Indianapolis 500 - May 28, 2006

Ayrton graduated from eighth grade at Rockdale Jr. High on Thursday, May 25, 2006 and the next day, he and his dad, Duane, headed for Indianapolis, IN and the 90th running of the Indianapolis 500. They flew with friends in a private plane (Cessna 206) from the Rockdale Airport arriving at their destination on Friday evening. Saturday, they attended the parade where the grand marshall was The Food Network's Rachael Ray, and Lance Armstrong was the driver of this years pace car. They also toured the museum and took a bus ride onto the famous track. Sunday was race day and they enjoyed all the pre-race and race activities. Although Ayrton was rooting for Marco Andretti, Sam Hornish Jr. won the event. On Monday on the way home they had to fly IFR for most of the trip due to the weather and they stopped in Addison, TX near Dallas for fuel and Ayrton took off and flew the plane home to Rockdale where Alesi and Mom greeted them upon arrival. Ayrton should have a wonderful memory from the end of his jr. high days to the new beginning of his high school days with this trip to the Indy 500.

Pine Valley Raceway April 7-9, 2006

April 14, 2006 - Rockdale, TX - New Breed Racing, Ayrton and Alesi Gerthe, attended the second stop of the “triple double” Division 4 Mr. Gasket Pro-Am Tour held outside Lufkin, Texas at Pine Valley Raceway, April 7-9, 2006.

Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners Terry and Rhonda McMillen, 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, C. Trade Group, Flatout Gaskets and NGK Spark Plugs.

After the event, Lisa said, “The cars were running good, we came out Saturday morning running a little faster than we had in testing Friday night and in testing the prior weekend at San Antonio Raceway, so we had to make some changes. Alesi and Ayrton made their adjustments at the tree and had really good lights over the weekend, sometimes a little to close to the edge and it bit both of them over the weekend.”

Ayrton went out first round Saturday when he went red, while Alesi made her way through the 23 car master’s field and down to the final six cars. Alesi said, “My car was running so consistent all day, but in the quarter’s the sun was starting to go down and the conditions started changing and my car fell off its dial a little; just enough to cost me the round, but I guess that’s bracket racing.” The crew made their way back to the pits and began preparing for Sunday’s event.

On Sunday, the team talked about the race Saturday and evaluated their cars. “My goal was to have two identical cars, same chassis, motor, clutch, etc., but these cars are just like my kids, different in their own way,” said Duane. “The master’s rules don’t give you much room when you bust 7.90 and for some reason Alesi’s car wanted to speed up all weekend, but Ayrton’s car was running the number.” Duane continued, “In Alesi’s first time trial Saturday, she came out and ran 7.83; shortly thereafter we received a visit from our Division 4 Director, Frank Kohutek, giving us our warning. I added weight to the car and adjusted the throttle stop which should have put the car running in the high 7.90’s or low 8’s, but it still continued to run around 7.90 all day. Sunday morning we decided not to take a chance, so we added more weight and in the time trial she ran 7.88. We had Alesi drinking fluids, eating, everything we could think of and it seemed every time we added weight, her car sped up!”

First round Sunday, Alesi went red and Ayrton made his way through the pack of 24 master’s cars and down to the final three cars. Ayrton said, “My car wasn’t coming up on the pipe sometimes at the line even though the idle was set, so I was making the adjustments and I got lucky a lot today; I had that feeling that I was taking that Ironman home.” Lisa said, “Ayrton really drove the car this weekend, at the starting line and at the top end. I was having problems with his computer, sometimes it would work and other times it wouldn’t, so finally on Sunday I told him that he was going to have to help me ‘hear the car’ and make the idle adjustments, and he did. When we get into eliminations in bracket racing we don’t like to make many adjustments, so many times Alesi and Ayrton have to step up and help us out. When we have minor problems like the one with the computer, we hope things work out because from a tuning point our hands are tied, but just when we needed the car to be there a little more for us, it wasn’t…it slowed down! It just wasn’t meant to be for us to bring home another Ironman today.” Lisa concluded, “Michael Zampese won Saturday night and we took his car to Pine Valley, so I guess in a way we did take an Ironman home, at least we took the car!”

