"They're all my kids and I want the best and safest tracks for them," said Georgia Seipel, Infineon Raceway track manager. Aptly nicknamed "Mama" by drag racers, Seipel added, "People become extended families in drag racing. When someone gets injured, it's like having someone in your family injured." "Mama" Seipel will fit in perfectly the family-friendly atmosphere of the 17th annual California Hot Rod Reunion, October 10-12 in Bakersfield, California. Seipel has been named a Reunion Honoree, alongside with Steve Davis, John Edmunds, Walt Rhoades and Butch Maas. Junior Thompson is the Reunion Grand Marshal, and all are being celebrated for their contributions and impact on drag racing and hot rodding.
It's rare for women to manage race tracks, especially in the early days of the sport. Seipel has made a lasting impression, becoming an icon in Northern California and nationally for her nearly 50 years of service to the sport. She has been part of Infineon Raceway for 20 years and was instrumental in the creation of the popular Wednesday Night Drags and Top the Cops programs.
For more than a decade, Seipel was also a drag racer, sitting behind the wheel of her hot pink 1956 Austin-Healey small-block Chevy, competing at the division and bracket-drag levels. Her husband Ted and son Kyle are also drag racers at the NHRA level. She left racing to pursue a career in track management.
Seipel has been honored before, being named Grand Marshal of the 2004 NHRA FRAM Autolite Nationals. "I still don't understand why they picked me," she said. "There are more people that deserve it." Hot Rod Reunion officials clearly disagree. In this Fast Five interview, Seipel talks about the Reunion and the excitement of drag racing.
1. How does it feel to be named an Honoree for the 17th Annual California Hot Rod Reunion? What does the Reunion mean to you?
Georgia Seipel: It's an honor. I'm just a working-type of person and I enjoy what I'm doing.
2. Did you ever think you'd be honored years later for all that you brought to the sport, especially as drag strip manager at Infineon Raceway? What was it like being a woman in a male-dominated sport?
GS: Good heavens no! I thought it was a joke first, me being honored at CHHR. Being a woman in this sport is in some ways easy and difficult. I think its easier today than when I first started because men usually didn't take orders from women. It wasn't acceptable at that time. Also, I'm not very feminine and can hold my own with the guys. Today, it's a whole different world. We have so many women doing things. Shirley Muldowney opened the door for women as a Top Fuel driver. No female came before her.
3. What are some of your fondest memories about drag racing in the early days? What do you miss most? Do you keep in touch with a lot of your drag racing friends?
GS: I get to meet people I would not have meet if I weren't a manager. When I first started my job managing the drag strip, I met Joe Pisano. I had no idea who he was and that he was the owner of Venolia Pistons. After talking to him for just five minutes, he said, 'You're new at this, aren't you?' Joe took me under his wing and became my mentor. He said, 'I'm going to help you, tell you who the good guys and the bad guys are.' He was pretty accurate with who was good and bad. Joe was a gracious and a good friend until he passed away. I owe him a lot. I still keep in touch with friends who are still racing. My husband still races, so we see a lot of the guys we've known from the earlier days. Just watching my racers and then seeing their children race is amazing. I can't believe the amount of time that goes by.
4. Are you surprised at the popularity of nostalgia in drag racing? Why do you think people enjoy it so much?
GS: When you stay involved, it's very addictive. It's amazing how far the sport has come in such a short time. I think drag racing is friendly. You can meet racers and visit in the pits with them. You don't get the accessibility in NASCAR racing as you do with drag racing.
5. What do you think of drag racing today compared to the early days?
GS: Today we're a national event, a money-making machine that is more business-oriented. Back then we did it for fun and for little money. There is more pressure to win today, which can lose some of the fun.