Sportsman star Mia Tedesco stays sharp by staying in shape

REYNOLDS, Ga. (Oct. 13) - As Sportsman racer Mia Tedesco prepares to race in this weekend's Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Silver Dollar Raceway, she can be confident her body and mind are in the right shape to compete.

Tedesco, the 22-year-old emerging NHRA star, includes a physical fitness routine as part of her preparation for drag racing. Not only do her workouts help her stay fit physically, they keep her mind sharp, too, as she races the CARS Protection Plus/VP Racing Fuels Super Gas Chevrolet Cavalier and CARS Protection Plus/VP Racing Fuels Super Comp dragster.

"I like being in shape and fit, especially for racing," Tedesco said. "I can see a big difference, the way I'm feeling, the way I can react, the way my mind works. If I take a few weeks off and then get back in the gym, that next week I'm thinking more clearly and everything is flowing a lot more. I definitely think fitness is a big part of success in this sport."

Tedesco trains as often as she can at the Tedesco Body Shop gymnasium in Murraysville, Pa., which happens to be owned and operated by her sister Natalie Tedesco.

"It's a really cool multi-functional gym," Tedesco said. "There's weights, a bunch of stuff outside, boxing. When we go, we're not necessarily just lifting weights. We might run one day, we might push a sled the next, we might box. There is a bunch of cool stuff we get into and the variety keeps it interesting."

Tedesco doesn't stick to a set routine, mainly because she simply can't. During the busy racing season, Tedesco is often gone from home more than she's there, and when she's at the race track, she's can be there for many hours at a time.

"I don't exactly have a work-out routine because it gets tough when I'm racing," Tedesco said. "After Reading, I had all that week and most of this week to go to the gym and work out and get into a rhythm, doing different body parts on different days, so there are times I can get a schedule going, but then we turn around and head out for three weeks. You have to do the best you can."

After racing this weekend, Tedesco returns home late Sunday but flies out again Wednesday. That's a typical turnaround between events.

"I'll have two days at home to get caught up," Tedesco said. "I try to get caught up on sleep also so I can be rested and relaxed. The fitness stuff will be harder to do in two days, but my sister has given me other ways to stay fit and I follow that program when I'm on the road."

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Mia Tedesco races to TAD semifinals at rain-plagued Reading national event

READING, Pa. (Oct. 3) -- A long, rain-plagued weekend turned into a frantic 24 hours of racing for Sportsman star Mia Tedesco.

After poor weather pushed the start of many Sportsman activities at the Dodge NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway to early Sunday, the race was concluded with quick turnarounds Monday. Tedesco raced to the semifinals with her CARS Protection Plus/Schepel Motors/NGK/Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster and also drove her CARS Protection Plus/VP Racing Fuels Super Gas Chevrolet Cavalier to the third round.

"We kind of expected it to be the same as last year," Tedesco said of the rain delays. "We made the best of it and had a really good time last year. (Tedesco Racing teammate) Jason (Lynch) won Super Gas, and I runner-upped in Alcohol, so we were pretty confident coming in. We really like the track.

"We kind of expected a Monday finish, and that didn't bother us at all. It was a long weekend, sitting around, waiting, maybe going to get a run."

Tedesco didn't make her first pass in TAD until Sunday morning for qualifying. She then won her first round of eliminations Sunday afternoon over Karen Stalba and advanced to the semifinals after Tom Fox Jr. was a no-show for their second-round matchup later that night.

Monday morning Tedesco battled Chris Demke in the semifinals in what was a thrilling race. Both drivers left with nearly identical reaction times and then made nearly equal runs.

"When we did get to make a run, our cars ran well," Tedesco said. "We got lucky in the Alcohol car because I had to pedal every round, except the round I lost, and that one was a good race: I was .032 (on the Tree) and ran 5.28, and he was .029 and ran 5.27, so you can't really hang your head about that. It was a good, solid run, and we just came up a little short."

