At 3 years old, Ashley Sanford gripped the steering wheel of a tractor after climbing into her father’s lap. Since then, she has never looked back. Speed was her heritage. Growing up with her father and grandfather being avid fans for the high–speed sport, racing was not just a family pastime—that shared love grew into her own passion for drag racing. For Sanford, it was not just a hobby, it was an opportunity to break barriers and spur confidence in others.
The Fullerton native, now 29, is more than just a racer, she is a trailblazer in a sport where few women compete. Although drag racing has not segregated genders since the ’60s, only a handful of female racers have made their mark. However, Sanford still had to prove herself worthy with a lot of consistency and time—while driving up to 320 miles per hour and keeping her nails perfectly painted.
By the time she was 23, she became the youngest member of the National Hot Rod Association. She has competed in about 50 races all over the country and world, including qualifying for the Indianapolis Nationals in 2017, known as “The World’s Biggest Drag Race.” For her, that was her most memorable race; she did not win but went 322 miles per hour to qualify for the race.
“I know it was a blast, and it was a good pass, but I just remember afterward everyone was happy and excited and I, at that point was like, there is no looking back,” says Sanford.
Sanford is part of a rising wave of female drag racers appearing from Orange County. She is earning her spot among local legends like Robby Gordon, Ron Capps and Mike Edwards. Among the most celebrated are the Force family—John Force, Courtney Force and Brittany Force—who are regarded as one of the most successful families in drag racing history, with numerous wins in the National Hot Rod Association and the Funny Car Division.
When she was 8 years old, Sanford started competing in sand strip races, which are held on long straight dirt tracks. Children are allowed to drive dune buggies or modified specialty vehicles for this type of race with experience and a parent or guardian’s permission. These short races, often only a couple blocks long, are perfect practice for beginner racers and differ from the more challenging circular asphalt track.
Of course, Sanford would not be where she is today without the love and support of her family. They took her to all her sand drag races when she first started. When she moved on to speedways, her mom would stand outside by the medical tent because she thought she was going to faint from excitement and anxiety.
Motor vehicles are notoriously expensive. Ashley’s first car, a Top Alcohol dragster class which can go 270 miles per hour in 5.3 seconds, typically costs between $150,000 and $300,000. Additionally, it can cost up to $10,000 a season just to race a car, making it challenging for aspiring racers to pursue their dreams. If a competitor can secure sponsorship, they are one step closer to success on the track. Technological advancements like driving simulators have made training more accessible, helping different racers alike improve their skills and speed instead of being vulnerable to outside elements and racing on expensive busy tracks. Nonetheless, whether simulated or on a track, workouts still cost a pretty penny. Sanford was lucky to have her family’s help in finding sponsors and paying for simulation training.
The dragster emphasizes that becoming a successful racer involves more than just practice on the track; it also requires mental training. Understanding how to manage the adrenaline rush is essential. As a racer, it is important to train your subconscious mind to know when to stop, slow down or speed up so you can overtake your competitors.
Outside of her racing career, Sanford lived a regular life in Fullerton. She attended Troy High School and worked at Roscoe’s Deli as a teenager. Even as she is burning rubber around the country, she stays connected with those childhood friends, three of whom have pursued diverse careers as a photographer, teacher and architect.
She unfortunately had to end her drag racing career due to the worldwide lockdown because of shortages of ticket sales, but she was ready for a change around this time—so Sanford took on a new challenge by driving monster trucks for a local team. Her interest sparked after she attended a Monster Truck Jam in Anaheim in 2019. By 2022, she began training with them and was ready by 2023 to be behind the wheel of her monster truck, the Megalodon. That same year she started, she was named “Co-Rookie of the Year” along with Chris Koehler. Now instead of racing to get the top speed, she’s racing a 12,000-pound car around a dirt track while doing the occasional donut.
While she likes crushing cars for now, she is unsure if she wants to make it her permanent career. She will always be interested in the world of motorsports, but she would like to explore other types of road sports like off-roading and buggy racing, which are cars stripped of their roofs and windows.
Sanford has come a long way. When she was 16, she was the only girl racing in competitions with 15-year-old boys. “At one point, I wanted to be an actress, but at another point I wanted to be a veterinarian,” she says. “But it’s funny, there was never anyone that said I could be race car driver.”
As Sanford continued to compete throughout the years, more women and females started competing alongside her in the track. Despite this progress, Sanford hopes to continue to inspire even more young girls to believe in themselves and give them the confidence they need to follow her.
“Once you get the helmet on, the vehicle does not know who is behind the wheel,” she says. “It doesn’t matter where you came from, what gender you are. If you believe in yourself and your hands are on the wheel and you are ready to go, the car is going to respond with you.”
Taken from the Winter 2024 print issue of Inside Fullerton. Read it here.
