CUSTOM & OFF THE SHELF HIGH PERFORMANCE GO ASK EILY WHEN SHE’S 10 FEET TALL PISTONS Story By Darrell Conrad Photos By Darrell and Pam Conrad facebook.com/RossPistons San Diego native Eily Stafford (pronounced eye-lee) is not your average all American girl next door… she is that Custom and off the shelf pistons available with hundreds of proven race winning domestic and sport and so much more! Eily grew up in a family with a strong compact piston designs available to fi t any engine paternal influence of encouragement and moral support. combination. Her parents Rick and Dee’s fundamental principles characteristically define the “put your shoulder to the wheel” work ethic. She was taught from an early age she OVER 35 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE had to earn her way to the top because no one was going AND WE’RE JUST GETTING STARTED. to give her a free ride.

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Spring 2015 Nitro Madness Magazine 31 At the impressionable age of that changed her life forever! The her first NHRA license. While twelve Eily’s father took her out sights, sounds, smells and speeds there she met Jack Beckman who to the LA County Fair Grounds of these mechanical masterpieces introduced her to several of the in Pomona to witness the “nitro unleashed their mystical power NHRA big show fuel teams and in gulping, ground-pounding, fire on her senses that completely doing so she picked up a summer belching” spectacle of the 2001 captivated her soul. From that job that would eventually lead to NHRA Winternationals. It was a moment she knew that her first ride in Jim Sloan’s “Soul day she was destined to strap Train” herself into one of these “monsters in a cage” and ride the lightning!

A few years later it was time to put into practice what she had only dreamed about. On her 16th birthday she received a gift to attend Frank Hawley’s School to earn

Eily puts the throttle through the floor-pan on the “Killer Crower” digger as the tree goes green. Don’t be fooled by her tranquil nature, this young lady can break it down and get it done with the best of them.

32 Nitro Madness Magazine Spring 2015 NE2 alcohol . She drove this she campaigned for about a season professional racing series. To this car in the Goodguy’s vintage drag and a half. date she still lends Duane a hand racing series for half of the 2005 on occasion. In the fall of 2007 Eily received season. About the same time Eily’s an invitation from Chuck Bayuk As the 2010 racing season came parents helped her acquire her first and Jim Jordan to pilot their to an end the “House of Mouse car, a very rare 1969 injected fuel “Desperado” NE1 blown hemi with a “Tri-Pod” chassis Continued on next page alcohol dragster in the which NHRA Heritage Racing Series. She drove this car for three years and experienced moderately good success, taking it to the finals on several occasions. In her off weekends she started assisting her late friend Ralph Freeman on Duane Shield’s A/FD in the NHRA

The “Strange Brew” took on a new life with Eily behind the butterflies. This girl is a natural fit that knows how to dance on the black-top and inflict pain on her competition by lethal perfection!

Spring 2015 Nitro Madness Magazine 33 Racing” (Joel & Dee Gruzen, Dave butterflies on his “Killer Crower” her Hawaiian fans strapped her Gruzen, Robert “Stormy” Byrd) 7.0 Pro blown alcohol Big Block into a short wheelbase door car. extended her an invitation to drive Chevy slingshot (the former Neil & On her second pass her resume the “Strange Brew” (Modified Fuel White nostalgia dragster). was modestly obscured when the Coupe) NE1 in the 2011 ANRA and Driving this car is not a new car lost contact with the racing NHRA Heritage Racing Series. Her experience to her as she has filled- surface and came together in one first event of the season was the in for Mike Smith in the past at a accord with the top-end barrier. 56th Annual March Meet in which couple of Barona Raceway events. Though her ride suffered some she took the “Brew” to the final This opportunity also required her damage, her skilled fortitude was round. With some encouragement to earn an NHRA Advanced ET reinforced with the overwhelming from her fellow team mate Stormy license. During qualifying at the Aloha Spirit of her new found Byrd, she has perfected her now 2014 CHRR Eily took the “Killer Maui Ohana. Eily’s popularity has signature long smoky burnout and Crower” digger down the 1320 extended her many opportunities dry hop routine that puts her fans faster than it had ever gone before. to drive Cacklecars, appear in on their feet! At the close of the Her 6.98/198 MPH proved to the music videos, be an ambassador 2012 season Eily finished number competition that this team was a for the sport on local San Diego four in the NHRA Heritage Racing force to be reckoned with. Eily’s television news specials and give Series point’s chase. During that quickest ET in the car is a 6.90 run positive reinforcement lectures to same timeframe she earned two she made on a license pass a couple students/youth groups. With Eily more NHRA licenses for long and years before this, which was also a being a virtuous young lady, she is short wheel base cars. record for the team as well. a levelheaded individual that has both feet planted on the ground, Towards the mid 2014 racing In the summer of 2014 Eily was a loving heart and a great season Steve Zimmerman then an invited guest driver head on her shoulders. offered her a full-time opportunity at Maui Raceway Though she is a to work the pedals behind the Park in which fearless driver that

34 Nitro Madness Magazine Spring 2015 will keep her boot to the floor until she sees God, she also fully understands that the go fast pedal is not a throttle, it’s a detonator. If she does it wrong she could get hurt and never earn her reward!

Eily is also a very educated individual; she is well equipped with beauty, brains and professionalism. Though her eyes appear to be as lethal as two weapons of mass seduction; she can drop it down like it’s hotter than fire and make her competition shake in their boots like loose change in a pocket! With countless eyes attentively relentless obsession fueling her firmly in place, Eily’s become living observing her every passion, Eily is well on her way history and is humbly thankful move at the tree; to becoming the next generation for the opportunity to carry the she’s is confident, “Queen of the 1320” and will no torch well into the future. With tranquil and doubt glorify the American Girl her candle light burning so bright, poised. Today persona in the eyes of her countless perhaps we hope to see her in the with her fans. With her transitional passage pro-ranks at some point in the to the Golden Era of Drag Racing future.

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