Dirt
Heartbroken Top Fuel standout
readies for tough road ahead
By Bobby Bennett,
CompetitionPlus.com
L
eah Pritchett said at the onset
of her 2016 tour she planned to take
her fans with her on the highest of
highs and if necessary, the lowest of
lows. With little over a month between winning
her first NHRA Top Fuel event until losing her
ride earlier this week, she has remained true
to her word.
“I’ve always tried to be the real person I am on
social media with the fans,” said Pritchett. “As a
fan, I used to look back on situations and watch
them unravel, and there were so many unanswered questions. At the end of the day, I feel
obligated to let my fans know where my mental
state is.”
Simply put, Pritchett, while heartbroken, is
admittedly not the type willing or able to throw
herself a pity party.
“I only know how to pick that ball up, no matter how heavy it might be and run with it,” said
Pritchett. “Whatever strength I have, when the
chips are down, I am never going to lift off of the
throttle. At the end of the day, no one will print
the money for me. I’ve got to make it or find it
some way. What the timeline is, I’m not sure.”
Pritchett has burned up, which she says it’s no
exaggeration, hundreds of minutes on her cell
phone trying to keep her dream alive.
“Just trying to make something happen that
makes business sense for our sponsors and the
crew,” said Pritchett. “I have to keep moving forward because there is no other option. I want my
fans to know, even if I do miss some races I am
not giving up.”
Team owner Bob Vandergriff Jr. notified his
teams on Monday of his decision to retire from
drag racing.
“It was really the only decision he could make,”
Pritchett admitted. “Bob held out and tried as
hard and long as he could to make t he program sustain.”
Initially, Pritchett believed the death of C&J
Energy’s Josh Comstock would lead to some adjustments to the teams by possibly skipping some
races to finish the season but never imagined
the whole program would be parked, and put
up for sale.
“We spent much of the day Monday considering
options for the team and thanking one another
for the heart and soul they invested into making
this team what it was,” explained Pritchett.
And no, the driver who had fought her way
from Junior Dragster to Top Fuel didn’t break
down in tears after the disheartening news.
“I am not a crier,” Pritchett admitted. “Going
through this kind of thing before, I immediately
went into Def-Con 1. I didn’t have time
to shed a tear; we needed to find someone willing to buy this team and keep
what chemistry we had built intact.”
Only later after all efforts to sell the
team and keep the flame of hope intact were extinguished did she let her
guard down in a Facebook post to her
followers.
“Yes, there was a tear, and members
of the team around me let me know we
are still all in this together,” said Pritchett. “I wasn’t crying about the race car
being on the track, or the racing stuff.
I think it was only then that all hit me
we were no longer going to be able to
finish our goal. It’s as if when you are
finally happy, sometimes life comes in
and says, ‘not so quick.”
“It’s a quick reminder never to get
complacent in this sport; a reminder it
can all change in a minute. So, I guess
you could say it was more of a tear of
appreciation for what we all had been
fortunate enough to experience.”
Pritchett admits there’s a spot in her
heart which will always wonder what
could have been.
“I will always wonder what could
have been. Unfortunately, we’ll never
know. In life, there are so many experiences to reflect upon. Life is bigger
than a race car. It’s bigger than a win. I do feel
we had a team capable of challenging for a championship. What could have been has now been
replaced with what could come forth!”
Pritchett said she still has her relationships
intact with Quaker State and FireAde, but regretfully there’s just not enough capital at this
moment to take to another team. She said they
are just as heartbroken as she is. This setback
won’t stop her from trying to make something
happen as long as she is able.
“I’m still on the gas like never before. I don’t
know how big my tank is, or how much fuel is
in it. But I do know it’s a lot. It’s going to run for
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32 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
Issue 109
PHOTO: NHRA / NATIONAL DRAGSTER
Leah Pritchett Forges Forward