The team will test and prepare for the final stop of the divisionals scheduled for June 2-4 at Tulsa Raceway Park and is scheduled to participate in Ironman Classics in the area. Alesi will also be gaining more seat time in her big dragster. Alesi and Ayrton would like to thank Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners Terry and Rhonda McMillen, Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, C. Trade Group, 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 - April 1, 2006

April 3, 2006 - Rockdale, TX - New Breed Racing, the sister and brother team Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, attended the first points race of the bracket racing season at San Antonio Raceway this past Saturday. 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. “It had been a few weeks since we’d raced, and we needed to get the cars tuned and ready for the second stop of the Division 4 Mr. Gasket Pro-Am Tour this weekend at Pine Valley Raceway, Lufkin, TX,” said Lisa. “The kids and the cars performed wonderfully and they both made it down to five cars, with Alesi going on to the final round.” “Alesi found the tree early on in the evening, cutting a .500, .503 and .515. When you cut it that close, you hope to finish the day without going red, but that’s just what happened in the finals, she went red,” said Lisa. “We feel good about the cars going into this next divisional.” Alesi and Ayrton would like to thank Hoosier Thunder Motorsports Team owners Terry and Rhonda McMillen, 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!
Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe

McMillen visits RHS

A taste of the pro’s life in the fast lane
(Reprinted with permission of The Rockdale Reporter.)

Racing program makes a pit stop at RHS; helps efforts of local junior sibling racers

By KEN ESTEN COOKE
Reporter Staff Writer

 Alesi Gerthe and brother Ayrton are excited. They’re getting a visit today from a professional race car driver and his team and they get to show off their hobby to every student at Rockdale High School.
  The Gerthes, part of the successful brother-and-sister tandem of junior drag racers, were chosen to participate in a new “adoption” program that lets them rub elbows with the big boys of the International Hot Rod Association—in this case, Terry McMillen of Elkhart, Indiana, who stopped in Rockdale on Tuesday to show off his wheels.
  McMillen and his Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team were on the way to San Antonio for the eMax Drag Racing season the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals. His team was chosen to help the Gerthes learn about the racing industry and help them get a leg up on learning the ins and outs of the sport.
  The team rolled out the Amalie Oil “InstiGator” Funny Car and also displayed the drag racers of the Gerthes in the RHS parking lot.
 “This program is a way we can help the sport continue to grow and see that these young racers learn things to continue their careers,” McMillen said of the program.
McMillen, who has spent the past 30 years in racing, admits that the few seconds from starting gate to finish line are only a tiny part of the sport and the “unseen” parts of the business—the marketing and endorsements—end up taking up far more time.
  That’s a big part of the push for the “adoption” program—showing them the ropes of racing.

Marketing
  “We don’t want these young racers to wait until they are 30 or 40 to learn how to get some of the corporate money,” McMillen said.
  McMillen admitted that learning to get sponsorships is a big part of this sport. Racing is not like buying a bat and baseball glove and being in business. These performance machines demand a lot of upkeep and the costs are prohibitive to many. He said even at all levels of the sport, marketing plays a huge part of keeping a team on the road.
 “In this sport, it’s about selling product—not so much about winning or losing on the weekend, but on how much product gets sold on Monday,” he said.
 The Gerthe family watched as the racing team put sponsor stickers on Alesi’s new maroon dragster. Since she recently turned 16, she was allowed to move up to a 750-horsepower dragster from her junior model in which she dominated her age divisions.
  “It helps a lot,” Alesi said. “He’s shown us a lot of things about marketing that we didn’t know. It’s been great.”
  Parents Duane and Lisa Gerthe are trying to raise their children right in a sport that gets a lot of attention. The siblings’ racing team is called “New Breed.”
  “The Gerthes really exemplify what drag racing is all about,” McMillen said. “It’s a true family sport. They live it and it shows in how tight-knit they are as a family.”
But the program looks for youth who look beyond their sport. McMillen was impressed that the Gerthes get their kids to help with the Christmas Round-Up, which provides needy local families with food and toys.
  Alesi also donated 10 inches of her hair to “Locks of Love,” which provides hair pieces to medical patients. She also recently joined RHS’ Peer Assisted Leadership (PAL) program.

Motivation
  But the visit wasn’t only for the Gerthes. McMillen, also named IHRA Sportsman of the Year, gave an assembly to RHS students about setting goals—both short-term and long-term ones and using education to reach those goals. A short feature film was also shown at the assembly. The Gerthes were pleased to be able to glean some knowledge from a big-time racing team.
  “It’s not every day you get to talk to a pro driver,” Alesi said.

