Christmas 2005

Wishing you and yours a joy-filled Holiday Season
filled with love from friends and family
all around and many blessings
in the New Year.

Sending Warm Greetings,

New Breed Racing
Duane, Lisa, Alesi & Ayrton Gerthe

4th Annual JRDrags.com Cajun Jr. Nationals - Pine Valley Raceway, Lufkin TX

November 1, 2005 - Rockdale, TX - New Breed Racing, the sister and brother team Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, attended the 4th Annual JRDrags.com Cajun Jr. Nationals at Pine Valley Raceway, Lufkin, TX on October 28-30, 2005. Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners, Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the Amalie Oil InstiGator Team, through the IHRA Adopt A Jr. Dragster Program, sponsor the IHRA Division 4 Junior Dragster Team from San Antonio Raceway, along with Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets and NGK Spark Plugs. The Cajun Jr. Nationals was an unscheduled race for the team. Alesi and Ayrton heard so many good things about the annual event and they knew many of their racing friends would be present, so the team made the trek to the East Texas piney woods to join jr. drag racing teams from seventeen different states for a “spooktacular” weekend of racing. The team entered every race of the event which included Index, Age Bracket, Quick 32 and Outlaw 330’. Duane Gerthe said, “Brand X Engines had contacted us last week and asked if Alesi would pilot their Brand X Engines/Racer Pops Components sponsored Outlaw Jr. Dragster”. Alesi jumped at the opportunity to race with the “heads up” crowd and made an impressive showing for her first time in the class and in this car. Alesi averaged .450 at the pro tree and qualified for the main event. Although Alesi was a first round runner-up, she turned her focus on the Quick 32 class the following day. With the weight removed from the car, Alesi qualified in the top of the Quick 32 field and the “Shapley Shuttle” propelled her all the way to the final round, finishing second in Quick 32 and added a silver “Flying Floyd” (an Ironman style trophy) to her collection of Ironmen. Ayrton went to the quarterfinals of the 7.90 Index class and helped with crew duties each day. It was a busy weekend running three cars in five different classes, but the final round appearance in Quick 32, the quarterfinal in 7.90 Index, and the chance to run Outlaw made the long drive home much shorter. Alesi admitted, “It was an adjustment to go from my car to another all day, each day because the set up is different, but I had a really good time and I really liked driving the Outlaw car, especially the burnouts!” The Brand X Engines/RPC Outlaw Jr. Dragster definitely fueled Alesi’s desire to race professionally in the near future and has made for interesting and exhilarating conversation since the weekend. A post on the JRDrags.com forum congratulated “Brand X Engines/Racer Pops Components and their ‘hired gun’ Alesi Gerthe for the final round appearance”.
Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe

2005 Division 4 Team Finals - San Antonio Raceway

October 10, 2005 - Rockdale, TX - New Breed Racing, Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, attended the 2005 Division 4 Team Finals held at San Antonio Raceway, October 7 – 9, 2005. Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners, Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the Amalie Oil InstiGator Team, through the IHRA Adopt A Jr. Dragster Program, sponsor the IHRA Division 4 Junior Dragster Team from San Antonio Raceway, along with Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets and NGK Spark Plugs. A cold front brought cooler temperatures and rain that halted the racing on Friday, but the rest of the weekend was picture perfect. In the main event on Sunday with a field of 56 cars, Alesi made it down to fourteen cars and Ayrton went to the quarterfinals. Although we missed our goal of bringing home another Ironman, our team did help San Antonio Raceway win another track championship.

