Goodguys: Mendy Fry March Meet preview

Mendy Fry Enthusiastic As Goodguys March Meet Approaches

Bakersfield, CA- In November of 2005, Mendy Fry was hired by Lee Jennings to drive the Jennings & Scheele Chevy-powered nostalgia Top Fuel dragster in the Goodguys Vintage Racing Association Drag Racing Series. Fry, who spent the last two seasons behind the wheel of Frank Hedge's nostalgia Top Fuel entry, will make her debut for Jennings Motorsports March 10-12 at the 47th annual Goodguys March Meet at Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, California.

The Northern California native, who now resides in Aliso Viejo, just wrapped up a weekend of testing her new ride at Auto Club Famoso Raceway in preparation for the upcoming March Meet. Said Fry, "Testing yesterday was amazing. After one short shakedown run, we ran an incredible 5.93 at only 198 mph. I lifted at 5.0 seconds because I could feel it nosing over a bit. It nipped three pistons, but nothing serious - not even a drop of oil." Crew Chief Karl Scheele added, "Mendy drove this car as if she had been driving it for years. Her concentration and attention to details are amazing. She was able to relate exactly what the car was doing to us, and it matched what we saw and what the computer told us. We did not put a soft tune up in it, which enabled her to get a good feel for the car."

It's been more than two decades since a woman has won a Top Fuel title at the famed March Meet, that being the all-female final in 1982 with Lucille Lee claiming victory over 3-Time NHRA Top Fuel Champion Shirley Muldowney. Muldowney claimed her own March Meet Top Fuel title in 1981. While both women won their respective titles with modern rear engine dragsters, no woman has ever won in a front engine variation during the event's 46-year history.

Winning the March Meet would be a "dream come true" for Fry, who has already made history of her own by becoming the first woman to run a five-second pass and exceed the 250 mph barrier in a front engine dragster during the 2004 NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion. "There's no question we had a successful test weekend", Fry said. "The incremental numbers and data we collected were by far the best this team has ever produced, and compare to an elite cast of three or four teams currently competing. We like our chances, and of course getting to the winner's circle is the goal for the entire team. The car is all serviced and ready to go, and the team is totally pumped. We'll just have to wait and see how the weekend plays out", concluded Fry. Scheele added his thoughts about the team's odds of winning. "As long as we (being a new crew) do not make any mistakes, I think we have a good chance at being competitive, if not winning the March Meet."

Qualifying for Fry and the Jennings & Scheele nostalgia Top Fuel dragster begins with two sessions on Friday, March 10, and concludes with one additional session on Saturday at 12 noon. Fry begins her quest for the March Meet Top Fuel title on Saturday evening with eliminations beginning at 5 P.M. All times are local Bakersfield time (PST) and subject to change at anytime.

-www.mendyfry.com