Written by Mary Lendzion
Photos by NMRA Staff
There are several reasons why people refer to Samantha Moore as relentless.
When she sets goals, she does not stop until she achieves them. If she runs into a roadblock along the way, she goes over it, under it or around it. She does whatever she has to in order to succeed on a personal and professional level.
Moore proved that when she was crowned the NMRA Whatever It Takes Transmissions Parts Limited Street champion in 2022, and then again when she set out to back up the championship in 2023 in her 2014 Mustang built by her shop, Vector Motorsports, with a 5.0L Coyote engine by Holbrook Racing Engines, Frankenstein Engine Dynamics Gen1 heads, Procharger P1X, Aeromotive fuel system and Holley EFI. The plentiful power is planted with the help of a Coan Turbo 400XLT transmission and Coan converter, and the car features Viking Performance shocks and struts.
“Our goals were to push our combination to the max and learn what we could to apply it to our plans for our future program, as well as qualify number one at every event, set several records and win every event, but that doesn’t always happen,” said Moore. “I put a ton of pressure on myself all of the time and sometimes forget to enjoy the ride and get caught up in too much stress, so another big personal goal this year was to take a minute, breathe and enjoy the race as a whole.”
At the first race of the year, the Ryno Classifieds NMRA Spring Break Shootout presented by Nitto in March at Orlando Speed World Dragway in Florida, Moore had issues in qualifying, but forged ahead and made it to the NMRA Winner’s Circle with an 8.13 over Larry Starost, who stopped the clocks at 8.34.
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The next event was the NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by MAHLE Motorsport in April at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina. Moore led qualifying with a 7.85 and finished as the runner-up after going just -.008 red, but she kept her foot planted on the gas pedal to see what the car would run, and recorded a 7.92 with Stacey Roby in the other lane.
At the NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Muscle Car Drag Racing in May at World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois, she led qualifying again, this time with a 7.83. She soared to a 7.93 on a solo pass in the first round and returned to the NMRA Winner’s Circle with an 8.47 after Stacey Roby turned on the red light. Additionally, she set records at that event with a 7.830 and 175.58 mph, and those records hold.
Moore, who this season was staying overnight at the track in her new trailer with her recently adopted and beloved Doberman, Nova, was ready for the 3rd Annual Mickey Thompson NMRA Ford Homecoming in June at Summit Motorsports Park in Ohio. She set the pace in qualifying with a 7.83 and won the first round when her opponent went red, and she later won the race with a 7.83 against Stacey Roby, who turned in a 7.99, even though she was experiencing piston and valve issues.
Back in her home state for the TorqStorm NMRA/NMCA Power Festival presented by Paul’s High Performance in July at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park, she led qualifying with a 7.91, and later went on the earn another win, this time with a 7.97 against Stacy Roby and his 8.05.
Ready to put a bow on her race season, Moore made her way to the Whipple Superchargers NMRA World Finals presented by Competition Clutch featuring the Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival in late September, early October at Beech Bend Raceway in Kentucky, and qualified in the fifth spot with some off-pace passes. She lost in the first round.
“On the first pass down the track during the first round of qualifying, I let go of the button, and the car left good, and felt strong and normal, but as soon as it shifted into second gear, there was a bang, and I pulled over, got pushed off the track, opened the hood and knew it was bad,” said Moore.
“We got it back to the pits and within three minutes, I figured out that the crankshaft broke. Every piston hit every valve and there was no amount of work we could have done to get back into that race. We didn’t have a spare engine either. We were looking for other options and had a fellow racer running a different class offer to pull his car from competition and let me enter it into the class, however since this particular car didn’t have a blower with a listed pulley combination on the rules, it wouldn’t fit and wouldn’t have been legal. But, we tried everything we could at the race, like we always do, until we had no other options, and then we decided to enjoy the weekend and help out our fellow racers and had a great time.”
Despite the breakage and having to sit out the rest of the race, Moore had enough points to become the 2023 NMRA Whatever It Takes Transmissions Parts Limited Street champion, backing up last year’s championship.
“It is a great feeling when all of our nonstop hard work pays off like that, and we continued to pick up more great sponsors,” said Moore. “ The amount of support for our program is something I could have never imagined. Being able to win this second championship backs up everything we have worked so hard for throughout the years. I have proven that I am able to remain persistent and consistent both as a driver and a tuner. This year wasn’t all perfect, due to some bumps in the road, a few giant potholes and even a complete roadblock, but we don’t use them as excuses or let them stop us. Instead, we continue to define ourselves by how we get around them. I want to thank all of my friends, parents and family, especially the guys at my shop, Vector Motorsports, for their help throughout the year. A special thanks to Dan Sienkiewicz, my business partner and crew chief. Absolutely none of this would be possible without his support, help, knowledge and sacrifices. A huge thank you to all of my sponsors, especially Jason Coan of Coan Engineering. Thank you to Chris Holbrook at Holbrook Racing Engines, Procharger, Drew at ZPE Griptec , Viking Performance, Frankenstein Engine Dynamics, AUS Injection, Brisk Spark Plugs, JE Pistons, Aeromotive Fuel Systems, RJ ProFab, TurboStart Batteries, UPR Products, Manley Performance, Air Flow Solutions, Holley Performance, Lucas Oil Products, Diamond Claw by Shaftech, SCE Gaskets, Mickey Thompson Tires, Modern Racing, RC Components, The CAR Guys, Strange Engineering, ABC Performance, Callies Performance, Vibrant Performance and MFP Australia.”
The NMRA looks forward to putting the spotlight on Moore and her fellow champions at the Holley NMRA Ford Nationals Awards, held during the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show, Dec. 8, 2023, at the Indiana Convention Center, and in the upcoming Champions Issue of Fastest Street Car.
