This got my
confidence up to contest the Street Eliminator
bracket in which cars run 15 seconds and
slower.
How have you progressed
since then?
Seeing my passion for the
sport Warren suggested we look around for a more
suitable vehicle to race. We came across a 308 HX
Premier and although a big car we agreed it would
suit the purpose and at the time was acceptable to
our budget. The first meeting with the Premier was
4th September 1993, having a first round loss in
the Powderpuff bracket then three wins in the
Street Bracket to reach the final.
We noticed that some of
the race prepared vehicles had names embedded on
either side and we thought what a neat idea so
after some thought we came up with,
‘MAMA’S TOY’. It seemed quite
appropriate at the time since I was a mum to two
beautiful children and the name has stuck over the
years. Although now we are grandparents for a
second time my husband jokes about changing the
name to, ‘Grandmas Joy’. Not that
it’s a bad name I’m just not ready for a
change.
The years have been very
kind to me with many final appearances and 2005 saw
the Mama’s Toy race car in eight
finals.
When 1998 came around the
Premier was put to rest, with the mounting points
of the rear suspension showing signs of having been
weakened by rust. Prior to this we had purchased a
vehicle to be its replacement, it was a
Rover.
My first reaction when
told this car was up for sale, “What the heck
is a Rover?” I knew of Fords and Holdens but
this was neither. Warren said its aerodynamic shape
would be suited to racing and left the decision up
to me. I pondered for a while before giving the
go-ahead and so began the history of the
Rover!
Tell me a bit about the
race car.
Its debut was late 1998
with it running mid 12 second passes over the
¼ mile.
Vehicle specs, just to
name a few…
- Body: Rover left hand
drive
- Engine: 350
Chev
- Convertor:
3000
- Gearbox: Turbo
400
- Rear End: Ladder
Bar
- Compression Ratio: 9.5
to 1
- Carbi: 700 CFM
Holley
- Slicks: Hoosier 26 x
9
I began competing in the
occasional major meeting but going into these
events with limited experience I really wasn’t
focused on succeeding, I was just out there to have
fun with my chosen motorsport.
January 2003 saw my third
perfect reaction and almost 1,900 passes down a
drag strip. Then after having a mammogram after
finding a rather large lump in my left breast I was
diagnosed with breast cancer. I had a lumpectomy,
chemotherapy and radium treatments. I also had all
the nasty things happen that occur when anyone goes
through this ordeal, like losing my eyebrows and
hair and quite often being very ill for months on
end. I’ll spare you the rest of the gory
details of this journey that I hope I never have to
take again.
My passion for drag racing
saw me through some of the tough times, for when I
knew of a meeting coming up I was really focused on
getting well. I would don the wig at the track and
it looked so much like my own hair that for quite a
lengthy period of time others didn’t
realize.
Somehow I drew strength
from drag racing and it kept my spirits high. The
adrenalin was pumping and I would be able to
overcome my illness for at least a day. I even made
it to three finals this year. You could say my love
of this sport literally got me off the lounge and
back on track. It was a place to conquer all fears
and allowed me to become the aggressor against that
which set about destroying my life. I believe I
have come through the other side a stronger and
more determined person to do better not only in my
chosen motorsport but also life in
general.
What is your PB elapsed
time and speed? PB reaction time?
My best elapsed time over
the quarter mile to date is 11.49 seconds @ 116.79
mph. I’ve had four perfect reactions and one
perfect pass, a 0.000 reaction and ran 11.760 on my
11.76 dial-in.
I have won and lost races
by one thousandths of a second and at the age of 53
and competing against the young guns with their
youthful energy and high levels of concentration
(which is definitely needed for this sport) is no
easy feat, and as we come to realize over time our
senses slowly diminish. However in saying that 83
drag racing trophies adorn our living room that I
am very proud to own. I have also now made over
2,600 passes down a drag strip and compete mainly
in major events.
What is your proudest
achievement on track?
