Pauline Lane
With a surname like Lane, the biggest surprise is that Pauline, daughter of famed Wellington racer and hot rodder Colin ‘Shady’ Lane, wasn’t behind the wheel of a drag car from an early age. Instead, she and partner Arran Brattle didn’t get into the sport until 2013, when Pauline was aged 43. Prior to that, Pauline’s sporting achievements related to her younger years: she was a marching girl first, then, in her 20s, she played indoor netball — so drag racing was quite a change of pace. Pauline adapted well to the challenge of being behind the wheel of the pair’s 2010 front-engine dragster, running a 9.60 at 141mph shortly after her licensing passes. From there, she has not only continued to get quicker but also proved herself as a competitive racer, managing to finish first in the 2015–’16 Front-Engined Dragster Challenge against far more experienced racers. Dropping into the seven-second club was also a huge milestone, as was being named the NZDRA Sportswoman of the Year at the 2015–’16 awards evening. It hasn’t been all smooth sailing for Pauline, though. The stack-injected 502ci big block engine provides enough power to have given her a good scare at Meremere during the 2015–’16 season, stepping out extremely sideways during one pass. But, cool, calm, and collected, she kept the car in its lane, and still managed to take the win. Pauline’s managed to drag some work colleagues, who’d never witnessed drag racing up close, along to the track to watch her in action, and they’ve gained a new respect for and perspective on what drag racing’s all about. While Pauline says her current goal is to simply improve her PB, she did let slip that she’d love to drive a funny car — a dream that’s been with her ever since Chris Lane (no relation), the original owner of ‘ The Phoenix’ funny car, stayed with the family when she was a kid. For now, though, having bragging rights as the second-quickest female in the land isn’t half bad!
STEPPING OUT EXTREMELY SIDEWAYS ... SHE STAYED COOL, CALM, AND COLLECTED, AND STILL MANAGED TO TAKE THE WIN