Jessie
Harris, famed drive of the Hanna Motorsports Jets’ BIC Lighter "Queen of
Diamonds, can sense she is on the cusp of a wonderful new chapter in her racing
career.
Smiling
from ear to ear in Dinwiddie (Va.) recently, Harris could hardly contain her
emotions following a test run in an Evan Knoll-owned Top Fuel dragster at
Virginia Motorsports Park the day after Clay Millican had piloted the racecar in
the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals.
That
introduction to nitro racing was the first time Harris had driven a Top Fuel
dragster and even though she’s been 300 miles per hour in a 6,000-horse, jet
dragster, there was something about the short hit that tickled her
fancy.
“That
was just testing, I don’t have a deal yet," Harris said. "I have to continue to
go out there and prove myself both on and off the track. But, I can tell you,
after that day in testing I know I was born to drive these
cars."
Unable
to put her finger on it, there is something that has always caused Harris to
gravitate towards fast dragsters. Maybe it was her
upbringing.
Jet car driver looking to get her big break in nitro racing
Jessie
Harris, famed drive of the Hanna Motorsports Jets’ BIC Lighter "Queen of
Diamonds, can sense she is on the cusp of a wonderful new chapter in her racing
career.
Smiling
from ear to ear in Dinwiddie (Va.) recently, Harris could hardly contain her
emotions following a test run in an Evan Knoll-owned Top Fuel dragster at
Virginia Motorsports Park the day after Clay Millican had piloted the racecar in
the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals.
That
introduction to nitro racing was the first time Harris had driven a Top Fuel
dragster and even though she’s been 300 miles per hour in a 6,000-horse, jet
dragster, there was something about the short hit that tickled her
fancy.
“That
was just testing, I don’t have a deal yet," Harris said. "I have to continue to
go out there and prove myself both on and off the track. But, I can tell you,
after that day in testing I know I was born to drive these
cars."
Unable
to put her finger on it, there is something that has always caused Harris to
gravitate towards fast dragsters. Maybe it was her
upbringing.
Raised
in Rome, NY, practically in the shadow of Shirley Muldowney,
Harris
was six years old when her step-dad, racer Joe Veschusio first introduced her to
drag racing.
“Within
one hour I had fallen in love with the sights, the sounds and the smells of
racing,” she said of her visit to Esta Safety Park. “Believe it or not, that’s
when I knew I was going to drive a nitro fuel car.”
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In
1994, her stepfather joined the Supercharged Warriors, an exhibition group
touring the Northeast, and by the time Harris was 14 she was on his crew as well
as coordinating media for the group.
“I
would go up into the tower and meet all the owners and operators of the tracks,”
Harris said remembering those early years when she was too young to pilot a
racecar. “I even dabbled a little bit in announcing.”
In
May of 2003, the childhood aspirations prepared Harris for the opportunity of a
lifetime when she successfully took up the challenge of piloting Hanna
Motorsports Jets’ BIC Lighter "Queen of Diamonds,” arguably one of the most
famous jet dragsters in the history of the sport. For the past five years
Harris’ identity has been nearly inseparable from the car, yet at the end of
this season Harris and the “Queen” will part amicably. She recently submitted
her resignation in her quest to drive a nitro fueled car.
Harris
wants to go nitro racing and if the rumors pan out, she could be driving one of
Evan Knoll’s proposed four Top Fuel dragsters in 2008.
"That
Monday in testing qualifies as the best day, thus far of my drag racing career,"
Harris said. "I’ve been dreaming of driving a fuel car since the age of six and
working on building my resume since sixteen. I almost have to pinch
myself."
Moving
in another direction is usually a difficult decision and this one has been a
tough one for Harris, but one she felt necessary for her
future.
“It
was one of the hardest things I think I’ve ever done in my race career,” Harris
said. “I’ve had it good (at Hanna Motorsports). We were a great team together,
especially with the Queen of Diamonds program. But when I first took that job it
was to be used as a stepping stone to find myself in the nitro
division.”
Harris
has developed a penchant for seizing opportunities. She joined Hanna’s
jet-dragster empire as the successor for Aggie Hendrix, who was coaxed out of
retirement to replace Jessica Willard.
