Teen finds home in the drag strip fast lane

BUTTE — Amanda Reimann is a 16-year-old girl who routinely drives her car more than 100 mph faster than any posted speed limit.

“I like to go fast,” Reimann said Sunday, minutes after popping out of her souped-up drag racing car at Alaska Raceway Park.

Reimann, who attends Chugiak High School, placed second Sunday in the top dragster class races, losing in the finals to Anchorage’s Willie Brown — a man whose racing career began more than 30 years ago at the quarter-mile Butte drag strip.

Reimann actually beat Brown to the finish line in the finals, but went faster than her “dial-in” time by six thousandths of a second, meaning Brown was the winner.

“I got there first, but…” Reimann said.

Still, she wasn’t complaining after posting her best day since joining the adult ranks this season after a highly-successful junior career that included two overall state championships.

“Second place, that’s not bad,” she said.

Reimann’s dad, Steve, is a long-time drag racer, and Amanda’s car is actually his old dragster. Reimann’s younger brother is also involved in the sport. running in the junior program.

“It’s really nice to come out here on a Sunday with the whole family,” Steve Reimann said.

While he still races, the elder Reimann said he’s finding that watching his kids race can be just as rewarding.

“It’s almost more of a thrill to see her win than when I was winning,” he said.

Amanda started racing when she was 8 years old, starting out in a car with an engine no bigger than a lawn mower’s. Now she roars down the track in a 650-horsepower rocket, posting speeds upward of 160 mph. She admitted drag racing isn’t a traditional sport for many young girls, but said that’s part of what makes it cool, and said her friends at school get a big kick out of hearing her stories from the track.

“They’re pretty blown away. There’s no one else at my school that drag races,” she said. “It’s fun to say that.”

Reimann said she would like to continue in the sport as long as she can — possibly even becoming a professional.

“Doing your hobby for a living, that’s what everyone wants,” she said.

Reimann’s opponent, Brown, isn’t a professional, but he’s definitely an expert. Brown, 52, made his first run at Alaska Raceway Park when he was Reimann’s age, and he’s been making the drive from Anchorage ever since.

He has no plans of slowing down any time soon.

“As long as I still have the ability to cut a light every now and then,” he said.

Brown said he enjoys going fast, but also the friendships he’s forged over the years with the tight-knit racing community.

“Everybody is very friendly, very helpful,” he said. “Even if you’re running [against] somebody.”

Running a drag racer isn’t a one-man show. While the Reimann’s are a family outfit, Brown said he relies upon a dedicated crew of friends to help him keep his car running. He pointed to his crew chief, Hiawatha Logan, and said Logan’s really the man behind the machine.

“I couldn’t do it without him,” Brown said.

Brown and Reimann are likely to see plenty more of each other this season. Brown said he’s not slowing down, while Reimann has no plans to ease off the throttle any time soon.

“I love going fast,” she said, smiling. “That’s about all there is to it.”

Races are held every weekend at the track, which is located at Mile 10.4 of the Old Glenn Highway. For more information on season schedules and statistics, visit the track Web site www.akracewaypark.com.

Capitol Speedway

WILLOW — Jeff Wallace swept all four sprint car races Saturday in the 300 sprint class at Capitol Speedway in Willow. Wallace’s big day helped him increase his lead in the overall season points standings in the class over Jake Baker, who was second in three of four heats Saturday.

Other class leaders include Dean Nelson in the stocks, Dale Brummer in mini-stocks, Brian Vaughan in the hobby stocks, james ross in the pick-ups and Clifford Barney in the 360 sprints.

Racing this weekend at the track starts at 6 p.m., with gates set to open at 4 p.m. For more information on the track, visit www.capitolspeedway.org.

North Star Speedway

WASILLA — Things were a bit gloomy at North Star Speedway this weekend, as the track’s GCI Saturday Night Thunder event had to be called off after just one and a half heats due to rain.

“You just don’t want to take a chance with the drivers,” track promoter Loni Mrozik said.

Racing at the asphalt oval track, which is located off Trunk Road in Wasilla, is set to get back underway this Saturday, with gates opening at 4 p.m. and a full schedule of racing action planned for 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.northstarspeedway.com.

For complete racing results, see the Friday edition of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman.

Contact Frontiersman sports reporter Matt Tunseth at matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com.