Dyslexia Does Not Hold Her Back

May 2005

Dyslexia Does Not Hold Her Back
Junior racer works harder than her peers to overcome learning disability
By Mike Perry IHRA.com

-Dyslexia causes difficulties in learning to read, write and spell. Short-term memory, mathematics, concentration, personal organization and sequencing may also be affected.-Dyslexia usually arises from a weakness in the processing of language-based information. Biological in origin, it tends to run in families, but environmental factors also contribute.-Dyslexia can occur at any level of intellectual ability. It is not the result of poor motivation, emotional disturbance, sensory impairment or lack of opportunities, but it may occur alongside any of these.-The effects of dyslexia can be largely overcome by skilled specialist teaching and the use of compensatory strategies.*The Dyslexia Institute 2002

Racing has always come somewhat easy for Alesi Gerthe. The 15 year-old Junior Dragster driver finished second in Division 4 last season in just her third year of competition, highlighted by winning the 2004 Division 4 Bracket Finals. When she gets behind the wheel of her Harden dragster she is a natural.It is a different story in the classroom where she is forced to deal with Dyslexia.Dyslexia, when broken down, tells you what Gerthe is forced to deal with on a daily basis. “Dys” means “difficulty” and “lexia” means “words.” Simply put, Alesi has a difficult time comprehending what the words she is trying to read mean when she is doing reading assignments or taking tests in school. Sometimes “d’s” look like “b’s” or “p’s.” Just imagine if the word “deer” appeared to you as “peer” or “beer” and you had to check the context in which the word was used to figure out which word it actually was. That is just one word, one example.When a child is born Dyslexic it can be hard on a family. First it takes time for the family to figure out what is wrong. Then the child must face, at a young age, the fact that they will have to put out maximum effort for results comparable to his or her peers who might not be working very hard at all. For parents, watching the child struggle and knowing he or she has been dealt an unfair hand can be frustrating. It can also be a learning experience for the parents as well as the child.Lisa Gerthe, Alesi’s mother, noticed her daughter had difficulties comprehending basic information and learning techniques when she was in kindergarten. Though Alesi’s teachers assured Lisa Gerthe there was not a problem, by the end of Alesi’s first grade year she wanted answers.“I stayed home with the kids when they were very young and around the time she was in kindergarten we noticed that there was something not right,” she said. “I asked her teachers and they would tell me there was nothing wrong, that she was doing great. First grade it was the same thing…something just didn’t seem right so we started going through the testing. Second grade was when they really got into gear as far as pulling her out of class and doing more one on one. And she went to a lot of extra tutoring after school. When they found out she was Dyslexic it was a big relief to know there was something because we all could see it, but we just couldn’t put our fingers on it. She knew the sounds of the letters, she just couldn’t put it all together.”Lisa was not the only one relieved. After wondering why she could not pick up on things as well as her classmates, Alesi wanted to know why.“It was first noticed when I was in second grade. I was having trouble reading and the school called my mom to come in and have a meeting about it. I was tested pretty soon after that and they found out I was Dyslexic,” Alesi said. “It was a big relief for all of us. We had no idea what was wrong and it made us feel a lot better to know there was a name to what was going on.”Despite the fact that there was a name for what her daughter was going through it didn’t make it any easier for her mother to watch her struggles.