I have a couple of
achievements that I’m proud of. The first was
winning the right to be the first person down a
drag strip anywhere in the world in the new
millennium. On the Eve of the new millennium
Willowbank Raceway had decided to have a shootout
event for a racer to win the right to be the first
person down a drag strip anywhere in the world in
the new millennium. In order to achieve this one
had to first win their bracket and with six
brackets and then the dial-in shootout, it was not
going to be an easy task. I was lucky enough to win
the ladies bracket and ran 11.963 on an 11.96
dial-in to win the shootout and at four minutes
past midnight on the 1/1/2000 I made a solo pass
down Willowbank Raceway to be the first in the
world down a drag strip in the new
millennium.
Another achievement was
winning the coveted gold ANDRA (Australian National
Drag Racing Association) Christmas tree trophy at
the 42nd Australian Nationals and being only the
fifth woman in the 40-year history of this event to
do so.
Another is being able to
introduce other women to the sport and seeing the
excitement and joy on their faces after the very
first pass.
How often do you
race?
For the first 12 years of
racing we trekked out to our home track fortnightly
and even now most months see us at a track twice a
month. Usually the first fortnight would be at a
test day for practice before a major event. I did
have the tail shaft break a couple of years back
but this only set me back a month or so and people
now say I’m part of the furniture.
Where do you
race?
We are very lucky to live
only twenty minutes from our home track Willowbank
Raceway, in sunny Queensland. Their schedule is jam
packed throughout the year therefore giving us the
opportunity to either race or test regularly. The
track is open most Wednesdays and Saturdays and the
next closest track would be about a two hour
trip.
We also travel up and down
the east coast of Australia about 1,000 kilometres
in each direction to get to the tracks and back
home again. My favourite track to compete at would
have to be Palmyra Dragway, Mackay, North
Queensland, because they treat all racers with
respect and equal regardless of the bracket. You
are always welcomed with friendly faces and I find
this to be the same at all the country
tracks.
We are currently
contesting the Track Championship series, with the
Mama’s Toy Racing Team sitting tied on second
place with another young guy. The other series we
compete in is the Australian Championship, referred
to as ‘The Rocket Allstar Racing Series’,
and I am currently leading in the Super Street
bracket.
Our season ends for both
these series in June 2010 at the biggest major
event on the Australian drag racing calendar, the
Winternationals, held at Willowbank
Raceway.
How much time do you
spend on the car between race
meetings?
Myself not much at all!
I’d be the first to admit I’m not
mechanically minded and for safety reasons leave
this chore to my partner. I do help out on occasion
when nuts and bolts need checking, tyre pressure,
water in the radiator etc, but only help with the
basic things.
Between meetings
maintenance is very low and the car only gets a
thorough check once a year.
Where do you work on
the car?
The Rover is housed in the
garage off the house and only minor work is done
there due to limited room. If a major transition is
to take place the car is moved to the bigger
outside garage giving much more space to move
around.
What does a typical day
at the track involve for you?
First up would be to
unload the Rover off the truck and then set up
depends on whether it’s a one, two or three
day meeting and where we are competing at the time.
When we travel we tend to take extras to be
self-sufficient therefore more work to be
done.
The tarps and mats would
be laid and the extension off the side of the truck
erected for shade. Tables, chairs etc placed out
for comfort. I have a set routine. I first take the
car for a short drive to warm all the engine and
gearbox components then tyre pressure is checked
and usually under the bonnet as well. Paper work is
handed in then we’re usually set to go. At
some meetings you may be audited to the scrutineer
shed for the officials to check that your vehicle
is complying with the rules.
My chief crew member, and
husband, Warren does all the mechanical work on the
car, but not much has to be done on race days as he
has given me a very reliable and consistent car.
Warren always knows if I’m in the right frame
of mind for racing on the day and sometimes I might
get a pep talk from him if he thinks it’s
warranted. On winning days though I always seem to
have a state of calm come over me and I just know
it’s going to be a good day.
I love to chat with the
other racers and most times if Warren can’t
find me he knows that’s what I’m doing.
However I do go into a kind of serious mode when
racing has commenced and if I have the door of the
Rover closed in the staging lanes this is my quiet
time. We had a guy just recently comment on how
relaxed I look before racing as if I was ready to
go on a Sunday drive.
On the days when I do get
eliminated from racing we would then sit, in the
grandstand or on the mound, cheering on our
favourite racers and if we didn’t know who was
racing we’d then pick the race vehicle we
liked the best.