InstiGator Team Makes Stop at RHS

March 22, 2006 - Rockdale, TX - New Breed Racing, the sister and brother team Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, welcomed Terry McMillen and InstiGator team members Tad Heflick, Brent Lidgard, and Jim Walczak to Rockdale High School on Tuesday, March 21, 2006. Everyone was all smiles as the InstiGator prowled its way through the streets of the small Central Texas town, delivering an awesome motivational speech to the students and staff and displaying the Funny Car and rig. “I’m not sure who was smiling more, Alesi & Ayrton or the toothy paint schemed Amalie Oil InstiGator, powered by TORCO Racing Fuels. I’m not a betting lady, but I’d have to put my money on my kids. They were so excited when we received the call from Terry that he would like to visit our town on his way to San Antonio Raceway’s 5th Annual Amalie Oil Texas Nationals,” said Lisa Gerthe. “I’m not sure how many times Alesi and Ayrton called on Monday to see how close Terry and his team were to arriving in Rockdale, but when we saw that rig heading towards us, it was an awesome feeling. Although the team was so exhausted from the long drive from Indiana, they spent time with us and we really enjoyed getting to meet Terry’s team for the first time and visit with Jim, Tad and Skinny.” Lisa continued, “Since we met Terry at last years Amalie Oil Texas Nationals and he and Rhonda decided to implement the Adopt a Jr. Dragster program with IHRA and adopt Alesi & Ayrton, we have sort of adopted them also and communicate with them often. I knew Terry visited schools in the areas that he raced and I hoped he would offer to speak to the students of our school district. Terry’s an excellent role model and ambassador for the sport of drag racing, and he delivered a great motivational message for our students and staff yesterday. I’ve already received many positive comments and know we will see a positive result within our school from his visit.” After the assembly, students were allowed to view the InstiGator Funny car along with Ayrton’s jr. dragster and Alesi’s Quick Rod Dragster. “We’re really looking forward to getting to San Antonio Raceway to offer Terry our support and to enjoy a great weekend of racing,” continued Lisa. “Judy, Todd and their staff have been diligently working and preparing for this event and we know it will be a great success.” Alesi and Ayrton would like to thank the best sponsors in the racing industry Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners, Terry and Rhonda McMillen and their team, along with Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets and NGK Spark Plugs.
Have a great day!
Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe

Alesi selected as member of RHS PALS

March 16, 2006 - Rockdale, TX – Alesi Gerthe, driver for New Breed Racing Team, was recently selected as a member of the Rockdale High School Peer Assistance Leadership Program for the 2006-2007 school year. “Alesi’s leadership qualities and caring attitude set her apart from her peers. She was nominated by a member of the faculty, interviewed by a panel, and selected as a member of the PAL® Program”, stated Karen Muston, RHS PAL® Sponsor. “I am very excited about the upcoming year and look forward to knowing Alesi better.” The PAL® Peer Assistance Leadership Program is a peer-to-peer outreach program for elementary, intermediate, and high school students. The proven results are improved school attendance, reduced drug and alcohol abuse, a positive school climate, increased academic success, responsible behavior, and involvement in community service. The PAL® Program teaches life skills and builds resiliency and assets in students. Established in 1980, the PAL® Program's comprehensive network of prevention activities and training addresses the underlying causes for alcohol, tobacco and other drug use by youth. The PAL® Program provides students of all ages ongoing opportunities to create supportive environments that empower their peers to make healthy, positive decisions and to achieve their human potential. The primary intent of the PAL® Program is to help create, enhance, and support all peer-to-peer and peer leadership programs in schools. Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners, Terry and Rhonda McMillen, 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.

Division 4 Pro-Am San Antonio Raceway, March 10-12, 2006

March 13, 2006 - Rockdale, TX – Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, the sister and brother team New Breed Racing, attended the first two of six races of the Division 4 Mr. Gasket Pro-Am Tour’s Master’s Class this past weekend at San Antonio Raceway. Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners, Terry and Rhonda McMillen 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. It was great to kick off this race tour at our home track, San Antonio Raceway. We had a great weekend of racing; Alesi and Ayrton were very focused. The cars ran good, except for a “stumble fairy” on Alesi’s car. Her car stumbled both days on the starting line and we’re trying to find the problem. On Saturday, Alesi and Ayrton made it down to six cars. On Sunday, Ayrton cut a .499 red in the first round and Alesi went a couple rounds before the “stumble fairy” reared its head and the car fell off. First round, Alesi paired up with friend Michael Zampese and both dialed 7.90. With almost identical reaction times, Alesi won on a double break out 7.899 to Michael’s 7.898. Duane Gerthe said, “That first round race was awesome on Sunday and the kids did great all weekend. We will find the problem with Alesi’s car before the next divisional at Pine Valley in a few weeks.” Alesi and Ayrton would like to thank Hoosier Thunder Motorsports Team owners Terry and Rhonda McMillen and their 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.

