Friction is the engine’s internal “drag” as parts move against each other. More friction usually means more heat and faster wear, which can hurt power.
Piston rings are small metal bands on the piston inside the engine. They help seal the engine and manage oil, but if they rub too much, they create extra friction and heat.
Cylinder walls are the inside surfaces of the engine where the piston moves. How smooth and well-sealed they are affects how much friction and wear happen.
This is about performance parts sold after the car is built—especially transmission upgrades and torque converters. These parts help the drivetrain handle more power and deliver it more effectively.
FTI is a company that makes performance drivetrain parts. In this episode, they’re talking about teaming up with another company to reach more customers.
Paul Lee is a race driver in NHRA’s top fuel funny car class. The host mentions him because he’s connected to the leadership behind the companies’ partnership.
Leah Pruitt is a professional drag racer. The hosts are bringing her on because she recently won in top fuel and this is her first appearance on the show since that big success.
Top Fuel is NHRA’s premier drag racing class for purpose-built, nitro-burning dragsters. These cars use a high-boost nitromethane fuel system and are known for extremely fast acceleration over a short quarter-mile.
It’s a stretch of NHRA races in the western part of the country. Teams treat it like a travel-and-racing block where they try to score points efficiently.
It’s the part of the NHRA season where racers focus on points to qualify for the playoffs. As the season winds down, every race matters more because it affects who advances.
A torque converter is a part that uses fluid to help the engine get the car moving from a stop. It’s especially important for launch because it affects how hard and how quickly the car accelerates.
The BYD Seal is an electric car, meaning it runs on a battery instead of gasoline. The podcast mentions parts related to how power is transferred inside the drivetrain. That matters because it affects how smoothly and effectively the car accelerates.
The final round is the last head-to-head race of the event. It’s where the event winner is decided, so everything—timing, track conditions, and preparation—matters a lot.
In NHRA, points are how the series tracks who’s doing well over the season. The speaker is saying that winning later can be a big way to secure those points.
Epping is the name of a specific NHRA drag-racing event location. The speaker is talking about what happened during that race weekend and how it affected lane choices and strategy later.
In drag racing, lane choice means picking which lane you’ll race from. Since the track can grip differently from one lane to the other, choosing the better lane can help your car hook up and run faster.
Term
Q2
Q2 is qualifying round 2—another chance to make runs and improve your position. If conditions change (like rain), Q2 can be especially important.
Term
Q1
Q1 is qualifying round 1—one of the early sessions where teams try to post their best runs. Your qualifying results can affect who you race and what advantages you get later.
A new surface means the track was recently resurfaced. That can change grip, so the car may feel different and teams may have to adjust to get good traction.
“Smoked the tires” means the tires were spinning instead of gripping. That creates smoke and usually slows acceleration because the car isn’t getting traction.
Traction is tire grip. If you can’t “gain traction again,” the tires are probably spinning or slipping, so the car can’t hook up and accelerate the way it should.
This refers to a fuel line routed with a 90-degree fitting that connects to the injector. If that fitting or line breaks, fuel can leak under pressure, which can both create safety hazards and disrupt proper fueling to the engine.
The Toyota Supra is a sports car made for fast driving and sporty handling. The podcast mentions a broken fuel line fitting near the injector, which can prevent the engine from getting the right fuel. When that happens, the car may not run until the part is fixed.
A “plume of fuel” is fuel spraying out where it shouldn’t. If it lands on the tire, it can make the tire grip differently and contribute to spinning/smoke.
“Smoking the tires” means the tires are spinning too much and losing grip, so they make smoke. In a drag race, that usually slows you down because the car can’t hook up to the track.
Track surface is the condition of the racing surface (rubber buildup, moisture, and how recently it was resurfaced). In drag racing, surface condition directly changes traction, so teams may adjust launch strategy and tire management to match what the track is giving that day.
A profilagraph is a device that measures the track surface. It helps teams see where the track has bumps or dips so they can predict how the car will grip and launch.
Kurt Johnson is the person the host says handles track preparation and measurement for the team. That means he helps make sure the racing surface is consistent and predictable for the drivers.
Tony Stewart Racing is a drag racing team. The host is saying their track specialist helps prepare and measure the track so the team can set up for the runs.
Term
smelt the tires
“Smelling the tires” refers to detecting tire smoke/odor that indicates the tires are overheating and slipping more than desired. The host uses it as a timing cue: when the tires start smoking earlier vs later, it changes how the car is accelerating and how much traction is being used.
The Christmas tree is the set of lights at the drag strip that tells you when to launch. The timing matters because the tires heat up and grip changes during the run.
“Gs” tell you how hard the car is accelerating compared to gravity. Higher Gs mean the car is being pushed back into your seat more during that part of the run.
Term
mudflap gates
“Mudflap gates” is a drag-racing topic fans talk about—it's about rules and how teams handle rear tire/traction-related parts. The host is asking whether teams keep using them or change back and forth.
Mudflaps are the flaps behind the tires that help keep dirt and water from spraying. In racing, teams sometimes decide whether to run them depending on track conditions and how the car behaves.
Downforce is the “squishing” force that presses the car down onto the road. More downforce usually means better traction, especially when you’re going fast.
“Draggy” means the car pushes against the air more, which can slow it down. But sometimes that extra air resistance helps the car stick to the track better.
Tire smoke happens when the tires get too hot and start slipping or breaking down. Drivers and teams try to manage it because it can mean the car isn’t gripping the way they want.
Term
down the racetrack
“Down the racetrack” means the whole straight run from the start to the finish. Saying they smoked them the whole way means the tires were slipping and overheating for the entire pass.
“Peddling a car” here means how the driver carefully controls the gas pedal. With more power, it’s harder to keep the tires gripping, so the driver has to be more precise.
Here, “grab the brake” means using the brakes in a very intentional way while racing. The point is that different drivers use different techniques to keep control and traction.
A “buy run” is when you skip the first elimination race and automatically move on. You usually get it by qualifying really well, and it helps because you don’t risk the car right away.
On the starting lights, “pre-stage” is the first step where the car is set up to launch. It’s like getting ready to go so you can react immediately when the real start happens.
“12 seconds” is how long the car took to run the drag strip from start to finish. Faster ET usually means better performance, and it can change based on traction and setup.
The “60-foot” number tells you how quickly the car gets moving in the first part of the run. It’s a big deal because good traction off the line helps the whole pass.
The “tipping point” is when the car’s setup stops working the way you need. Past that point, the car can lose traction or fall out of its best operating range.
Term
fresh and blowers
A “blower” is a device that forces extra air into the engine so it can make more power. “Fresh” usually means the team has refreshed or replaced parts so the setup performs at its best.
Fine tuning is making small adjustments to the car’s settings so it runs better. In racing, tiny changes can make a big difference in how fast and consistent the car is.
Turnaround time is how long the team has to get the car ready for the next race run. At drag races, that window can be very short, so the team has to move fast.
Term
timer in your head
In drag racing, drivers mentally track elapsed time and how delays from an issue will affect the team’s next steps and the overall event schedule. Even when you can’t control the problem, time awareness drives how you prioritize focus and decisions.
In-car communications are how the driver talks with the crew during the race. The key idea is that timing matters—sometimes you need to focus on driving instead of getting extra information.
Term
running for wide
“Running for wide” means you’re committed to the run and you have to react to what the officials tell you as it happens. The driver can’t pause to think—focus and timing are everything.
Term
lane number three
Drag strips run cars in separate lanes next to each other. If someone says a specific lane is “broke,” it’s basically a fast warning that something on that side has failed or is having trouble.
The stage light is one of the starting lights at the drag strip. It tells you when the race is about to start, and your timing depends on how you react to it.
Staging is where you line up your car at the start so the timing system knows you’re ready to race. If you’re staged differently, it can change when you’re allowed to launch.
Reaction time is how fast the driver starts moving after the lights tell them to. In drag racing it’s measured very precisely, and being consistent matters because one bad start can cost you the race.
In drag racing, consistency means keeping key performance metrics—especially reaction time—within a tight range across multiple runs. The transcript emphasizes that the “best to worst” reaction time spread is only a few thousandths of a second, which is treated as a systematic strategic goal. This reduces the chance that one run’s variation ruins the matchup.