“It is extremely hard. It’s indescribable and unless you have a child and go through it yourself you can’t understand what it is like,” Lisa said. “Someone can tell you about but unless it is a part of your life you really can’t appreciate the challenges you face. When she gets it it’s like you can see the light come on in her. You can see it in her face when she’s learning and when that light bulb comes on you know she has it.”Alesi not only had to work harder than her classmates, she had to live with a younger brother who made school seem easy. Ayrton, two years younger that Alesi, is an honor student.“My brother is up for National Honor Society which means he has an ‘A’ average,” Alesi said. “He’s really smart. I’m very proud of my brother but I guess I’m a little bit jealous because school comes a lot easier for him.”Which is one reason she was happy to find out there actually was something causing her to struggle in school…that she wasn’t unintelligent. When she knew what the problem was, Alesi had to learn how to cope with it.“Dyslexia makes things harder for me to learn. Math and reading especially have been very hard for me,” she said. “After school every day I go to math tutorials and it takes me longer than other kids to understand things. If I am studying for a history test or something like that I have to go over the material several times before I can remember it.”She also needed an escape. During the school week, Alesi gets mentally and physically exhausted. She has to take her core classes early in the day, before lunch, so she will be able to concentrate and at night it takes her quite awhile to get through her homework. Her release comes during the weekend at the drag strip.“During the week when I’m in school I have to work really hard,” she said. “On the weekends we go and race and I consider everyone at the track my family. I’ve made a lot of friends there and it is a stress relief for me to go to the track and enjoy my time.”Her mother thinks drag racing has been a Godsend.“When she was in the first or second grade I had a lady tell me the best thing to do was find something that she’s good at,” Lisa said. “We tried BMX bike racing, piano, softball…we tried it all. My son actually got into drag racing first and we kept telling her we would buy her a car, too. She wasn’t quite sure but after watching him race for about two months she told us she wanted a car. After that it didn’t take her too long to catch on to it. Although the weekends can be stressful at the track, it is a release for her. Racing is something that comes naturally to her and she’s good at it.”Drag racing also provides a place for Alesi to go where she is just one of the crowd…no labels, no misconceptions. At the track she is just another racer, one everyone has high expectations for during the race.“It really makes me upset when people label me,” she said. “Just because I have Dyslexia does not mean that I’m a stupid person, it just means it takes me longer to understand things. Some people don’t understand what Dyslexia is and they just assume I’m stupid. But it is not that at all. I love showing people I can do things when they tell me I can’t.”And racing has paid dividends. Where Alesi was once a quiet child who lacked self-confidence, now she has a peer group whom she feels comfortable with and who treats her as “one of the gang.”“We knew we were going to get over the hurdle but it started affecting her self-esteem,” Lisa Gerthe said. “Not only have we been working on building her up educationally, it was an emotional thing as well. As she was able to actually feel like she was making progress, probably mid junior high when she started racing, she started to change socially. She gained confidence and I felt like I had my daughter back again.”Seeing her daughter in this light warms her mother’s heart. Lisa Gerthe knows her child has loads of potential and is trying not to push her too hard.“We’re just taking things at her pace. We know she’s capable of doing anything but she can’t be overloaded,” Lisa Gerthe said. “She can do whatever she wants if she puts her mind to it. She is great and I am very proud of her. As a daughter she has helped me grow and learn as a person. Our family is a team and that’s how we approach things. None of us stand alone and none of us would be where we are today without the help of somebody. Dealing with her Dyslexia has made us stronger as a family. Sometimes the things you work the hardest at, when you are successful it makes everything so much better.”

