Most women celebrating a 20th wedding anniversary would be seeking an appropriate piece of bling to place on a hand or around a neck – but Western Australian Supercharged Outlaws racer Jodie Mellitt had different ideas.
“My husband asked me what piece of jewellery I would like,” she said. “I responded with ‘a new blower would be nice thanks’ – and that’s when I realised I was hooked.”
The sport of drag racing learned long ago that it had few demographic bounds of entry, but combined with Mellitt’s career choice of cake design and creation (hence the name of the team – Sugar Smith Racing), it makes for a unique mixture.
“A retired racer said to me while I was getting my licence that drag racing is like an addictive drug, once it’s in your veins it’s there to stay,” she said.
Mellitt is a relatively new name to competition, but has been a figure on the sidelines for much of her life. She and husband Tom regularly got to Perth Motorplex to spend all day watching the drags and cruising the pits and she did the same thing as a teenager at Ravenswood Raceway.
“Unbeknown to me, my husband Tom crewed on a blown dragster down there at the same time back in the 80s,” she said.
Given her personality, it’s surprising Mellitt has taken as long as she has to actually give the quarter mile a crack.
“I’ve always had a love for loud and fast cars and crazy things like big roller coasters, especially the ones in the USA.
“I used to drive dump trucks in the WA gold mines for over 14 years and got the nick name ‘Angel’ as I used to scream down the pit ramps in neutral as this was the fastest way to get to the bottom.”
The Mellitts began to look into buying a dragster in 2012 and found one suitable in New Mexico. Initially the plan was for them to share the driving – an arrangement Jodie was quite happy with.
When the car arrived there was an immediate issue which caused a change in that scheme.
“Tom was too tall and did not fit. I sat in it and went cool, it’s all mine!” Jodie said. “It pays to be short sometimes.”
Height issues aside, the buying experience was a pleasant one, with the Mellitts able to avoid any of the horror stories that are sometimes heard about buying equipment from overseas.
“The guy we bought it off, Ray, has become a very good friend and my number one fan outside Perth and is always eager to find out the results of my racing,” Jodie said.
With the appropriate machine to go drag racing now in their possession, it was time for Jodie to build the other essential infrastructure including a pit crew.
“Being a first time racing team it took some time to get a good crew together, as you need to find people that have the passion as much as we do for the sport,” she said. “And you need to trust them to work on the car and make it safe for when I am doing my bit.
“We definitely struggled to start with as sometimes the crew would not turn up and we would have to borrow other crew just to get us on the track, which we are forever grateful for.”
A blown alcohol dragster makes for a hell of a leap when you haven’t drag raced before. This was unlike the rollercoasters or the dump tracks – Jodie quickly realised she was in for something different and still remembers the vivid details.
“As a new driver I did not realise that you could feel so sick, so quickly, as when your crew chief yells out it’s time to go,” she said.
“You are strapped into the driver’s seat, you are getting towed out by your crew, they all have smiles on their face as they are pumped and ready to race, and all I am thinking is I’m gonna be sick, I am so hot with this suit on and all the fireproof underwear.
“Before you know it you are up, you get pushed through the chains and you wait for the track staff to give you the hand signal to fire up.”
The focus delivered by an engine come to life then sharpens the senses, preparing a driver for the run ahead.
“All you can hear through the helmet is the roar of a blown alcohol engine with straight through headers lumping away behind you,” Mellitt explains.
“I am focusing on my crew chief Tom to signal me when to start my burnout. My foot goes to the floor until the throttle stops me going any further, I can feel the car lift as the tyres stand up and the shot of power runs through the car. I need to run the car out so it stops twisting and bouncing then I throw it into reverse and slowly go back until I see my back up crew come in line to back me all the way back to the start line.
“Your crew are working as fast as they can to get you to the line so you don’t hold up your opponent in the other lane, knowing in your head it’s all good, your crew has got you this far, and the rest is now up to me.
“My brain kicks in to focus on the lights. As I let the trans brake go and the car launches to the 60 foot mark, my head gets thrown to the left and hits the roll cage padding, even though I have braced myself for the launch, my body gets thrown backwards into the seat, and you feel like you’ve just been kicked in the chest. You can feel the car’s chassis bend and twist with the torque from the engine and then you’re off.
“You don’t notice any bumps in the track as all you’re concentrating on is the finish line and listening to the car. Covering the quarter mile in 7.5 seconds at 180mph with your butt three inches off the ground is a very surreal and exhilarating feeling that is hard to put into words. It’s such a weird but awesome feeling at the same time, as the acceleration pins you to the seat and everything outside the walls of the track is a blur.
“You cross the finish line and pull the chute lever and all of a sudden wammo! Your whole body is thrown forwards. Thank God those seat belts are on tight as it feels like they are getting pushed through your body. The sick feeling has long gone and you think to yourself, ‘when am I out next, that was fun’.
“For a first time driver I have loved the experience, the speed and the thrill it gives you every time, the support from the track staff, I can’t thank them enough. Just a simple thumbs up or a simple smile makes it all that much better, and the drag racing community is like one big family that’s ready to help at the drop of a hat if needed.”
Mellitt laughs about what she has learned through experience at times.
“I used to think that the starter points at you to go forward to hurry you up. But as I have just recently been told he is actually telling you that you are clear to go into pre-stage. I laugh at that now but I used to think oh my God, they all seem to be in such a rush!”
– Images courtesy Jarrod Maclean.