San Antonio Raceway - "Double" & Final I-10 Race - October 1, 2005

October 2, 2005 - Rockdale, TX – Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, Jr. Dragster drivers for New Breed Racing attended the final race for the 2005 I-10 Series and track points at San Antonio Raceway on Saturday, October 1, 2005. Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners, Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the Amalie Oil InstiGator Team, through the IHRA Adopt A Jr. Dragster Program, sponsor the IHRA Division 4 Junior Dragster Team from San Antonio Raceway, along with Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets and NGK Spark Plugs. The day was packed full of racing with time trials starting just after noon and the team arrived home at 3 a.m. this morning. The day was unique and challenging because our crew chief/dad Duane had to stay behind due to work commitments, but thanks to our friend Travis Crim and the support of our racing family, we had an awesome night. It’s nice to have great friends and you don’t realize it until you’re faced with a situation. Many knew Duane wouldn’t be with us and when others noticed, they offered help and support. It’s a good feeling, but we know IHRA racers are special people. Duane had the cars tuned and ready, so all we had to do was pour in the TORCO Racing Fuel and go rounds. The only mechanical failure was a flat on our tow dolly, but Todd Zampese helped us out offering a replacement wheel. Ayrton stayed in on both color tech cards several rounds and put six elimination round passes on his car. Alesi made a final round appearance, finished second, and put ten elimination round passes on her car. Although we had a great day of racing and wanted to prove we could go rounds, it didn’t feel the same without our crew chief there with us. We called him after each pass and were thankful for the performance of our Hardens Race Cars powered by Blossom Racing Engines. We look forward to the Division 4 Team Finals next weekend at San Antonio Raceway and our goal is to bring home another “Ironman”. Alesi and Ayrton would like to thank Hoosier Thunder Motorsports Team owners Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the InstiGator Team, Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets, and NGK Spark Plugs for being the best sponsors in the racing industry. Also, thanks to IHRA, Sherrie Barbour, and Drag Review for promoting jr. dragster racing.

San Antonio Raceway - September 17, 2005

September 19, 2005 - Rockdale, TX - New Breed Racing, the sister and brother team Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, attended the bracket race held at San Antonio Raceway on Saturday, September 17, 2005. Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners, Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the Amalie Oil InstiGator Team, through the IHRA Adopt A Jr. Dragster Program, sponsor the IHRA Division 4 Junior Dragster Team from San Antonio Raceway, along with Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets and NGK Spark Plugs. Alesi and Ayrton had a great night and came close to racing each other in the finals. Ayrton treed his competitor in the semi-finals, but lost on a break out pass. Alesi went to the final round and came up short against her competitor, Michael Zampese. We were very proud of our drivers’ performance on Saturday with a final and semi-final round appearance, and the cars were there for them. Our next race will be October 1, 2005 at San Antonio Raceway. Alesi and Ayrton would like to thank Hoosier Thunder Motorsports Team owners Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the InstiGator Team, Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets, and NGK Spark Plugs for being the best sponsors in the racing industry. Also, thanks to IHRA, Sherrie Barbour, and Drag Review for promoting jr. dragster racing.

San Antonio Raceway Double Points - September 10, 2005

September 15, 2005 - New Breed Racing, Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe from Rockdale, TX, attended the double points bracket race held at San Antonio Raceway, September 10, 2005. After two rain delays, the team had a strong finish with Ayrton making it to the quarter final round and Alesi advancing to the semi-finals. With just a couple of races left until the Division 4 Bracket Finals, the team is focusing on ending the 2005 season with a strong finish at its final events. Alesi and Ayrton will travel to San Antonio Raceway this Saturday and compete in the bracket race. Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners, Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the Amalie Oil InstiGator Team through the IHRA Adopt A Jr. Dragster Program, sponsor the IHRA Division 4 Junior Dragster Team, from San Antonio Raceway, along with Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets and NGK Spark Plugs.

Lone Star Raceway Park IHRA Division 4 Renegade Shootout and Pro-Am - September 2-4, 2005

September 5, 2005 - Lone Star Raceway Park, Sealy, Texas - The weekend was packed full of racing, with hot and humid Texas days and steamy nights. New Breed Racing, the jr. dragster team from San Antonio Raceway, had a great time and the Saturday "double points" Renegade Shootout proved successful for team member Alesi Gerthe, a fifteen year old sophomore at Rockdale High School. Alesi won the Renegade Shootout Jr. Masters which moved her to the Jr. Jam Shootout with Dylan Lee who won Jr. Advanced and Tristen "Chigger" Johnson who won Jr. Beginner. Dylan got the BYE in the Jr. Jam Shootout, Alesi beat "Chigger" and went on to race Dylan in the finals. Dylan won and Alesi was runner-up. It's really interesting and evident what a special bond these jr. racer's have with each other, because they are friends all weekend long, but when they roll through the water box, it's all business. We came up short of our divisional goal this season, but thanks to many friends old and new, it was a year of learning, growing and alot of fun! Our crew chief/dad Duane does an awesome job tuning and preparing the cars for each race and we wouldn't be a success without his expertise and "finger pointing"!! Thanks for everything Dad, you are the best and we love you!!! John Harden is the best chassis builder, Craig Blossom is an awesome engine builder and this combination keeps us going rounds and we appreciate them for providing us with all the best parts! This year has been very special with the new relationship we have with Terry and Rhonda McMillen and their entire crew including Jim Walczak. Each race weekend wouldn't be the same without the support of so many people, including our "racing family": the Lee's, Matheny's, Wayne Baker, Twig, the Buford's, Johnson's, Zampese's, Talley's, Crim's, Kilpatrick's, George and Karen. We would like to thank the BEST sponsors in the racing industry: Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the InstiGator Funny Car Team as part of the IHRA Adopt A Jr. Dragster Program, along with Amalie Oil, TORCO Race Fuel, NGK Spark Plugs and Flatout Gaskets. Also, we'd like to thank IHRA, Sherrie Barbour, Drag Review and Jeanne Gendreau for giving our kids the opportunity to live their dreams and for the "Green Light Gang".