IHRA Adopt A Junior Dragster Program

McMillen Challenges Pro Teams To Adopt A Junior Dragster
Tuesday - May 17, 2005
Elkhart, IN - Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners, Terry and Rhonda McMillen, announced today that the Amalie Oil InstiGator team will become a sponsor for the Division 4 Junior Dragster team of Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe. Sponsors for the InstiGator include Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets, NGK Spark Plugs, MSD, Performance Graphics, Powershield Coatings and Crane Cams, will support McMillen in the effort. Alesi, a 15-year-old Rockdale, Texas freshman and her 13-year-old brother Ayrton are excited about the announcement. "This is the coolest thing; it's a big opportunity for my family and me. We're thankful to Mr. McMillen and all of the sponsors," stated Alesi. During the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals, McMillen had the chance to meet the Gerthe family and spend time with Alesi, an aspiring Pro Stock driver. "This family had an impact on our team," explained McMillen. "After the race, we thought about how we might help young men and women in our sport. We came up with a simple idea: "Adopt A Junior Dragster". It's something we would like to challenge other professional and sportsman teams to do also." The "Adopt A Junior Dragster" program is designed to encourage and support young drivers to excel in school, while at the same time help them learn about all aspects of drag racing, sponsorship development and communication. The program will also encourage young drivers to take the lessons they have learned in school and utilize them in "real world" situations. Program participants will sharpen their reading, writing and communication skills, at the same time learning the responsibility and commitment of running a racing organization. "Sherrie Barbour (Special Programs Director for IHRA) and her staff have done a great job developing the Junior Dragsters, commented Rhonda McMillen. "Not only is it a great way for families to play together and make friends with other families, it's also developing the future drivers of our sport." Alesi and Ayrton's cars will carry the logos of their sponsors. They will also be writing pre-race press releases for each event that they participate and distribute the press release to their sponsors. "We feel like this is a great chance to teach youngsters how to prepare a sponsorship proposal and how to communicate with their sponsors on an ongoing basis," said Terry. As sponsors of the InstiGator team, Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets and NGK Spark Plugs will supply products in the "Adopt A Junior Dragster" program with McMillen. Born To Race - Being in the seat of a race car might seem more of a birthright than an aspiration for the Gerthe family. Alesi and Ayrton are named after racers. Alesi is named after two-time Formula One World Champion Jean Alesi. Similarly, her younger brother, Ayrton, is named after the late Ayrton Senna, a three-time Formula One World Champion. Their father, Duane, also raced motocross for several years. Alesi's mother Lisa recalls, "Alesi wasn't sure at first if she liked drag racing. But, once she had the chance to race her brother's car, she fell in love with it. We knew that trying to share seat time would be a challenge." Alesi added that she especially enjoys winning and meeting all of the different people at the races. Proving that IHRA Drag Racing is a family sport, the Gerthe's spend their weekends racing. Dad Duane is crew chief for Alesi, and Mom Lisa handles the duties for son Ayrton. Ayrton began his racing career in 2001 at the age of 9, enjoys video games (specifically racing games), paintball and Science and wants to become an Inventor and Top Fuel driver. His favorite IHRA drivers are Clay Millican and Terry McMillen. One of Ayrton's first memories in drag racing was building his first car with his dad Duane. "We changed the backend to a custom," he explained. "I really like that everybody in the family is in racing. We get to spend a lot of time together." He also enjoys the tight points race and competition of racing head to head with friend Michael Zampese. "He pushes me a lot - I like that." Ayrton took home his first Ironman last season at the 2004 PM-1 Jr. Nationals in San Antonio. While there are other tracks closer to the Gerthe family, they choose to participate at the San Antonio Raceway. "Todd and Judy [Zampese] run their track very professionally and treat the Junior Dragsters very well," commented Lisa Gerthe. Alesi recalls the recent national event when Todd Zampese escorted her family down to stand at the start line during Top Fuel qualifying. "That was exciting!" explained Alesi. "It's hard to explain to people the feeling and vibrations when those cars take off." Alesi brought home her first Ironman in 2004, in just her second year of racing. She watches the Pro Stock class carefully, hoping to find a seat in that class in the future and hopes to become an Elementary School Teacher. Get Involved - McMillen sees the "Adopt A Junior Dragster" program as a unique opportunity to give back to the sport. "We've been very blessed over the years. We've got some of the best sponsors in drag racing including Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets, NGK Spark Plugs, MSD, Performance Graphics, Powershield Coatings and Crane Cams. This is our way of giving a little something back to the sport that means so much to our family."Teams wishing to get involved in the "Adopt A Junior Dragster" program who are unsure of how to find a Junior Dragster in their area are encouraged to contact Sherrie Barbour (sbarbour@ihra.com) at IHRA headquarters. Junior Dragster teams should follow IHRA.com and Drag Review Magazine for further details.

Lone Star Raceway I-10 Series

May 21, 2005 - Rockdale, TX- New Breed Racing, the Division 4 Junior Dragster team of Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, sponsored by Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team owners, Terry and Rhonda McMillen and the Amalie Oil InstiGator team competed in the I-10 series at Lone Star Raceway Park, in Sealy TX over the weekend. Sponsors for the InstiGator include: Amalie Oil, TORCO Racing Fuels, Flatout Gaskets, NGK Spark Plugs, MSD, Performance Graphics, Powershield Coatings and Crane Cams. Ayrton went out the second round when he lined up against Debra Owens who put together the better package. Although Ayrton had her at the tree, his car fell off .05, while Owens was off .01 on her dial. Team mate Alesi went five rounds and proved why hitting the tree is so vital in bracket racing. Alesi's Hardens Race Car, powered by a Blossom Racing Rhino, was experiencing problems thoughout the day, but Alesi's excellent driving skills kept her in the field. In the finals, Alesi faced Brenna Lande. Alesi treed Brenna, but the car fell off .12 and Alesi wasn't able to make up the difference at the finish line. Congratulations to Brenna and her crew for a job well done. They dialed an 8.10 and ran the number....great job!!!

San Antonio Raceway Bracket Race

May 7, 2005 - Rockdale, TX - New Breed Racing, the sister and brother team of Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, attended the bracket series race at San Antonio Raceway on Saturday May 7, 2005. Alesi and Ayrton had a great weekend and Ayrton went to the semi-finals. Just before midnight we made our quarter-final pass and rushed back to the lanes to try and beat the oncoming rains. Ayrton's light in the quarter-finals gave him the BYE in the semi-finals, and would have ensured him a spot in the finals, but Mother Nature had other plans and started dropping a mist around midnight. Ayrton split the winnings with Aaron Cole and Dylan Lee and each earned their points for the weekend effort. Going in to the next SAR race, Ayrton is the current points leader.

