This Chick is Slick By Greg Stokes 2006
Mention the sport of drag racing and the immediate stereotypical response is a high horsepower duel with guys at the wheel. Ho w could one consider that a female could get behind the butterfly and mix it with the big boys and in fact beat them at their own game?
Enter one very bubbly and out going Kelly Craig of Campbell, California USA. She appears to be far too angelic to be peddling an alcohol burning small block in the fiercely competitive Junior Fuel class. But don’t let her charm and warm personality fool you in the pits because once she is on the start line it’s a whole different ball game.
The critics have knocked Kelly with the “she’s just a girl” or “how old is she?” But the twenty three year old naturally talented racer believes that her age and gender has, if anything, aided her career. A lady drag racer is not the first either, with the likes of Shirley Muldowney, Christan Powell and even Hurst shifters marketing lady, Linda Vaughn. While not a first, it sure makes for a refreshing change to see ladies like Kelly showing the boys how it’s done.
Back in the mid eighties, Kelly’s father, Mike Craig crewed for Gerry Steiner so as a child Kelly was always at the races. “I kept bugging them for a chance on the tree”, remembers Kelly. As a kid Kelly Craig just wanted to race, she was addicted. “Dad, said I couldn’t race unless I started to get good grades and graduate with good honors”, adds Kelly, “plus, I had to learn how to rebuild a small block Chevrolet”. To use a well-worn cliché’, the rest they say is history.
Mike’s involvement with Gerry Steiner is what got the Craig family into Nostalgia Drag Racing. Mike bought a Junior Fuel car and raced for six years. “We were always playing in the garage, if Mom wanted to find us she knew exactly where we were”, says Kelly. Here’s where Kelly describes her passion for nostalgia front engine drag racing. “ I race for the race, I love to drive fast and love being competitive. I have always said that I don’t want to be ignorant on something I depend upon so much”.
While most of Kelly’s friends are out partying, most of those party nights are spent at home in the garage wrenching on the race car (or asleep on the creeper adds Kelly). Tuning is similar to a puzzle states Kelly. “They always say, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have – in this case what we are talking about is horsepower. Wrenching, driving, competing, your friends, racing, - its all an art, there is no losing when you are learning”, states Kelly.
Kelly’s mature and professional nature backed by a diligent crew and family is what makes Craig Racing so successful and consistent. “She is a natural at everything she does”, says Kelly’s crew chief and father, Mike adding, “and that is our distinct
advantage”. Kelly’s maturity and professional shows when she averages 4.24 reaction times due to her calm and cool control at the tree. She’s quick as her opponents are usually caught at the gates (startline). At the recent 11th annual California Hot Rod Reunion at Bakersfield, California Kelly scorched the Junior Fuel field right to the final where she met Dean Carter. After qualifying with a 7.355, Kelly came runner up in the final with a 7.123 at 185.23 mph to Carter’s 7.114 at 188.28 mph.
Like most competitors in the Jnr Fuel class, Kelly is running Pro Topline’s 14 degree Pro Action cast iron cylinder heads. These heads are the icing on the cake when matched to an injected alcohol 406 small block Chevy engine maintained by Ed Chamberlin and Mike Craig. This is backed by a Mikes transmission and the whole combination is nestled between the Rob Stirling constructed chassis rails. The Junior Fuel circuits that Kelly competes in are NHRA, Good Guys and Pro Nitro. The addition of a sponsor to Team Craig would enable Kelly to compete in the NHRA Division 7 race circuit.
Says Kelly, “Nostalgia drag racing has beautifully combined competitors, crews and fans into one large family. I wouldn’t stop racing for anything”.
Mention the sport of drag racing and the immediate stereotypical response is a high horsepower duel with guys at the wheel. Ho w could one consider that a female could get behind the butterfly and mix it with the big boys and in fact beat them at their own game?
Enter one very bubbly and out going Kelly Craig of Campbell, California USA. She appears to be far too angelic to be peddling an alcohol burning small block in the fiercely competitive Junior Fuel class. But don’t let her charm and warm personality fool you in the pits because once she is on the start line it’s a whole different ball game.
The critics have knocked Kelly with the “she’s just a girl” or “how old is she?” But the twenty three year old naturally talented racer believes that her age and gender has, if anything, aided her career. A lady drag racer is not the first either, with the likes of Shirley Muldowney, Christan Powell and even Hurst shifters marketing lady, Linda Vaughn. While not a first, it sure makes for a refreshing change to see ladies like Kelly showing the boys how it’s done.
Back in the mid eighties, Kelly’s father, Mike Craig crewed for Gerry Steiner so as a child Kelly was always at the races. “I kept bugging them for a chance on the tree”, remembers Kelly. As a kid Kelly Craig just wanted to race, she was addicted. “Dad, said I couldn’t race unless I started to get good grades and graduate with good honors”, adds Kelly, “plus, I had to learn how to rebuild a small block Chevrolet”. To use a well-worn cliché’, the rest they say is history.
Mike’s involvement with Gerry Steiner is what got the Craig family into Nostalgia Drag Racing. Mike bought a Junior Fuel car and raced for six years. “We were always playing in the garage, if Mom wanted to find us she knew exactly where we were”, says Kelly. Here’s where Kelly describes her passion for nostalgia front engine drag racing. “ I race for the race, I love to drive fast and love being competitive. I have always said that I don’t want to be ignorant on something I depend upon so much”.
While most of Kelly’s friends are out partying, most of those party nights are spent at home in the garage wrenching on the race car (or asleep on the creeper adds Kelly). Tuning is similar to a puzzle states Kelly. “They always say, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have – in this case what we are talking about is horsepower. Wrenching, driving, competing, your friends, racing, - its all an art, there is no losing when you are learning”, states Kelly.
Kelly’s mature and professional nature backed by a diligent crew and family is what makes Craig Racing so successful and consistent. “She is a natural at everything she does”, says Kelly’s crew chief and father, Mike adding, “and that is our distinct
advantage”. Kelly’s maturity and professional shows when she averages 4.24 reaction times due to her calm and cool control at the tree. She’s quick as her opponents are usually caught at the gates (startline). At the recent 11th annual California Hot Rod Reunion at Bakersfield, California Kelly scorched the Junior Fuel field right to the final where she met Dean Carter. After qualifying with a 7.355, Kelly came runner up in the final with a 7.123 at 185.23 mph to Carter’s 7.114 at 188.28 mph.
Like most competitors in the Jnr Fuel class, Kelly is running Pro Topline’s 14 degree Pro Action cast iron cylinder heads. These heads are the icing on the cake when matched to an injected alcohol 406 small block Chevy engine maintained by Ed Chamberlin and Mike Craig. This is backed by a Mikes transmission and the whole combination is nestled between the Rob Stirling constructed chassis rails. The Junior Fuel circuits that Kelly competes in are NHRA, Good Guys and Pro Nitro. The addition of a sponsor to Team Craig would enable Kelly to compete in the NHRA Division 7 race circuit.
Says Kelly, “Nostalgia drag racing has beautifully combined competitors, crews and fans into one large family. I wouldn’t stop racing for anything”.