“Team cars” are race cars that belong to the same racing team. Even if teammates compete against each other during a race, they’re still part of the same organization.
DSM is a nickname for a specific Mitsubishi car family that many racers modify. When someone says a build is “DSM,” they mean it’s based on that platform and its parts.
A clutch is what connects and disconnects the engine’s power to the transmission. In racing, different clutch setups can change how smoothly and how hard the car launches.
Brand
TSR
TSR is the name of a racing team/operation that supports one of the drivers in this matchup. It’s basically the “who’s behind the car” label.
Brand
elite
“Elite” here is a sponsor or partner name supporting Leah’s racing effort. It’s part of the team’s backing, not just a description of skill.
Frank Holly is mentioned as someone who teaches race-driving fundamentals. The host is saying his training helps drivers practice the right timing and stay focused.
Lucas Oil is a company that makes engine oils and related products. They sponsor racing teams, so “Lucas Oil guys” means those sponsored teams are competing.
Super Street is a category in drag racing. If someone is “running Super Street,” they compete under that class’s rules instead of just racing however they want.
Summit Motorsports Park is the drag strip in Norwalk, Ohio. It’s where the NHRA-style races happen and where teams compete on that weekend.
Car
Dodge Srt
The podcast is talking about a Dodge SRT Top Fuel Dragster, which is a specialized drag racing car. It’s built to go very fast in a straight line for a short distance. The mention is about where it shows up during an event at Norwalk.
The Lotus Elise is a small sports car that’s built to be light and fun to drive. It’s known for feeling quick and easy to maneuver. The podcast just references it as being present during the day’s events.
The Dodge Polara is an older, larger-style car made by Dodge. The podcast mentions it in connection with a team and their plans or talks. It’s likely being discussed because it’s part of a project or event setup.
“Indy” means Indianapolis, a major racing city. The host is talking about a big drag-race event there where the final round could matter a lot for the championship.
Term
q3
“Q3” is a qualifying run/round where racers try to post a fast time. Your qualifying result helps determine where you start in the elimination rounds.
“Attrition” here means people getting knocked out as the races go on. If there’s “great attrition,” it means fewer cars are still running later in the weekend, which can help a team’s chances.
A composite gasket is a heat-resistant seal made from layered materials. It’s used to stop exhaust leaks where engine parts meet.
LIVE
The number one source of friction in your engine is not what you think.
Piston rings rubbing against the cylinder walls generate more friction than any other
part of the engine.
More friction and temperature means more wear and less horsepower.
Fortunately, the team at Total Seal knows how to reduce friction and wear through innovative
piston ring design.
If it takes a piston, Total Seal could build a better ring.
For more than a decade, FTI has strived to become the leader in the after-market performance
transmission and converter industry.
We've joined forces with McLeod driveline components under the leadership of top fuel
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Come see us in the pits and ask how you can join the FTI family.
It's not cheating, it is the Competitive Edge.
This is WFO Radio.
Hey everybody, WFO Radio is back.
We are getting ready for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio.
America's racetrack and I'm super excited.
But you know, we got a little unfinished business.
The way it all worked out in New England, we had to run New England to Bristol and so
we got to catch up with at least one of our recent top fuel winners, Leah Pruitt is going
to be joining us on the show seconds from now.
Leah is down there in the ready room.
She is all fired up and this is her first win, first WFO radio appearance since the
big win in the return to driving.
So I'm super excited to speak with Leah, if you're a fan of Leah, Tony Stewart, Tony
Stewart Nitro, top fuel, NHRA, the 75th season.
I ask you to share the show.
Let's get the word out there as we get ready for what I call it a hinge race, right?
Like we kind of turn from the start of the season to in many ways the second half, the
western swing then all of a sudden we're in Brainerd and Indy and just like that, it's
the NHRA countdown.
Before we bring on Leah, I just want to shout out the people who literally make it possible.
She's got her sponsors, Dodge, Renault, Rush Truck Centers and all the people and we've
got ours.
The people you just saw, Total Seal and FTI performance transmissions and torque converters.
Of course, thanks to them, Larisse Motorsports Insurance.
Thank you so much, Larisse, Jesse Converters, Global Emissions Systems Incorporated.
Thank you for supporting WFO radio, Redline Synthetic Motor Oil, Redline, huge with WFO.
Thank you so much, Redline, HustyPerformance.net, not just copper gaskets anymore.
They make composite gaskets for anything you've got.
Reach out to David Allen and the team.
Our friends at Bernie's Speed Shop.
Thank you, Bernie's Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School.
Educating the next groove of champions, right?
They're coming through Frank Hawley's.
Our friends at Foggett, Gary Stinnitz, Enginespray, Protect That Engine and of course, RodaxCoffee
and Grills.com.
Appreciate all these sponsors.
We'll tell you a little bit more in-depth about them a little bit later on in the show.
But let's bring on, I'd like to say our most recent top fuel winner, but that's why we doubled back.
Leah got the job done in New England and Bristol.
She joins us now.
Leah Pruitt.
Welcome, Leah.
How are you?
I'm fantastic.
Thank you, Joe.
It is, for multiple reasons, always a pleasure to be on your show.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Well, I love you saying that, right?
I feel like we always get along.
I always learn something when you're on the air.
This one is special, though.
This was a, nothing was guaranteed.
This might not have happened.
You announced the return, but there's no guarantee you're going to go back to the winner's circle.
And you did pretty quickly, I would say.
I would agree with you.
I would say not as quickly as we potentially thought that it might have happened just given
the performance of the car and the consistency that we've had throughout this whole year.
But for anyone at any time to capture a win, a walley, the 75th anniversary,
the diamond, yeah, they're all special.
And I do have to say, Joe, that this win of Epping in Bristol, for me personally,
is the most profound one, bigger than my first one, bigger than US Nationals and Factory Stock,
a double open Dallas with Hagan, which was at the top of my all time wins.
But this one just really stands out because of how we got there.
From a team perspective, my evolution as a driver, coming back into the seat,
the things that I struggled with, the things that I focused hard on to maintain and capture
and improve on, and all of that culminating, coming together for what I would consider one
of the most difficult final rounds in recent history, the way that it played out.
Yeah, that guy's good over there.
Yeah, anytime you can, can take out the points later.
And when you have, I think the hours aren't exactly correct, but 120 hours, right?
We all had to wait both teams to run that final round.
We were advocates in Epping because the rain was coming and going,
just enough time to try the track, we get a run in.
We really wanted to run that final round that Sunday evening.
And of course, it just didn't work out.
And for us to run it on Q2 of the Epping race, so we both had an opportunity to go down
the track, but we were both slated for the right lane for our Q1.
And Sean had lane choice given some of my finals from Epping.
So we navigated winning an event in a lane that we'd never been down in a new surface
race track of Bristol.
I think just all these micro points of our progress, that's what I mean,
like it came together to show out then.
I believe that we would have had possibly lane choice coming into that final,
but just to recap the Epping race that happened in Epping,
I raised Maddie Gordon second round, second round.
Yes, I got the ladder up.
I can confirm it was second round.
And it's amazing that you, you have that, right?
Like it's, it's a blur, but that was a big race.
I remember being excited about that race.
Great place.
Scott Farley first round, but let's pick it up against Maddie because I want to hear you talk
about her.
She's a dynamic personality.
She's coming in, you know, following in your footsteps now as the next wave
of young female drivers.
And you're in a different situation than you've been before, right?
Like looking back like, oh man, I'm not, I'm, you know,
one of a couple girls out here.
No man, now there's more coming in and Maddie Gordon is tough.
She's tough, but just period as a racer, that team coming together.
Love her, love her excitement, right?
Her enthusiasm, her passion for the sport.
I see a lot of me and her at night.
I feel like an old woman talking now, but she's fierce.
She's consistent.
She's always going to cut a 60 light on you.
And, you know, the car has, her car has made better progress throughout, throughout these races.
So for us, we, you know, we're going to put down a solid lap.
And when I smoked the tires about 200 feet out, which, you know, we weren't really hitting
it super hard.
Smoked the tires.
Okay, I pedaled it.
I wasn't able to gain traction again.
I had to calm myself.
Take a breath.
Let the tire settle.
Pedal again.
I don't hear.
I don't see her.
So you're, you're right.
You're just in survival mode of what's best for you, the car.
What's safest finish lines coming up.