2005 Super Chevy Show - San Antonio Raceway

April 22 - 24, 2004 - Rockdale, TX - New Breed Racing, the brother and sister team of Ayrton and Alesi Gerthe attended the Super Chevy Show at San Antonio Raceway. This was a new experience New Breed Racing, since it was our first time to attend a Super Chevy Show. The weekend race schedule was a bit different from our usual race schedule, which allowed us to visit with fellow race teams. Alesi and Ayrton did very well, with Alesi winning the jr. dragster jackpot race on Saturday night defeating Brandon Bass.

2005 PM-1 Jr. Nationals - San Antonio Raceway

March 19-20, 2005 - Rockdale, TX - New Breed Racing, the race team siblings Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe, attended the first stop of the 2005 IHRA PM-1 Jr. Dragster Nationals held at San Antonio Raceway. We had a fun weekend...it's always nice to attend a jr. only event. On Sunday, Ayrton went out in the second round, but Alesi went to the semi-finals. We dialed a 7.95, but the car ran 8.0527, so Jake Buford and Zack Kagels went on to the finals, with Zack picking up the win. Over all, a third place finish in the oldest age group is a wonderful accomplishment.

Sibling Speed - Town Boasts Two of Top Junior Dragsters

February 24, 2005 - The Rockdale Reporter, story by Becky Booker
Brother, sister duo have parents as their 'pit crew' - Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe are a brother and sister duo from Rockdale. When you first meet them, you might even think they're a bit on the quiet side. Alesi is a freshman at Rockdale High School, an FFA member and student council representative. Ayrton is a seventh grader at Rockdale Junior High and enjoys paintball and video/computer games. Just about what you would expect of two teenagers growing up in small-town USA. This unassuming brother and sister combo are the New Breed Racing Team and they are both 2004 Junior Dragster Ironman winners in the IHRA. Yup, you read that correctly - IHRA, as in "International Hot Road Association". They are also one of just a handful of brother and sister teams to win the drag racing top award in the same year.
IRONMAN - Alesi earned an Ironman trophy as the top finisher in the Division 4 Junior category at the IHRA Team Finals, held in San Antonio in October. Ayrton earned his Ironman by taking top honors as the IHRA Junior Dragster National Champion in the 12-to-13-year-old category at San Antonio Raceway last March. "I didn't want to race at first when my dad said, 'Let's build a dragster and go race'," Alesi admitted. "But now I love it. I didn't think there would be any other girls, but there are several girls racing in Division 4. Ask Ayrton is he likes to race and he sums it up in one word. "Yup." A big grin lights up his face. An Ironman is not easily earned. Some racers have competed for years and never taken home the coveted trophy. An Ironman for junior drag racers is only awarded for the top winner at the Junior Nationals, a Division 4 Pro-Am Event or the Team Finals. The Phil McGee PM1 Junior Dragster Program is designed for racers aged 8 to 18 and is divided into three age categories, beginner, advanced and master. Junior racers compete in half-scale cars that are near-replicas of cars that the pros drive. The competition structure is designed to be conducted on an ET dial-your-own format or a preset index on a heads-up breakout basis, much like IHRA's Quick-Rod Class. Drivers can be disqualified for exceeding time or speed limitations for each age category. Timer boxes, placed at intervals along the racetrack and photocells at the finish line, monitor each race.
STRATEGY - Winning involves a lot of strategy-more than just trying to be the first car across the finish line. Racers pair up at the starting line, but each has their own start time, based on 'dialing in' a finish time (think handicapping). Racers must have an understanding of reaction time off the line, how to handle their vehicle and how to make it across the finish line as close to the 'dial-in' time without going over. In addition to an Ironman, racers can also earn other prizes like a gold card (which pays their entry fees for next year's events), savings bonds, trophies, gear and clothing.
'PIT CREW' - The junior racers drive half-scale cars, but the toolbox for tuning the cars has gone high tech. Some engine tweaking is still done by hand with wrenches and tools, but some adjustments are made based on information downloaded to a laptop from each car's onboard computer. The computers monitor the cars performance, including cylinder head temperature, exhaust gas temperature, RPM and speed. Mom Lisa and Dad Duane work together as pit crew, mechanic, and "rig" driver. The family atmosphere of junior racing is what drew the Gerthe's to the sport in the first place. "During the race season we spend just about every weekend racing," Lisa said. "So, we always know where the kids are on weekends, they are with us at some track in Division 4. Duane has another perspective. "We built the first car in 2001 and the kids helped. They learned a lot through that - there's math and science involved," Duane said. "They're having fun and learning at the same time. From early on, we wanted something we could do as a family and we tried everything from BMX, to motocross, to showing animals." But with the Gerthe family background, Duane really wanted something with a motor, but would be safe. "In 2001, I was ordering house plans and Duane was ordering junior dragster plans. Since we are doing this story, you can see whose plans ended up on the shelf," Lisa laughed. "I like to tell folks that my new house is our 'rig', an F350 Powerstroke that pulls a 44' enclosed trailer with living quarters packed full with two junior dragsters and tow vehicles (a golf cart and 4 wheeler). I told Duane that the kids are only little once, so he'd better get busy building them a car because they sure were growing up fast. Hopefully, they won't mind too much that we spent our retirement and their inheritance on drag racing!" Earlier this year, the Gerthe's attended the 2004 IHRA Awards Banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Kentucky. Alesi received an award for her successful 2004 season in the Jr. Master's Class of the IHRA Division 4 Pro-Am Tour and was also recognized at the "pros" banquet. Alesi and Ayrton's grandparents are Faye and Henry Davidson, Sr. and Shirley and Gunar Gerthe, all of Rockdale.

