Move over "Queen of Speed"

In memory of Leisa…

“Sheila in the pit!” yells Bob Shepherd, drag racing legend and father of a future legend hopefully… 18 year old Amanda Shepherd. Saturday 14th October 2006 at a smoldering 39 degrees Western Sydney International Dragway plays host to the State of Origin Super Charged Outlaws, and to Amanda Shepard’s license qualifying run. A crew member assembles everyone for a check up, “Alright every one lets just do what we normally do.”
“Oh good, Amanda get out of the car then!” Jokes Bob. The excitable Lee Shepherd; Mum, crew member and all around glue, is running around with the camera and her fingers crossed. For the Shepherd’s, drag racing is most defiantly a family sport.

The normally carefree blue eyes of Amanda Shepard are steeled in concentration as she lines up for the run that will begin her career. She’s driving the car she’s been working on since age fifteen, “I recon you’ve got to know every part of your engine if you’re really going to race,” she tells me, and she’s well informed. On top of her Business Management Diploma and work at the legal aid council, Amanda Shepard is working the cars at every meet. Underneath her specially made drag suit her T-shirt reads a personal motto, “go hard or go home.” She’s got the latest in flame retardant technology and Skip (David Saunders) from major sponsor Skip’s Fire Service assures me she’ll be well taken care of. “She’s got extra coverage around her hands in case and of course the cage is built apart from the engine so if anything happens… She’s pretty safe.” And if something does go wrong? “My fire team is waiting at the end because we’ll need a quick response, we’ll be ready.”

The reason everyone’s a bit nervous? Amanda Shepard has decided to go Nitro.

Petrol’s for cleaning parts, alcohol is for drinking, Nitromethane is for racing. Ever seen flames shoot out of the back of a car? At about two and a half times faster than gasoline a nitro start sends reverberations around the track up to the spectators in the stands. The clear winner over gasoline and methanol, nitromethane is the fuel of champions and will see you off at about 6500 rpm, but for a first run it’s an ambitious move.

That in mind Amanda lines up for her first burnout. “It’s about time!” Dad Bob Shepard calls out.
“She doesn’t take half as long as you Bob! The crew calls back.
Everyone is feeling the pressure but the atmosphere around the pit is friendly. Drag racing has the inside reputation for being one of the most affable motor sports with competing teams still getting along great guns.

After a perfect burn out that shoots smoke and the sting of fuel into the air, Amanda heads back to the starting line for a ‘sixty footer’ which will guarantee her license and her position as the youngest female top fuel racer in Australia. The engine starts, the ground shakes, and she’s off.

“Perfect burnout! Backed her up, staged her, whacked it on the high side, she’s done a 0.94 sixty footer, it was awesome! Clicked exactly she was supposed to; she knew exactly where she was on the track!” says Bob glowing with pride. “Like she’s been doing it all her life!”

A triumphant Shepherd punches the sky and beams an enormous smile at her crew as she’s towed back off the track. “I love it! I love it!” She’s almost lost for words after her first ever top fuel run, “You can’t describe it, you’re just gone! The weeks of preparation, all the butterflies you had, everything just goes!” Amanda talks avidly with her mates in the hours between track time.

Looking elsewhere around an otherwise male dominated track I found the small smile of junior dragster Ami King who shyly agrees to an interview during the break, “I was scared the first time but now I’m used to it.” Racing like a pro twelve year old Ami King tells me the junior dragsters are quite competitive, but despite winning several championships herself she’s “just in it for fun.”

“Drag racing in Australia is second only to the United States and our racers are very competitive with the best in the world” says track management of Western Sydney International Dragway. Unfortunately due to the lack of a venue up until recently this power packed sport has been on the sidelines. When venues collapse, sponsorship follows and these high performance competitors have been severely under funded as well as misrepresented as reckless and irresponsible. “The focus on ‘young hoons’ is one of the biggest burdens drag racing in Australia has to carry.” Says WSID, but the popular depiction of drag racers couldn’t be further from the truth. Safety is a number one priority in drag racing and at speeds upwards of 500kph you’d want to be wearing a helmet. Just ask Adam Nichols who pulled his car out of August’s test and tune because of a fault with his tires, “We like to win” he said with a smile, “the car costs too much to smash it into a wall, but we’ll be back for October!” A man of his word Nichols retuned today for New South Wales to defeat his Queenslander opponents.

Back at the Shepard’s parking spot for the day everyone sits down for a cold soft drink and a chat. “I think her feet are still about two feet off the ground,” says Bob of his daughter, “Totally over the moon.”
Amanda tells me how she handled the fear factor of top fuel racing, “it’s more anxiety, but once you’re in there everything disappears.” But what about mum? Amanda Laughs, “At first, she wasn’t sure about it but she’s really supportive and happy I have goals.” A bearded fan shyly approaches for an autograph, her very first. Excited she graciously offers a photo as well and signs his copy of Dragster Australia. “Oh god!” say’s Lee Shepard as she takes a shot and laughs, “Yeah Bob’s the calm collected one, I’m the nervous excitable one, she gets that from me.”

Addicted to speed, Amanda’s off for a second run even more spectacular then her first. The flames burn out from behind her as she takes off up on her back wheels for the first hundred and fifty feet. “In 2.2 seconds I was at 275 kph! It was the best. And it feels like you’re going 275 kph believe me!” she jokes, clearly ecstatic with her times today.

Back at the Shepard’s HQ the crew moves between celebrating the induction of the newest and brightest addition to the track and fielding phone calls from family and friends. Oil stained hands grab cold orange slices while they get the car ready to head home for the day. But for Amanda Shepard this is only the beginning, watch out Queen Splatt, this Princess has arrived.

Article by Tess Meyer,
Edited by Bill Zunic.
Photos, Bill Zunic/Skips Racing.

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