Lone Star Raceway - August 27, 2005

New Breed Racing attended a bracket and jr. dragster war race held at Lone Star Raceway Park in Sealy, Texas on August 27, 2005. We had made some changes to the cars and needed to make some test runs to prepare for the upcoming divisional. We had only completed the first round of the jr. dragster wars, but had almost finished the bracket race when a front blew in just before midnight. Alesi had made it to the finals in the bracket race, but the race was called when the front brought high winds and rain. This same front from the North was the one that collided with Hurricane Katrina and directed her North into the mainland of the Gulf of Mexico. New Breed Racing thanks their sponsors Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the InstiGator Team along with Amalie Oil, TORCO Race Fuels, NGK Spark Plugs and Flatout Gaskets.

San Antonio Raceway - August 20, 2005

August 20, 2005 - New Breed Racing, Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, from Rockdale, Texas traveled to the weekly bracket points race and I-10 series held at San Antonio Raceway. The team is sponsored by Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the InstiGator Team from Elkhart, Indiana as part of the IHRA Adopt A Jr. Dragster Program, along with Amalie Oil, TORCO Race Fuels, NGK Spark Plugs and Flatout Gaskets. In racing action today, Ayrton went out in the second round and Alesi made it to the quarter finals. Alesi and Ayrton thank their sponsors for all of their support!

Alesi Gerthe featured in IHRA Drag Review Green Light Gang - August 5, 2005

IHRA Mr. Gasket Pro-Am At Tulsa Raceway Park - The Fourth of July weekend weather was fantastic, especially compared to last year's divisional heat wave at Tulsa Raceway Park (TRP), (temperatures last year reached over 108 degrees in the shade.) Racers were also appreciative of the ongoing improvements at TRP and the concession stands catered by Rich Moline's Up In Smoke Barbecue. JUNIOR MASTER - Brandon Bass from San Antonio, Texas moved on to the finals where he was paired with Alesi Gerthe from Rockdale, Texas. Bass took the Ironman with his perfect .000 light and Gerthe's breakout, 8.00 on her 8.01 dial. Fifteen-year-old Alesi Gerthe of New Breed Racing drives an '03 Hardens powered by an '05 Blossom Racing Engine. She thanks her parents Duane and Lisa and her brother Ayrton. She said, "I'm glad Uncle Karl was with us this weekend in Tulsa, as well as all my racing family; the Lee's, Michael Zampese, the Johnson's, the Buford's, the Bailey's, the Matheny's, Wayne Baker and Twig. Thanks to all of you for the memorable weekend and especially the "Water War". George and Karen, thanks for your support. Ron Matheny, you win the award for the "Water War" because somehow you seemed to get everybody wet, especially when you hid on the top of your bus!" Gerthe added, "Thank you to our IHRA Adopt A Junior Dragster sponsor, Hoosier Thunder Motorsports owned by Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the InstiGator team, along with Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, NGK Spark Plugs and Flatout Gaskets. Also we thank our regular weekly supporters in Texas; the Talley's, the Kilpatrick's and the Crim's. These people call us each week to get the weekly race report and we appreciate their support." Gerthe also was the runner-up on Saturday (Jr. Master) in the Renegade Series.

San Antonio Raceway - August 13, 2005

August 15, 2005 - Rockdale, TX - New Breed Racing, Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, attended the weekly bracket race at San Antonio Raceway, August 13, 2005. Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners, Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the Amalie Oil InstiGator Team through the IHRA Adopt A Jr. Dragster Program, sponsor the IHRA Division 4 Junior Dragster Team, from San Antonio Raceway, along with Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets and NGK Spark Plugs. This past weekends bracket race was a "double points" event and Ayrton went to the second round and Alesi made a semi-final round appearance. The team will travel to San Antonio Raceway this weekend for a bracket and I-10 series race. Alesi and Ayrton would like to thank Hoosier Thunder Motorsports Team owners Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the InstiGator Team, Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets, and NGK Spark Plugs for all their support and also thanks to IHRA, Sherrie Barbour, and Drag Review for promoting jr. dragster racing.