New Breed Racing Attends 2004 IHRA Banquet

Dylan Lee, Brandon Johnson, Tristen Johnson, Ayrton Gerthe, Erich McLaurin, Todd Zampese, Alesi Gerthe and Judy Zampese at the 2004 IHRA Banquet. The kids insisted that the BEST track owners and the couple responsible for such a successful Div. 4 Jr. Dragster program, Judy and Todd Zampese, join them in this photo capturing the special time in these young peoples lives. Thank you Judy and Todd for taking care of our jr. racers and for providing racers with a first class facility!!!

January 13-15, 2005 - Covington, KY - The IHRA Division 4 Renegades Junior Dragster Champions and Runner-Ups were presented IronMen, plaques, gold cards, and savings bonds at the Mr.Gasket Pro-AM tour reception held on Friday, January 14th at the 34th Annual Hooters/IHRA Championship Awards program in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky.
The 2004 IHRA Renegades Junior Champions are:
Junior Beginner's Class Champion - Tristen "Chigger" Johnson, Gordon TX
Runner Up - Christopher Benham, LaGrange TX
Junior Advanced Class Champion - Dylan Lee, Austin TX
Runner Up - Darrell Williams Jr, Dallas TX
Junior Masters Class Champion - Erich McLaurin, Pearland TX
Runner Up - Alesi Gerthe, Rockdale TX
Congrats to all who competed in the program in 2004, look for GREAT things to be announced very soon for the 2005 IHRA junior program!

