Presley Wilkerson — Photo Credit: Stewart Wilkerson
Car Chix is proud to announce Presley Wilkerson as Ms July! Presley Wilkerson is an official member of Car Chix. After competing in last
year’s Women of Motorsports Contest, she placed in the top 12; earning her spot in the 2017 Car Chix Calendar! Read: Car Chix Women of Motorsports Contest 2017 ReviewPresley Wilkerson is a drag racer from Louisville, Kentucky. She races a 1982 Chevy Corvette with a 468 BBC in the NHRA Division 3 Super Gas/Super Street Class. When she is not racing, she serves the community as a Substance Abuse Counselor. She has also been known to when a beauty pageant or two.
“My parents and Uncle were drag racing years before I was born,” Presley explains,”When I came along drag racing took a backseat for a while.”
The dry spell of racing didn’t last long in her family. At the age of 6, Presley Wilkerson began racing four-wheelers. By the age of 11, she was racing mud tracks!
“I competed in mud truck racing for 7 full seasons before switching to a Super Comp dragster. My Dad freshened up his race car and we started drag racing again.,” says Presley, “Since then I have been hooked.”
With 18+ years of racing under her belt, Presley Wilkerson is backed by some of the best in the industry — including: Redhorse Performance, Royal Purple, Quickfuel Technology, John Craighead Transmissions, Don Taylor Racing Engines, KDRA and Racers Evolved.
‘Team work makes the dream work.” – Presley Wilkerson
Some of her recent accomplishments include: 2012 Beech Bend Rookie of the Year, 2014 Ohio Valley Outlaw Track Champion, 2014 Ohio Valley Prize Fight Winner, 2 page spread in Drag Illustrated’s Hottest Issue and Round 1 winner at U.S. Nationals.
“I love the adrenaline rush you get from the time you let your finger off the trans brake button to the moment you lift off the throttle and turn on a win light. There is no other feeling.” – Presley Wilkerson
Try something new. You never know, you might like it. Presley tried something new and it turned out to be one of her most fond memories…
“In 2014 we decided I would start driving my Dad’s 70 Ford Falcon in 7.50 index class for a point’s series at Ohio Valley. I had never run the class and had low expectations for what my season would look like. I runnered up my first race, made the semi finals of my second race, and went on to win the final 3 races of the season,” Presley says,”That was the best feeling to try something new and do well and I never expected to win 3 races in a row!”
This year, Presley Wilkerson and her crew are focused on chasing the points in the NHRA Division 3 series! One of the biggest challenges for Presley, as well as many racers, is securing sponsorship and marketing partners to lock in on some of these amazing racing opportunities.
“Never lose faith. It sometimes seems like a constant uphill climb but eventually you will have success in racing or find sponsors or whatever it is you are aiming for,” Presley Wilkerson explains.”Work just as hard in your off season.”
That is some solid advice! You can do and be anything you want to be. Just set a goal and get to work. Here at Car Chix, there is no such thing as the “off season”. It’s 24/7, 365.
We look forward to the success of Presley Wilkerson and her crew this season!