I know we're going to get it.
Okay.
But that run, because we smote the tires, we're like, when we look at the data,
there wasn't any specific reason why, except that we physically could see.
And of course it's broken when we get back, when we got back.
A 90 degree fitting line of a fuel line to the injector broke at the 90 degree right there.
Just a clean break, you know, not at the attachment points, but just at the, at the,
at the turn.
And you just see on the left side, this plume of fuel.
Well, we're like, did that induce the tire smoking, right?
Did that left tire get a little wet?
And so we just, we, we talked about it, looked at all the changes we had made.
Felt confident.
Phil Shuler, he gave us two cents, as he always does.
That helps us like get on, you know, the right, the right track.
And we said, okay, we were on a run.
We were fine.
Let's play it.
Exactly.
Let's set it up when we were on billing in the semifinals, what we set up to do in the,
in the second round.
And so, but you also have to play it just a little safe, right?
In case you really were on the edge of smoking the tires.
So for us running, I think it was a 77 in the semis and Sean running a 75.
You know, that's how we lost, lost lane choice, given how that day went about,
which put us in that, what I still, right?
Consider one of the funnest, most anticipated final rounds of all times,
at least in my career.
I loved it too.
Sean's trying to win four in a row.
That is just an incredible honor to have the opportunity because you got to win three to
even get there.
And here you are coming back, not to go backwards, but you guys have some fun history,
like a long time ago, like his rivalries develop over years and years.
So it was very fun for me also.
I know everybody liked it.
The new track surface at Bristol was part of it.
You didn't have a ton of experience on the track surface.
Tell me about prepping and thinking about that.
You knew what was coming for, you said, like hundreds of hours.
But tell me about that day as you roll up there for that final round.
Again, Sean, knowing the journey, you went off, Dom comes around,
you got out of the seat, you're a mom now.
I would imagine it would be hard to keep some of those thoughts out of your mind.
Well, when you have a week in between leading up to a final round,
you have every thought, every scenario, every feeling already,
you know, that goes through your mind and your body.
And so, you know, I feel like if you do it correctly,
you are as prepared as possible for that final round.
You've already lived it.
Now you're just doing it again.
If you've just, you know, vacationed all week or something and you're like,
oh man, I'm in the final round and all the tutors are there.
Well, then that's, you know, that's not how I approached it.
Me specifically in the car this year have to recalibrate myself, right?
My emotions, my intensity, my focus, I've had a lot of in-car movement situations.
I developed a really bad habit when I got out of the car in 2023,
that it's taken me these last couple races to fix,
which takes like a mental thought all of the time when I'm driving the car.
You know, as the light comes down.
So you can't have a reaction when you have a thought.
So to get myself to retrain a very bad habit that my foot had gotten into has been
something behind the scenes that I've struggled with,
but I don't struggle with it by myself, right?
So when you have a team that knows that you are capable of performing at a championship level
as a driver and seeing my personal frustrations, the team's frustrations,
you know, me, you know, feeling like I'm not living up to the performance of my car,
what does that equal?
I mean, you're not having a good time, not having a good time over here.
The whole reason that I drag race in general is because I love the sport.
I love the competition.
I love improving upon myself, but when I'm not operating in my windows.
So, you know, we had a, I'll just say it was the first time I've ever had it,
a crew chief, driver, full conversation intervention that was data backed and came up with a plan,
move a target for myself.
What is, and then continue to move that target down and how I'm doing it, right?
You can't have perfection without progress.
And so when we made, you know, agenda progress for myself,
things that instead of working on 12 things, I'm working on two.
Let's get those right.
Then two more than two more.
So it all, everyone thinks, right?
The racetrack is flat and straight and you just stab the gas and steering wheel and hold on.
But all the fans know that there's way more that goes into it from a driving perspective
and of course, from a tuning perspective, hundreds, hundreds of variables that go into
getting it just right to even make it down the track at optimum traction.
So, but yeah, to talk about that day coming in Friday, Bristol, you know, walking the
track on Friday and seeing just the, just the smoothest coverage of rubber, you know,
that the prep had happened for the coming days and we were all very excited about it.
You know, we have a profilagraph, Kurt Johnson, he is our track specialist for Tony Stewart racing
and, you know, he also resurfaced that track along with many other ones,
most of the majority of them that we all run on in the NHRA.
And so that had been 26 days prior and the track had actually moved and shifted.
And so a lot of teams, including us, were finding some differences in some bumps and dips and
creases, so to speak, that the track profilagraph didn't show.
So we all learned together, but I would say, you know, our first round down the track in Q1,
we smelt the tires real late, like as a driver, there's different chapters of when you smelt
the tires and what they feel like, right? If you smelt the tires early in the run, you know,
at the hip before the Christmas tree, tires get, they get tall real fast, RPM jumps up,
like you feel it, you hear it. It's not necessarily a sensation of losing acceleration,
it's everything else. Smoking tires at 200, 250, more like 250 feet, you're in prime acceleration,
right? You've already hit four or four and a half Gs and that's when you're really pulling
to 55 and a half on a good run. If you're going to run in the high 60s, you're going to hit
six and a half Gs as you're making that pull. So smoking the tires there is very more, I would
say is the easiest one to catch. If you smelt the tires about 500 feet, 600 feet or so, you are
already past the peak of your G force, right? So you're actually, you're not totally de-selling,
but you are, you're gaining mile an hour, but now you're at 54 and a half G forces
and smoking the tires, your tires are already super tall. There's pretty much as tall as they're
going to get. So it's the sensation of a slight head forward, not a throw your head forward,
and our PMs are already high. So anyway, we smoked tires at the top end. And I think,
you know, I think for the fans that follow along between mudflap gates and, you know,
what teams are running them? Are they not? Do they ever switch back and forth or not?
That reinvited our conversation to when we have the mudflaps on or off. You know, we're not dedicated
to having them on or off and we're fine tuning what our threshold is for when we make that decision.
And I have to say, as well as Neil and Mike Damagallo work together, I mean, they're the
perfect, they're the perfect pair. That is a point of a small contention for them. And it's
awesome to see how they work through that and, and find what works best for our car. So, you know,
coming into Norwalk this weekend, it's going to be, be hot, right? It's, it's, I think
highs of 78 track temps will be 110, 115, 120. But when we get into Sunday, it's going to be warmer
and maybe you'll see some people put some mudflaps on. Probably going to be us. We got 140 degree
track temps. We better have those on. Well, Neil told me at the start of the season, as I was,
you know, calling around and just asking some questions at the track isn't always the best
place to learn because everyone is busy. And he says he likes a car with a little drag. He goes,
I like my setup to be a little draggy because I like that downforce down the, down the race track.
And so at that time, and we've covered a lot of ground since, he said that his thought was to use
it as a tool. And there would be situations that come out that it would come into play and there
will be situations that it wouldn't. I loved hearing that explanation of dealing with tire smoke,
though. Back in the day, they smoked them all the way down the racetrack, right? And at some point,
you had to deal with that. That was very informative. I appreciated that. And I think that, you know,
when we look back to how drivers peddle today versus in the nineties and in the eighties and in
the seventies, they had, you know, 2,500, 3,000 horsepower in the nineties. You know, they're at
8,000 horsepower. So we're at 12,000 horsepower now. So peddling a car is, it's a different animal.
You know, I talk a lot with Don Ferdome when we chat about racing times history, complexes of
running a business. And that's something we frequently talk about. There's no,
just grab the brake and then just like stop the tire and keep going. I know there's drivers out
there that do that right now and kudos to them. Everyone has a different style, but I do want
to get into the Bristol race since that was all in one weekend right there. Yes. When we won the
final round during Q2, that was that slated us, you know, provisionally for the number one spot,
which carried us through for that whole Bristol. So we captured another half, right? Number one
qualifier at the Bristol race while we won the Epping race. And that allowed us to, you know,
have that coveted buy run first round. You know, there's a lot of value. That's a gift that keeps
on giving. You get points, extra points for it. You know, when you have 15 car feels, you get
basically a Q5 run. And I think that's been a lot of the Coletta cars, you know, success part of it,
you know, for going deep into the rounds of having that opportunity. We missed the number
one qualifier by 3000 in Epping. So our progress is there. So then we get into second round of
eliminations where I'm lined up yet again against the points leader. And for those that saw that
round might have asked what happened, what went on. I was thinking the exact same thing when I was
in the car. But basically what it came down to was I was in the right lane, Langdon's in the left,
and I get motion to go in and stage. Put my pre-stage light on. It's on. Just waiting. Just
waiting. And then all these thoughts kind of go through your head that you need to shut up.
