Join us in welcoming Lea Ochs as an Official member of Car Chix. Lea Ochs placed in the top 12 of the 2018 Women of Motorsports Contest (Read: Car Chix Celebrates Another Successful Women of Motorsports Contest), earning her spot as Ms. July in the Prison City Customs sponsored month of the 2019 Car Chix Calendar.
LEA OCHS BIO
NICKNAME: Lead Sled Lea
PROFESSION: REALTOR®
YOUR VEHICLES (in photo): 1978 Ford Fairmont Wagon
MOTOR/SPECS: 388ci Concept Performance LSR block built by Gary Ochs/Ochs Performance, Machine work by Metroplex Machine/Rick Caudle and Boosted Machine and Performance/Kayla Morton, Frankenstein 247 heads and Frankenstein billet intake
RACING CLASS/TEAM/DIVISION: We race a lot of no-prep events in the Outlaw Street classes, Street Car Takeover events, Drag Week, and plan to expand our event list this year.
HOMETOWN: Whitewright, Texas
HOMETRACK: North Star Dragway, Denton TX
PERSONAL WEBSITE/FANPAGE: www.facebook.com/LeadSledLea
Instagram and Snapchat: TheLeaOchs
CLUBS/AFFLIATIONS/SPONSORS: Ochs Performance, Concept Performance, Pro-Torque, Sonnax, Mr.
Wendell’s Motorsports, Nitrous Outlet, Biddle Motorsports, J&M Fabrication and Kustoms, Billet
Specialties, Davis Technologies, Hazard Fab, JayFab, Frankenstein Engine Dynamics
ACCOMPLISHMENTS/ACHIEVEMENTS:
10/15 – Street Car Takeover – Street class Runner Up
3/17 – Doomsday No-Prep winner – True Street/Outlaw Street combined class
4/17 – Texas True Street Shootout – True Street Runner Up
2017 – Became the first female to win a no-prep event in the true street/outlaw street combined class. First
female to win a no-prep event on a small tire and in a door slammer car.
2018 – Car Chix Women of Motorsports, Miss September and Cover Feature
2018 – Participated in our first Drag Week
2017/2018 – Featured in Drag Illustrated and Car Craft Magazine
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: Returned with The Lead Sled, The Resurrection after crashing the original car in 2017.
Featured in Drag Illustrated
FAVORITE QUOTE/SAYING: Team Work Makes The Dream Work
HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH AUTOMOBILES/MOTORSPORTS: I grew up in a car family. We spent
weekends at the drag strip watching my step-dad (I call him pops) race. My first car was a 1972 nova with a
shift kit. It wasn’t fast, but I cruised around the streets of Lawton, Ok chirping the tires and looking for
races. As we got older, three of my six brothers built their own cars and bikes and took over my stepdad’s
role behind the wheel. After a few years of following my brothers around and supporting them, my husband
and I decided to build a car. In 2012, the original Lead Sled project began.
I remember my first pass in the original Lead Sled. I was learning the car and my brother was in the passenger seat. It was a motor only
pass. At the end of the track… I yelled over the sound of the motor “my shift light never came on!” He yelled back “you didn’t get fast enough!” We hot lapped and made another pass after that… we still tell that story and laugh. We’ve come a long way since that day.
My husband also grew up with a passion for cars. I call him my mechanical genius… there doesn’t seem to
be a problem he can’t solve. Our combined passion for performance and the origination of the Lead Sled led
to the creation of Ochs Performance.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT AUTOMOBILES/MOTORSPORTS: Simply put… the people. We’re so blessed to
have made so many amazing friends because of the sport. It’s like one big, extended family. Even though
we’re all competitive, we support and encourage each other. Spending time with our friends at the track is
something we both look forward to.
Racing is an escape… I love that I can climb in the driver’s seat and forget about everything else. The
adrenaline rush I get when I pull up to the water box to make my first pass on race day is something that
never gets old!
The thing I love the most is that my husband and I do this together, as a team. He is my biggest fan, and his
support and encouragement pushes me to be the best version of myself.
WHAT IS YOUR BEST CAR/RACING/MOTORSPORTS RELATED MEMORY: Winning Doomsday in March 2017
at our home track, North Star Dragway. That’s where I became the first female to win a no-prep event in the
true street/outlaw street combined class. We were surrounded by so many friends and family and we
celebrated that victory as a team. Winning is always fun and rewarding, but it’s even better when we’re
surrounded by so many people who love and support us. The Doomsday race series is promoted by our
good friends Michael Hollis and Barrett Green… to take that win at one of their races and at our home track
made it so incredibly special.
WHAT IS YOUR WORST CAR/RACING/MOTORSPORTS RELATED MEMORY: I wrecked the Lead Sled in May
2017 at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis during Shannon Morgan’s Redemption No-Prep race. I was competing
in the True Street Class on Friday and my opponent and I were the third cars down the track. I lost traction
mid-way down the track and hit the wall at 100+mph. It totaled the car… and sent me to the ER. I’m so very
fortunate to have walked away with only a concussion and a bone contusion in my right arm. My mom gave
me a guardian angel and it stayed pinned to the floor near my shifter… she had her work cut out for her on
that day! My safety equipment did it’s job and saved me from what could have been a much more tragic
outcome.
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR NEXT SEASON: We have a full season of racing and travel planned with the
new Lead Sled. I’m looking forward to participating in our second Drag Week. Icing on the cake would be
seeing the new Lead Sled in the winner’s circle!
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER HOBBIES OR PASSIONS: We love to hunt and travel. Everything my husband and I
do, we do as a team.
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP SONGS FOR WHEN YOU ARE DOING CARS THINGS / RACING:
I have a play list that I listen to when I’m getting ready to race… one of my favorites from that list is Crazy
Train by Ozzy Osbourne.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE BLOGS WEBSITES OR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES THAT YOU FOLLOW?
World-Wide LS Owners, NX Gonzo Video, 1320 Video, Max Cackle Photos.com, National No Prep Racing
Association
ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE CAR CHIX COMMUNITY: God blessed me with an
incredible husband and I am extremely grateful. He does everything in his power to make all my dreams
come true and encourages me to reach for the stars. We’re blessed with an amazing support group of
friends, family and fellow racers… we really couldn’t ask for more! I’m proud and honored to represent
Team Texas in the 2019 Women of Motorsports calendar.
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PHOTO CREDITS FOR SUBMITTED PHOTOS: Phillip Kinney (my little brother), Freakshow Photography
