"Nitro Granny" Janette Thornley picks up her first win of the season
The Nitro Granny Janette Thornley broke through and delivered her first victory for sponsor Strutmasters.com June 30 in the American Motorcycle Racing Association event in Bowling Green, KY.
She defeated Dennis Waldron of Owings, MD with a quarter-mile pass of 7.521 seconds. She claimed a top speed of 168.14 miles an hour in the Pro Fuel Motorcycle final round.
“It was definitely a huge relief to finally take home the trophy,” said Thornley. “We were shut out in 2018 and only went to one final round. This was our second finals of the season and our first victory. It feels pretty amazing.”
However, Thornley said the mechanical issues that spoiled her chance at winning the first two events of the year were nonexistent at Beech Bend Raceway. “We finally got to see what we could do with our equipment operating up to par. I went to bed on Saturday night not feeling good about my performance on the bike. However, when it counted on Sunday, we were able to deliver the goods.”
The Oregon native was the Pro Fuel Motorcycle’s fastest qualifier. She hit 169.32 miles an hour in a 7.518-second pass on a custom-built drag racing motorcycle with a 121cc Harley Davidson engine.
Thornley was the AMRA Pro Fuel Series champion in 2017. The "Nitro Granny" rides for her family-owned Dream Chaser Racin’ out of Statesville, NC. Her other accomplishments include:
2017 American Drag Racing League Pro Fuel Championship
2017 American Motorcycle Racing Association Lady Racer of the Year
2016 NHRA Harley-Davidson Drag Racing Series Pro Fuel Champion
2016 Female Racer Of The Year By Horse Power & Heels
2015 NHRA Harley-Davidson Drag Racing Series Pro Fuel Champion
