BY CRAIG COOK PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICK BELDEN AND NHRA

HEN JASMINE SALINAS earned her Top Fuel license last year , her plan was to compete in five NHRA national events in 2024 alongside her father , Mike . But plans quickly changed when the elder Salinas announced he would be taking a temporary step back from driving duties for personal health reasons . With the announcement , Jasmine was thrust into the role of primary driver for the Scrappers Racing team .

“ I was just as surprised as everybody else ,” Jasmine admits . “ It was a total shock . The original intention was for me to slowly transition into learning as much as I could , taking my time . With my dad stepping out , my mindset shifted , and I think all of that pressure 110 % got to me . I was in panic mode .

“ The crew that we have – Rob Flynn , Arron Cave , Adem Cave , Troy Fasching , and the rest of the guys – everybody else was calm , collected and cool ,” continues Salinas . “ We all got together , made a game plan , and figured out how to make everything work moving forward .”

Salinas is no stranger to piloting a nitro-burning dragster . From 2018 through 2023 , she ran an A / Fuel car in Top Alcohol Dragster , giving her unique insight as she equipped herself to move up to drag racing ’ s premier class . Yet even that couldn ’ t fully prepare her for what she was about to experience .

“ I think I was a little naive when I got my Top Fuel license ,” Salinas says . “ It felt very similar to what I had experienced in an A / Fuel car . The procedures are exactly the same . But now that I ’ m actually in competition , it ’ s going a lot faster than what I was doing in licensing . I ’ m realizing there ’ s so much more I have to learn , and I ’ ve just barely scratched the surface . It ’ s been a very humbling experience , honestly . It makes a huge difference when you have that positive relationship with your team and you know that they are in your corner , confident in you , and rooting for you .”

That focus on relationships began for Jasmine when she was a child , attending nostalgia drag races with her dad and sisters . As the owner of a business , Mike had to be away a lot for work during those early years . As he got older and worked less , the track became a special haven for their family as he ventured into the world of Top Fuel in 2011 .

“ Drag racing became this new space where my sisters and I could get to know our dad more ,

hang around him ,” Salinas says . “ Here was this thing he loved , and we wanted to be a part of it . We ended up falling in love with it in our own ways . As he started getting more involved with it professionally , I decided I wanted to work on his car and his team . I started out just working in the office , but by the end of the year , I was rebuilding superchargers .”

While working with the team rejuvenated her passion for the sport , her desire to drive began much earlier . During her first trip to an NHRA national event in Sonoma , she saw Brittany and Courtney Force compete in Top Fuel and Funny Car , respectively . Jasmine admits she didn ’ t even know at the time those types of cars existed , and she was blown away by both the raw power of the cars themselves , and the fact that women were driving them .

“ You see somebody that looks like you , it ’ s something you don ’ t forget ,” says Salinas . “ I cherish that . The more women we have in this sport , the better it ’ s going to be for inspiring younger people . I carry that with me any time I show up at the track . Even away from the track , I ’ m aware there ’ s a possibility that there is a young person out there looking at me and saying to themselves , ‘ OK , if she ’ s out there doing it , maybe I can do it too .’ And I think that is very powerful .”

As her Top Fuel career continues to evolve , Salinas says she has personal goals for herself that she is keeping private for the time being . But she admits that the mentality has already shifted . She can no longer be content with just getting past first round ; the Scrappers team expects to contend for championships , and that ’ s where her personal focus must be as well .

“ It ’ s been an incredible learning experience , but I want to win ,” says Salinas . “ And not just win , but make a name for myself beyond the Scrappers name , beyond everything my dad has accomplished so far . I think it ’ s incredible that this is a generational sport . But because of that , there ’ s always this feeling of living up to the people that came before you , living in the shadows of those that gave you your opportunities . My goal is to see if there ’ s an opportunity to make a name for myself while also adding to my family ’ s legacy in racing at the same time .” DI

106 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 189