Division 4 Pro-Am Tour - San Antonio Raceway March 10-12, 2006

March 10, 2006 - Rockdale, TX - New Breed Racing, the sister and brother team Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, will attended the first two of six races of the Division 4 Mr. Gasket Pro-Am Tour this weekend at San Antonio Raceway. Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners, Terry and Rhonda McMillen 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. We are excited to be kicking off this season at our home track, San Antonio Raceway and we are equally excited to see all of our “racing family”. The team spent the off-season preparing a Cameron Dragster for Alesi’s anticipated move into Quick Rod. Duane Gerthe explained, “Our initial plans were to have Alesi ready to compete in the Quick Rod class this year at the divisionals and at the Nationals in San Antonio, but we were limited in our opportunities to make the necessary passes toward her license due mainly to weather conditions and scheduling. We want to take it at Alesi’s pace with this big car and considering all the circumstances, I guess we have to look at it as it’s just not the right time. We are in no rush for her to move up from jr.’s, but we’d like her to get some seat time so she can become familiar with this car.” Alesi and Ayrton would like to thank Hoosier Thunder Motorsports Team owners Terry and Rhonda McMillen and their 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 Raceway - January 21, 2006

January 22, 2006 - Rockdale, TX - New Breed Racing, the sister and brother team Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, attended the San Antonio Bracket race held Saturday, January 21, 2006. 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. We had a great day, it felt good to be back at the track racing after the winter break and be able to see our racing friends. Alesi and Ayrton ended up racing each other in the semi-finals, with Ayrton taking the win after Alesi went red. Before we could get the finals ran, it began raining and the event was called. It’s always interesting and unpredictable when the two of them race each other. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does we always have a talk with them together about how things are going to be when the race is over. Ahhh, sibling rivalry, don’t you just love it! 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.

Locks of Love - January 12, 2006

January 12, 2006 - Rockdale, TX - New Breed Racing, the sister and brother team Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, are gearing up for the upcoming 2006 race season and have been busy throughout the off-season with many tasks. Terry and Rhonda McMillen of Hoosier Thunder Motorsports, 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 team has been preparing Alesi’s Cameron Dragster and she will start making passes towards her license and plans to run Quick Rod as well as her jr. dragster this season. Duane Gerthe said, “We want to take it at Alesi’s pace with this big car. We are in no rush for her to move up from jr.’s, but we’d like her to get some seat time so she can become familiar with this car; it’s a big step, but she’s ready!” Alesi said, “Some of my friends who have moved from jr.’s to big dragsters are encouraging me to make the move and let them initiate me. I’m not exactly sure what the initiation will be, but I’m thinking they are ready to start whooping up on me like they did when I first started racing jr. dragsters”, laughed Alesi. The team also continued their holiday tradition by delivering Christmas Round-Up, food and toys for needy families in the Rockdale area. Lisa said, “We have helped with this local charity since Alesi and Ayrton were toddlers and it’s nice to know that we helped make someone’s holiday a little brighter.” Alesi also decided to give a special gift of her own this holiday season by donating over 10 inches of hair to Locks of Love. Lisa said, “Locks of Love is a not-for-profit organization that provides custom-fitted hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under the age of 18 with medical hair loss. Donors provide the hair, volunteers staff the office, and the manufacturer hand-assembles each piece, which takes four to six months and requires 6 to 10 ponytails. The organization, which began in 1997, has helped over 1000 children and over 80 percent of the donors are children, making this a charity where children have the opportunity to help other children.” “I hope someone would do the same for me if I lost my hair due to an illness”, explained Alesi. “After I cut my hair a few days before Christmas, two of my cousins decided to do the same a few days after Christmas and I hope I will inspire others; it’s a good feeling.” Alesi continued, “I encourage people to visit http://www.locksoflove.org/ and learn more about this special organization.” We hope you had a wonderful holiday season and wish you a blessed 2006. Have a great day!

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.