IHRA Division 4 Renegade Shootout and Pro-Am Tour - San Antonio Raceway - August 5-7, 2005

August 7, 2005 - Rockdale, TX - New Breed Racing, Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, attended the IHRA Division 4 Renegade Shootout and Pro-Am Tour at San Antonio Raceway this weekend, August 5-7, 2005. Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners, Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the Amalie Oil InstiGator Team through the IHRA Adopt A Jr. Dragster Program, sponsor the IHRA Division 4 Junior Dragster Team, from San Antonio Raceway, along with Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets and NGK Spark Plugs. Alesi and Ayrton were very excited to be back at the racetrack after a brief break in racing due to the recent rainy weather in Texas. It’s been three weeks since we have been able to race and although we are thankful for the recent rains, it was time to get back to racing! On Sunday, Alesi made it to the quarter finals and down to five cars before losing on a break out pass. Alesi and Ayrton would like to thank Hoosier Thunder Motorsports Team owners Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the InstiGator Team, Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets, and NGK Spark Plugs for all their support and also thanks to IHRA, Sherrie Barbour, and Drag Review for promoting jr. dragster racing. Have a great weekend!
Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe

San Antonio Raceway - July 9, 2005

July 13, 2005 - Rockdale, TX - New Breed Racing, Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, attended the bracket series race at San Antonio Raceway, July 9, 2005. Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners, Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the Amalie Oil InstiGator Team through the IHRA Adopt A Jr. Dragster Program, sponsor the IHRA Division 4 Junior Dragster Team, from San Antonio Raceway, along with Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets and NGK Spark Plugs. On Saturday, Alesi went out in the second round and Ayrton went to the semi-final round. The team will travel to Lone Star Raceway Park just outside Houston, Texas this weekend for the fourth stop of the IHRA Division 4 Renegade Shootout and Mr. Gasket Pro-Am Tour. In the Jr. Dragster Master’s Class point standings, Alesi is in 5th place and Ayrton is in 7th place, with 31 cars in the class. Alesi and Ayrton would like to thank Hoosier Thunder Motorsports Team owners Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the InstiGator Team, Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets, and NGK Spark Plugs for being the best sponsors in the racing industry. Also, thanks to IHRA, Sherrie Barbour, and Drag Review for promoting jr. dragster racing. Have a great week!

IHRA Div. 4 - Tulsa Raceway Park, July 1-3, 2005

July 6, 2005 - Rockdale, TX - New Breed Racing, the sister and brother team Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, attended the third stop of the IHRA Division 4 Renegade Shootout and Mr. Gasket Pro-Am Tour at Tulsa Raceway Park, July 1-3, 2005. Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners, Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the Amalie Oil InstiGator Team through the IHRA Adopt A Jr. Dragster Program, sponsor the IHRA Division 4 Junior Dragster Team from San Antonio Raceway, along with Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets and NGK Spark Plugs. In the Renegade Shootout on Saturday, Alesi went to the final round and finished second and Ayrton went out in the first round. In the divisional on Sunday, Ayrton treed his competitor but broke out in the first round, while Alesi went to the finals and placed second. Alesi and Ayrton would like to thank Hoosier Thunder Motorsports Team owners Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the InstiGator Team, Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets, and NGK Spark Plugs for being the best sponsors in the racing industry. Also, thanks to IHRA, Sherrie Barbour, and Drag Review for promoting jr. dragster racing.

IHRA Division 4 Renegade Shootout and Pro Am Tour - San Antonio

June 22, 2005 - Rockdale, TX - New Breed Racing, the sister and brother team Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, attended the second stop of the IHRA Division 4 Renegade Shootout and Pro Am Tour, June 17-19, 2005 at San Antonio Raceway. Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners, Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the Amalie Oil InstiGator Team through the IHRA Adopt A Jr. Dragster Program, sponsor the IHRA Division 4 Junior Dragster Team, from San Antonio Raceway, along with Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets and NGK Spark Plugs. Alesi and Ayrton race in the Masters Class, 7.90 ET 1/8 mile, and features drivers age 12 through 17. Alesi went to the second round on Saturday and Sunday, while Ayrton went out in the first round on Saturday and went to round three on Sunday. The team returns to San Antonio Raceway this Saturday for the I-10 Shootout and Bracket Race, and will prepare for the upcoming race in Tulsa, OK. Alesi and Ayrton would like to thank Hoosier Thunder Motorsports Team owners Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the InstiGator Team, Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flat Out Gaskets, and NGK Spark Plugs for supporting jr. dragster racing. Also, thanks to IHRA, Sherrie Barbour, and Drag Review for promoting jr. dragster racing.

