Mendy Fry

Mendy Fry

Fry mixing nitromethane at the 2005 March Meet in Bakersfield.
Nationality American
Born (1969-05-24) May 24, 1969
Santa Rosa, California
NHRA Heritage Series career
Debut season 2008
Current team Smokey's Darkside Nitro Funny Car
Car no. 781
Former teams Frymore Racing, Mendy Fry Racing, Ron Johnson Racing, Mastercam, California Trucker, McCain's Bomb Squad, Forever Young AA/Fuel Dragster

Mendy Fry (born May 24, 1969 in Santa Rosa, California) is an American dragster and funny car driver competing in the NHRA.[1] Under the tutelage of her father Ron Fry, she began driving quarter-midget sprint cars at age 4. As a teenager, she campaigned in the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster class. She is the only female drag racer to record a 5-second 1/4 mile elapsed time in a front-engined Top Fuel dragster[2] as well as the only distaff member of the exclusive "Nostalgia Top Fuel 250 mph Club".[3]

Early racing career

In 1988 in Fremont, California, at age 18 she became the planet's quickest drag racing driver in the Top Alcohol Dragster class.[4] Driving a dragster she built with her father, Fry recorded an unprecedented 6.15 second elapsed time, backed up with a top speed of 220 mph. The motorsports press labeled the run "unbelievable".[5]

World's Fastest Street Rod Wars

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Mendy raced her father's blown and injected 1927 Ford roadster in the Super Street class under the NDRA/STREET RODDER MAGAZINE Series. Her toughest competition came from Steve Castelli (1941 Willys), Cole Cutler (1934 Ford Coupe), "Fat Jack" Robinson (1946 Ford Sedan Delivery) and Ray Castor. Fry faced, and defeated them all during those Halcyon days of vintage drag racing as a teenager. During this time, Fry alternated between the Super Street class and NHRA's Top Alcohol class. In August 1990, she and her father Ron went back to Indianapolis to the Goodguys Hot Rod Nationals to compete with the '27 Ford, eventually winning that event.

Goodguys VRA Series

2001

After a decade long hiatus from the sport of drag racing, Mendy returned to driving dragsters at the 42nd Goodguys March Meet in Bakersfield, California. In her comeback at the wheel of Ron Johnson's alcohol-fueled dragster, Fry advanced to the semi-final round of competition in the Junior Fuel class.[6]

2004

Fry at the 2004 California Hot Rod Reunion

In October, at the NHRA California Hot Reunion, Fry became the first female dragster driver to record a 5-second elapsed time in a AA/Fuel Dragster (or "Nostalgia Top Fuel car"). Concurrent to her recording a 5.87 quarter mile elapsed time, she also clocked a Top Speed of 251 mph, numbers which earned her entry into the Nostalgia Top Fuel 250 Mph Club.

2006

Fry was hired to drive the "Jennings & Scheele" AA/Fuel Dragster.[7] Using a Chevrolet motor in a drag racing class dominated by Chrysler Hemi engines, in competition at the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion, established a new mark for Chevy-powered Nostalgia Top Fuelers, when she stopped the clocks with a 5.85 elapsed time.[8]

NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series

2008

Fry getting fitted for the Future Flash Nitro Funny Car

Fry began the year campaigning the "Future Flash" Nitro Funny Car in the NHRA's Hot Rod Heritage Series. After a runner-up finish at the "Las Vegas Speed Spectacular" in May, Fry and the "Future Flash" entry progressed to 1st in Series Points, this despite a final round crash that resulted in the "Future Flash" withdrawing from further competition for the remainder of the year.

After missing a crucial Points Race in Boise because of the "Future Flash"'s non-participation, in September Fry resumed racing in the Nostalgia Funny Car class, signing on with the "McCain's Bomb Squad" Nitro Funny Car, finishing the year 5th in points.[9]

2012

Fry is campaigning the "Forever Young" dragster, and is in 2nd place while contending for the 2012 Heritage Series Top Fuel Points Championship.

2014

After a one-year hiatus, in 2014 Fry returned to competition in NHRA's Heritage Series and assumed the driver's job for "Smokey's Darkside" Nitro Funny Car, a 1978 Dodge Challenger powered by a supercharged Arias engine, a “hemi-heads-on-a-Chevy-block” combination unique to the class.

References

  1. ↑ Hot Rod Heritage Series
  2. ↑ 5-second 1/4 mile elapsed time in a front-engined Top Fuel dragster
  3. ↑ Nostalgia Top Fuel 250 mph Club
  4. ↑ she became the planet's quickest drag racing driver in the Top Alcohol Dragster class
  5. ↑ Unbelievable
  6. ↑ Fry advanced to the semi-final round of competition in the Junior Fuel class
  7. ↑ Fry was hired to drive the "Jennings & Scheele" AA/Fuel Dragster
  8. ↑ Fry established a new mark for Chevy-powered Nostalgia Top Fuelers, when she stopped the clocks with a 5.85 elapsed time
  9. ↑ 5th in points
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