The fifth time was the charm for NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster racer Jackie Fricke. Fricke captured the NHRA Eastern Regional title in 2014, her fifth full season competing in the class.  

“This championship is a dream come true. Joe [Cantrell], our crew, and the whole Finke Racing team stood behind me all year and I am so fortunate to be a part of such a great group,” said Fricke, driver of Joe Cantrell’s Injected Nitro 2005 McKinney dragster.

The fifth time was the charm for NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster racer Jackie Fricke. Fricke captured the NHRA Eastern Regional title in 2014, her fifth full season competing in the class.  

“This championship is a dream come true. Joe [Cantrell], our crew, and the whole Finke Racing team stood behind me all year and I am so fortunate to be a part of such a great group,” said Fricke, driver of Joe Cantrell’s Injected Nitro 2005 McKinney dragster.

“When I was seven years old I only dreamt of driving one of these cars. I never even dared to dream that I would win a championship,” she said.

Fricke, who licensed in Top Alcohol Dragster with Tom Jones in 2008 and competed in his blown Pro Start dragster on and off for two seasons, paired with Cantrell in 2012. Their partnership didn’t earn instant success though, as Cantrell and Fricke struggled. However, late in the 2012 season, fellow NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster multi-time division champion John Finke suggested that Fricke and Cantrell make the leap to an injected nitro combination and team with Finke Racing for 2013.

Now tuned by Tom Conway and Finke, Cantrell and Fricke have spent the last two years testing at race facilities prior to certain events and work endlessly at their race shop when they aren’t traveling.

Fricke’s success this season is a testament of how hard work can pay off. Her 2014 success began early in the season with a final round appearance during the first NHRA Lucas Oil East Region series event at Virginia Motorsports Park, Petersburg, VA. Along with her runner-up finish in Virginia, Fricke and her team earned a win during the East Region event at Lebanon Valley Dragway in West Lebanon, NY, as well as at New England Dragway, Epping, NH, where she drove her heart out on a difficult race track to earn the win.

“The season was cruising along in dream fashion until I raced at one of my home tracks in August [Atco Dragway, Atco, NJ]. All of my friends and family were there and I failed to qualify and was devastated. Rich McPhillips won the event and I thought my region championship hopes had gone down the drain. My husband Shawn and the rest of my team kept trying to cheer me up but that weekend was tough to get over,” said Fricke.  

Despite her upset at Atco Dragway, Fricke and her team successfully maintained the points lead and finished their season just above McPhillips. With a total of 309 points and tied with McPhillips, Fricke’s prior final round pedal fest victory at the New England Dragway East Region event earned her the tie-breaker advantage.

As she sets her goals for 2015, Fricke is hopeful that her East Region championship will help her and Cantrell find the financial support to help back a team currently supporting itself.

“We are grateful for everyone who has helped us earn this championship, and I’m hoping that now we can turn some heads and establish sponsorships that help support our team’s future success,” said Fricke.

Fricke’s 2014 race tour isn’t over just yet. She and her team are headed west where they will compete at the NHRA Las Vegas and Pomona national events. She excitedly adds that she and Cantrell have a full race schedule planned for 2015 that includes both NHRA regional and national events.