[ Best of Both Worlds ]
G
IVEN MELANIE SALEMI’S success on big tires,
the small-tire world was put on notice
when Salemi announced last fall that
she would debut a new Radial vs. the
World entry, with plans to take on a full
schedule of RVW events in 2020.
With her husband, Jon, and brother-
in-law Jim tuning the Eddie Whalen-owned 2019
Camaro, Salemi wheeled the new Pro Mod-style
Al-Lee Installations entry to victory at its debut,
the World Street Nationals in November. She
defeated RVW world beater Stevie “Fast” Jackson
in a side-by-side 3.58-second final round, starting
a rivalry that’s continued this season.
“It wasn’t without a lot of hard work from Jon
and Jim and even Eddie and Evan [Salemi],” Sa-
lemi says of the early success, adding credit to
partners like Liberty’s Gears, Quick Drive, Ross
Pistons, NGK, and VP Racing Fuels. “A lot of
thought went into everything before we even
decided to bring the car out, from what class
are we going to run with it to what power adder
are we going to use. They spent countless hours
figuring things out and making sure everything
would be perfect when we brought it out.”
Salemi’s “Sidepiece” Camaro has continued to
perform nearly flawlessly in the first two races
of 2020. She was locked in the 3.50s at the U.S.
Street Nationals in Bradenton before Jackson
defeated her 3.574 with a 3.548.
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The Buffalo, New York-based driver qualified
No. 3 at Lights Out 11 at South Georgia Motor-
sports Park in February, a performance level that
carried over into eliminations. She set low E.T.
of the event, 3.546, in the first round, but a very
minor mechanical issue stopped Salemi in the
semifinals.
“It’s extremely rewarding, but I just drive the
car,” Salemi continues, crediting Jon and Jim for
the late-round finishes and low elapsed times.
“I have the easy job. The guys usually give me
a pretty good car. There are some times when I
have to wheel it, but there’s a lot of times that I
have a perfect race car.”
Still, Salemi admits her job in the new car isn’t
always easy. There are some differences that set
it apart from “Purple Reign,” the ’68 Firebird
she races in Pro Modified and PDRA Pro Boost
events. For one, the Firebird has a roots-style
supercharger, while “Sidepiece” is screw-blown.
The biggest difference, though, is the tire size.
“Going from the big-tire car to the small-tire car,
I feel like I have to drive it a little bit differently,”
Salemi says. “There’s no forgiving when that tire
lets loose. With the big-tire car, you can kind of
manhandle it – or womanhandle it – but with
the small-tire car, you have to be on your game
150 percent because there is no forgiveness. You
have to pay attention to how far the front end is
coming up, if you feel it’s coming up a little too far,
you have to be ready in all those instances to lift.”
It’s a difference, not necessarily better or worse.
Salemi insists she doesn’t have a preference be-
tween the two cars, though nearly six months out
of “Purple Reign” has her ready for the PDRA
season opener.
“We’ve had a lot of fun at the last three races
with the radial car, but I’m really looking forward
to getting back in the Pro Mod car,” she says. “That
car has a special place in my heart. I know the
guys always tell me, ‘It’s just a race car and you
can’t get emotionally attached to it!’ But trust me,
I’ve seen both of them go into the room where we
keep it and talk to it. So it’s not just me.”
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the
related shutdowns, Salemi isn’t sure when she’ll
be back in a race car, be it “Side Piece” or “Pur-
ple Reign.” The PDRA season opener at GALOT
Motorsports Park in early April was postponed.
Salemi expects to test before the next PDRA race
in early May. Like everyone else in the racing
community, she’s eager to get back to racing after
the quarantine-induced hiatus.
“One thing that does kind of bother me is being
out of the seat for long periods of time,” Salemi
says. “You almost think you’re going to forget
how to drive, but honestly, you get back in and
as soon as the car starts, all that goes away. It’s
like riding a bike: you don’t really forget how to
do it. It’s muscle memory.” – N AT E VA N WAG N E N
Issue 155
MELANIE SALEMI