CHANGING SPEEDS

If you’re a professional drag racer who often exceeds speeds of 300 mph on the drag-racing circuit, what do you do to relax? For Leah Pruett, who drives an NHRA Top Fuel dragster for Don Schumacher Racing, relaxation comes from wakesurfing—so much so that she recently bought a Supra SL550 to take surfing when she’s not racing.

What’s the appeal of going slow?

“I can’t snowboard or ride my motocross bike because of fear of injury. With wakesurfing, if I fall at 11 mph, it doesn’t ruin my career,” Pruett says.

But there’s more to it. “Wakesurfing has allowed me to feel the board and the wave. It has helped me become more in tune with my body, and therefore more in tune with my race car,” she says.

To read more about Leah Pruett’s experience, visit boatingmag.com/story/ boats/interview-with-pro-drag-racerleah-pruett.