14. The Interview: Jasmine Salinas
NHRA Top Fuel Driver
For second-generation racer Jasmine Salinas, a career in the NHRA was a dream that began taking shape during childhood trips to the racetrack with her father, Mike Salinas. But long before the Salinas family became known in drag racing, their story was rooted in perseverance and sacrifice, as her mother’s family immigrated to America from Indonesia to build a new life. Guided by the strength of her close-knit family, Salinas has since carved out her own path in the highly competitive world of NHRA racing while carrying those values with her every step of the way.
KAITLYN VINCIE: You were born into a racing family. Your father, Mike, is an NHRA drag racer. What are your earliest memories of being at the racetrack?
JASMINE SALINAS: My earliest memories were when my dad was racing during what we call his “hobby era,” when he was first getting into it. I remember my sisters and I were all in the kitchen helping my mom, and I remember her saying, “Oh my God,” while she was looking out the window. We all went rushing over, and my dad had this trailer with a big race car on the back of it. He had just hauled it home and hadn’t told any of us. It turned out to be a nostalgia front-engine dragster. He told my mom he really loved those kinds of cars and that he was just going to keep it in his barn. Of course, that turned into him and his friends coming over and working on putting it together. Next thing you know, every single night, he and all his friends were out in the barn, which eventually turned into a race shop. They were teaching themselves how to build this race car together and take it to racetracks. We ended up going to Bakersfield and Sacramento Raceway in California, which were the closest home tracks for us. I just remember my dad and his closest friends racing in the nostalgia series, and for me, that was my first real introduction to racing.
A few years later, I saw the Disney movie Right on Track about the Enders sisters running junior dragsters, and I thought it was so awesome. I didn’t realize that was something that actually happened until my dad introduced me to junior dragsters in real life.
KAITLYN VINCIE: You were obviously exposed to racing at a very young age, but at what point did you decide you wanted to follow in your dad’s footsteps?
At the racetrack, we just kind of followed our dad around while he did what he loved, and we would hang out and keep ourselves busy. That’s what the racetrack started out as for me. Around the same time he introduced us to junior dragsters, he also took us to our first NHRA national event at Sonoma Raceway. That was the first time I realized this was something much bigger than just people racing at their local track. It was a massive race facility, professional people were racing, and I realized this was a career you could actually have.
I saw Britney Force race in a Top Fuel dragster, and that’s when I realized women could do this. At that point, I knew this was what I wanted to do. I’m the oldest of four girls, and I think my dad was hoping at least one of us would want to race. As it turns out, all four of us wanted to race.
KAITLYN VINCIE: I was curious what that dynamic was like growing up in a household full of sisters, with everyone looking out for each other.
I always say I’m very fortunate to be surrounded by incredibly powerful women on both my mom’s and dad’s sides of the family. My mom’s side immigrated to America as refugees from Indonesia. They made their way here the hard way, and I’ve heard all the stories about what they went through.
My parents made sure my sisters and I understood what our family had endured. We’ve always continued to build each other up. Growing up, we were never allowed to fight with one another, and my parents always instilled in us that when one of us succeeds, all of us succeed.
With my mom being the first one born in America and her family coming from a small island, we always say we have an “island mentality.” We all rely on each other and build one another up. If one of us is hurting, we all step in. If one of us succeeds, it helps all of us move forward. I’m grateful those values were instilled in us.
KAITLYN VINCIE: I’m curious if those values carry over into the message you want to share with other women and the next generation of racers?
I definitely think that’s something my sister Jianna and I are pushing in terms of our message and how we leverage the platform we have. We’re both very aware of the opportunity we have just to be part of this sport and compete at this level. My mom has always encouraged us to ask, “What can you do with this platform? How can you inspire others? How can you help others and bring more names to the table?”
When we came into drag racing, there were already many powerful women in the sport who helped pave the way for us. That made our journey into the sport easier and more accessible. We always say being present isn’t enough. We want everyone to be able to show up and pave their own way by being themselves, without being limited or confined to the narrow box women can sometimes be placed in when they’re in a male-dominated space.
KAITLYN VINCIE: Your path is definitely authentic to who you are. I want to transition to the competition side of things. What is one of the hardest skills to master in Top Fuel racing that fans may not realize?
From the driving side, it’s getting your brain caught up with the car. There’s nothing in the world that can simulate or recreate the sensation of going from 0 to 330 miles per hour in under four seconds. The only thing that allows you to do that is actual seat time. Seat time is the only way you can really hone those skills. When people watch drivers race, it looks like they’re just going straight and making all these split-second reactions, but it’s because they have decades of laps and experience.
When you’re in the race car, you only have three seconds, so everything has to become learned muscle memory. Every reaction has to be correct and perfectly timed. I think the biggest challenge for me was the mental side and learning how to clear my mind. You’re doing something very dangerous, so you have to get into the proper mental state. There’s also all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into preparing for those three seconds.
KAITLYN VINCIE: The sport comes with obvious challenges, but how has racing become your true calling? It’s clearly a craft you’re comfortable with.
I struggled at times trying to figure out what my “thing” was. I struggled some in school, and I tried a lot of different sports, but I was too small for many of them. When I started racing, it just clicked for me. It was the first time in my life that I truly felt like I belonged, and that was really powerful for me. A huge part of that is that race cars don’t care who’s driving them. They don’t care how tall or short you are. You still have to be strong, but even being small can be an advantage. I don’t necessarily fit in an office environment, but in racing, I feel like this is exactly where I belong.
KAITLYN VINCIE: What is the preparation like leading up to a race weekend?
From the team side, everyone is nonstop in the shop preparing the cars and getting all the parts together. All of the engines and motor combinations we plan to run are being assembled. We usually have anywhere from eight to 10 fully built motors and all of our clutch packs ready to go. We’ll have a plan in place for what we want to run, along with backups in case we damage the cars. The crew is constantly putting all of that together.
Thursday is when I really get in the zone. I clean out and freshen up my driver lounge, organize all my gear, and do track walks. Of course, you’re also looking at weather conditions, making mental notes, and formulating game plans with your crew chief in case of weather delays.
KAITLYN VINCIE: That’s a lot to manage. You also have a very busy month of May ahead. We’ve talked about your dad, and now the two of you will be racing together at the IHRA Triple Crown event at Maple Grove Raceway. How special do you think that will be?
I don’t think I’ll even be able to process it until we’re both at the racetrack together. Ever since I started racing, I’ve wanted to race against my dad. It never really seemed possible, but it’s something we’ve been working toward. Three years ago, my dad had to step out of his race car for heart surgery, and at the same time, my professional career was taking off. For a while, we weren’t sure we would ever get the opportunity to race each other. We thought that dream might be over, and we had accepted that.
But now he’s healthy again, he’s ready, and he’s found the time in his schedule to come back out and do what he loves. I honestly don’t even know how to describe it, but I think we’ll both be pretty emotional under the helmets. I think it’ll feel like two kids getting to live their dreams again.
KAITLYN VINCIE: What has your father’s reaction been to everything you’ve accomplished so far in your career?
I think he’s really proud of how far my sister and I have come and how we haven’t been afraid to maybe ignore some of his advice at times and make names for ourselves while creating our own path. He’s always encouraged us to do our own thing and not be afraid of who we are, even if that means standing out from everybody else. I think he’s proud that we’ve done this in our own way.
Great insight. I didn't know that the Enders had a disney movie made about them. Jasmine took on a lot of responsibility stepping in for her pops. Salute to you all.