June 11, 2005 Lone Star Raceway

June 16, 2005 - Rockdale, TX - New Breed Racing, the sister and brother team Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, roll into the “Alamo City” for the rescheduled race in the second stop of the Division 4 Renegade Shootout and Pro-Am Series this weekend, June 17 – 19, 2005, at San Antonio Raceway. Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners, Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the Amalie Oil InstiGator Team through the IHRA Adopt A Jr. Dragster Program, sponsor the IHRA Division 4 Junior Dragster Team, from San Antonio Raceway, along with Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets and NGK Spark Plugs. The cars are running well, with Ayrton making it down to six cars and Alesi making a final round appearance, finishing second at the bracket race held last Saturday, June 11, 2005 at Lone Star Raceway Park in Sealy, Texas. The weekend proved to be an excellent opportunity for Alesi and Ayrton, as well as the team, to prepare for the upcoming divisional. At this stage of the racing season, things not only heat up with the various points races, but the temperatures are rising in the Lone Star state, so we have to prepare for the hot and humid Texas days and the somewhat cooler nights at the tracks. With bracket racing, the key is consistency, so we have been tuning the cars to run as consistent as possible given the weather conditions. Alesi and Ayrton would like to thank Hoosier Thunder Motorsports Team owners Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the InstiGator Team, Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets, and NGK Spark Plugs for being the best sponsors in the racing industry. Also, thanks to the IHRA, Sherrie Barbour, and Drag Review for your support of jr. dragster racing.

San Antonio Bracket and I-10 Series

June 6, 2005 - Rockdale, TX - New Breed Racing, the sister and brother team Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, attended the San Antonio Bracket and I-10 Series held Saturday June 4, 2005. Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners, Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the Amalie Oil InstiGator Team through the IHRA Adopt A Jr. Dragster Program, sponsor the IHRA Division 4 Junior Dragster team, from San Antonio Raceway. Sponsors for Alesi and Ayrton include Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets and NGK Spark Plugs. We had a great weekend and since we took a break over Memorial Day weekend, it was great to be back at the track racing and visiting our "track family". At an I-10 event, on the final time trial, all racers (electronics, no electronics and jr.'s) can pay to compete in the "run for the rubber", where you place a dial on your car and the racer closet to his dial wins a pair of drag racing slicks. Alesi was the jr. closest to her dial, a 7.9080 on a 7.90 dial, but another racer ran dead on his number with a zero. Alesi was breaking in her new motor/clutch over the weekend. Ayrton went out in the second round, while Alesi made it down to four cars before Mother Nature decided to produce rain and high winds around midnight. As the weekend progressed, Alesi settled in to her new set up and began to find her spot on the tree. In the I-10 Series, a race series between San Antonio Raceway and Lone Star Raceway, Alesi is currently fifth and Ayrton is eighth overall, in the Jr. Dragster points standings. Four races remain in the series, with the top racer in all classes (electronics, no electronics and jr.’s) in the series winning a new trailer. Currently Alesi has 171 points, Ayrton has 140 points and the overall leader has 202 points, so if we continue to do well we could bring home a new trailer! Alesi and Ayrton would like to thank Hoosier Thunder Motorsports Team owners Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the InstiGator Team, Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets, and NGK Spark Plugs for being the best sponsors in the racing industry. Also, thanks to the IHRA, Sherrie Barbour, and Drag Review for your support of jr. dragster racing.

