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Racing Gillespie isn't an average teenage girl
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By GALE PIFER, Motorsports Editor
| 08/20/2008 |
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COLMAN -- Jeana Gillespie isn't your average girl. In fact, you might say she doesn't fit the mold at all. Oh sure, Gillespie is cute.
The was recently crowned queen during Colman's Looney Days. She is co-captain of the cheerleaders at Colman-Egan High School, where she is a senior this year. She takes part in band and chorus and is president of the FFA. Gillespie is also active in 4-H activities. She rides horses.
But, Gillespie also prefers other forms of horsepower -- the kind associated with an honest-to-goodness dirt track race car.
Gillespie doesn't mind mixing it up with the men at I-90 Speedway, where she competes weekly in the Super Charger division.
"The guys treat me OK, but they don't give me any special breaks," smiled the 17-year-old blonde. "And that is OK -- because I don't intend on moving over for them, either." The Gillespie Racing Team is a family affair.
Gillespie's dad George is the crew chief. The rest of the crew includes mom Pam and her brother. The rest of the family, friends and neighbors are her biggest supporters. Sponsors include Markus Quarterhorses (Grandma and Grandpa). Both Farm & Hay Company of Aurora, Alien Tattoo, Bauman Racing 3-V Repair & Performance One. She said more and more auto racing is attracting female drivers. That's OK with her. A competitive driver is just another driver, no matter what their sex.
"Most of the people in this super charger stock car division are pretty nice," she said. "We had our battery die once, and a fellow competitor loaned us one so we could race." The Gillespies recently moved from the Colman area to Hartford.
Gillespie caught the racing bug early on from her father. "He has worked around race cars most of his life," added Gillespie. "I was always interested in driving, so Dad promised me that when I turned 14, we'd build a race car -- and we did. Racing just seemed like a lot of fun."
The result is a battered and bruised super stock car that has taken Gillespie through the oval track wars of flying mud, noise and a few times a dent or two from her fellow competitors.
"I really like it," Gillespie said. "It is a real adrenalin rush.
``I was nervous at first, but I tend to get over it as soon as we get the green flag. The worst part is waiting to get started. I still occasionally have a bout of the nerves just before we get the green flag."
She said her first race wasn't anything to write home about. "I spun out two times," she laughed.
But, she doesn't do that any more.
"In fact, we've had a pretty good year so far," she added. Gillespie is still looking for her first win of the season. "We have finished third once," she said.
Most of the super chargers have six-cylinder engines. She makes do with a four-cylinder power plant, but they recently finished her new six-cylinder. They are still working the bugs out of it.
Gillespie competes against much faster cars. If she has her way, she won't stay in the super stockers much longer. "I'd really like to go faster," added Gillespie. "My goal is now to move up, maybe getting behind the wheel of a pure stock or B-modified. That would be cool."
But this year, she will still compete against the other super stock racers. "We have talked about making the trip to Jefferson to see how we'd come out, but nothing has been decided and the season is about ended," she added.
Besides that, Gillespie has made a commitment with the National Guard. "I'll be going to Fort Jackson for training next June 11," she said. Plus, there is her final year of high school and then maybe college.
Yep, Gillespie isn't your average girl. This lady is on her way, and if you are driving a race car someday, you just might be in her way. Move over. She's in a hurry.
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