At first glance, none would suspect Erica Ortiz to be a frontrunner in the ultra-competitive world of drag racing. Born and
raised in Orlando, FL by her grandparents -- a retired Air Force officer and draftsman, and a housewife, Erica was raised in a
strict, traditional latin household. Nowhere was it evident where Erica's love for racing and speed developed. The last raised
in her grandparents home, none of her family had knowledge of motorsports, and while Erica grew up loving competition,--
"anything athletic or sports oriented, even down to academics, I loved the thrill of competition and the adrenaline rush of
winning." says Erica. "I was never much of a girlie girl, no matter how hard I tried. It was all just awkward to me, I wanted to
be out there playing with the boys, not on the sidelines looking pretty."
Throughout high school, Erica trained and competed in 3 sports in her athletic tenure, serving as team captain on both her
school's Volleyball and Track & Field teams. Her drive to succeed earned her top honors as an athlete, and an athletic
scholarship for Volleyball in college. Graduating with honors from her high school, Erica's future looked bright. However, a
series of unfortunate events kept her from pursuing her collegiate Volleyball dreams, and sidelined her athletic career.
Shortly after graduating, Erica purchased her first vehicle; a 1990 5.0L Mustang GT. She instantly fell in love with the
vehicles' speed and power performances, and before long found herself at the local dragstrip testing her newest adventure. "I
always liked racing around town in high school, oblivious to the fact that I was driving a painfully slow pick up truck. Now, I
finally had something worthy of the sport and definitely up to the chore." Erica's new found passion drove her to countless
magazines, websites, and any other haven in search of knowledge of her new found hobby. "I spent countless nights thumbing
the pages of the mustang magazines, trying to absorb every bit of information about the car I loved and making it faster" Erica
said of her early racing years, "I was determined to get beneath the hood of the car myself, to uncover anything that would give
me that competitive edge." It was during this time that she discovered a popular local mustang shop, Lugo Performance
Automotive, Inc. in nearby Apopka, FL. Home of some of the fastest mustangs in the sport, Lugo Performance became her
new favorite hangout. It was there she learned the ropes-- spending countless nights with Dennis Lugo in the engine room,
and becoming a hands-on player at the mechanics of the sport. "I wanted to know how everything worked, the mechanics, the
fundamentals. I wasn't satisfied with just being behind the wheel, I had to be involved in all aspects, to understand what made
it all come together.
Her first racing experience occurred at the World Ford Challenge event in 2001, often termed the "Superbowl" of Ford Drag
Racing. Erica had accompanied the Lugo Performance team to the race as she so often did in those days as a spectator,
following behind in her newly acquired 1993 GT. After driving the 1000 miles from Orlando to St. Louis, where the annual
event was held, Erica decided to try her hand at bracket racing, entering the Bracket 3 category. Over 150 competitors
competed in class, and Erica made it all the way to the semi-finals on day 1, running in the mid-13's with her manual equipped
GT. On Sunday, Erica again made in through rounds all the way to the finals, where she was crowned the runner-up at her
first competitive event. With such great first time success, Erica was hooked.
Later that year, Erica was given the opportunity to drive another car which frequented the Lugo shop. A loyal customer of
Lugo for years, Bob Besner's sleek supercharged coupe was the first "fast" car Erica had experienced. Having gone no faster
than low 13's, Erica strapped into the supercharged car and jumped into the 12's on her first pass. With a little coaching from
Dennis, Erica's second attempt put her into the low 11's at 120 mph. Adrenaline flowing, an enthused Erica proclaimed "I
HAVE to get me one of those!" And so it began....
Erica continued driving Besner's coupe, gaining some seat time, and hoping to enter in the spring's NMRA season opener in
the Drag Radial category. She later would refer to the car as her "adopted" racer... "Having driven it for almost a year, I
gained a fond relationship [with the car] and endearingly named it my 'adopted' racecar. So when Bob offered to sell [the
car], I knew it had to become official, it had to come home to stay." Erica quickly sold her 93 GT, and brought her pristine
coupe home. "I had already spoken with Paxton about my desire to compete in the Radial class with my car. But now I had
a car already equipped, and with Paxton Superchargers on board, I was ready to step up." The car received a fresh power
plant in late 2001, a 306 capable of standing up to the power and running in the radial class. With no prior testing, Erica
would attempt to qualify in the World Street Nationals Radial class, running just shy of the field with a best of 10.30. After
some testing, the coupe would run in the 9's, still in street form with functional A/C & full stereo, as Erica still drove the car
frequently on the street. Erica gained recognition as the Paxton Princess, as she was an outspoken representative for the
supercharger company.