Like I had to buy first ground. I didn't see somebody come in and say the other car broke.
There's nothing on the radio. And it ended up being 12 seconds, which is all fair in game.
I did not know that the Coletta aircar was having, they had last minute issues right before Sean went
to roll in. So anyway, I'm proud of myself for the composure I kept. Yes, Sean went in and pre-stage.
I went in and staged. Had the lights that I've been working at low 70s, living in the low 70s,
you know, coming this weekend in Norwalk, hopefully living the 60s. And we smoked. I'm talking at the
rotation tire, the attraction on that first one. So when we look at that, right, did it have anything
to do with what happened 12 extra seconds over there? It didn't at all. We had, we lived on the
edge. We had 840, 60 foot in the first round, and that was a mile away pretty much from what anyone
else had. So we were already on edge. Basically, we tipped over on tune up and that's that. But
it is okay because you learn from your successes and you learn from, you learn from the failures.
And it's been a while since we've reached that tipping point. So coming into Norwalk,
we have a better understanding of our horsepower level with the new fresh and blowers that we have
and fine tuning it in. So man, to put that entire weekend together, I almost feel like
the effing win is like the middle child of wins. You've got you've got the first child, which is
like the whole week leading up to it. The second child is the win. And then the third child is
the Bristol race. And, you know, your turnaround time for that is, you know, is super, super tight.
So we love all children the same. But I'm eager to get a traditional win that my crew members
can enjoy. I would imagine. And then Sean being involved, I was on the starting line when they
had their problems. And you can only focus in one place at one moment. But I did, you know,
the timer in your head always starts going off like, all right, how long is this taking?
How far behind is this issue going to put this team, the other team, which leads me to,
do you have in car communications with your guys? I know everybody else is communicating on the
radio and talking to each other. But what about you? Or do they can't get in your ear and say,
Leah, they're having problems over there? Or do they choose not to? Well, there's not that many
times you have the opportunity to practice what that's going to be. Yes, Neil and I talked about
it afterwards. And there was no right or wrong answer what to do. Because if he got on the radio
and said they're having issues, well, then it's not it's not time for a conversation. Sure. Neil
didn't know if they were going to be able to run or not be able to run. So we didn't have anything
definitive to tell me unless it was going to be they're having issues, it's going to take a moment.
Well, he doesn't know if it's going to take a moment or not. So I think it's very similar to
when you're running for wide, you go off of what the starter tells you that pops in and says,
if there's an issue, lane number three is broke, whatever, if he comes in and says you're on a
single, but until that moment happens, you are racing somebody and you are staying like point
focused as much as possible. So I am grateful for that experience. This year for me as a driver has
been one that I've invested the very most mentally and physically in and you don't get to become
stronger by doing the same things over and over. So new challenges that come my way. I embrace them.
You know, I also I look back to the Epping race and, you know, Maddie and Billy and
two and E three, I run a camera behind for stop and block and all that stuff, but I can always
see that what the other car does in regards to stage light. And, you know, it's
it's been a while since somebody has wanted to dunk it into Mexico, as they say, right, and really
grab an extra 234 inches in staging in the other lane. And so what that what that shares
to me, because I used to do that, I don't I don't do that anymore. Heck, you can't even do that in
the final round, especially when you're going for qualifying. Right. You couldn't do that in the final
round because you're getting qualified. You got the number one qualifier. Yes. And that's that's
a racers race. Like, you know, to be paired up with one of the best drivers that are out there in
teams. Well, I want to mention your reaction times to like this is something that is a big deal.
Reaction time wise, you know, quickness is a part of it. But for me, consistency is more important.
You are 78 against Farley. You are 75 against Maddie. You are 72 against Billy. We go to a
new track, a new place. You're 73 against Sean. Like to me, that is the number the grouping
that this from best to worst reaction time is within a couple of thousands of a second.
That's that's been the systematic strategic goal. And, you know, we're not going to win a
championship, you know, 72 and then to death, that's not going to work. You know, I've got to
get that down there. But when you have a plan and you've got a purpose, you have a plan,
then you've got something that, you know, you can tangibly work on. So I appreciate you seeing
that, you know, as a driver, you live and die in your reputation by these reaction times,
because that's what's on paper in the scoreboard, so to speak. But how you get there and how you
develop it. I mean, there's other drivers that typically have been really great that are
really all over the board. So you really have to look at the groupings, track,
look at the rollout, not give yourself too many, you know, pads on the back or hit yourself too
hard. Because compare comparing, they say that's the thief of joy, but comparing is actually the
tool that you use when trying to move forward. So anyway, yeah, smoke tires went
out second round, we're still third in points, Tony got his way up to fourth. And when we
go to Norwalk, Tony and I will be against each other in Q one, as we have been for a number of
races. We're seeing that a lot. But not, but not eliminations yet. We're flirting. This is the
flirtations. I'm with you. I wanted to happen. I'm excited for it. I mean, really, just so
I don't want to go an entire season and not run them in eliminations. I forget what race it was
at here recently when Maddie and beat him. Maybe it was a first round in that beam. And oh man,
the emotions I had on the starting line because I was pairs back was first round. If Tony had beaten
Maddie, then you guys would have raced a second round in New England. Yes. So I'm like, Maddie took
out the date with my husband on the track. I know Tony's not going to be happy. What Tony
am I going to have all week? And just we are team cars, so to speak.
Actual cars, power plant standpoint, tune up standpoint, really not even close, right? Because
hearts operation was AJ based where everything DSM. They were in different clutches. So
performance-wise, but that doesn't mean spiritually marketing alliance. If you look at the people
that are on the line when Tony is running, it's TSR. When you look at the people that I'm running,
we got elite backing. It's a great partnership. It's what it is when we have our partner summit
here in a couple of months, right? It's TSR and elite, all of our partners doing business together
to help further the teams and the sport and the growth. So yeah, I feel like I'm going off
on a tangent there, but trust me, fans, we're not trying to not run each other. We're trying to
run each other just later on on Sundays. There it is. Speaking of fans, getting a lot of people
in the chat section. Guys, thank you so much. Jeremy says congratulations. Leah, awesome win.
Minnesota in the house. Another congratulations. Leah, just a lot of congratulations. Things going
well. Good morning. Great guest. Yes, great guest, guys. Thank you very much. Monica says
congratulations on your epping win. Leah, go TSR. Just everybody kind of weighing in in a positive
way. That's definitely what the WFO universe is all about. Now you mentioned Tony. All right,
we could have happened in the semifinals, right? It just didn't happen. What kind of Tony did you
have this past week after whatever happened in the semis, which I have no idea and I've done no
follow up and you're the first I've mentioned it. That's okay. I had a very emotionally stable
matured husband and team owner and racing teammate. He more than anything, I'll just recap real quick
if people haven't seen, it was second round against Sean Semi. Semi. Again, Sean and Bristol
in the right lane and I'm standing more towards the center because there's so many people on the
starting line. I can get more towards the center to save the trees tree and they stage and Sean
leaves and then Tony leaves and I knew in that very moment what happened. A lot of people thought
that Sean Redlett and he did not. Tony did not see the light and he is one of the most consistent
drivers out there from reaction time wise. My personal opinion and I've shared this with him
because he didn't want it to let it eat at him, but he can't fix it if he doesn't know what the
problem was. So Tony pre-staged, Sean, I'm sorry, Sean pre-staged, Tony pre-staged, Tony went into
stage and it was about a half second or so that Sean staged. It wasn't exactly blink blink, but
it was pretty blink blink pretty close. I believe that Tony's eyes caught that second bulb in the
other lane and in that some drivers either watched the other car stage and that's how they do it.