New Breed Racing Team, Alesi and Ayrton Gerthe

November 19, 2004 - IHRA Drag Review - Porta-Tree Green Light Gang, An Interview With Mom, Lisa Gerthe, story by Jeanne Gendreau
The Gerthe family sat down in the early part of this year to compare race and track calendars to determine which races they hoped to attend. Parents Lisa and Duane and their junior racers Alesi and Ayrton then made a plan. Lisa Gerthe said, "We settled on racing for points at Lone Star Raceway as our priority, along with Temple Academy Dragway. We also decided to run the IHRA Mr. Gasket Pro-Am Division 4 schedule as well as the I-10 Series. We never dreamed that the '04 season would be such a special one for New Breed Racing." Ayrton won the 12-13 year old class at the PM-1 Junior Nationals held at San Antonio Raceway in March. A month later, fourteen-year-old Alesi won the Gambler's Race and the divisional at West Texas Raceway Park and Ayrton placed second at the divisional at Lone Star in May. Alesi placed second at the "re-re-rescheduled" divisional held at Lone Star Raceway, putting her in second place for junior points in Division 4. Alesi placed her sights on the track championship at Temple Academy Dragway. That would have put her in the Junior Race of Champions at the team finals, but she came up ten points behind in tying for the lead with just two weeks until the team finals. She decided to race with the Lone Star team. Ayrton did his best with the Temple Academy team, so he raced for Temple. The week between the last points race in Temple to the final points race at Lone Star was a very stressful week. Alesi had decided to give her spot up on the Temple team to her friend Garrett Jonse, but she knew she had to go rounds at Lone Star to make the team. Lisa said, "Not winning the track championship in Temple was difficult for Alesi, because she is extremely hard on herself, but I reminded her things don't always work out the way we'd like them to." "Her dad and I talked with Alesi and she knew she'd have to be mentally prepared for the challenge before her. We knew she could do it if she set her mind to it. Thanks to some good friends and lady luck, Alesi won the final points race at Lone Star, allowing her to achieve her goal of racing with Lone Star at the team finals." "On our way down to San Antonio on Thursday, Alesi told me she was determined to win the Iron Man on Sunday. Each day, she went over to the tower to have a visit with that Iron Man trophy and said she would touch it when the IHRA ladies were not looking!" Lisa said. "The kid's cars were performing beautifully and Alesi had been deadly on the tree and before we knew it, Ayrton had made it to the quarter finals and Alesi was in the finals in the Saturday night Gambler's Race against her friend Zack Kagels. There were over sixty cars in the Saturday night race and I hadn't moved her dial much all day, but when the race was over, her car had fallen off. We dialed her at 8.30 and she ran an 8.41. Alesi was disappointed, but happy for Zack. We were puzzled as we went over the car with a fine toothcomb and didn't find anything wrong. We worried all night. In the morning, we went to hear Pastor Bill Dickerson and, as usual, he had a message I know was just for our team! He talked of how we have to take responsibility and accountability for our actions and not blame others or our cars when things don't go our way. In addition, he talked about how we all have a purpose and we need to know God takes care of his people. He had me in tears because I was doing some soul searching and deep thinking, not only about my life, my kids and their cars, but also about a situation that had happened back home a few days before. Ayrton had a classmate that took her life and it shook our schools and our community. Pastor Bill spoke of an attitude of gratitude, which is what I am trying to instill in my children; learning to take a negative situation and make it a positive. That is what will get you through the tough times." On Sunday, out of a field of sixty-four cars, Alesi found herself in the finals and just one round away from that Iron Man she'd been visiting everyday. There was one car/driver standing between her and that trophy; Michael Zampese. Michael is also an excellent driver and as much as Alesi wanted the Iron Man she knew Michael wanted it just as bad. Alesi was nervous and she told her mom, "I don't want another second place." Lisa said, " Alesi and I talked as she sat in her car in the staging lanes. The track clean up and the running of the other classes gave us enough time to talk through her thoughts, so she could focus on the job she had before her." Alesi won the Division 4 Team Finals Junior Championship, Sunday, October 10, 2004 at San Antonio Raceway. Lisa said, "We are still floating in the clouds since that win light came on for Alesi. She worked so hard to win but it wouldn't have been possible without the love, help and support of so many people. Unless you race, especially in the junior class, it's hard to fully understand the relationships that develop between the teams, kids, parents and crew. These families become your family. We are grateful to every person who has helped with a tire tube, a chain, jets, fuel, race suits, towed us back to the pits, shared a starter, provided shade or spoken a word of encouragement. You share in our success." Ayrton finished fifth divisionally in Junior Dragster Advanced and Alesi finished second in Junior Dragster Masters. New Breed Racing thanks John Harden, Craig Blossom, Hunter Patton, Kim and Cindy Shapley, Chuck, Carol and Chris Talley, Travis and Kathy Crim, Rusty and Donna Kagels, Tim and Judy Lee, Todd and Judy Zampese, Greg and Peggy Duffield, Rick Dailey, Rae Jean and Brian Kilpatrick. Lisa finished, "Duane and I do our best to ensure our equipment is the best we can afford (sorry guys, we're spending it now), but it still takes a driver to 'Git-R-Done' as Michael Zampese would say! Duane and I feel we're blessed with the two most wonderful drivers any team could have and we're even more blessed to call them our children! Alesi, Ayrton; we love you and pray we are providing you with the proper foundation to be everything you dream to be and much, much more!"

2004 Div. 4 Team Finals - San Antonio Raceway

October 8 - 10, 2004 - IHRA Drag Review
Gerthe Rolls - Winner Alesi Gerthe from Rockdale, Texas and runner-up Michael Zampese from San Antonio, Texas each had a fantastic season so it was no surprise when they made it to the finals on Sunday. Gerthe lit the tree with a .058 and ran 8.31 on her 8.27 dial. She caught the automatic win when Zampese went red with a -.012. Gerthe was racing with Lone Star and she is featured on the Porta-Tree Green Light Gang page. She thanks her family, friends and sponsors.

Saturday's Gamblers - Winner Zack Kagels from League City, Texas is the '04 Lone Star track champion. Kagels cut a .060 light and ran closer to his 8.05 dial with an 8.13 to Alesi Gerthe's 8.41 on an 8.30 dial. Gerthe's .052 light was quicker, but her slower time gave the win to Kagels. Dad, Rusty Kagels said, "We wish to thank the Gerthe's and all our racing friends for their help all season and our sponsors, Fort Bend Services, Godwin Pumps, Tidal Tank, Atlas Chemical, and Joe Swinbank. We also want to thank IHRA for having such a great junior program." Gerthe is featured on the Porta-Tree Green Light Gang page. She thanks her family, friends and sponsors.

