Amazing Young Women In racing

Jo Ferrell

On the plane to Indianapolis to attend PRI I luckily found myself sitting across the aisle from Drag Racer Amber Franklin Denton. We talked a little, and I asked to interview her once we both got to the convention. She very graciously said yes.

On Thursday, the first day of the convention, I caught up with her at the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series booth. I asked her what she has done or plans on doing to promote the sport of racing to girls and women. She said, “the race car doesn’t know whether the driver is male or female which means you can do what you want”. No need to worry about being a girl. She believes a good way to motivate young women is to get them to come out to the track and talk to them one on one, also to go to elementary and midgrade or high schools to share her own racing experiences.

Amber said one of her main challenges as a woman in PDRA has been that guys didn’t really like getting beat by females. But, she added, I just keep focused on my racing.

She recently married 2023 Super Street world champion Blake Denton. I wanted to know (if they have children in the future) would she want her kids involved in the sport. Her answer was an emphatic yes. She said the racing community is so supportive and is such a great atmosphere for young people, she would have no problem with that scenario.

In closing, I asked Amber what she might be doing now if she had not been brought up in a racing family. She said she had no idea as she had never considered doing anything else.

Dragcentral.com published a fact filled story about Amber which is great reading. I have included a photo and script below from their story.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Amber (Franklin) Denton is now a second-generation two-time world champion in the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series professional classes, as she won the 2024 Pro 632 world championship. Denton, who won the 2017 Pro Jr. Dragster and 2022 Pro 632 world championships, secured the title by winning three races in six final rounds across the eight-race season. She also qualified No. 1 six times before closing out the season – and her Pro 632 career – by setting a new class E.T. national record.

Another really amazing young woman in the racing industry is Nora Gill.

As I explored the corridors and floor exhibits, I stopped at the Boss Hog torque converter display. To my surprise, a young lady name Nora was manning the booth. She was knowledgeable and ready to answer questions about the product, but what I found so interesting is that she is only 11 years old. Her proud dad, Nelson Gill, told me that Nora knows how to weld exceptionally well and helps him with the business.

Nelson added that Nora started helping him change oil and was attending car shows at 3 years old. Just two years later when she was 5, she learned how to rebuild her first Briggs & Stratton engine and how to operate a lathe machine. By 6 she was building torque converters. Nora has also made an appearance on the Sam’s Garage television show available on You Tube and also seen on Motor Trend network. She first accompanied her dad to PRI when she was only 8.

I asked Nora what she might be doing in the future and her reply was “owning my dad’s business”. You can see Nora on her own You Tube channel @norathewelder and check out their products at http://www.accperformance.com.

Both of these young women benefited by having the support and encouragement of their families. Their fathers have been mentors, teaching them the skills needed to be successful in their respective fields.

So, Wonder Woman, move over!