Super Gas, meanwhile, didn't start until late Sunday with one round of qualifying. Eliminations began Monday morning, when Tedesco ran dead on the 9.90 index with a first-round pass of 9.900 after a .004-second reaction time.

Tedesco ran unopposed in the second round, though she still had a terrific package of a .007 light and a 9.907-second pass. In the third round, Tedesco fell to Dale Koncen, whose package of .029-second was slightly better than her .050 effort.

Monday's eliminations were run quickly, with drivers getting back to the staging lanes after making a run in the previous round.

"Those races are fun, and I'm used to running around like that," Tedesco said. "It makes the racing a lot tighter because nothing really changed (between runs). Everybody knows where the 9.90 is at. It's going to be good, tight racing when the runs are that fast back-to-back. I liked it a lot."

Tedesco will next race at the Division 2 race on Oct. 14-16 at Silver Dollar Raceway in Reynolds, Ga.

Mia Tedesco raced to the semifinals with her CARS Protection Plus/Schepel Motors/NGK/Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster and the third round of Super Gas with her CARS Protection Plus/VP Racing Fuels Chevrolet Cavalier in Reading.

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Sportsman star Mia Tedesco ready to shine in her home state

READING, Pa. (Sept. 27) -- It should come as no surprise that Pennsylvania native Mia Tedesco loves racing in her home state.

The up-and-coming NHRA racer gets a rare chance to race in the Keystone State when she competes in Top Alcohol Dragster and Super Gas during the Dodge NHRA Nationals this weekend at Maple Grove Raceway.

Tedesco, who lives in Pittsburgh, will drive the CARS Protection Plus/Schepel Motors/NGK/Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster and the CARS Protection Plus/VP Racing Fuels Super Gas Chevrolet Cavalier in Reading.

"It doesn't happen very often, so it's pretty cool when we do get to race in Pennsylvania," Tedesco said. "It's neat. The weather doesn't look that good, but Reading isn't too far from home. My family will be there, and I definitely like Reading a lot. We've had a lot of success there."

Tedesco raced to the final round in TAD in 2015, and Tedesco Racing teammate Jason Lynch has won the last two national events in Super Gas in Reading. It's no wonder she loves racing here.

"Sometimes you just find a track that you like," Tedesco said. "It's weird. Jason and I both will be like, 'This is a track we really like.' Jason has won Super Gas two years in a row, and I lost in the finals of Alcohol last year. And the year before that, I went the fastest of the whole season.

"It's just been a track we seem to have a lot of success at, and we really like it. We hope to continue the success."

Tedesco cherishes the chance to race in front of her parents, Mike and Cindy, as well as other family and friends, and they should get to see her go as fast as she has gone all season, especially in the dragster. That's because Reading is usually run in cooler fall temperatures in the Northeast, which translates to higher speeds.

"It's going to be in the high 60s, so cooler, better air," Tedesco said. "Just like the nitro cars, the Alcohol cars respond the same way to that weather."

Mia Tedesco gets a rare chance to race in the Keystone State when she competes in Top Alcohol Dragster and Super Gas during the Dodge NHRA Nationals this weekend in Reading, Pa.

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Jason Lynch charges to Super Gas victory at NHRA Carolina Nationals

CHARLOTTE (Sept. 18) -- Talented Sportsman racer Jason Lynch added another entry to his stellar résumé after racing to victory at the NHRA Carolina Nationals on Sunday at zMax Dragway.

Lynch, 41, drove the CARS Protection Plus/VP Racing Fuels Oldsmobile Cutlass to a win in Super Gas, notching his fifth career national event title and fourth in the class. He was able to hoist the Wally trophy in front of the Charlotte crowd after beating Jim Perry in the final round.

"They're all special, for sure," Lynch said. "As hard as it is to win nowadays, any time you can win one it's a good time. I rank this one right up there with all of them just because it's not getting easier to win -- it's getting harder. In the Sportsman classes, everybody is good and can drive, so it seems like it's getting tougher and tougher every year."

