K&N Signs Michelle Furr Racing for 2011 NHRA/IHRA Season
- Mar 28, 2011
In February of this year Michelle and Rick took their two kids to the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show (PRI) in Orlando, Florida, to attend Bobby Rahal's Young Drivers Symposium. When they stopped by the K&N booth to drop off material for another K&N team member, Michael Beard, the family got the chance to meet and talk with Bob Harris, K&N's Corporate Race Accounts Manager. Rick had some questions regarding K&N products, and things just sort of developed from there.
"We have used K&N products with confidence for years, so to get the opportunity to partner and join a company that provides quality products we already chose to use and believe in is just awesome," commented Michelle. Michelle grew up at the track watching her father race, and she began racing herself when she was 15. "Rick and I started racing together in footbrake with our 1957 Chevy at local tracks," adds Michelle. "We worked our way through the different classes, from nine-second 1/8 mile sprints, to eventually going as fast as a four-second 1/8 mile, or the equivalent of a six-second ET on a quarter-mile track." "We kept waiting to have kids, trying to find that 'perfect' down-time in our racing, with me being the driver," continues Michelle. "Turned out it was easier than we ever thought, as both children were at the track with us within three to four weeks of being born, so they too have grown up at the track." Michelle crossed over her licenses and ran her first NHRA divisional and national events in 2010, which is something she has been dreamimg of since she was a little girl. "Of course I dreamed of being on the pro side of the pits," she quips, "But we had a lot of fun, as we do anytime we are at the track." Michelle also narrowly missed the opportunity to secure a spot in IHRA's 2011 Tournament of Champions at the World Finals held at Virginia Motorsports Park, losing in the semi-final round of the Quick Rod division. 2010 was a learning curve year according to Michelle, as it was the first year in over a decade she didn't make a World Cup Finals appearance. "But I did with my daughter Madilyn, as she came out strong winning the first race of the year at Bristol. It was her first race running the faster 8.90 Jr. dragster index. She has raced since she turned eight, making an unbelievable 15 final rounds her first year, which motivated me, as I made seven that year." A few of Michelle's other accomplishments include winning a national IHRA event and finishing seventh nationally in points in the Hot Rod class in her first year. In 2005 she was the Southern Bracket Racing Association Top Dragster Champion and the IHRA Motor City National Hot Rod Champion. She also has an assortment of IHRA top-five finishes in both Hot Rod and Top Dragster, and in 1998 she finished third in the IHRA bracket finals. "We have a 2002 Undercover (dragster) and a 1968 Camaro SS," says Michelle, "Which are capable of running Top Dragster, Super Comp/QR, Super Gas, Super Street and Hot Rod, which keeps us from being limited in what and where we race." Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
