WHY is a female accountant driving one of the most explosive and unpredictable race cars on the planet?
“Why not!” was the response from Christine Steffens as she pulled up on the side of the Nullarbor on her way across from the team’s Gatton base in Queensland earlier this week.
“I like a challenge.”
The former Modified and Outlaws racer said nothing compared to the feeling of racing a Nitro Funny Car.
“Maybe in hindsight it wasn’t the brightest thing I ever did,” she said in reference to purchasing her latest racing beast but she said “it was fabulous to drive whenever it goes right”.
Steffens said the second half of the track was when the senses really came live.
The best this female throttle stomper has gone down the quarter mile so far is a 5.26 but she is looking at improving on that here at the Perth Motorplex this Saturday night when she takes on home-town hero Mark Sheehan in the three-race NITRO THUNDER match race series presented by Coates Hire.
“The car has got the capabilities, it’s got all the gear to run a little special number and with a little bit of luck and hopefully some good management the driver will get her act together.
“We will give it our best and hopefully be at the other end with the flames still in the air.”
Steffens has raced at the Perth Motorplex before, in her former Outlaw car but said on that occasion she didn’t do so well.
She was looking forward to being as competitive as possible against Sheehan.
“That would be wonderful but he has run a 4.80 and I would need way more seat time for that to happen.
“If I could run a 4.99 I would be retiring that I would have ticked that item on the bucket list.”
Be trackside this Saturday night to see Steffens and Sheehan go head to head down the quarter mile as they try and team their NITRO-powered beasts.
