A Mother of Two Gears Up for Her First Drag-and-Drive With a ‘Sweet’ 1969 Camaro
People can get a lot on their plate every day, and parents usually get a little extra. It can make trying to participate in hobbies and interests harder for a parent, but with the right influence and support system, it can be accomplished.
For Alexis Zarate, she’ll embark on her first drag-and-drive, something she’s wanted to do for nearly a decade, at the Edelbrock Sick 66 in October.
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The 26 year-old mother of two got her introduction to cars through her father, as well as the ’69 Camaro she currently navigates. “My dad bought the car at age 17, and gave it to me when I was a year old,” said Alexis. “I started racing it at 17.”
Working in the automotive profession, including her current job at Nitrous Express, Alexis literally added fuel to the fire of making the Camaro she calls ‘Sweet Pea’ quicker and faster. The classic Chevrolet now sports north of 1,000 horsepower, thanks to a stock bottom end 4.8-liter LS boosted by twin cast 66-millimeter Borg Warner turbochargers.
A single nozzle dry nitrous system and direct port water methanol adds a little more power, as well as keeping the intake charge cool. A FTI Performance Powerglide sits in the transmission tunnel, and the small tire ride hooks up with Calvert Racing Cal Trac bars and Split Mono leaf springs.
For her first drag-and-drive, Alexis chose the Edelbrock Sick 66 event, due to the proximity to her home state of Texas. “I signed up because it is eighth-mile, and Amarillo Dragway is one of the tracks we will go to, and that is a track I go to often,” said Alexis.
She knows that a drag-and-drive will be a big change from her normal racing efforts. “Endurance is going to be key,” she said. “Going to the track for one or two nights is nothing compared to a week of racing and driving the car.”
Nine years of racing experience, plus bringing her tuner and boyfriend Jack Roberts along, gives Alexis a little more confidence. “Pushing through all of the issues,” Alexis said will be a big hurdle. “There is bound to be issues, and you have to get through them.”
But Alexis is excited to be doing over 1,300 miles of driving and racing in just over a month. “I have wanted to do a drag-and-drive since I was 18.”
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of 1320 Video and Alexis Zarate.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com