Photo courtesy of Tim Marshall
LAS VEGAS (April 2) – Gelish A/Fuel Dragster driver Ashley Sanford made great strides at last weekend's NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The young Californian set multiple career-best numbers during qualifying and testing. Sanford lost a close first round race, but the outing was a big step forward for Ashley and her team.
“We were struggling for a while when the season started. We just couldn't figure out why we couldn't get the car to go down the track. That went on for weeks; eleven consecutive passes where it either shook or smoked the tires. We took a few steps back and found problems in the clutch. Once we started to fix the little issues we started making full pulls,” Ashley said.
Sanford started the race with a 5.38 at 270 MPH run, a career-best speed at the time, in the opening qualifying session. She followed that pass with a 5.309/268, enough to place the Gelish dragster second in the qualifying order.
“That first thirty-eight on Friday, man was that exciting,” Sanford exclaimed. “We weren't expecting that. And to back it up with a thirty flat? We were on cloud nine. All of the hard work to fight through the struggle was worth it. It was very rewarding to see those numbers.”
The Gelish Gel Nail Polish/America's Best Value Inns A/Fuel team entered first round of eliminations facing fellow A/Fuel driver Bill Litton. Ashley left with the starting line advantage, but had to pedal shortly into the run, allowing Litton to slip ahead for the win, 5.535 to Sanford's 5.575.
“That was a nail-biter,” Ashley added. “I knew with the shake and pedaling it that it would be a close race. I didn't see him until the very end. The car was running well so I really thought we had it. Bill and I both didn't see a win light come on and no one on the top end knew who won so we sat there for a few minutes biting our nails.”
Always thinking about the bright side, Ashley was quick to point out the positive aspects of the race weekend.
“Overall it was just a great experience. Making the first two full runs on Friday was unbelievable. Two five-thirty runs and my fastest mile-per-hour up to that point was exciting. On top of that, it was just a really fun weekend. I had the opportunity to meet great people; we talked to the Forces and Tony Schumacher gave me a behind-the-scenes tour of how the Top Fuel teams work. For the big picture, with me wanting to run Top Fuel some day, that was an amazing opportunity.
“This weekend was definitely a huge confidence boost for the Gelish team. We're at this point where we can really compete now. We all thought we had a chance to go rounds. It all happens for a reason. The baby steps will count. After this race we'll be ready to go to all of the other races with a different outlook on running the car and a higher confidence level. I think that will really help us in the end,” claimed the former Top Alcohol sand drag racer.
The Gelish team took the opportunity to test on the Monday following the race. Despite shaking the tires and pedaling, Ashley still ran a 5.44 at 272 MPH, further improving her career-best speed. Ashley Sanford and the Gelish Gel Nail Polish/America's Best Value Inns team will hit the track next in May.
Frederosa's Team Extreme is a family-owned A/Fuel Dragster team competing in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. 20 year old Ashley Sanford drives the team's Gelish Soak-Off Gel Nail Polish. The Gelish team – Troy Schweers, Dave McWilliams, Shane Sanford, Ed Sanford, Mike White, Jeff Monge, Dean Schweers, Torrey Paul, Justin DeCaprio and Robin Steeves, formerly worked on the team's pair of high-powered, championship-winning sand dragsters. The team receives support from Gelish Soak-Off Gel Nail Polish, Lucas Oil Products, America's Best Value Inns, Lexington Hotels, Roscoe's Famous Deli, Heroes Bar & Grill, The D Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, and the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino.
For more information on Ashley Sanford and the Gelish A/Fuel Dragster team, please visit www.ashleysanforddragracing.com. Follow her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ashleysanforddragracing) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/ashleyracergirl).
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