They look over back and see that and then look at the tree and drop or other drivers stage all
through peripheral. So if he's a peripheral driver and actually had you know and looked over there
that's very great possibility right that he absolutely missed the tree and did not see
and he hadn't. So there's things that we're working on. It all comes down to the fundamentals,
even things you learn at Frank Holly's school and there's right there's distraction modes on your
practice tree for a reason. So he did not beat himself, well actually he did beat himself up
pretty bad. I mean if you gotta laugh about it otherwise you'll cry about it so you would make
jokes about it all weekend but I'm excited for him because anybody that knows Tony as a racer,
his comebacks are greater than ever and when it has to do with drivability that's where he shines.
So this you know following race for Norwalk he's going to be more locked in than that he's ever
been and I'm happy for him and his team that's something Tony truly excels at and no matter
what discipline of the sport. So yeah it's uh right as he says that's why they call it racing
not winning. Well in drag racing and from my opinion is that you know the reason he's here
is because it's different than everything else that he's done before. He said that a hundred times
right is different. This is one of the big differences in that if you go wide in a corner
and ask a racer and any car race you miss the corner you blow miss the braking
zone you make a blatant mistake it's like did anybody notice right there's 30 other cars out
there on the track depending on which series obviously um where's everybody looking where's
the focus of attention did anybody even see other than yourself and you can fix it the next corner
you can fix it I got it right yeah I'm back drag racing a little different you're on the stage
with another person you're on the starting line everybody's focused everybody sees it it's that
it's over you've made a mistake it's done now wait a week good luck have fun yeah so different
and you you can just miss it our Lucas oil guys out there running every race
they're you know leaving with a transmit just miss it they're I should have left now oh no
and the whole world knows about it um it's going to be interesting to see how he comes back this
week I'm sure he will and I'll be right there in the other lane on key one that's we're both trying
to burn that tree down that is that is great stuff all right everybody else is chiming in
we got them all China hi Joe and Leah congratulations on your win says Blake I'll see you guys in
Norwalk uh got a big fan Carl sorry his brother's gonna be running in super street Joe and Leah
see you in Norwalk Norwalk this racetrack let's segue to that what a great place it's the 250th
year of the United States of America what is more Americana than America's racetrack in Norwalk
Summit Motorsports Park I mean to answer that question it would be our red white and blue
Dodge SRT Topfield Dragster in the winter circle at Norwalk celebrating America's 250th anniversary
especially with Dodge being um you know the official American OE of of uh of America's
birthday that picture right there yeah that the lobster I love how the tracks right they
have their own theme and when they brought the rocking chair to Bristol because I I didn't know
that we got to keep it and I'm like I just like last week about retired you know the real rocking
chair with with Dom now it's only for um you know reading books and singing hooks of nursery rhymes
and so I held the Wally in the rocking chair in the winter so I go like it was a baby
when in the other arm when I had Dom so I was gonna say that's Dom I that one I know is Dom but
that's and you know I'm I know we're gonna talk about the track itself specifically but you know
learn some things yeah in Bristol um when we ran I think 8 10 p.m for that final and the car
family got away right before 11 o'clock turning around for you know second day of qualifying
Saturday and being back at the track early for the two faster tasting autographs all of that
were staying off site um should have been able to get like 67 hours of sleep or so
not when he got a teething baby with both molars coming on both sides I came into Saturday
my aura rang said did you take a two hour and 38 minute nap last night yeah that's that's that's
all the sleep that I got for it um just part of the being a mom and racing and all the things
that go with it and so uh I was not feeling my absolute great on Saturday you know uh had that
final round with Doug um we had the faster car like I don't need to read the internet um I I know
how I know how things go so coming into Norwalk uh you know I think I've got a better handle on
maybe Dom's sleeping situation or what I can do move things around um to ensure that both myself
and Tony get good sleep um because that truly does matter I mean it's it matters sleep deprived is
worse than being hung over at any point in time anywhere like it is it is a real thing well they
they've done studies I saw one very recently where uh becoming sleep deprived
actually takes percentage off your life like it's not good for your body to be sleep deprived and
you know our culture we're always like we want to work ourselves as hard as we can as a badge of
honor and to get where we want to go but sometimes it's important to get sleep and I think you're
preparing for the countdown right now like not just on the track like that like what are you going to do
with Dom with sleep with your health when that final run happens it's been the Coletta cars
and you guys the the best four they've been the best two and you guys have been third and fourth
swapping back and forth within striking distance championships will be decided you have got a great
opportunity getting better you're going to have to have a plan for that I'm currently making that
plan right on that personal side of things that we have all season to dial in the race car right
and I'm currently dialing in what that looks like for me and him and of course for those fans that
are at the track and they see Dom a beautiful blonde wearing a black skirt and a black
shirt that's Hannah she is our our grace from God of just the most incredible Dom's caregiver
you know at the races and and if I can you know if she can share some of the nights which makes
means I have more of the days at the track just to ensure that that sleep happens there but
it's all part of it that's what makes when you get a Wally like that at any time the whole story
about it like the whole trial and tribulations that the crew chiefs have to navigate the consistency
of the crews of zero mistakes you know top turnarounds less than 34 minutes
just pure pure you know pure perfection to the best that we can do and then you have something
to show for it and you also had to navigate you know all personal types you look at that
Wally and it tells a story all on its own you don't even have to write notes on the bottom of it
but yeah uh norwalk man it's gonna be I would love to get another ice cream cone
like that ice cream scoop I got one before from 2023 and you know maybe Dom will have his first
ice cream we took him yesterday to the local dairy queen because the local dairy queen in
Columbus was Tony's first sponsor ever and this guy Bob the owner he's reaching he's into his 90s
now and he said that Dom will get his first ice cream ever in his life you know and it'll be with
him so we took him yesterday Dom didn't want anything to do with it like didn't even taste it
like he doesn't even know what ice cream tastes like so norwalk will be the perfect place for him
to get his first ice cream and I'm sure all the fans there will be I mean our crew guys do we
come back with those same scoops keeps everybody cool keeps everyone happy as we as we go throughout
the weekend well we will be having our annual norwalk ice cream eating contest after we finish
your interview I'm going to announce the contestants here on WFO radio Gianna Evaristo has won three
consecutive so I don't know maybe we're going to just shut this contest down if she keeps
whooping everybody but there is a certain very large part of NHRA 75 greatest funny car racer
that you may know who has stepped into the breach he's thrown himself into the contest Leah
are we talking about the Hulk yes we are he yes I think he can afford to do that you know we actually
what after Bristol three-way swing and we decided it like let's decompress and so I booked a house
at Talico Lake outside of Knoxville because we went to jay she on Friday so we had a couple
days so Matt and Chloe and Elise and I friend Lisa and her brother so we had just a group of us that
were at the lake and Matt takes extremely great care of himself and what he eats so I'm sure that
he can afford to have a gallon of ice cream that funny car it'll probably just be locked in even more
well remember it's one pint in 60 seconds because we're drag racers it's not about quantity it's
about speed and this Evaristo man she can eat a pint of ice cream in 60 seconds and it's crazy
I don't know if she feels temperature is the thing we're studying her right does she hold it
in her hand and like maybe like warm up you know like you're warm the tires on a go-kart well
you're not allowed to that's against the rules you're not allowed to the mess with the ice cream
you're not allowed the heat of spoon Angie Smith 11 year with a heated spoon we had to go to
the rule book Angie Smith no heated spoons all right one more thing to ask you about before we
let you go and I really appreciate you coming on I like I love catching up with you on after these
wins NHRA just put out a press release which I think you'll be interested in kind of kind of a
cool thing NHRA on Fox and NHRA social teams earned six tele awards for chasing speed chasing speed
the big documentary that started off this season the 75th season of the NHRA's gotten nominations
for tele awards which I think is tremendous like getting awards you were a big it earned the awards
it didn't earn a nomination it weren't the awards the awards have been won you were a big part of it
especially right at the very end you were a big part of it following you with cameras
through good times through bad times for many years we people in the sport thought it would be
great to have a drive to survive style show now you've lived the experience and you were you were
spicy on there not to go backwards but since the awards are out what was that experience like is
that something that would be good for us to have all the time what say you I absolutely think that
I hope that a second series of that comes aboard I would say the videography of that consistent
throughout the entire series right it was six episodes Lauren did a phenomenal job filming
editing producing and a team that she had really right it takes all pieces it takes the storyline
of people but you know the the actual magic of looking good and telling the story through video