Div. 4 Jr.'s Finish Their Mr. Gasket Pro-Am Tour at Lone Star

September 2004 - IHRA Drag Review - Green Light Gang, story by Jeanne Gendreau
Junior Master - In a close competition between two accomplished drivers, Austin Cowan, from San Antonio, Texas, took the win with a .024 reaction, running 7.93 on his 7.90 dial. Runner-up Alesi Gerthe, from Rockdale, Texas, was also on target with a .023 reaction, running 8.17 on her 8.12 dial, but Cowan took home his first Iron Man with the better package. Austin finished ninth in the points and since this is his last year as a junior racer, winning the Iron Man at his last event was a double victory for him. He turns sixteen in January and you'll find him racing Quick Rod next season. Austin would like to thank his sponsors, Premier Custom Homes, Northside Collision and his newest sponsor MK Prosthetic and Orthotic Services, Ameritek RV, his crew chief Dan Roberts, parents Darryl and Julie Cowan and teammate Dylan Lee. Alesi Gerthe has had a spectacular year and finishes second in division. Lisa Gerthe said, "The weekend delivered high temperatures, sweltering humidity, swarms of love bugs and the landing of a private plane on the drag strip. Alesi whittled her way through tough competition to meet Austin Cowan in the final round. Her goal for the weekend was to take home another 'little man' but Austin put together the better package." Although Alesi fell short of her goal she was happy for Austin. She said, "Austin will be moving into his big car soon and winning his first Iron Man was a great way to end his junior career. Cowan Racing is a tough team but when you come up on the short-end, it makes it a bit easier when you are trailered by an all around great team." Alesi and her New Breed Racing team partner, brother Ayrton, thank RCI of Tyler, Texas for their sponsorship and support, Hardens Racecars and Blossom Racing Engines. Alesi said, "I'd also like to thank my crew chief/dad Duane Gerthe for hanging in there. Dad, you're the BEST! Ayrton and Mom, thanks for everything. Thanks to the following members of our racing family; Chuck and Chris Talley, Bub, Teresa, Bubster and Chigger Johnson, Rusty, Zack and Cody Kagels, Luther and Justin Cox, Kurt, Angela and Daniel Baughman and everyone else that has cheered us on." Lisa Gerthe said, "Thank you Sherrie Barbour, Bill Bader and IHRA for allowing us to spend this time together as a family and for the opportunity to make so many new friends. This was our first year to run the entire divisional schedule and we met a multitude of wonderful people. Junior racing teams and families are a unique group of people and we feel blessed to have been on the receiving end of so many helpful hands extended to us by junior teams past and present. Last but not least, thank you to Jeanne Gendreau for writing about our kids in Drag Review and for reminding the racing parents, 'It's Saturday night and we do know where our kids are!' That is the biggest return on our investment."

IHRA Mr. Gasket Pro-Am, Lone Star Raceway Park

May 28 - 30, 2004 - IHRA Drag Review - Green Light Gang, story by Jeanne Gendreau
Junior Advanced - Winner Dylan Lee from Austin, Texas met Ayrton Gerthe of Rockdale, Texas in the final round. Lee lit the green with a .076 RT and ran 9.13 on his 9.08 dial to runner-up Ayrton Gerthe's .214 RT, 8.95 on an 8.95 dial. Lisa Gerthe said, "Although Ayrton ran his number, Dylan displayed his usual consistency at the tree, no doubt he's been taking lessons from his father, Tim Lee, and Dylan won with his light. As any driver in Division 4 will verify, any time you are paired up against a member of the "Asleep at the Wheel Race Team" you'd better be on your game and definitely not "asleep at the tree!" Lee drives a Racer Pops Dominator with a Blockzilla engine. He thanks his parents Tim and Judy Lee, San Antonio Raceway, Northside Collision, Premier Custom Homes and www. jrdrags.com. Lisa said, "Thank to Johnny and all the folks at RCI for their support. Also, a big thanks to Tim and Judy Lee for setting up the shade for Alesi and Ayrton to use while waiting for us to tow them back to our trailer after runs. Thank you Kim, Cindy and Heather Shapley, Rusty, Zack and Cody Kagels, Luther and Justin Cox, Kurt, Angela and Daniel Baughman for making a very long and extremely hot weekend a pleasant memory."

