Kristy Chapman is making no bold predictions she will take the mini stock class by storm as a rookie driver in the Prince George Auto Racing Association.
However, as the daughter of two-time mini points champion Jim Chapman, there's no denying she's got racing in her blood.
Tonight at PGARA Speedway, the 22-year-old Kristy will be behind the wheel to start her first season, racing a black 1997 Ford Escort that sports the same No. 77 her father made famous on the three-eighths mile oval.
It won't be her first race. Kristy got a taste of high-speed traffic at the last race meet of 2010. That was her first experience driving a vehicle with a standard transmission and the rush she got out of it was unforgettable.
"It was amazing, it was like too many Red Bulls at once," she said. "I was just vibrating.
"You can press the gas as hard as you can, and there are no cops."
A field of about eight mini stock entries is expected tonight, with similar numbers anticipated in the street stock and hornet classes. One mini driver the younger Chapman won't have to worry about is Tyler Case, the 2010 points champion, who has decided not to race this year.
"That actually really sucks, I wanted to race against him," she said. "He was winning all the time and everybody was so intimidated by him because he was kind of an aggressive driver. I wanted the opportunity to beat him and do the, 'Ha-ha, you got beaten by a girl,' thing."
Jim, 51, will be racing in the street stock class tonight and will be pitting at the track right beside his daughter.
"It's pretty awesome father-daughter time, something that's just ours," Kristy said. "My dad rocks, he's my superman figure.
"My sister [Chantel] comes and watches but I don't think she wants to race, but we might be able to convince her. My mom [Denise] doesn't really approve [of Kristy racing] but I think it's just because she's worried something is going to happen."
Jim made his stock car racing debut in 2002 and won mini championships in 2004 and 2005 before moving on to the thunder/street stock classes. He wrecked three cars in his rookie season and that helped shape his driving style, especially in the first few years of his career, earning him numerous most sportsmanlike driver awards and the nickname "Gentleman Jim."
Kristy isn't worried about getting to the finish line first tonight, she just wants to get through the season-opening races without any carnage.
"I'm excited but I'm also so nervous that my stomach kind of hurts," said Kristy.
"I'm sure, once I get a little more confident in my car, I'll get a lot more aggressive. It's actually a fast little car. My dad drove it in the finals last year and won money with it. I don't think I'm going to hit the wall, but I don't think I'm going to win. If I get a trophy I'm going to cry."
n Darrell Horwath, the 2010 street stock points champion, won't be back to defend the title he's owned the past two seasons. He's going fishing instead.
"I'm going to take the year off to take the kids fishing and camping and stuff like that," said the 30-year-old Horwath, who edged Jeff Murray for the 2010 title by only two points.
"I've got two young boys, seven and five, and racing takes a lot of time away from my kids. The boys want me to go racing, and if it doesn't look like a good weekend to go fishing, we'll load up the car and go to the race track.
"We'll go out there and play, but not full-time this year. I'll probably hit the [Street Stock ] Invitational."