so I just want to give really big kudos to Lauren Lauren Adams amazing talent maybe maybe
the most talented person out at the track arguably I mean I'm not gonna argue that that's for sure but
yes I do believe that this sport needs it and you can't have I've seen different angles throughout
the years of you know fabric people trying to fabricate drama or or production you know coming
into things making something you can't have any of that so you know my truth and what I spoke about
in that series is how I felt defended our team and my husband and Neil and our group and stood
by that night you know I it's not like that has gone away by any means the when you're in something
for such a long amount of time and this is my career in nha is my home you you you know you
you get deep in your boots and everything's not rainbows and sunshine and butterflies
and hoist and lollies you know things that we're even going through this week there's political
natures to it all the time that we rarely speak about and when you have an episodic series like
that you get the fans get a view into it and I do hope that there is more whoever it is that
they cover everyone has a compelling story and when they've given the right platform I think
it captures the right audience I agree enjoyed it I was doing appointment viewing
watching the waiting to see moments that I had remembered but the behind the scenes it was
great stuff Leah is there anything that I didn't happen to ask you about that we need to cover
something that you got going on something you want people in the WFO universe or out there on
YouTube whoever or however they're watching to know about as we get ready to do norwalk take
a break to celebrate 4th of July and the 250th anniversary of the United States then Sonoma
Seattle Brainerd Indy just like that and we may speak with you again or we may not is there
anything that we didn't cover that you want people to know about well sure of course I mean we always
have our partners dodge mobile one racer Dean Johnson Torch Park garage but I would like to say
that there are more letters from Leah coming I've gotten some really great feedback of that
which was an idea by Dodge Garage and it's where I I write a letter to Dom explaining my decision
getting back in the car was an episode Pomona history I'm currently writing the one for about
my team and we're gonna do about 10 this year and I did not expect them to be as successful or or
listen to or I mean there's pictures that go along with it it's on YouTube and dodge garage.com
but I have a question for the fans if anyone has a great series theme of what you think one of the
next letters from Leah's Leah should be open ears we've got like I said the race car tow vehicle the
team dynamic of being at the track what it's like being a mom not just at the track but
the load of crap that I have to bring and manage and maintain and cool and heat
and and take them everywhere but if there's any other topic that fans would love to hear about from
the inside for me love to hear it send it I guess send it to you John you can send him to me or get
her on social she's on X she's on social but hashtag WFO so she knows it's coming from you
guys please but um I know what I would want to know like immediately and I think this all the
time and you don't have to use mine it could maybe disqualify but you said like just the
carrying of the load I mean it metaphorically speaking you've got all this money being spent
that you had to raise you've got all these partners that have got faith and belief and
confidence in you but they want results you got all these crew guys that are out there living
their dream and working so hard and then they put it in your lap and it's like okay now you got to
carry the like it's time for you to do your thing to me as someone who races a little bit
on my own for myself what letting myself down is tough but then looking around and seeing all
these people that are like hopeful that's gotta be really hard to do it takes a very strong
mentality and so like I said I'm a very big planner so when you talk about the
objective portions of things how where are we going what is the climate are we staying in the
bottles but we have food but we still have milk but I don't have breast milk anymore and
what insta card am I getting do we have the berries I pre-make food put in a cooler on the
plane like all of those just already mental load of getting there but I think what's helped me is
that I set out this year to have zero excuses like there's no room in the drag racing space for grace
that's that's that's facts that's how I operate it's how our team operates so I chose to be back
in the car and be a mom while doing it that doesn't mean any expectation
should be to be lowered so I have had to you know build myself into the I can do everything
all the time mentality I can't do that forever but when it comes to Thursday leaving for the track
and money Monday coming back home it is all of it I don't want to let anyone down anywhere not fans
at the stands especially or I mean at the ropes especially families that have kids I now know
what that's like having a child that's in the sun all day and missing naps and screaming like
it's until you live it you don't really have all that full understanding so I don't want to let
them down I'm deep in the tech with the team working with Neil and with Polara we have our
our speeches that we have and our meet and greets and now too fast too tasty we have multiple
autograph sessions throughout the day thankfully again this is why I have Hannah at the track
and then of course delivering a driving job that can beat the points leaders
two of them that team that that mega team that we can't outspend them right we can't outfund them
it's just it's just not possible for us but we can't outwork them so it starts starts with a strong
mentality of I'm going to do it all and I'm gonna get all my ducks up up in a row so that I can
perform so it's a it's a much different preparing process than I've ever had before but
has as my dad always said I take on a lot so you're doing it no you're in it you're doing it
you're but I've got a great system I mean I I cannot imagine myself driving for anybody else
than Neil and Mike and the team that I've got this is we've got rock star people and rock star
support so that's that's what I've always prayed for was proper support that I can get and proper
support that I can give and um that's the circle that I that I try and live in every day crunch
time coming a lot of fun between now and then starts this weekend at the summit racing equipment
NHRA nationals Leah congratulations on your win in New England that happened in Bristol
and good things coming a lot of exciting stuff you and Tony you'll get side by side on the track
before you know the final round at Indy that you never know oh man that'd be so cool would it though
like like that that like oh my gosh to even think about it that would be I mean that's just short
of like a final round for a world championship on the line right so that's right whatever down the way
potentially maybe in a scenario but but a final round at Indy like to to live in that mo those
moments with your best friend the workload of two teams that work together the I joke all the time
it's you and his versus me and yours it's Tony and Richard Stubb versus me and your stuff yes yeah
so it's that that is the biggest type of win that we could possibly have and that is the goal
right those those two cars yeah they're pretty they're pretty heavy points ahead of us but not
impossible to catch and you know now that the nature as of last year had that general championship
regular season championship and I think it's $100,000 to win that and there's nothing for
second or third right so the goal is the big one the goal is number one not just getting
close to number one when we start the countdown so that's why we have many different combinations
that are running throughout the weekends you know if we've seated ourselves really well on
Fridays you know q3 we put in an entire other package that we are systematically
preparing ourselves for the countdown because we've been able to have great attrition right
down the track so like I said all of it is planning and that that those are in the hands I stand on
shoulders of really great men that give me a fantastic race car and I'm excited about this
weekend we we've navigated norwalk really well in the past and looking forward to doing that again
Leah thank you so much good luck yes see everybody on your team we're good people like
good guys and I wish you well we'll see you this weekend thank you Joe see you guys there she goes
Leah Pruitt with us here on WFO radio guys how great was that if it's your first time
checking out WFO radio the show has been going on a long time you are our big marketing plan though
it's like person to person word of mouth speaking with drivers in depth deep dive conversations
like that where we kind of kick it and unfold the layers I'll share the show it's just that
simple drop a comment on YouTube what did you think of Leah you got some advice letters for Leah
put it on YouTube there I'll make sure she gets it and that way more people will see the show too
it's about the social media algorithms and the more people that are commenting on the show
the more people they showed the show too it's just that simple but man great stuff thank you Leah
and thank you to everybody out there in the chat section for just everything right like thank you
Joe and WFO Leah is rocking it yes she most certainly is I wish chasing speed follows
John Force racing next year well with the final season of the celebration of John Force's life
and career next year that could be kind of cool so you guys in a couple weeks uh in Sonoma says
Kara that's great stuff can't wait to see Dom eating his first ice cream me either there's
going to be a lot available all kinds of goods I met Leah a couple of years ago after uh talking
with her a few minutes at Bonneville all right made a new fan go Leah says uh old Tulian I think
um all great stuff thanks Joe and Leah Leah has always been a very popular guest on the show
all right guys I'm going to talk about the ice cream eating contest I'm going to talk a little bit
about um top dragster and we're going to do all that when we return but the first thing I want to
tell you about is hussyperformance.net David Allen and his team out there they're located in Beaver
Falls Pennsylvania they didn't have to bring their production back to the United States of America
they didn't have to do that because they never left stayed here American
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not just copper anymore it's still copper if you want it but it's not just copper anymore they have
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number he's gonna give tell him to call the shop now if you need exhaust gaskets for a Pontiac like
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with Bruno but we're on there WFO is on there and I am assured that we are one of the more popular