The veteran racer from Pleasant View, Tenn., knows exactly how tough the Sportsman classes can be. He finished second at the national event in Brainerd, Minn., on Aug. 21, then made it to the final four cars at the U.S. Nationals two weeks ago.

"I got lucky a few times," Lynch said of the Charlotte win. "In this class, it takes a lot of luck. We made some good runs, and things just fell my way. I got close in the last two national events, and I was glad I could finish this time."

Racing as a teammate to up-and-coming star Mia Tedesco, Lynch edged Ray Sawyer in a double-breakout semifinal race before dispatching Perry in the final round. Perry, who beat Tedesco in the final here in April, had a .024-second reaction time and a 9.923 pass on the 9.90 index, but Lynch was slightly better with a .029 reaction and a run only .009-second over the index. The margin of victory was .009-second.

"It's cool," Lynch said. "I've never won here, so that was a plus. We've had real good luck here the past couple of years as a team. Mia won here in March 2015, so it was good."

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Mixed results for Sportsman star Mia Tedesco at Charlotte national event

CHARLOTTE (Sept. 18) -- Sportsman star Mia Tedesco will be happy to get out of the Carolinas summertime heat.

With the temperature and humidity rising Sunday for the NHRA Carolina Nationals, teams had to face a recalcitrant racetrack, and many, including some of the top pros, had trouble making good runs. Tedesco's was no different, and it didn't help that her CARS Protection Plus/Schepel Motors/NGK/Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster was a little down on power in her second-round race Sunday.

"It's tough out there," Tedesco said after falling to Duane Shields. "You see all the Top Fuel guys going out there smoking the tires, not able to make it down. To see all that and know that it's hot and it's not ideal conditions, you try to compensate for that, but it's hard sometimes. We did the best that we could, and we'll try to get them next time."

Tedesco left first against Shields, but she knew immediately something was amiss. Her pass of 5.544 seconds at 267.85 mph wasn't enough to hold off Shields' 5.365-second run at 274.50 mph despite a .047-second advantage on the Christmas Tree.

"I felt like when it left I knew it had at least a hole out because it didn't really want to move," Tedesco said. "I felt like I hit the Tree, too, and that's exactly what happened. It had a hole out at the hit, didn't leave, and he made a good run. I beat him on the Tree but it wasn't enough that time. It just wasn't a good run."

Tedesco had scored her first holeshot victory in TAD in a first-round victory, and she drove well in all three rounds of Super Gas this weekend. Her CARS Protection Plus/VP Racing Fuels Super Gas Chevrolet Cavalier eventually broke out in a third-round race late Saturday night.

"We were close on the Tree, and I broke out," Tedesco said. "I was going faster than I thought I was and it was just a good race. We're happy with that, and we were having fun. We're going to keep on racing and try to go rounds next time."

Tedesco and Ray Miller III had nearly identical reaction times (.013 for Miller and .019 for Tedesco), but she was .012 under the 9.9-second Super Gas index, giving Miller the win. His package was good, as he made a 9.910-second pass to advance to the fourth round.

Tedesco and her team will take a weekend off before racing at the national event at Maple Grove Raceway, Sept. 29-Oct. 2.

Mia Tedesco's CARS Protection Plus/Schepel Motors/NGK/Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster was a little down on power in her second-round race Sunday at the NHRA Carolina Nationals.

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Mia Tedesco shows off driving skills in two Sportsman classes in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE (Sept. 17) -- Mia Tedesco showed why she is an emerging star in the world of NHRA drag racing on Saturday.

Tedesco won on a holeshot in the first round of Top Alcohol Dragster and posted a combined reaction time of .025-second over her first two rounds of Super Gas at the NHRA Carolina Nationals in Charlotte.

Tedesco earned the victory in her CARS Protection Plus/Schepel Motors/NGK/Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster on skill behind the wheel. She left with a .025-second reaction time and then had to pedal the car mid-track. Tedesco recovered and made a pass of 5.469 seconds at 271.79 mph that overcame Josh Hart's 5.435-second run at 257.87 mph.