After a season of belt-tossing difficulties, and traction difficulties in the class from the torque-happy blower, Erica underwent a
change in direction. Obtaining her NHRA Competition License in Joe DeJesus' Twin Turbo coupe, Erica was swayed by the
turbos' smooth powerband. Turbochargers were already the specialty of the Lugo shop, so an executive decision was made
to swap the blower in lieu of a single turbo combination on her own ride. In between races, the kit was fabricated at Lugo
Performance, and Erica was back out with a new combination, and well into the 9's on the radial tire. Determined to compete
in the drag radial class, Erica slowly made the commitment to the transformation from fast capable street car to all out race.
After climaxing the 2002 season with a win in the Gainesville True Street event, Dennis and Erica began the transformation to
fit the new FFW version of the drag radial class.
Upgrading to a 347 cubic inch powerplant, and a water/air intercooled combo, Erica was quick out of the gate in the 2003
season with 2 runner-up finishes in FFW trim and her first 8 second time slip on radial tires, becoming the first female in a
FFW Heads-up final and the first female in the 8's and over 160 mph on a radial tire as well. With the support of Rick Head
from Innovative Turbo and from her crew consisting of crew chief Dennis, and crewmates Ozzy & Mario, Erica attended all
but 3 events during the 2003 season. Venturing into the mid 8's, the now infamous 'Radial Princess' finished off the year with
several other runner-up finishes, and as runner-up for the 2003 Points Championship. Erica's proudest moment was when
Dennis was named FFW's Crew Chief of the Year, a feat he greatly deserved. Without him, she would never had made it
through the season. "No matter how much he had going on, or what obstacles were in his way, Dennis always made sure that
I was taken care of inside that car. We were a great team, he had faith in my ability to drive, and I in his ability to get the car
to the line. We worked together to build that motor, to tune the car, and to make sure it ran smoothly. And even when others
discredited me, he trusted my instincts and we made it happen together."
Shortly after the 2003 season, Erica made the difficult decision to leave Orlando and venture out on her own. After beginning
a career in advertising in Georgia, exploring her career interests and abilities, Erica was determined to continue racing on her
own. As she prepared for the 2004 season, Dennis provided her guidance by phone from Florida. "Throughout the past, I
always had Dennis watching over my shoulder. Although he had taught me well, I was still very nervous about taking control
without his supervision. There was no safety net there anymore, it was up to me now."
Erica now also had the help of notable chassis builder Dan Parker of Parker Chassis. After meeting in late 2003, the two
worked together on mini-tubbing Erica's ride. With new partner Dan on the starting line helping sort out the suspension, and
Dennis there to check over Erica's solo-handiwork, Erica put the coupe right back on path, with a performance best of 172
mph pass.
Throughout 2004, Erica would venture to the track in support of Dan's Pro Mod races, helping and learning the ropes on these
quite different Pro cars. After several races, she was assisting to crew for Dan while gaining valuable experience with these
higher leveled racecars. Her need for speed left her yearning to drive one of these powerful beasts, and after some persuasion
by Dan, Erica had her sights set on building a Pro car. She knew that she would be departing into a much different world, and
all the stakes were raised significantly, but she was surrounded by the support of many very knowledgeable people, and felt
confident that with some seat time, she could move into her own as a Pro 5.0 driver, uncharted territory for a female driver,
and a longtime dream of Erica's own evolution.
At the end of the 2004 season, Erica put her much loved radial car up for sale, anxious to begin her Pro career. And although
it was with great sadness that her beloved radial coupe departed, with the closing of one chapter, another even greater
adventure begins.
There is more about Erica on her web site.
raised in Orlando, FL by her grandparents -- a retired Air Force officer and draftsman, and a housewife, Erica was raised in a
strict, traditional latin household. Nowhere was it evident where Erica's love for racing and speed developed. The last raised
in her grandparents home, none of her family had knowledge of motorsports, and while Erica grew up loving competition,--
"anything athletic or sports oriented, even down to academics, I loved the thrill of competition and the adrenaline rush of
winning." says Erica. "I was never much of a girlie girl, no matter how hard I tried. It was all just awkward to me, I wanted to
be out there playing with the boys, not on the sidelines looking pretty."
Throughout high school, Erica trained and competed in 3 sports in her athletic tenure, serving as team captain on both her
school's Volleyball and Track & Field teams. Her drive to succeed earned her top honors as an athlete, and an athletic
scholarship for Volleyball in college. Graduating with honors from her high school, Erica's future looked bright. However, a
series of unfortunate events kept her from pursuing her collegiate Volleyball dreams, and sidelined her athletic career.