podcast on there we better be and I'm always reaching out to the people on PowerTube TV are you
watching on PowerTube TV right now in your basement wherever you happen to be reach out to us on social
media WFO Joe on Instagram and on X we have a Facebook page our Facebook group is rocking WFO radio
people posting all kinds of really great stuff like the big battle oh my gosh this top dragster
scenario I don't even know how to talk about it I don't even know if I want to talk about it that's
how crazy it is but we'll talk about it coming up in just a little bit but when we come back I'm
going to unveil reveal the contest participants for the I believe fifth annual maybe sixth annual
Norwalk ice cream eating contest who's going to try to take down Gianna Everisto and stop her
from being a four-time champion is it even possible we'll talk about it after this red
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in a little bit you know marvin rodak and frank holly and i just they thank them so much bernie
speedshop for being involved with wfo but right now believe it or not it is the seventh annual
norwalk ice cream eating contest now the behind the scenes of it is this is i do on the weekends
work for the national hot rod association as one of their track announcers and voices social
media folk uh walking through the pits creating content of various kinds for me i want to create
content uh with the nha team nicky and everybody behind the scenes that is a little different
that to me showcases uh primarily the lucas oil series cars and the people that i really think
are the backbone of the sport the passionate fans who also race and their amazing cars number one
and number two the personalities of our drivers when their game face their race face is not on
other stuff because that is for me that some of the best stuff so uh the july 4th
nathan's hot dog eating contest was clearly the inspiration but quantity is gross to me i remember
sitting with my dad and we would watch the nathan's deal and think about how on earth you could eat
70 hot dogs and joey chestnut and uh kobi ashi and all like oh my god that's that can't be good
for you right even when i was on the air in uh 5 60 q am in miami uh doing my overnight show years
ago me and my friend mark co-host we decided to do our own version in nathan's and you know how hard
could it be and so we each were able to put down he won i think he put down six hot dogs and i think
i came in second with three and two thirds hot dogs something like that in the allotted i believe
it's 12 minutes or whatever it is for for nathan's doesn't matter and i felt it like horrible for a
day and a half it was not something i wanted to replicate so with the norwalk ice cream eating
contest we went full drag racer you get a pint of ice cream and they're 60 seconds who can eat the
most ice cream in 60 seconds now you can go find on nha social media every one of these that we've
done it's like a little easter egg hidden out there there's so much content but we're now in
our seventh annual season and giana everisto has won three consecutive years you wouldn't expect that
this uh little girl races pro stock motorcycle demure is going to be able to wolf down a pint of
ice cream in 58 seconds and yet somehow she does and we've had some heavy hitters go up against her
big talking brash characters who think that they're going to go out there and they're going to be
giana and they are humbled now giana did have a bit of a scare last year
when ita zenestrum gave her a run for her money but in the end it was giana once again
who was victorious and so this year we're going to announce the contestants right here on wfo radio
and i'm i'm excited to announce so first of all most importantly on friday nha stage
230 p.m we don't race until five and so this is the best time can't go too early because drivers
aren't there they're not they're not even at the track yet 230 we've got a kind of shoe horned in
between two other events including the getrick's call out for pro stock which we'll talk about
230 friday nha stage the seventh annual giana everisto the reigning champion returns to defend
her title and last year one of the coolest things that i remember seeing is the way that they rolled
in the champ is here and you had matt and angie on these scooters and giana came in they came in
like a squad they came in with authority you could see that there was championship swagger
around this appearance like when great fighters walk into the ring there's a presence
and you could feel the presence i know you're saying joe it's just an ice cream eating contest
i know that's why it's bizarre but there was something so who has what it takes
to end the reign of giana everisto representing the pro stock category
a bit of a character fast diesel solutions matt latino matt latino is the kind of guy who'll
take his shirt off on camera and get into a cooler that takes confidence but can he eat
a pint of ice cream in less than a minute up against competition without prepping the ice cream
you know you're not allowed to molest the ice cream you're not allowed to squeeze it or rub it
or eat it or prep it you're not allowed to do that it's remove the cover peel the ice cream
go metal spoons unheated past champion angie smith created that rule representing top fuel
very excited and metal craft of mayville and bluebird turf will smith a rookie of the year
candidate will is going to participate in the ice cream eating contest kind of a mild mannered
character who wants to win stuff and so when we reached out to will after
putting in some deep thought will has accepted we could have done a whole thing about the people
who have accepted the invitation to be in the ice cream eating contest you can go over the
top a little bit right we got to save something for 10 years from now so will smith has accepted
our invitation representing funny car hulk agon matt agon there's a lot of discussion about just
the sheer the size of his head matt agon's got a big head he could fit a lot of ice cream in there
and is he going to be able to just take one big spoonful and eat it that could happen like in the
mountain and game of thrones will matt agon be able to unseat giana everisto just based on his size
and the scale of matt agon word is and then things may have gone out that there are there is training
going on and finally representing pro stock motorcycle because remember giana is the champ
she's the returning champ so it doesn't matter what class she is from she is the returning champ
representing pro stock motorcycle the reigning champ richard gadson has succumbed to the peer
pressure and is going to be in the contest richard gadson will contend for the norwalk ice cream
eating champ and we'll go another year and the buzz flares up right around this time it's very
americana you get to eat some great ice cream we have been forced to institute some seriousness
into it because as the competition gets closer and closer so there will be a scale this year for
the first time ever there will be a scale we are going to weigh the uh the remnant so whoever's
rem went remnant weighs the least will be the winner so there you go there is that and i am
super excited about it so please join us on friday 2 30 p.m at the n h r a stage and i would get
there a little early so you can watch the setup you can watch the teams roll in i'm really hoping
the scag guys support will and the tony stewart guys and elite guys support matt and everybody
rolls in there deep with a big mob and we have literally hundreds of people around this thing
watching people eat ice cream in 60 seconds and that's the best part it's over fast we don't draw
this thing out like this explanation i just gave you this explanation i just gave you is longer
than the whole thing by a lot let's see what people have to say out there in the comments section
get your comments up there i do want to say congratulations to rick mcdonough i hesitate to
say his name too often this is running very well um one top sportsman at the double divisional out
there in norwalk uh race 21 top sportsman he's got a couple of wins on the divisional side so
he's having a good uh divisional schedule so far congratulations rick rick helped me put together
project paniac that was a big big deal for me and you know i don't want to take credit for him
becoming reinspired but he's doing a great job out there uh scott saying great ignition show last
night we had a blast on the ignition show a lot of fun it's audio only if you've never heard it if
you're looking for a podcast to just listen to and have some fun matt in australia took a beating
well because of the world cup stuff we just poured it on matt in australia for the united
states victory um in the world cup over australia it was very appropriate hope to see you at norwalk
it says fort likewise going friday and sunday see you at the track thank you very much we'll see you
there awesome show never disappoints oh someone's disappointed i assure you but it's all right
they're the minority i'm wearing my blue project paniac t-shirt today says memfis lani thank you
memfis lani thanks for wearing the gear man i want to get the show out there i want to get the car
out there uh speaking of which on wednesday tomorrow if you're watching the live show
summit racing equipment is going to have a meet and greet a little bit of a fan fest i think it's
four to seven at summit racing equipment my intention is to go last year all the summit
drivers were there daniel wilkerson and tim i'm really expecting a big weekend into those guys
like i'm i'm a believer in the riding of the cosmic energy and i think daniel wilkerson
is riding the cosmic energy and i'm hoping for a good weekend for those guys out here uh they'll
be at summit i'm sure greg anderson dallis glenn going to be out there at summit as as well
they usually have a really cool car show so if you're getting into town a little bit early on
wednesday head out to summit you will be impressed i went there last year for the very first time
and was kind of stunned i don't know why i wasn't expecting what i saw but when you've only been
into a home depot or a loaves for houses you can't really imagine that kind of situation for high
performance parts you know shelves and just displays and it's awesome like just walking around
summit just walking around is inspirational if you're a car guy if you're car blake says joe
with the 20th anniversary of n h re summit race equipment n h re nationals coming up this weekend
what are some of your favorite memories from that race that is a tough one you're putting me on the
spot i can tell you i always have a blast going out there doing attention in the pits on thursdays
before the race i remember jason logan and i somehow getting into cedar point for free after hours
how did that happen after the race on sunday night that was pretty cool i love having three
pines of ice cream on sunday of race day because i'm hungry and you know why have lunch uh all are