What do you like most
about drag racing?
Being able to compete at
my age, as it’s a sport that has very limited
age barriers. Children as young as eight years of
age can compete in the Junior Dragster bracket
right up to us older people and I know of a guy
still racing who’s around seventy years of
age. It’s family orientated and I love the
support our family have given me over the years and
the great friendships made along the
way.
Drag racing has given me
the highs and lows that come with any form of sport
but the pleasure derived unsurpassable. Imagine
sitting behind the steering wheel, strapped firmly
by a harness into a race seat, helmet buckled up
with a V8 purring in your ears ready for racing.
The excitement is building and the adrenalin
pumping through your veins. The lights are
activated and you stomp on the go pedal
accelerating at speed down a drag strip.
What do you like least
about drag racing?
Nowadays I don’t
handle the heat too well but I usually find ways to
overcome this and it’s disappointing when a
meeting is scheduled and has to be cancelled due to
the weather. There’s really not much to
dislike!
What are your future
drag racing aspirations?
I am truly hoping this
season will see the Mama’s Toy Racing team win
a championship. We have come very close a couple of
times and I was crushed when I lost the
championship in 2004 by one race. I’m usually
up there at the top each year. Maybe this will be
the one!
An engine freshen up is
about to happen in the next couple of months but we
intend staying in our Super Street bracket as this
then allows us to travel with our sport. Hopefully
the car will run low 11 second passes. The cut off
for our bracket is 11.00 seconds and if you run
under this time in eliminations you are
disqualified.
I believe though it’s
not so much about winning but how you play the game
and I’m so very pleased just to be a part of
this great motorsport.
What is your day
job?
I’m retired but we
joke and put on the entry form…Home
Maintenance Co-ordinator.
What do you like to do
to relax?
I love seeing the
grandchildren but wouldn’t actually say this
was relaxing as they always have you on the
go.
I play the keyboard and
find this relaxes me and puts me in a good mood and
I absolutely love Opera music. They say music
soothes the soul.
What is the best piece
of advice you have ever been given?
Never give up! I learnt
early from my husband that even though you may
stuff up at the beginning of a race and have a poor
reaction the race is not over until you reach the
finish line. I have won many a race when having a
not so good reaction because my opponent was not
aware of his doings at the finish line.
What advice would you
give others wanting to break into the
sport?
Visit your local track and
observe what happens. Most tracks have test days
that are reasonably priced where you can learn the
art and get acquainted with the proceedings. First
and foremost in my book is to make it fun and then
if you’re after wining results practice heaps
and perhaps seek out experienced racers who can
give you tips on how to succeed.
I have three methods I use
to help achieve winning results. They are to
combine practice at the track with mentally
envisaging the win light in my lane spending five
minutes each day running short film clips of racing
through my mind. The third is to use the practice
tree hooked up to the car for about ten minutes a
day at least one week before a major event. This
hopefully helps to sharpen my reactions.
Who do you receive
support from?
Our sponsor is: Really
Natural Skin Care reallynaturalskincare.com
I’m a member of the
Australian Women’s Motorsport Network (AWMN).
This is a support network established in 2001 to
help promote women in motorsport and the automotive
industry awmn.com.au
We basically meet the cost
of racing with our own budget. My support team is
my husband Warren, crew member John Mackay, family
and friends. Warren has always been there for me
not only as my partner whom I dearly love, but also
mechanic, mentor and financier. He constantly
motivates and encourages me.
Is there anything else
you would like to say?
I’d like to thank
Girlracer Magazine for this exposure which in turn
I hope will help motivate and encourage others to
follow their dreams and perhaps more women to get
involved in motorsport and/or the automotive
industry. Although mainly a male dominated field
there are many women in the world achieving amazing
results.
Thank you to my wonderful
husband Warren for the tremendous support he has
shown me over the years with racing. I am so very
grateful!
Thank you to our children
for their encouragement and John Mackay and friends
who rally around sharing our experiences at the
track.
Thank you to Chelsea Woods
for the interview.
Believe you can succeed
and you will!
Source:
Girlracer Magazine would like to thank Terri
for her inspirational story and for providing
motivation to women all over the world who are
chasing their dreams! www.girlracer.co.uk
* * *
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