Last season was a tough one for the Furr Racing family, both on the race track and off.  After a typical start to their season, the Furrs suffered a catastrophic tow vehicle failure on their way to the NHRA Division 2 event in Atlanta back in May.  The resulting damage and financial liability put a huge strain on their racing budget for the season.  Personal and family issues added an emotional burden, and in the end Michelle Furr didn’t compete as often or as successfully as NHRA fans and competitors are accustomed to seeing from the two-time NHRA national event winner.  In fact, 2014 marked the first season that the Furr’s won’t add an NHRA “Wally” trophy to their mantle in quite some time.

“It’s certainly been a challenge,” Michelle Furr said.  “Sometimes things happen that put racing into perspective.  When the engine blew up in the truck, it was a huge financial setback.  My parents have separated, after 45 years of marriage.  My father was in a severe car accident.  Our daughter Madi started high school, and our son Adiayn started middle school, which has been an adjustment for all of us.  It all added up.  Rick and I just decided that family needed to be our priority.  We love to race, it brings our whole family together, but we’ve got years and years ahead to race.  Last season, our attention was better spent within our immediate family.  These experiences are difficult, but they make us stronger, and we’re hungrier than ever to get back on the track in 2015!”

Last season was a tough one for the Furr Racing family, both on the race track and off.  After a typical start to their season, the Furrs suffered a catastrophic tow vehicle failure on their way to the NHRA Division 2 event in Atlanta back in May.  The resulting damage and financial liability put a huge strain on their racing budget for the season.  Personal and family issues added an emotional burden, and in the end Michelle Furr didn’t compete as often or as successfully as NHRA fans and competitors are accustomed to seeing from the two-time NHRA national event winner.  In fact, 2014 marked the first season that the Furr’s won’t add an NHRA “Wally” trophy to their mantle in quite some time.

“It’s certainly been a challenge,” Michelle Furr said.  “Sometimes things happen that put racing into perspective.  When the engine blew up in the truck, it was a huge financial setback.  My parents have separated, after 45 years of marriage.  My father was in a severe car accident.  Our daughter Madi started high school, and our son Adiayn started middle school, which has been an adjustment for all of us.  It all added up.  Rick and I just decided that family needed to be our priority.  We love to race, it brings our whole family together, but we’ve got years and years ahead to race.  Last season, our attention was better spent within our immediate family.  These experiences are difficult, but they make us stronger, and we’re hungrier than ever to get back on the track in 2015!”

It’s not as though the 2014 campaign was an on-track disaster.  In the team’s first race back after the Atlanta incident, Michelle drove her Ohio Crankshaft-backed Super Comp dragster to a victory in the Moser Engineering Super Shootout at the NHRA Division 3 LODRS in Bowling Green, KY.  At the same event, which the Furr’s enjoy attending due in large part to its proximity to Quickfuel Technologies, a trusted partner to Furr Racing, her team was also awarded with the Best Appearing Crew award for their sharp crew shirts featuring the K&N Filters colors.  As great as that success felt, especially after overcoming such a difficult summer, the 2014 season simply didn’t live up to expectation for a family and team so accustomed to success.

Michelle and her family: husband and tuner Rick, daughter Madi, son Adiayn (both of whom compete in the Junior Dragster ranks) are excited to turn the calendar and embark upon an aggressive 2015 schedule in pursuit of the NHRA Super Comp national championship and the NHRA Division 2 title in both Super Comp and Super Street.

“I’m really excited about the upcoming season,” Michelle said.  “While we’ve had success in the past – we’ve finished in the top five of the division standings on a few occasions – we never really set out to chase points.  We’d go to a few races, have success, then pick up a few more races toward the end of the season to make a run at it.  It was never scheduled; and we’d always give away a few opportunities by not attending the maximum number of events.  In 2015, we’re committed to chasing the NHRA Lucas Oil Series.  There are so many great racers in Super Comp and Super Street that the commitment alone certainly doesn’t guarantee any type of top finish; but I’m very confident in our team and extremely excited about the opportunity.”