Angela Sampey’s Final Words posted on NHRA Site

Angela Sampey next to her GoArmy Pro Stock Motorcycle.

It’s been several months since I last updated my blog. A lot has changed in my life since then. I am sorry to say that this is going to be my final blog.

Since I last updated you guys and gals, I have made a major life decision. Like the saying goes … when one door closes, another one opens. Well, I’ve decided to close the door on my racing career to open the door to my future. Racing motorcycles has been nearly 100 percent of my focus for almost my entire life. I have sacrificed just about everything that you can possibly imagine to accomplish the goals that I set for myself. In 1995, 14 years ago, I wrote a letter to George Bryce (who had never heard of me) and told him that I was going to be a NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion. When I wrote that letter, I had never even sat on a Pro Stock bike yet. To the world, I was just a girl with a ridiculous dream. No one knew who I was, I had no money, no big racing last name, no connections to the sport what so ever. But what I did have was passion, determination, will power and the most stubborn “I’LL SHOW YOU!!” attitude ever!

I told lots of people what I wanted to do and everyone laughed at me, except, of course, my parents, and George or Jackie Bryce. My mom especially has always told me that I can accomplish anything! Everyone else looked at me as if I had lost my mind. But not George; he told me that we could win together and, oh boy, did we win: 41 wins and three world championships. What a ride! Thanks George and Jackie, and thanks to everyone at Star Racing for taking a chance on the girl with the crazy dream.

I did exactly what I set out to do. I accomplished every goal that I made for myself before I started racing. Along the way, I set a few more goals and I accomplished all but one. I really wanted to drop the title of “Winningest Female Racer” and gain the title of “Winningest Racer” in Pro Stock Bikes. I guess I fell just short of that one.

As I look back on my career in racing, I do feel a great deal of pride but I also wonder if the sacrifices that I made were all worth it. Being a female in this sport can take it’s toll in several different ways. I won’t take the time that I would need to explain every detail, but I will tell you that it was very difficult for me at times. My racing career was really hard on my family and was especially hard on any relationship I tried to have. I took a public bashing for quite some time because of my name changes. I had two failed marriages, due mostly to the demands of a life and job away from home. In a similar situation, I had a business nearly bankrupt me because I couldn’t be here to oversee what was happening while I was gone. My brother and I didn’t speak for almost two years because my “distance” from the family literally came between us. But most important of all, I am still childless. I don’t even think I can explain the feeling of being a 39-year-old woman who doesn’t have a child. It’s just not natural. I have lived every day for at least the past 10 years with a giant hole in my heart. I chose to put off having children until later in life, but I never really thought it was going to be this late.

God has given me another chance. At the beginning of the 2009 season, Shirley Muldowney contacted me to ask if I would be interested in driving a Top Fuel dragster for her. Despite what I had been feeling for quite some time, I did not hesitate to say yes! Just days before that call, my mom broke down to me and said how happy she was that I wasn’t racing anymore. She said that my family wanted me home and they wanted me safe. She said that she thanks God everyday for allowing me to have the career that I had without ever being injured. I reluctantly called to inform her of my decision to pursue a Top Fuel ride, she somberly replied “I’ll support whatever decision you make, I just want you to be happy.” Those words rang loud and clear in my head for several months. Although the idea of racing with Shirley, and especially in a Top Fuel car, excited me so much that my spine tingled, I couldn’t lie to myself about what was really going fill the hole in my heart. At the final hour Shirley informed me that the deal fell through, I felt so many different emotions at once. I was sad, but happy. Scared but relieved. Mad but glad. I knew that this was my sign. It was time for me to close this door and open the next one.

I was scared that my friends and some of my family would be disappointed. I had actually been believing that “Angelle the racer” was all that they cared about. I didn’t think that anyone wanted to know me for me, but only because of my racing. This had really affected my self esteem and had caused me to be extremely insecure. But when I told them, they all seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Then I knew that they really do love me and that I was doing the right thing.

The best thing of all happened after that. My boyfriend of three years, Seth Drago, took me up in a hot air balloon ride and asked me to be his wife. How romantic! I knew just then that he loves me for who I really am. He doesn’t care if I am on TV, how much money I make, what sponsors I have or what “title” I hold. He just loves me for me and that’s all there is to it. I couldn’t ask for anything better in the whole world.

So this time around, my sacrifices are going to be a little different. My focus will be on Seth and the children that I pray God will bless us with. I will soak up every moment I get with my friends and family. I am going to live my life in the slow lane for a while. I am going to enjoy a normal life in the real world.

I want to thank all of you who rooted for me. Thank you for your support, for your friendship and, most of all, for your prayers. You have no idea how much it has meant to me over the years. I may have missed out on a lot with my friends and family at home while I was racing, but I sure do have lots of memories from my extended family and friends that I made on the road. I was very blessed to have met so many of you. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: You all really were the wind beneath my wings!!

Thank you for reading my blogs. I hope they were at least a little entertaining for you and that you have learned something about me that you might not have known otherwise. Beneath the helmet was just a girl chasing a dream; I hope you’ll do the same in your lives. It’s never too late to get what you want! Champion the right to be yourself. Dare to be different. Live your own life and follow your dreams, for in the end, if we live truly, we shall truly live!

God Bless each and every one of you.

About the author

James Lawrence

James started working on a Nostalgia Top Fuel drag racing team in 1992, and the rest has been history. A life-long automotive enthusiast, James is in fierce competition to see whether he can collect more cars or cats. Right now, the cars are winning. James co-founded the NMRA and NMCA Drag Racing Series in 1998 and continues to be an avid and passionate fan on everything 1320. He also thinks he can drive. Thinks, is the key word.
Read My Articles

Drag Racing in your Inbox.

Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from Dragzine, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE!

Free WordPress Themes
Dragzine NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

Dragzine - Drag Racing Magazine

We'll send you the most interesting Dragzine articles, news, car features, and videos every week.

Dragzine - Drag Racing Magazine

Dragzine NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

Dragzine - Drag Racing Magazine

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...


Street Muscle Magazine
Hot Rods & Muscle Cars
Diesel Army
Diesel Army
Engine Labs
Engine Tech

Dragzine - Drag Racing Magazine

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...

  • Streetmuscle Hot Rods & Muscle Cars
  • Diesel Army Diesel Army
  • Engine Labs Engine Tech

Dragzine - Drag Racing Magazine

Dragzine

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

Dragzine - Drag Racing Magazine

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

Loading