Article courtesy of IWMA Nation News
Amanda Maggart
Amanda Maggart grew up in Carthage, TN just east of Nashville. She graduated from Cumber- land University in 2009 and began her degree in Dental Hygiene, graduating from Remington College in 2012. Soon after she started working a full-time job, she was glad most dentist offices worked 4 days a week, so she could have Friday to get to all the race tracks.
Amanda is an only childand not spoiled one bit! She owes all she has to her parents, Ronnie and Tammy Maggart, who she says without whom she wouldn’t be the person she is today.
She grew up traveling so much for racing that her favorite vacations were spent at drag strips around the country, and she says it’s always a plus if the beach is close by. She has met some of her best friends at the track and sharing this passion only makes their friendship stronger.
Outside of racing she loves working out especially boxing at the local Title Boxing Club. She recently got engaged to a fellow racer, PJ North. They met at the race track, got engaged at the race track, and are getting married in Vegas at the end of a long race week! She says, “April 22nd, 2018 can’t get here fast enough!” Best wishes to you on your wedding and marriage!
Amanda has always lived by the following saying, “Never listen to thedoubters who say you can’tdo something, that only makes me work harder toprove them wrong!” Amanda has been a dental hygienist for 6 years and absolutely loves herjob! Her co-workers at first thought she was like Dale Earnhardt, but after some education and many videos they at least know she goes in a straight line and they ask her every Monday, “Did you win?”
Amanda’s patients all call her Shirley Muldowney once they find out she races. It’s the greatest ice breaker, and they love to hear the stories and always give her encouragement. Racing has been in her family her whole life. “Myracing story started in 1996 when I was 8 years old and I received a red jegster jr dragster from my parents. Best birthday of my life! The first thing it got was
a Hoosier purple paint job and new shoes! I remember before we even took it to our home track, we took it down a backroad and a neighbor boy broke his bicycle trying to race me. That’s when I knew I had something for these boys! Now I am 29, and still have the same dreams. I drive a 94’ GMC Sonoma Race Truck aka “nasty noma”, that my dad and me put together as a dad/daughter project in 2014 and this past year I made my maiden voyage in my fiancé’s 88 Cutlass in Stock eliminator. I now can truly confirm “stockers are way cool”.
Amanda’s marketing partners are Maggart’s Speciality Sales (MSS), Hoosier Tire, and VP Racing Fuel. Amanda’s dad is her racing hero. She grew up watching him race at their local tracks, as well as travel all over for IHRA and NHRA events. She was always his biggest cheerleader and as soon as she was old enough, she was promoted to his crew chief. She and her dad share a bond no one could ever tear apart. They always went racing together as a family and still do. Growing up at the race track and making friends from all over the world made her only want to start racing herself, so she could start chasing her own dream.
When she was 10 years old she met “The First Lady in Drag Racing” Shirley Muldowney and wanted to be just like her. She still has a poster with her autograph to remind her of those dreams!
She has a great support team that include her Dad, Ronnie Maggart aka “The Hoosier Tire guy”. He can do anything on a race car! Her fiancé PJ North makes sure she isready for every round, and her mom Tammy Maggart is her #1 cheerleader every time she goes down the track!
Her best finishes were the Semi-finals in two classes in one day at Beech Bend Raceway Park. She mostly races at Beech Bend Raceway Park and Buffalo Valley Dragway, but when the wheels are rolling to a race track she’s all in!
She races a ‘94 GMC Sonoma, and currently stealing her fiancé’s 88 Olds Cutlass stocker! She runs in the Pro, Super Pro, and L/SA Stock Eliminator.
Her first time driving her fiancé’s stocker in Greer South Carolina, after they had already lost the first round at Atlanta in 3 different classes, they wanted more. So they loaded up and found the nearest track that was racing that night and she finished “hurting” the
motor. They were losing parts on the track they didn’t even know existed. The fact that he still lets her drive it is a miracle. She learned a whole lot more than how to shift that weekend and now he can’t get her out of the driver’s seat!
“It’s weekends like that with our family and friends and not winning a round that makes us know we truly love racing and I wouldn’t be who I am without it!”
Her goal is to win an NHRA divisional! It’s all about that Wally! “I want to always grow as a racer and push outside my comfort zone and take chances to always be the best I can be.”
On race day she always takes a deep breath before she pre-stages. She feels it calms her and helps her focus on the race ahead. And she always chews a whole pack of gum on race day.
“One of my favorite moments since I have been racing is when I see little girls walk by and say I want to race like her one day! I remember being that little girl and having those dreams and now I am making them a reality and loving every minute of the journey!”
[wdca_ad id=”11484″ ]
[wdca_ad id=”11404″ ]
