Pressure Brings Out the Best in XTF’s Wilson

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Just getting to the track for the ADRL UTI Inaugural Texas Drags was almost a victory in itself for Extreme 10.5 driver Michelle Wilson.What followed on Friday at Houston Raceway Park simply made the Texas native smile even ore.After destroying the motor and breaking the transmission just two weeks before the race, Wilson and her team scurried to get something into place.The barely beat the clock, getting the motor put in just two nights before the start of the weekend.“We’ve had several late nights getting that together, so that’s been a little crazy,” Wilson said.Her first pass in the motor was the first round of eliminations on Friday for the completion of UTI Dragpalooza VI presented by Safety-Kleen.With crossed fingers, Wilson ran well and advanced to the finals before losing to Billy Glidden, who won twice in two days. Wilson was blown away with how things came together so well and she hopes it’s a sign of things to come for the rest of the year.In this latest Beyond the Guardwall piece, Wilson talks about the rigors that went into getting the car ready for the weekend, what her future holds and how she tries to be an inspiration to aspiring female drivers.ADRL: What was your reaction to the weekend after all you went through leading up to it?MICHELLE WILSON: “I was definitely happy. We’ve been struggling so hard with the Firebird, trying to get it right. We actually threw some stuff together, people told us it wasn’t going to work and it did. At this point, we’re going to try anything, so we were pleased (with going to the finals).“We had a great time and we couldn’t have asked for anything more with what we came through the gates with. To go to the finals, no complaints here - at all.”ADRL: You didn’t even get to test the combination you put together for Houston. How nerve-wracking was that?WILSON: “We had our fingers crossed, and it was a little crazy. We took everything off the shelf and we were like, ‘Let’s see if it works.’ And it did. Everyone had their fingers crossed that first pass just to see if it would leave the line. So, yeah, we were tickled to death.”ADRL: After results like that, do you think you’ve found something you can work with?WILSON: “I think it’s a pretty good setup we have. We’re taking baby steps. We have to. We can’t afford to blow things up. We’re just taking baby steps with it, but the cars going laps. At this point, consistency means a lot.”ADRL: Do you feel as though there are big things in your future, as far as being marketed as a successful female drag racer?WILSON: “Everybody says you’ve got what someone is looking for, but we haven’t found that person yet. We’re trying to find that right company that wants to help and if we find that, it would be great.”ADRL: There are a lot of younger girls racing in Pro Junior Dragster these days. You’ve talked with a lot of young drivers about getting involved in drag racing and that’s been an exciting process.What’s it like for you to see so many young females staring in the sport?WILSON: “I get really excited to see all the kids, but especially the girls. It’s very cool and especially the pre-teens that are just staring to think about cars or have been around it. They’ve always seen the guys do it and I’m like, ‘So can you.’ I think it’s great and if I can influence any kid to do what they want, then that’s awesome.”

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