Jess Turner – a bright young star ready to burn rubber
Jess Turner – a bright young star ready to burn rubberSpring is finally here and a young ladies thoughts turn to... DRAG RACING!
Huh? That’s not right is it? ...for Jess Turner it is.
Jess isn’t your average 17 year old though. Sure she likes hanging out with her friends and all that teenage girl stuff, but Jess is equally at home putting on a race suit, strapping on a helmet and getting behind the wheel of a 650 horsepower dragster, capable of reaching speeds of over 270kph.
After 2 years in the Junior Dragster ranks Jess is making the move to Modified, one of the most competitive classes in drag racing. But don’t think for a second she’ll be 1st round fodder.
With a family that has been involved in drag racing since before she was born and guidance from some of the best racers going around, Jess will be looking to make her mark at her 1st meeting later this month at Adelaide International Raceway.
The acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree...
The Turner name will be known to many drag racing fans, with dad Paul and mum Rachael both tough competitors in Modified and Competition Eliminator back in the 90s.
“Mum and dad used to take me out to Calder when I was two months old. Dad raced and then Mum raced and then Dad raced again. So I was going to all the race meetings from an early age,” said Jess.
“I remember every time me and my brother would see Kenny [Stewart] and Amanda, they would always have chocolates for us. Kenny would get upset if we didn’t come and ask for chocolates.”
Drag racing isn’t all chocolates and good times however. Rachael had a top end crash in the family dragster back in the late 90s. This put the team out action for a while until Sydney Dragway came on line. As luck would have it, Paul would also suffer a top end crash at the 2005 Nitro Champs when oil got under the rear tyres.
“After dad crashed we went Super Gas racing and crewed for Colin Griffin. Then we sort of came to decision that we wanted a car for me. We didn’t really want to go into Junior Dragster. But to race in Modified when I reached 17 I had to step into juniors first. I talked to Jasmine Day about it and she said it was a great idea. So we looked at a car, bought it and then got involved.”
Just after the decision was made for Jess to start her drag racing career, mum Rachael passed away in a tragic accident in November 2009. “A day doesn’t go past when I don’t think about mum. I know she’ll be keeping an eye on me,” said Jess.
Stepping stones...
So in 2010 Jess started her drag racing career in Junior Dragster with the aim of learning the ropes and preparing for the eventual step into Modified.
Jess explains. “I could have made the step into Modified without any experience in juniors, but I don’t think I would be as confident with it. We purposely raced a slower junior so that I learnt how to win being a slower car across the finish line.”
“I learnt how to back off and sort of play the finish line game. It’s helped a lot with my reactions and race craft. I’m really glad I raced juniors first because it would be a lot different going into Modified not having any previous experience.”
Modified would have to be one of the toughest classes in drag racing. Races are won and lost by thousandths of a second. If you don’t cut a good light and run very close to your dial-in, your day will end very quickly.
But luckily for Jess, she has a great deal of experience and a number of national champions in her corner.
“Dad calls the shots on race day and has basically taught me everything I know. I’m also very fortunate to have top racers like Kenny Stewart and Colin Griffin sharing their experience. We have a good community of Victorian racers so they have all sort of helped me in one way or another,” said Jess.
Moving into Modified
With 2 years in Junior Dragster and her 17th birthday rapidly approaching it was time to start planning the next step in Jess’ drag racing career.
“We actually got offered to race a sedan but we said no because I wanted to race a dragster. It’s sort of in the family. I think a lot of what you race is influenced by what your family races. In my case it was always dragsters so my theory is to step into a dragster as well,” explains Jess.
“We were originally going to buy a four link dragster from the US and we were looking, but Wayne [Cartledge] of Racecomp Motorsports asked if we wanted to race his car. We were always going to use our engine no matter what, so we thought, why don’t we just put our engine in Wayne’s car and race it for a season so I can get a feel for it and see if that’s what I want to do. If all goes well we’ll get our own dragster in from the US.”
With the decision made to take up Wayne’s very generous offer, the families 650 horsepower small block Chev was freshened to be slotted between the chassis rails of the dragster.
“We’ve been preparing for over a month now,” said Jess. “The decision wasn’t made that long ago, but once it was dad and Luke [Cartledge] got the engine out and started freshening it and checking everything.”
If you’ve met Jess you’ll know that she isn’t the tallest girl in the world and I reckon she’d weigh all of 45kgs ringing wet. Not the dimensions of your average drag racer that’s for sure.
So as you can imagine the cockpit in the dragster required a few changes to suit the petite 17 year old, compared to the “stocky” frame of your average middle-aged drag racer.
With the location of the pedals changed so Jess could reach them and a custom seat installed, the dragster is now ready to rock and roll. “I’m excited, very excited. Nervous, but that’s what you get. A lot of people say ‘aren’t you scared about doing it’ and you’re always going to be a little nervous but watching Dad crash, as bad as it was, knowing he walked away from something that horrific it gives you a sense of security about the safety of drag racing,” said Jess.
Practice makes perfect
The next step in learning curve was a test session at Heathcote Park Raceway in September. Not renowned for its grip levels, the aim was for Jess to get comfortable in the dragster and practice a few burnouts and launches.
“I’d gone through the procedures a thousand times with the car on the stands and I thought I’d be alright. We started the car, I put it in the water and I did the burnout. But with the engine rumbling away behind me I completely forgot what I was doing. I just tried to remember what dad and Wayne had taught me.”
Apart from the whole experience of driving a dragster, Jess also had to get used to racing off the top bulb with a delay box, rather than the bottom bulb racing she was used to from her junior days.
“I thought it would be easier. Press the trans-brake button, foot off the brake, mash the throttle and let go of the button when you see the top light flash. It’s definitely different to my Junior Dragster and you have to do it in one fluid motion. If you’re too slow you’ll miss that first flash of amber and your race is done. Dad said he tried to use one but couldn’t get the hang of it so he said I’ll get you to use it straight away.”
Apart from all the technicalities of racing a competitive Modified Dragster, Jess had to also get used to the amount of horsepower she had under her right foot. “Letting go of the trans-brake was like getting kicked in the chest. Your head gets thrown back and up slightly and I couldn’t breathe for a few seconds. It was pretty overwhelming but in a good way.”
With 4 passes under her belt and an invaluable day's practice, Jess is now ready to take on the big boys when she makes her 1st competitive appearance on the 20th of October at Adelaide International Raceway.
“I’m really excited about going flat out down a well prepared track without skating around,” said Jess. “Our aim for Adelaide is to get it down the track at speed and learn how to race in Modified. Going rounds would be nice but we aren’t expecting to win the meeting. However, I would love to race Kenny Stewart and kick his butt,” said Jess with a laugh.
Looking forward...
With dad Paul as crew chief and support from her good friend Ashlea Griffin and brother Jamie, Jess and the team aim to race at Sydney, Adelaide, Portland, Mildura and maybe the Winternationals this season. “We won’t be chasing the championship obviously but we will be competing at a lot of the rounds.”
Jess has certainly come a long way in a short period of time, which has only been possible with the generous support of the following people:
- Paul Turner – “I owe everything to dad; I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.”
- Wayne Cartledge of Racecomp Motorsports and his family for providing the opportunity
- Matt Czerny of Vinyl Wraps and Graphics
- Bob Maslin Race Cars
- Paul Rogers for building the transmission
- Jason Duncan of Dominator Torque Converters
- Friends and family for their continuous support
So if you’re heading to Adelaide on the 20th of October keep your eye out for Jess Turner. Don’t be surprised if she spoils the weekend for a few of her more fancied rivals. This bright young star is going places.