Shortly after graduating, Erica purchased her first vehicle; a 1990 5.0L Mustang GT. She instantly fell in love with the
vehicles' speed and power performances, and before long found herself at the local dragstrip testing her newest adventure. "I
always liked racing around town in high school, oblivious to the fact that I was driving a painfully slow pick up truck. Now, I
finally had something worthy of the sport and definitely up to the chore." Erica's new found passion drove her to countless
magazines, websites, and any other haven in search of knowledge of her new found hobby. "I spent countless nights thumbing
the pages of the mustang magazines, trying to absorb every bit of information about the car I loved and making it faster" Erica
said of her early racing years, "I was determined to get beneath the hood of the car myself, to uncover anything that would give
me that competitive edge." It was during this time that she discovered a popular local mustang shop, Lugo Performance
Automotive, Inc. in nearby Apopka, FL. Home of some of the fastest mustangs in the sport, Lugo Performance became her
new favorite hangout. It was there she learned the ropes-- spending countless nights with Dennis Lugo in the engine room,
and becoming a hands-on player at the mechanics of the sport. "I wanted to know how everything worked, the mechanics, the
fundamentals. I wasn't satisfied with just being behind the wheel, I had to be involved in all aspects, to understand what made
it all come together.
Her first racing experience occurred at the World Ford Challenge event in 2001, often termed the "Superbowl" of Ford Drag
Racing. Erica had accompanied the Lugo Performance team to the race as she so often did in those days as a spectator,
following behind in her newly acquired 1993 GT. After driving the 1000 miles from Orlando to St. Louis, where the annual
event was held, Erica decided to try her hand at bracket racing, entering the Bracket 3 category. Over 150 competitors
competed in class, and Erica made it all the way to the semi-finals on day 1, running in the mid-13's with her manual equipped
GT. On Sunday, Erica again made in through rounds all the way to the finals, where she was crowned the runner-up at her
first competitive event. With such great first time success, Erica was hooked.
Later that year, Erica was given the opportunity to drive another car which frequented the Lugo shop. A loyal customer of
Lugo for years, Bob Besner's sleek supercharged coupe was the first "fast" car Erica had experienced. Having gone no faster
than low 13's, Erica strapped into the supercharged car and jumped into the 12's on her first pass. With a little coaching from
Dennis, Erica's second attempt put her into the low 11's at 120 mph. Adrenaline flowing, an enthused Erica proclaimed "I
HAVE to get me one of those!" And so it began....
Erica continued driving Besner's coupe, gaining some seat time, and hoping to enter in the spring's NMRA season opener in
the Drag Radial category. She later would refer to the car as her "adopted" racer... "Having driven it for almost a year, I
gained a fond relationship [with the car] and endearingly named it my 'adopted' racecar. So when Bob offered to sell [the
car], I knew it had to become official, it had to come home to stay." Erica quickly sold her 93 GT, and brought her pristine
coupe home. "I had already spoken with Paxton about my desire to compete in the Radial class with my car. But now I had
a car already equipped, and with Paxton Superchargers on board, I was ready to step up." The car received a fresh power
plant in late 2001, a 306 capable of standing up to the power and running in the radial class. With no prior testing, Erica
would attempt to qualify in the World Street Nationals Radial class, running just shy of the field with a best of 10.30. After
some testing, the coupe would run in the 9's, still in street form with functional A/C & full stereo, as Erica still drove the car
frequently on the street. Erica gained recognition as the Paxton Princess, as she was an outspoken representative for the
supercharger company.
After a season of belt-tossing difficulties, and traction difficulties in the class from the torque-happy blower, Erica underwent a
change in direction. Obtaining her NHRA Competition License in Joe DeJesus' Twin Turbo coupe, Erica was swayed by the
turbos' smooth powerband. Turbochargers were already the specialty of the Lugo shop, so an executive decision was made
to swap the blower in lieu of a single turbo combination on her own ride. In between races, the kit was fabricated at Lugo
Performance, and Erica was back out with a new combination, and well into the 9's on the radial tire. Determined to compete
in the drag radial class, Erica slowly made the commitment to the transformation from fast capable street car to all out race.
After climaxing the 2002 season with a win in the Gainesville True Street event, Dennis and Erica began the transformation to
fit the new FFW version of the drag radial class.