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Harris
had already earned her way onto Hanna’s radar screen prior to the opportunity.
Hanna told Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com that he’d heard of a girl out of New York
who lived and breathed drag racing but with no actual driving experience.
Digging up her phone number in December ‘02, he gave her a call three days
before Christmas. Shortly thereafter she was sitting in the “Queen of Diamonds”
at Hanna’s headquarters in Enfield, CT.
“I
was asking what’s this thingy do, what’s that thingy do; I sounded like a girl,”
Harris said, although at the end of the meeting she felt confident she could
drive the car. Thinking her inexperience would doom her chances, she was totally
surprised when Hanna green lighted her two weeks later and was off to join the
team in Puerto Rico to begin training.”
Hanna
flew into the audition with blind faith.
“She
had never flown, she had never done anything,” said Hanna. “We had some
exasperating moments during her learning process, but bottom line, after a
couple of days we determined that she could probably do
this.”
Over
the next three months at Maryland International Raceway, Hanna put his protégé
through paces unique to jet cars.
“The
first time I ever (launched) a jet dragster, I blacked out,” Harris admitted.
“I’m a fairly petite person; I’m 5’8”, but I weigh a little over 100 pounds. Not
expecting that kind of force, everything went black, I couldn’t hear anything,
but luckily I shut the engine off and held the wheel straight, and the car just
slowed down. So I had to regroup and say, ’Am I scared of this car? Or am I
willing to get back in it and put forth the effort?’ I starting doing certain
breathing techniques and this and that, and within an hour I was back on the
starting line, made a 300’ pass and was OK.”
Harris
won in her debut during the highly acclaimed "Jet Warz" event in Norwalk, OH.
She’s been largely undefeated ever since.
“The
minute I turned the engine on, something lit up inside of me,” Harris said. “I
evidently had a little bit of talent I didn’t know about, for after three months
of training I had my license and was racing in front of 45,000 people a week
after that. It was a lot of hard work and lot of dedication, but it was a great
transition for me.”
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Harris
pointed out it hasn’t been so long since the top professional drag racers gave
her those words of encouragement much like a parent when a child says they want
to be an astronaut. She finds herself in a new role now as the one encouraging
star-struck and admiring race fans.
“Honestly,
when I was a kid going to those big races, I didn’t get much response from the
professional drivers; I would say ’I want to be like you someday,’ and they
would pat your head and turn away,” Harris said. “The biggest thing for me now
is the response I have from fans, and what I can do for them, how I can make
them feel. I’ve also been associated with our sponsor BIC Lighter for the past
three years, doing motivational speeches at their national sales
meetings.”
For
Harris, she’s reached her fork in the road. She’s moving forward armed with
experience and a passion for driving quick and fast.
“Not
only do I get do what I enjoy by driving a race car for five seconds, but I have
this platform to tell kids and adults that they can do whatever it is they want
to do. It’s amazing to me that I can use a dream of mine for the good of other
people.”
Harris
is careful in her ascension into nitro racing and makes no bones about the fact
she’s in preparation mode. She recently earned her alcohol Funny Car license
from the Frank Hawley School in Gainesville, FL, with plans on returning this
month to obtain an alcohol dragster license.
“I’m
coming from being the biggest fish in a little sea and some people don’t even
think of jets as race cars,” Harris said. “I don’t believe jet cars get enough
credit. I feel at home with jets, comfortable with the car, and I have raced
with a fantastic team. But it’s time for me to move on. I’m 24 years old, and
the opportunities are here for me now.
“But
I think I have the potential to be a great driver in the nitro world, and I’ve
had a lot of experience with corporate sponsors and PR media obligations that I
think will give me the edge to move forward.”
Right
now Jessie Harris is taking measure steps in her quest to perform at the highest
levels of drag racing.
“It’s
still too soon to talk about my future plans,” Harris said. “Nothing is
official. I’m trying real hard to make all the right contacts and prove to
myself that I belong out there in the nitro world. I’ve spent probably the last
six months shoving my face in front of all the professionals. Since I’ve met Evan Knoll, he’s given me the opportunity of a lifetime and one that I am eager to pursue further.”