tremendous uh i will think a little more deeply about racing stuff all are related to just being
at the event that tells you a little something right there eddie says wfo uh let's see uh
love it can't outfund them so we'll have to outwork them says charlie tony stewart nitro about
colletta motorsports she is right in many ways nobody can outfund them isn't that fair to say
like they can't be outfunded you can't out budget colletta motorsports they are the top of budget
it remains to be seen if they can be outworked but that's your only opportunity is to outwork
them because you can't outfund them it's going to be hard to outwork them it's going to be hard to
outrace them colletta motorsports right now i think is as good as any top fuel team has ever
been two-car team shan is highly motivated doug they're going to be battling
each other and there is the rub any other team that can get hot in the countdown could potentially
make a run shan and doug are going to be you know beating on each other and they've proven that
both of those teams are capable of beating each other on any given day and so the way the ladder
works out in qualifying is a big part of that if they can stay on opposite sides of the ladder
they're going to be in good position if for some reason they end up on the same side of the ladder
and they have to race each other relatively early then that could open the door for someone
or other someone so it's going to be fun let's see how about an ice cream contest without
giana and the winner of the contest goes up against her one-on-one challenge that is great
idea except we don't have the time for that like if you saw the behind the scenes of how this thing
comes together it's touch and go getting everybody all together in one place for one time for one
minute is touch and go but i like where your head's at preliminaries it has been discussed to maybe
since i'm really really uh as extreme an advocate for lucas oil series stars as is possible to maybe
do a lucas oil series themed one earlier and then that person advances to run against the mission
foods series people that has been discussed the logistics are impossible with all the lucas oil
categories running on thursday and there's no time to do it there's no place to do it it's just
really challenging but we've we've thought the has been thought i'm at hagan
dropped a rocky inspired ice cream eating contest training video at noon you got to see it you know
i got tagged by something and i'm doing something so i can't wait please share it derrick yeah no hagan
serious man and clloe is maybe more serious than hagan is she's his you know mickey i guess if you
gonna use the rocky reference but maybe you're it's apollo if it's we're talking about rocky three or
four seventh annual ice cream eating contest joe are you sure because you entered the norwalk
ice cream eating contest in 2019 no nikki told me that i'm not sure jim cambell won the first one
he was the inaugural jason logan participated in that that's when it was open to non-racers
which there has been discussion courtney inquired we thought about it maybe in the future probably
not a good thing for courtney to down a pint of ice cream in 60 seconds just saying not a lot of
space in there as it is will there be showing uh this on tv uh maybe it'll make you know one of the
quick clips in and out of the break i think loans has mentioned it in the past i think they've gotten
some b-roll of it they're not going to show the whole thing that's why you got to follow an hr
social this is a social bit an hr social are there going to be a single source spoons or is each
person able to bring their own spoon good question single source spec spoons spec spoons was developed
in year uh three i'm rooting for matt agan this guy's rooting for matt agan you're rooting against
jeanna huh you don't want to see somebody win four in a row that's fine that's your business
my dad and i will be at norwalk on saturday and sunday we go blank see you there one will clay
when his first race of the year could be this weekend you know watch that temperature clay's
coming around for him looking forward to seeing you let's see guys having a chat out there matt
agan is going to win the ice cream eating contest says kenneth hands down what do the play n hra
odds say about the norwalk ice cream eating contest i don't know that's the answer i don't know
always great to catch up our live show thanks joe and like just like that we got to the end of
the questions a couple of other things going on here this weekend um did reach out to antron brown
tried to get antron on just didn't uh quite come together on this given day it will in the future
we'll catch up with antron as soon as is possible that was a big deal antron going through both
kaledi car um the getrix pro stock all-star call out very excited about that you know i'm a big fan
of pro stock and i like the call out concept i do want you know tweaks of all kinds are possible
but who's going to call out whom and hardford does not get to call someone out will someone
call out hardford or will you will stay away from hardford trying to make his third consecutive
final round that'll be interesting there's a lot going on but one of the hot topics i wanted to
talk about is the mdk pit reporter mario bosh guys if you don't follow this dude you know i
should have been prepared to drop his link on instagram in the chat but he is like right now
he's my new favorite follow in the n h r a darian bosh is the top sportsman world champion he's a
two-time world champion he's a great kid his parents good people his dad is mario i don't know
what happened they gave mario a phone and said hey talking to this and people will see you
and he is rolling with it and it is fun calling people out in a fun positive way offering his
own personal money now i'm not promising to anybody out there but offering his own personal money to
competitors in top dragster and top sportsman just giving him money i don't know if i'm supposed
to say this but i'm going to tell you anyway he's he's talking all kinds of trash and he's
there's a big debate right now in top sportsman in top dragster about us the floor in the category
of 610 we all know this but should there be a ceiling in the category like you can't have an
eight-second car even if it's qualified 30 second it's just too slow people are debating this and
it's it's roiled uh wrangled uh angered a lot of people is a big discussion point most of fans of
wfo radio n h r a nitro leah john fours antron steve torrance hardford don't care about top sportsman
or top dragster but in top sportsman top dragster people care and they've got these opinions and um
i'm kind of working on mine it was announced that they're going to expand the field at the
divisional level to 64 cars but they're going to put a cap on speed meaning you can't be slower than
a certain et and it just has me thinking but anyway the mpk pit reporter is on there thinking out loud
and he gave 500 bucks of his own money to the racer that beat his kid in the final round
and race two of norwalk gave him 500 bucks and he's bringing bags of ice like oh ice apparently
i don't know what when this happened but a bag of ice is apparently very popular at the racetrack
if you are given one it is a very big deal and so mario has taken it upon himself to start giving
people ice and he is just having so much fun with it there's some profanity if you are afraid of that
stuff you know letting you know but dude mario i think you are killing it you are you are clearly
having fun and you are doing something that is very good for the sport of drag racing getting me
not that i'm i need to be made more interested i'm interested you got me i'm the choir you're
preaching to me but i like it this choir is great and talking all kinds of trash
about people and if it goes right that poor darien is sleeping in the background
how many fathers do you know are the ones that are constantly on their phones and the kids
are the ones you know trying to get away from it not often so you gotta go check them out mpk pit
reporter mario bosh reporting live from the pits top sportsman top dragster reporter and
there'll be an action this weekend and i'm very excited to see what all goes down it's going to be
a lot of fun and that's it to the end of wfo radio and hr a nitro guys we encourage you
just generally you're encouraged but come out to the race this weekend summit motorsports park
norwalk ohio it's a great race facility we have so much fun and then not a lot
else going on in that area house of fader fireworks nitro cars all this goodness there's that
all the associated close to cedar point i might swing by the rock and roll hall of fame summit
but i also encourage you get yourself some wfo gear while it is on sale the link is in our chat
and all over our website and all of our social media get yourself some and maybe join our patreon
that's up to you though let's see this guy has never missed an epping event
neither of i believe it or not we had so much fun in epping there is a new attention in the
pits out guys do you know what a dart phoenix is dodge dart phoenix i i didn't i
it was our attention in the pits feature steven frisky good show today as always joe thank you very
much for the compliment i appreciate that we're having a good time out there can you believe it
norwalk fourth of july
sonoma seattle brainard indy just like that the season is flying on by we'll be talking championship
amazing thank you to lia for coming on the show really appreciate that what a great conversation
with lia and we're going to keep on trucking guys we'll be out there norwalk beginning on
thursday looking for cool cars chasing people down for attention to the pits there'll be a whole
lot of fun and we'll see you next week remember life's a drag 12 noon tomorrow wfo
About this episode
Hosts kick off with engine-friction talk—“Piston rings rubbing against the cylinder walls generate more friction than any other part of the engine”—then set the stage for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio. Leah Pruett joins to discuss the NHRA countdown, her recent wins, and how qualifying, lane choice, and shifting conditions shaped outcomes at Epping and Bristol. She also gets into mental prep, data-backed crew communication, and why drag racing is far more than “stab the gas.”
#NHRA #dragracing #NHRAresults
Leah Pruett joins WFO Radio before the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. Leah joins WFO Joe Castello to debrief following her Top Fuel win at the New England Nationals. Leah will give the round by round details and look ahead to Summit Motorsports Park. WFO Joe will preview the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at America's Race Track.
🚨 Don’t miss out! Subscribe to WFO Radio for weekly NHRA updates, driver interviews, and exclusive motorsport content. Hit the bell 🔔 for notifications!
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