Nhra / Northwest Nationals -- Powell Hopes Youth Gets Served With A Victory
Who says winning is everything?
To the chagrin of those who have won races, earned points and accepted prize money on the National Hot Rod Association circuit this year, winless Cristen Powell has been the center of attention.
Powell, a 19-year-old Linfield College sophomore-to-be from Portland, is in her second year as a driver of one of the world's fastest and quickest piston-powered cars.
Chances are nothing will change this weekend at Seattle International Raceway, where Powell will represent the "home team" of the Top Fuel division because her dragster is owned by Team Scandia's Andy Evans of Mill Creek.
Fans at last year's Northwest Nationals probably haven't forgotten her first 300-plus-mph pass.
"All the candles (cylinders) were lit," she said. "The car didn't bobble a bit. It just held all the way through and kept accelerating. I hit the chute and said, `Wow, that was fast.' "
Powell has increased her speed to 311 mph and lowered her elapsed time for a quarter-mile to 4.62 seconds. Partly because of track surfacing at SIR, Powell could better both personal bests.
But for Powell and her teammates, including her "two geniuses," crew chief Mike Kloeber and engine tuner Ray Alley, beating someone Sunday would be welcomed more than any speed or elapsed time she earns in qualifying runs tomorrow and Saturday.
"It's been a down-and-down season," Powell said. "We've been pretty bummed out. But I think it's headed in the right direction. We're just going to stick with it and be patient."
When Powell lost to Gary Scelzi in the first round of the Autolite Nationals at Sears Point Raceway on Sunday, it left her with an 0-9 first-round record this year.
"I think it's the sophomore slump," Powell said.
"We're just having our fair share of problems. For example, at Englishtown (N.J.), we ran four excellent qualifying runs and then we blew like a $10 part in the first round. It's frustrating."
It was at Englishtown in 1997 where Powell won her first (and so far only) NHRA national event, an accomplishment that, combined with her gender, age and charm, made her a drag-racing celebrity.
"She's got the energy of a teenager and a smile for every fan," said Evans, who includes under his Scandia Racing umbrella Powell's drag-racing team plus Winston Cup, Indy Racing League and sports-car endeavors.
As the daughter of a former drag racer, Casey Powell, she began her racing after attending Frank Hawley's Drag Racing school in Florida when she was 15. She first competed in an alcohol-powered dragster before earning her Top Fuel license in December 1996.
In May 1997, she chose to compete in a drag race - the Mopar Parts Nationals at Englishtown - instead of attending her senior prom; at 18, she became the youngest Top Fuel winner of an NHRA national event.
Last weekend at the Autolite Nationals in Sonoma, Powell and 62-year-old Eddie Hill were paired side-by-side in an after-dark qualifying run between the NHRA's youngest and oldest drivers. And Powell prevailed, 4.790 at 304.56 mph to Hill's 4.790, 302.41.
"I jumped out of the car at the other end of the track, gave Cristen a hug and said, `Us teenagers sure have a lot of fun playing with these hot rods, don't we?' " Hill said. "We both had big ol' smiles on our faces because we knew we were having the time of our lives."