IHRA Div. 4 Mr. Gasket Pro-Am West Texas Raceway Park

April 30 - May 2, 2004 - IHRA Drag Review Green Light Gang, story by Jeanne Gendreau
Junior Master - Alesi Gerthe from Rockdale, Texas won the Junior Master class on Sunday and she won the ET Bracket Race on Saturday night. Mom, Lisa Gerthe said, "Alesi was so excited because her brother Ayrton won an Iron Man at the PM-1 Jr. Nationals in San Antonio this past March. Alesi had hoped to win her own Iron man in San Antonio, but we let a friend drive her car Saturday night in the parent's race and the motor was damaged. Alesi was heart broken by the lost motor and the lost chance to run competitively for the Iron Man on Sunday. Now she has her Iron Man and I can't tell you how proud we are of Alesi, not just for winning this past weekend, but also for handling herself in such a mature and professional manner amidst the failure of the motor in San Antonio. Alesi is a very sweet, polite and compassionate young lady, but when it comes to racing and her car "Blackie" she is extremely competitive, meticulous and down right "bossy". Just ask her dad/crew chief Duane who admits to being fired and rehired more than once this season. On the way home from the track late Sunday night, Alesi did let Dad know he has a little more job security after the successful weekend in West Texas. Alesi left the line with a .047 RT to runner-up Sarah Leek's .128 RT and she ran 8.29 on her 8.21 dial. Sarah broke out with a 7.92 on her 7.94 dial giving Alesi the illustrious Iron Man. Lisa said, "Thank you to everyone who stayed for the finals to cheer Alesi on, especially fellow racers Heather Shapley, Shaun Neidig and Brett Zampese. Also a big thanks to RCI, Craig Blossom and John Harden for supplying us with all the best parts. Last, but certainly not least, thank you Sherrie Barbour, IHRA Jr. Director, for your commitment, support and advocacy of Junior Drag Racing. You do an excellent job and it doesn't go unnoticed!"

2004 PM1 Jr. Nationals - San Antonio Raceway

March 6 & 7, 2004 - IHRA Drag Review Volume 33, Issue #6 - Junior 12-13 Year-Old
Winner Ayrton Gerthe is from Rockdale, Texas and he had a spectacular weekend. He won his first Iron Man and a Simpson Shark helmet for having the quickest (green!) reaction of the entire weekend, a .5014. Gerthe had been on the lights all day and in the finals on Sunday, he burst off the line with a .504 RT and ran a near perfect 8.821 on his 8.82 dial-in. Mom Lisa Gerthe said Ayrton's first question after he won was, "Do you think Dad will be happy?" (Ayrton knew his Dad would be way beyond happy.) Dad Duane Gerthe watched the final round from the stands and he was ecstatic when Ayrton's win light came on. Duane said, "Ayrton is a terrific kid and he is a first-rate student. He asked his Mom why I have tears in my eyes every time I show someone his Iron Man or talk about it. I'm just so proud of him. It's every IHRA kid's dream to win an Iron Man (the grown-up racers dream of winning an Iron Man too) and I'm thrilled for him." Ayrton will be racing at Lone Star Raceway Park this year and he thanks his parents, sister Alesi and his sponsor, Racer's Choice, Inc. Duane Gerthe said, "We want to thank Todd and Judy (Zampese). They put on a fantastic event and did a lot of special things for the kids." The Gerthe's added another cup of sugar to the weekend when they won Best Appearing Team.

2003 IHRA Division 4 Summit Team Finals

October 17, 2003 - IHRA Drag Review
Gilliam, LA - In the Saturday Gambler's Race, Jr. Dragster winner Colton Chapman from Red River earned his way into the finals with a hole-shot advantage, sending San Antonio's Austin Cowan back to the pits with a semi-final trophy. In the finals, Temple racer Alesi Gerthe and Red River's birthday boy Colton Chapman hauled to the line with both of their teams screaming and cheering in the stands and on the starting line. They had close reactions, but Chapman had a slightly better bulb and he ran closer to his dial, giving himself an awesome birthday win. Colton's dad built his dragster and Colton has taken home seven wins this year. He thanks Jack Collier, Devon Brush, Mr. Lee Photography and his parents. Gerthe said, "I couldn't have done it without the support of my parents, RCI, George Gregory and Karen. Thanks to Linda Tomastik, the entire Temple team and my racing friends for cheering me on. My sponsors are RCI, Dad and Mom's retirement fund and my inheritance! Special thanks to John Harden for building me an awesome car and to Craig Blossom for making me go really fast!" Gerthe's team was wearing eye-catching jackets from RCI.