Photos and story © 2005 Dwight Drum
Web work by Gary Larsen

Not Your Average Mom

Holly Wallace
Pro Stock Bike

"So far so good. I'm not just all looks, I can race too."

Holly Wallace looks more Hollywood than she does speedster, but she takes time to look and feel like a mom with her two young daughters too. Imagine your average mom looking so above average and willing to race a Pro Stock motorcycle at speeds that no average human should ever want to do. Imagine too that all Holly wants to do is go faster and higher in her chosen sport of drag racing. Not your average mom. Not your average anybody.

Zoomster.com brings you an up-close interview that took place on a stormy day in Brandon, Fla., at the original Beef O'Brady's restaurant during their 20th anniversary weekend. The rain couldn't dampen the cheer at "Beef's" where warm and dry moments accompanied the display of Wallace's bike inside the restaurant.

Beef O' Brady's has grown to a 170 chain of restaurants across the U.S. during their history and Holly has reached that identical number in miles per hour recently. Without seat belts, roll bars or steel cocoon - with just a helmet, leather fire suit and guts Wallace launches her highbred motorcycle to top speed.

Clad in pink leathers aboard a pink bike Holly is like Hollywood on two wheels, but no one has to be pretty to go over 170 mph on a motorcycle. Wallace is more than ready to take pretty to a new level.

Time will tell the tale of her move upward to the NHRA POWERade Series. It takes seat time and real money to go as fast as those at the top. Big money is often big speed in any racing sanction and sponsorship is the only way to the upper levels.

Please welcome a not-so-average mom seeking speed and sponsors.

Time: Mid season 2005
Place: Beef 'O'Brady's Brandon Fla. The original Beef's.

Dwight asked Holly Wallace:

"If I can get corporate sponsors and get enough money."

"I've depleted all of dad's money."

"So far so good. The Pro Stock Bike we have already made six or seven passes on it. The motor is not really tuned or not a competitive motor, but I made my first seven-second pass. My first pass on the bike I had a 115 sixty foot. I had about a 330 across the center line. Second pass on the bike was a perfectly straight pass with a 7.92 at 170 mph. So I don't think I'm going to have any problems."

"You have the pre-stage which is the very top yellow. You have the bottom yellow, which is the stage. If one racer moves into the stage light, the other racer has a certain of seconds to move into the second yellow before he is disqualified. Once both yellows are on, the tree starter activates the tree and it's four tenths pro tree, after the yellows come one they leave. "

"As soon as you see yellow you leave. There's a pre-stage light, the stage light, three yellows and a green. "

"I've been told my looks are very marketable so if I'm going to promote a product that will probably help. The fact that last year in my first year in racing and I finished No. 2 in points. I won two races, finished third in another. I got rookie of the year. That right there shows that I'm not just all looks, that I can race too."

"I've just been in the environment pretty much all my life. My dad has been a mechanic. He raced cars. My brother is 13 years older than me and has been drag racing a bike since I was younger. I've been totally energized to do it. I've had a sport bike since I was 18. I just love to go fast. I've actually caught myself in a t-shirt, no helmet on my sport bike going fast. I decided to go fast with a helmet and leathers on my drag bike. I love to go fast and I love motorcycles. "

"You've got to race your own race. You can't go up there and act like you're racing somebody. You've got to use it like another pass and you're just trying to better yourself. It's the same thing you do all the time. You're just trying to do it better. Get a better reaction and don't worry about your opponent being over there. "

"No. I know my dad would like me stay at the trailer and probably focus more. More with the bike, but I'm a people person. I like going to the races. It's also a social event. You see people once a month, but you don't live in the same town. Before it's time to go up and make a pass, we'll sit and go through and make sure we've got things right - air in the tires, air in the air-shifter, gas, things we check. Just go through the run, act like I'm at the tree taking the light on the bike, let go of the clutch, just a few things. You can't sit and meditate and think about it too hard. It's kind of second nature."

"I love it. It just proves that we are capable of doing the same things that men are capable of doing. Last year when I won races in the finals were against guys. Actually the entire race I won seven rounds, I didn't race a girl one time. There's nothing a guy can do that a woman can't other than he might be a little stronger. Racing is not necessarily a man's world because there aren't a lot of women. I've been a tomboy all my life. I'm just a very prissy tomboy. I like my makeup. I like my nails pretty. But I like to get out there and I like to win."

"I think once we get this motorcycle dialed in and get what else we need. We'll get the motor tuned. I think once we get a competitive motor and I can run 7.00 like they run in NHRA, I think it will be great. I think I'll be competitive with the rest of them."

"In my pink leathers? Great."