Upgrading to a 347 cubic inch powerplant, and a water/air intercooled combo, Erica was quick out of the gate in the 2003
season with 2 runner-up finishes in FFW trim and her first 8 second time slip on radial tires, becoming the first female in a
FFW Heads-up final and the first female in the 8's and over 160 mph on a radial tire as well. With the support of Rick Head
from Innovative Turbo and from her crew consisting of crew chief Dennis, and crewmates Ozzy & Mario, Erica attended all
but 3 events during the 2003 season. Venturing into the mid 8's, the now infamous 'Radial Princess' finished off the year with
several other runner-up finishes, and as runner-up for the 2003 Points Championship. Erica's proudest moment was when
Dennis was named FFW's Crew Chief of the Year, a feat he greatly deserved. Without him, she would never had made it
through the season. "No matter how much he had going on, or what obstacles were in his way, Dennis always made sure that
I was taken care of inside that car. We were a great team, he had faith in my ability to drive, and I in his ability to get the car
to the line. We worked together to build that motor, to tune the car, and to make sure it ran smoothly. And even when others
discredited me, he trusted my instincts and we made it happen together."
Shortly after the 2003 season, Erica made the difficult decision to leave Orlando and venture out on her own. After beginning
a career in advertising in Georgia, exploring her career interests and abilities, Erica was determined to continue racing on her
own. As she prepared for the 2004 season, Dennis provided her guidance by phone from Florida. "Throughout the past, I
always had Dennis watching over my shoulder. Although he had taught me well, I was still very nervous about taking control
without his supervision. There was no safety net there anymore, it was up to me now."
Erica now also had the help of notable chassis builder Dan Parker of Parker Chassis. After meeting in late 2003, the two
worked together on mini-tubbing Erica's ride. With new partner Dan on the starting line helping sort out the suspension, and
Dennis there to check over Erica's solo-handiwork, Erica put the coupe right back on path, with a performance best of 172
mph pass.
Throughout 2004, Erica would venture to the track in support of Dan's Pro Mod races, helping and learning the ropes on these
quite different Pro cars. After several races, she was assisting to crew for Dan while gaining valuable experience with these
higher leveled racecars. Her need for speed left her yearning to drive one of these powerful beasts, and after some persuasion
by Dan, Erica had her sights set on building a Pro car. She knew that she would be departing into a much different world, and
all the stakes were raised significantly, but she was surrounded by the support of many very knowledgeable people, and felt
confident that with some seat time, she could move into her own as a Pro 5.0 driver, uncharted territory for a female driver,
and a longtime dream of Erica's own evolution.
At the end of the 2004 season, Erica put her much loved radial car up for sale, anxious to begin her Pro career. And although
it was with great sadness that her beloved radial coupe departed, with the closing of one chapter, another even greater
adventure begins.
There is more about Erica on her web site.
| Racing History 2006-- PRO 5.0 Runner-up, FFW Pro 5.0 2006 Points Championship Runner-up, FFW Buckeye State Nationals-- Norwalk, OH #3 qualifier, FFW Old Dominion Nationals-- Richmond, VA Runner-up, Phenix Motorsports Quick 8-- Phenix City, AL First female to compete in FFW Pro 5.0 First female in the 6's in Fun Ford Weekend First female over 200 mph in Fun Ford Weekend 2004-- DRAG RADIAL Runner-up in the ESX Motorsports Maximum Velocity Female Driver Search Running a limited schedule, Erica finished 5th in FFW Drag Radial 2004 Points Championship, attending only 3 events. Gained valuable crew experience with various Pro Modified teams, crewing on the top nitrous entry at the ADRL Dragstock Pro Modified event. 2003-- DRAG RADIAL Runner-up, FFW Drag Radial 2004 Points Championship Runner-up, FFW Ford Mustang World Finals -- Ennis, TX Runner-up, FFW Midwest Nationals -- Cordova, IL Runner-up, FFW Peach State Nationals -- Commerce, GA Runner-up, FFW Spring Break Shootout -- Orlando, FL First female in the 8's on a radial tire First female over 160 mph on a radial tire 2002-- TRUE STREET/DRAG RADIAL Champion, FFW Sunshine State Nationals -- Gainesville, FL (true street) Semi-Finalist, World Ford Challenge -- St. Louis, MO (wild street) 2001-- BRACKET 3/QUICK FORD Runner up, World Ford Challenge Bracket 3 -- St. Louis, MO (Sunday, 162 car field) Semi-Finalist, World Ford Challenge Bracket 3 -- St. Louis, MO (Saturday, 168 car field) |
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| Erica Ortiz |
