User:LeahPritchett

Nickname: The Heartbreaker Age: 25 Years racing: 18 Height: 5' 9" Birthplace: Redlands, California Residence: Avon, Indiana Racing goals: Win an NHRA Mello Yello Series national event and eventually Championship Favorite racers: Antron Brown Philosophy: No free rides

Leah was born in Redlands California and raised in a racing environment. Her father, Ron Pruett was an entrepreneur and land speed racer. Leah’s father truly wanted to have sons, but it seems the Lord wanted him to have two daughters instead. Her parents took an unusual route of spending family time together by introducing Leah and her sister to the newly formed NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League in 1992. The minimum age requirement was eight years old, so the day Leah turned eight she started drag racing, beginning at the Pomona Fairplex. Jr. Drag racing instantly became her life, She loved the sport, the mechanics, the uniqueness, but most of all the competition. Leah was no weekend warrior; she and her father took her racing very seriously. Leah not only competed in the NHRA circuit, but became National Champion, Regional Champion, 2x Division Champion and 2x track champion, 4x National team Champion and Wicked West Coast Champion. They even traveled the nation to run the IHRA circuit, and she was the first Jr. Drag racer on the west coast to win an Ironman (equivalent to an NHRA Wally). During her last two years of Jr. Drag racing, Leah and her father founded a heads up racing association known as the WICKED WEST COAST 330. Their mission was to allow the older racers the freedom to push their Jr. dragsters to the limit in a shorter distance while allowing the racing to still remain safe. After winning her last championship at age sixteen, Leah and her father left the Jr. Drag racing scene as well as the growing association. The WWC330 still lives on today and has been incorporated into the NHRA Jr. National Events.

This is where the real fun begins. At this time Leah was sixteen and wanting to continue racing, but not in Super Comp like many other Jr. dragster graduates did, due to the costs, time commitment with the NHRA, and low odds of moving up through the ranks. Leah and her family took the route less traveled once more and bought a retired Alcohol Funny Car chassis. Leah raced it throughout California in the CIFCA series with a blown alcohol 450 Chevy, before transforming it into an altered. Now that the car had a ‘32 Bantom roadster body on it, she could compete in the Goodguy’s Vintage racing association. The requirement to run with the group was that the body style of the car must be older than 1978. She raced in a category known as Nostalgia Eliminator 1, which limited the elapse time to 7.60, which is close to 190 mph. Leah loved the group, the people were friendly, the races were only 1-2 days long as oppose to running the 3-4 day NHRA races, and the competition was stiff. However, success did not come as easy for Leah as it had in her Jr. dragster days. Leah and her father struggled with the tune-up for almost a year, for the car was extremely inconsistent, as in always too fast! It was during these years Leah developed a strong work ethic for racing and was determined to make every race in pursuit of a win, even with only a crew of three; Dad, Leah, and of course Mom. Consequently Leah did come out victorious taking a first place win and number one qualifier in Sacramento Ca, along with numerous semi-final appearances in Tucson and Phoenix AZ throughout the 2007 season. Leah had her fare share of tire shake, getting out of the groove and even chassis breakage due to violent tire shake. Piloting the altered for three years taught Leah driving skills that have ultimately enabled her to become comfortable wheeling her nostalgia funny car in a short time. Although Leah was still in high school during this time, she had been working on her first media kit and was able to start a lasting sponsor relationship with Dickies Girl Apparel.

By nature and genetics, Leah is a person of improvement and achievement. Leah and her father both caught the bug of the Nitro Nostalgia Funny Car movement and knew they had to be a part of the highest level of nostalgia drag racing. These funny cars run upward of 240 mph with elapse times dipping into the 5 second range and Leah couldn’t wait to get started. The decision was unanimous, “Lets do it! “. Leah and her father agreed to sell the altered and have a nostalgia funny car chassis built. The relationship between Leah and her father became a partnership. Ron was able to supply the racecar, but it was up to Leah to raise money to cover all of the racing expenses, including maintenance. Ron partnered with Les Leggitt to supply the 426 Hemi for the nostalgia funny car, Les had provided the motor, Ron was providing the car, and Leah began the search to provide the funding. Leah knew she had a difficult challenge ahead of her; to raise a large amount of money before the racecar ever hit’s the strip. After hundreds of cold calls to companies, numerous new media kits sent out and dead ends, she caught a break. Leah’s already established associate sponsor Dickies Girl stepped up to title sponsor on the nostalgia funny car. Leah captured many associate sponsors throughout the building months of the car, and was able to raise enough money to race the nostalgia funny car. However, since the car was not running at this time, Leah needed to assure sponsors of exposure, and she did that by landing her own TV show on the network OCTANE TV named Funny Girl, the show was about the build of the funny car, with much product and logo placement. The show aired for six months and she was happy to experience something so unique and give exposure to her sponsors. However, Leah says she would rather not do anything like that again. At this time Leah was 19 years old and had been enrolled in college full time as a Communications major with an emphasis on mass media for two years. Her college efforts are to serve one purpose only, and that is to provide her with the necessary verbal and marketing skills to help her financially and personally become a professional drag racer on the NHRA circuit.

Simultaneously, during the build of the Nostalgia Funny Car Leah was contacted by team owner Don Schumacher. At the time Gary Scelzi, driver of his Mopar/Oakley Funny Car was announcing his retirement and Don was looking for a replacement. Leah was fortunate enough to have Don request an interview with her at a race in Sonoma CA. There were over 30 other seasoned, semi professional and professional drivers interviewing for this position as well, Leah was undoubtedly the youngest at 19 years old, but not the only female. Don gave Leah the opportunity to make a short 200 foot squirt in the MTS Funny Car later that year in Indianapolis. She proved to him that she was comfortable in an 8,000 horse powered funny car and was ready for more. But Gary Scelzi decided he would not retire, leaving Don with no available room or need for Leah on his team at that time. However, Don being the business man he is, decided not to dismiss Leah and to continue her testing knowing that a good, young, and upcoming female driver is difficult to come by. Don Schumacher has allowed Leah to test his NHRA nitro funny cars on three separate occasions as of August 2008; (August 2007 in Indianapolis IN, February 2008 in Phoenix AZ, June 2008 in Martin MI) After a total of seven runs including tire shake and tire smoke, Leah has made a 700 foot pass at her quickest and fastest time of 274 mph at 5.29 e.t. Don Schumacher Racing has continued to show interest in creating a driver development program with Leah and they are currently arranging for further testing and licensing passes.

Once the nostalgia funny car was finished being built in late 2007, Leah and the crew went to Las Vegas to upgrade her license. During her second run, Leah endured ’new car blues’ when the engine kicked the number four rod out through the block resulting in a fire and oily mess with expensive repairs. Leah executed all safety procedures and got the car stopped and fire put out very quickly, needless to say she passed the safety portion of the test, and got her Specialty Fuel License. On January 4, 2013 NHRA Top Fuel team Dote Racing announced that Leah Pritchett would drive the family owned dragster in the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. With a stellar 2013 season including a semi-final finish at NHRA Kansas Nationals and a nomination for 2013 NHRA Rookie of the Year award, the future is bright for Leah Pritchett.