The Best Sponsors in the Racing Industry

June 2, 2005 - Rockdale, TX- New Breed Racing, the sister and brother duo, Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, IHRA Division 4 Junior Dragster team from San Antonio Raceway, are sponsored by Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners, Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the Amalie Oil InstiGator Team through the IHRA Adopt A Jr. Dragster Program. Sponsors for the InstiGator include: Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets, NGK Spark Plugs, MSD, Performance Graphics, Powershield Coatings and Crane Cams. Alesi and Ayrton would like to offer their sincere appreciation to Mr. And Mrs. McMillen for “giving back” to the sport of drag racing, along with the IHRA and all of the team and sponsors of the InstiGator. We can’t imagine how busy Mr. And Mrs. McMillen are with operating a professional team, as well as their personal life, and to take the time to develop this program really shows their personal commitment to “paying it forward” and the sport of racing, but also their character. We feel extremely fortunate to be part of the Adopt A Jr. Dragster Program and are grateful for the opportunity. We are looking forward to taking our racing experience to the next level and never dreamed that an opportunity like this would surface. When we look back on our racing career, especially the past few months, it is sort of our version of a “Cinderella” story. Being in the right place at the right time and establishing relationships definitely made all of this possible! With Mr. And Mrs. McMillen working with Sherrie Barbour at IHRA, we can’t wait to see what happens in the jr. dragster program and in the sport that means so much to our families. We welcome the new challenges and experiences that will arise and are eager to learn all aspects of drag racing from a professional driver, Terry McMillen, who recently appeared at a Pennsylvania Elementary School as their featured speaker at the school’s anti-drug assembly. This experience has already afforded us the knowledge to develop http://www.newbreedracing.com/ and “blogging”, thanks to the expertise of Jim Walczak, and we know we will sharpen our communication skills and learn sponsorship proposal development, as well as establish relationships with sponsors who support drag racing. This opportunity is not only wonderful for our family, it is a great thing for all jr. dragster racers! Since we started racing in 2001, we have seen many jr. racer’s continue on to a big car and many have come along to fill their space in the staging lanes, the sport is really growing. The IHRA Adopt A Jr. Dragster Program is going to aid in this growth and continue to add and retain future drivers in the sport of drag racing. We will do our best to communicate with our sponsors and always display a positive example for a true family sport. Our current plans are for Alesi and Ayrton to step up to full size dragsters and continue to be part of drag racing for many years to come. Alesi and Ayrton are competing in the bracket points series at their home track San Antonio Raceway and Lone Star Raceway, the Division 4 Renegade Shootout Series and Pro-Am Tour, and the I-10 Series. We now have the best sponsors in the racing industry and our job is to learn as much as we can and bring exposure to all of our sponsors: Hoosier Thunder Motorsports Team owners Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the InstiGator Team, Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets and NGK Spark Plugs.

Dyslexia Does Not Hold Her Back

May 2005

Dyslexia Does Not Hold Her Back
Junior racer works harder than her peers to overcome learning disability
By Mike Perry IHRA.com

-Dyslexia causes difficulties in learning to read, write and spell. Short-term memory, mathematics, concentration, personal organization and sequencing may also be affected.-Dyslexia usually arises from a weakness in the processing of language-based information. Biological in origin, it tends to run in families, but environmental factors also contribute.-Dyslexia can occur at any level of intellectual ability. It is not the result of poor motivation, emotional disturbance, sensory impairment or lack of opportunities, but it may occur alongside any of these.-The effects of dyslexia can be largely overcome by skilled specialist teaching and the use of compensatory strategies.*The Dyslexia Institute 2002

