BY CRAIG COOK

EW , IF ANY , individuals in the drag racing community are as widely adored as Susan Cunningham . Known at the track as “ Mama Sue ,” Cunningham is the wife of longtime racer Larry Cunningham , as well as the mother of Tim and Tommy Cunningham .

Drag racing has been a part of Mama Sue ’ s life for over 55 years . Married in 1968 , Susan helped Larry as he competed in a variety of classes , but primarily NHRA Super Stock . A plethora of Wallys still adorn their mantle . And after their sons were born , racing became a family ritual .

“ I packed water . I carried gas ,” recalls Cunningham . “ And I put the water on the little red wagon , and I put Timmy with his legs around that red wagon and I pulled him , pregnant with Tommy , and we went racing . Racing is what you make of it , and we made it a family deal .”

That racing tradition is carried on through their sons . Tommy is the owner of Stroud Safety , and races Pro Mod in the Midwest Drag Racing Series . Tim serves on the crew , as does Tommy ’ s wife , Anita . Larry has taken on the role of crew chief . Although Sue admits to being nervous when Tommy first started racing , having the entire family there helps her maintain peace of mind .

“ My heart feels at ease as long as my husband ’ s there and my oldest son , and I know Tommy has got it together . And with Tommy and Anita having Stroud Safety , we look into safety for everything .”

During the course of every race , Cunningham takes on numerous roles – from helping her husband and sons in the pits , recording video of every pass Tommy makes , offering water and food to track officials and event staff , and praying for every racer she sees line up , just to name a few .

But perhaps Mama Sue ’ s biggest contribution is inspiring the youth at every track she goes to . Cunningham originally made armbands for Tommy ’ s Pro Mod team , but soon branched out , passing them out to all the kids driving Jr . Dragsters while encouraging them to have fun and be safe . She ’ s heard from many parents who say their children even sleep with them on .

“ I ’ ll continue doing that as long as I can ,” Cunningham says . “ The kids need to know they ’ re important , that they ’ ve got something to look forward to . As long as I ’ m racing , they ’ re going to get an armband . And those little kids racing , they put their heart and soul in it too , just like the adults do . It just takes someone other than family to say , ‘ You can do it .’

Susan has garnered an immense amount of success outside of racing as well . For the past 44 years , she has served as a Cadillac Senior Sales Director at Mary Kay , earning the title of Queen and receiving the top crown in the company . She currently leads 185 of her fellow consultants . And while her career is not associated with drag racing , the drive and determination to be the best at her job , at leading a team , and working together for a common goal is something she feels can be related directly to the track and the racing team .

“ I know what it takes to make it work , and I know what it takes to make an event work ,” says Cunningham . “ You have to know how to delegate , yet how to make people feel proud and a part of it . If they feel a part of anything , they will lead it , they will cheer it on , they will make it grow so fast . And you ’ ve got to be willing to sit back and say , ‘ I should have done this better .’”

With such a firm foundation in both leadership and a heart for others , it ’ s no surprise that Mama Sue is such a beloved member of the drag racing community , whether they are adults or children . It ’ s a role she cherishes , and hopes to continue for many more years to come .

“ I have a big , strong belief that if you put enough good into a lot of women , a lot of men , a lot of kids , good comes back ,” Cunningham says . “ And I feel like I ’ m very blessed to be with racing . Racing is a sport , but racing is a family sport . And you know what the best part is ? It ’ s watching these kids race , enjoying it , and wanting to grow up into racing , because there ’ s no better discipline than racing .” DI

106 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 181