"That's my first one, something I've been trying to do for a really long time," Tedesco said of the TAD holeshot victory. "After losing on a holeshot last weekend, to come back and get my first one feels really good.

"The car shook, I pedaled it, and it wasn't pretty but my win light came on, and that's all we're looking for at the end of the day."

The win advanced her to the second round against Duane Shields, the No. 2 qualifier, who knocked off Tom Fox Jr. the first round.

"The car has been all right," Tedesco said. "We made one good run (in qualifying), then shook the tires and smoked them, so we're just trying to get dialed in. My guys will get there."

Tedesco also had a good start with her CARS Protection Plus/VP Racing Fuels Super Gas Chevrolet Cavalier. She ripped off an .008 light in a first-round victory over Pat Martin and then had a .017 reaction time against Donnie Gibbs Jr.

Tedesco needed a good light in the second round because her Cavalier ran .042-second over the 9.90 index, compared to Gibbs' .021-second effort.

A third-round run in Super Gas was slated for late Saturday night.

Mia Tedesco won on a holeshot in the first round of Top Alcohol Dragster and posted a combined reaction time of .025-second over her first two rounds of Super Gas at the NHRA Carolina Nationals.

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Driving in two Sportsman classes is a rush for star Mia Tedesco

CHARLOTTE (Sept. 14) -- Sportsman star Mia Tedesco hopes to be rushed during the NHRA Carolina Nationals this weekend in Charlotte. Tedesco will again pull double duty at the national event, driving the CARS Protection Plus/Schepel Motors/NGK/Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster and CARS Protection Plus/VP Racing Fuels Super Gas Chevrolet Cavalier.

"Charlotte has treated me well these past two years," Tedesco said. "I really like it here. You always kind hope that you're rushed to change and run both classes because that means you did well in both. The goal would be to be rushed and have to jump from car to car."

Despite driving in two distinctly different classes, Tedesco has been rushed from one car to another "plenty of times" in her young career. It has happened so much that the 22-year-old has gotten used to the rush of going from one to the other.

"That happens quite often actually," Tedesco said. "It isn't a problem until you start going rounds in both classes. At the St. Louis divisional, I made it to the semi's of Super Gas and won (Top) Alcohol (Dragster), and there was a point where they called Alcohol and Super Gas to the lanes at the same time. I ran up there and said, 'Which one do you want to go in?' "

She chose the dragster, made the run in the longer car, then hurried back after changing and drove the Super Gas car, but it has happened before.

"It's crazy, for sure," Tedesco said. "There will be times when I race Alcohol and there will be somebody waiting for me at the top end, and they fly me back to the motorhome, where I'll change and fly me to the lanes. My car's already in the lanes waiting for me.

"I'm used to it and really like it. I grew up bracket racing, and you're used to racing all day from car to car. I like it."

It's not a simple matter to go from one car to the other, as Tedesco wears a different firesuit for each and it takes time to get ready for each car.

"Everything changes," Tedesco said. "The procedure is different, the uniform is different. In the Alcohol car, I wear a one-piece Stand 21 21-layer suit with Nomex underneath. I wear heavy gloves, a Hybrid (head-and-neck restraint), a Top Fuel-type helmet from Stand 21, racing shoes. In my Super Gas car, I just wear a two-piece, five-layer suit, my Hybrid, helmet, and gloves."

Could she have to hurry from one car to another in Charlotte? She hopes so.

"It's always likely, depending on how everything goes," Tedesco said. "It depends on how NHRA decides to call them and the schedule and how it plays out. In Charlotte last year when I won at the Four-Wide race, I made it to the semi's in Super Gas and won Alcohol. They called them both at the same time, and you have to run and make it work somehow."

Sportsman star Mia Tedesco will again pull double duty at the NHRA Carolina Nationals this weekend in Charlotte, driving the CARS Protection Plus/Schepel Motors/NGK/Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster (above) and CARS Protection Plus/VP Racing Fuels Super Gas Chevrolet Cavalier (below).

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