Racing has always come somewhat easy for Alesi Gerthe. The 15 year-old Junior Dragster driver finished second in Division 4 last season in just her third year of competition, highlighted by winning the 2004 Division 4 Bracket Finals. When she gets behind the wheel of her Harden dragster she is a natural.It is a different story in the classroom where she is forced to deal with Dyslexia.Dyslexia, when broken down, tells you what Gerthe is forced to deal with on a daily basis. “Dys” means “difficulty” and “lexia” means “words.” Simply put, Alesi has a difficult time comprehending what the words she is trying to read mean when she is doing reading assignments or taking tests in school. Sometimes “d’s” look like “b’s” or “p’s.” Just imagine if the word “deer” appeared to you as “peer” or “beer” and you had to check the context in which the word was used to figure out which word it actually was. That is just one word, one example.When a child is born Dyslexic it can be hard on a family. First it takes time for the family to figure out what is wrong. Then the child must face, at a young age, the fact that they will have to put out maximum effort for results comparable to his or her peers who might not be working very hard at all. For parents, watching the child struggle and knowing he or she has been dealt an unfair hand can be frustrating. It can also be a learning experience for the parents as well as the child.Lisa Gerthe, Alesi’s mother, noticed her daughter had difficulties comprehending basic information and learning techniques when she was in kindergarten. Though Alesi’s teachers assured Lisa Gerthe there was not a problem, by the end of Alesi’s first grade year she wanted answers.“I stayed home with the kids when they were very young and around the time she was in kindergarten we noticed that there was something not right,” she said. “I asked her teachers and they would tell me there was nothing wrong, that she was doing great. First grade it was the same thing…something just didn’t seem right so we started going through the testing. Second grade was when they really got into gear as far as pulling her out of class and doing more one on one. And she went to a lot of extra tutoring after school. When they found out she was Dyslexic it was a big relief to know there was something because we all could see it, but we just couldn’t put our fingers on it. She knew the sounds of the letters, she just couldn’t put it all together.”Lisa was not the only one relieved. After wondering why she could not pick up on things as well as her classmates, Alesi wanted to know why.“It was first noticed when I was in second grade. I was having trouble reading and the school called my mom to come in and have a meeting about it. I was tested pretty soon after that and they found out I was Dyslexic,” Alesi said. “It was a big relief for all of us. We had no idea what was wrong and it made us feel a lot better to know there was a name to what was going on.”Despite the fact that there was a name for what her daughter was going through it didn’t make it any easier for her mother to watch her struggles.“It is extremely hard. It’s indescribable and unless you have a child and go through it yourself you can’t understand what it is like,” Lisa said. “Someone can tell you about but unless it is a part of your life you really can’t appreciate the challenges you face. When she gets it it’s like you can see the light come on in her. You can see it in her face when she’s learning and when that light bulb comes on you know she has it.”Alesi not only had to work harder than her classmates, she had to live with a younger brother who made school seem easy. Ayrton, two years younger that Alesi, is an honor student.“My brother is up for National Honor Society which means he has an ‘A’ average,” Alesi said. “He’s really smart. I’m very proud of my brother but I guess I’m a little bit jealous because school comes a lot easier for him.”Which is one reason she was happy to find out there actually was something causing her to struggle in school…that she wasn’t unintelligent. When she knew what the problem was, Alesi had to learn how to cope with it.“Dyslexia makes things harder for me to learn. Math and reading especially have been very hard for me,” she said. “After school every day I go to math tutorials and it takes me longer than other kids to understand things. If I am studying for a history test or something like that I have to go over the material several times before I can remember it.”She also needed an escape. During the school week, Alesi gets mentally and physically exhausted. She has to take her core classes early in the day, before lunch, so she will be able to concentrate and at night it takes her quite awhile to get through her homework. Her release comes during the weekend at the drag strip.“During the week when I’m in school I have to work really hard,” she said. “On the weekends we go and race and I consider everyone at the track my family. I’ve made a lot of friends there and it is a stress relief for me to go to the track and enjoy my time.”Her mother thinks drag racing has been a Godsend.“When she was in the first or second grade I had a lady tell me the best thing to do was find something that she’s good at,” Lisa said. “We tried BMX bike racing, piano, softball…we tried it all. My son actually got into drag racing first and we kept telling her we would buy her a car, too. She wasn’t quite sure but after watching him race for about two months she told us she wanted a car. After that it didn’t take her too long to catch on to it. Although the weekends can be stressful at the track, it is a release for her. Racing is something that comes naturally to her and she’s good at it.”Drag racing also provides a place for Alesi to go where she is just one of the crowd…no labels, no misconceptions. At the track she is just another racer, one everyone has high expectations for during the race.“It really makes me upset when people label me,” she said. “Just because I have Dyslexia does not mean that I’m a stupid person, it just means it takes me longer to understand things. Some people don’t understand what Dyslexia is and they just assume I’m stupid. But it is not that at all. I love showing people I can do things when they tell me I can’t.”And racing has paid dividends. Where Alesi was once a quiet child who lacked self-confidence, now she has a peer group whom she feels comfortable with and who treats her as “one of the gang.”“We knew we were going to get over the hurdle but it started affecting her self-esteem,” Lisa Gerthe said. “Not only have we been working on building her up educationally, it was an emotional thing as well. As she was able to actually feel like she was making progress, probably mid junior high when she started racing, she started to change socially. She gained confidence and I felt like I had my daughter back again.”Seeing her daughter in this light warms her mother’s heart. Lisa Gerthe knows her child has loads of potential and is trying not to push her too hard.“We’re just taking things at her pace. We know she’s capable of doing anything but she can’t be overloaded,” Lisa Gerthe said. “She can do whatever she wants if she puts her mind to it. She is great and I am very proud of her. As a daughter she has helped me grow and learn as a person. Our family is a team and that’s how we approach things. None of us stand alone and none of us would be where we are today without the help of somebody. Dealing with her Dyslexia has made us stronger as a family. Sometimes the things you work the hardest at, when you are successful it makes everything so much better.”

IHRA Adopt A Junior Dragster Program

McMillen Challenges Pro Teams To Adopt A Junior Dragster
Tuesday - May 17, 2005
Elkhart, IN - Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners, Terry and Rhonda McMillen, announced today that the Amalie Oil InstiGator team will become a sponsor for the Division 4 Junior Dragster team of Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe. Sponsors for the InstiGator include Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets, NGK Spark Plugs, MSD, Performance Graphics, Powershield Coatings and Crane Cams, will support McMillen in the effort. Alesi, a 15-year-old Rockdale, Texas freshman and her 13-year-old brother Ayrton are excited about the announcement. "This is the coolest thing; it's a big opportunity for my family and me. We're thankful to Mr. McMillen and all of the sponsors," stated Alesi. During the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals, McMillen had the chance to meet the Gerthe family and spend time with Alesi, an aspiring Pro Stock driver. "This family had an impact on our team," explained McMillen. "After the race, we thought about how we might help young men and women in our sport. We came up with a simple idea: "Adopt A Junior Dragster". It's something we would like to challenge other professional and sportsman teams to do also." The "Adopt A Junior Dragster" program is designed to encourage and support young drivers to excel in school, while at the same time help them learn about all aspects of drag racing, sponsorship development and communication. The program will also encourage young drivers to take the lessons they have learned in school and utilize them in "real world" situations. Program participants will sharpen their reading, writing and communication skills, at the same time learning the responsibility and commitment of running a racing organization. "Sherrie Barbour (Special Programs Director for IHRA) and her staff have done a great job developing the Junior Dragsters, commented Rhonda McMillen. "Not only is it a great way for families to play together and make friends with other families, it's also developing the future drivers of our sport." Alesi and Ayrton's cars will carry the logos of their sponsors. They will also be writing pre-race press releases for each event that they participate and distribute the press release to their sponsors. "We feel like this is a great chance to teach youngsters how to prepare a sponsorship proposal and how to communicate with their sponsors on an ongoing basis," said Terry. As sponsors of the InstiGator team, Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets and NGK Spark Plugs will supply products in the "Adopt A Junior Dragster" program with McMillen. Born To Race - Being in the seat of a race car might seem more of a birthright than an aspiration for the Gerthe family. Alesi and Ayrton are named after racers. Alesi is named after two-time Formula One World Champion Jean Alesi. Similarly, her younger brother, Ayrton, is named after the late Ayrton Senna, a three-time Formula One World Champion. Their father, Duane, also raced motocross for several years. Alesi's mother Lisa recalls, "Alesi wasn't sure at first if she liked drag racing. But, once she had the chance to race her brother's car, she fell in love with it. We knew that trying to share seat time would be a challenge." Alesi added that she especially enjoys winning and meeting all of the different people at the races. Proving that IHRA Drag Racing is a family sport, the Gerthe's spend their weekends racing. Dad Duane is crew chief for Alesi, and Mom Lisa handles the duties for son Ayrton. Ayrton began his racing career in 2001 at the age of 9, enjoys video games (specifically racing games), paintball and Science and wants to become an Inventor and Top Fuel driver. His favorite IHRA drivers are Clay Millican and Terry McMillen. One of Ayrton's first memories in drag racing was building his first car with his dad Duane. "We changed the backend to a custom," he explained. "I really like that everybody in the family is in racing. We get to spend a lot of time together." He also enjoys the tight points race and competition of racing head to head with friend Michael Zampese. "He pushes me a lot - I like that." Ayrton took home his first Ironman last season at the 2004 PM-1 Jr. Nationals in San Antonio. While there are other tracks closer to the Gerthe family, they choose to participate at the San Antonio Raceway. "Todd and Judy [Zampese] run their track very professionally and treat the Junior Dragsters very well," commented Lisa Gerthe. Alesi recalls the recent national event when Todd Zampese escorted her family down to stand at the start line during Top Fuel qualifying. "That was exciting!" explained Alesi. "It's hard to explain to people the feeling and vibrations when those cars take off." Alesi brought home her first Ironman in 2004, in just her second year of racing. She watches the Pro Stock class carefully, hoping to find a seat in that class in the future and hopes to become an Elementary School Teacher. Get Involved - McMillen sees the "Adopt A Junior Dragster" program as a unique opportunity to give back to the sport. "We've been very blessed over the years. We've got some of the best sponsors in drag racing including Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets, NGK Spark Plugs, MSD, Performance Graphics, Powershield Coatings and Crane Cams. This is our way of giving a little something back to the sport that means so much to our family."Teams wishing to get involved in the "Adopt A Junior Dragster" program who are unsure of how to find a Junior Dragster in their area are encouraged to contact Sherrie Barbour (sbarbour@ihra.com) at IHRA headquarters. Junior Dragster teams should follow IHRA.com and Drag Review Magazine for further details.