Photos by NMRA Staff
There are several reasons why people refer to Samantha Moore as relentless.
When she sets goals, she does not stop until she achieves them. If she runs into a roadblock along the way, she goes over it, under it or around it. She does whatever she has to in order to succeed on a personal and professional level.
Moore proved that when she was crowned the NMRA Whatever It Takes Transmissions Parts Limited Street champion in 2022, and then again when she set out to back up the championship in 2023 in her 2014 Mustang built by her shop, Vector Motorsports, with a 5.0L Coyote engine by Holbrook Racing Engines, Frankenstein Engine Dynamics Gen1 heads, Procharger P1X, Aeromotive fuel system and Holley EFI. The plentiful power is planted with the help of a Coan Turbo 400XLT transmission and Coan converter, and the car features Viking Performance shocks and struts.
“Our goals were to push our combination to the max and learn what we could to apply it to our plans for our future program, as well as qualify number one at every event, set several records and win every event, but that doesn’t always happen,” said Moore. “I put a ton of pressure on myself all of the time and sometimes forget to enjoy the ride and get caught up in too much stress, so another big personal goal this year was to take a minute, breathe and enjoy the race as a whole.”
At the first race of the year, the Ryno Classifieds NMRA Spring Break Shootout presented by Nitto in March at Orlando Speed World Dragway in Florida, Moore had issues in qualifying, but forged ahead and made it to the NMRA Winner’s Circle with an 8.13 over Larry Starost, who stopped the clocks at 8.34.
The next event was the NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by MAHLE Motorsport in April at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina. Moore led qualifying with a 7.85 and finished as the runner-up after going just -.008 red, but she kept her foot planted on the gas pedal to see what the car would run, and recorded a 7.92 with Stacey Roby in the other lane.
At the NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Muscle Car Drag Racing in May at World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois, she led qualifying again, this time with a 7.83. She soared to a 7.93 on a solo pass in the first round and returned to the NMRA Winner’s Circle with an 8.47 after Stacey Roby turned on the red light. Additionally, she set records at that event with a 7.830 and 175.58 mph, and those records hold.
Moore, who this season was staying overnight at the track in her new trailer with her recently adopted and beloved Doberman, Nova, was ready for the 3rd Annual Mickey Thompson NMRA Ford Homecoming in June at Summit Motorsports Park in Ohio. She set the pace in qualifying with a 7.83 and won the first round when her opponent went red, and she later won the race with a 7.83 against Stacey Roby, who turned in a 7.99, even though she was experiencing piston and valve issues.
Back in her home state for the TorqStorm NMRA/NMCA Power Festival presented by Paul’s High Performance in July at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park, she led qualifying with a 7.91, and later went on the earn another win, this time with a 7.97 against Stacy Roby and his 8.05.
Ready to put a bow on her race season, Moore made her way to the Whipple Superchargers NMRA World Finals presented by Competition Clutch featuring the Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival in late September, early October at Beech Bend Raceway in Kentucky, and qualified in the fifth spot with some off-pace passes. She lost in the first round.
“On the first pass down the track during the first round of qualifying, I let go of the button, and the car left good, and felt strong and normal, but as soon as it shifted into second gear, there was a bang, and I pulled over, got pushed off the track, opened the hood and knew it was bad,” said Moore.
“We got it back to the pits and within three minutes, I figured out that the crankshaft broke. Every piston hit every valve and there was no amount of work we could have done to get back into that race. We didn’t have a spare engine either. We were looking for other options and had a fellow racer running a different class offer to pull his car from competition and let me enter it into the class, however since this particular car didn’t have a blower with a listed pulley combination on the rules, it wouldn’t fit and wouldn’t have been legal. But, we tried everything we could at the race, like we always do, until we had no other options, and then we decided to enjoy the weekend and help out our fellow racers and had a great time.”
Despite the breakage and having to sit out the rest of the race, Moore had enough points to become the 2023 NMRA Whatever It Takes Transmissions Parts Limited Street champion, backing up last year’s championship.
“It is a great feeling when all of our nonstop hard work pays off like that, and we continued to pick up more great sponsors,” said Moore. “ The amount of support for our program is something I could have never imagined. Being able to win this second championship backs up everything we have worked so hard for throughout the years. I have proven that I am able to remain persistent and consistent both as a driver and a tuner. This year wasn’t all perfect, due to some bumps in the road, a few giant potholes and even a complete roadblock, but we don’t use them as excuses or let them stop us. Instead, we continue to define ourselves by how we get around them. I want to thank all of my friends, parents and family, especially the guys at my shop, Vector Motorsports, for their help throughout the year. A special thanks to Dan Sienkiewicz, my business partner and crew chief. Absolutely none of this would be possible without his support, help, knowledge and sacrifices. A huge thank you to all of my sponsors, especially Jason Coan of Coan Engineering. Thank you to Chris Holbrook at Holbrook Racing Engines, Procharger, Drew at ZPE Griptec , Viking Performance, Frankenstein Engine Dynamics, AUS Injection, Brisk Spark Plugs, JE Pistons, Aeromotive Fuel Systems, RJ ProFab, TurboStart Batteries, UPR Products, Manley Performance, Air Flow Solutions, Holley Performance, Lucas Oil Products, Diamond Claw by Shaftech, SCE Gaskets, Mickey Thompson Tires, Modern Racing, RC Components, The CAR Guys, Strange Engineering, ABC Performance, Callies Performance, Vibrant Performance and MFP Australia.”
The NMRA looks forward to putting the spotlight on Moore and her fellow champions at the Holley NMRA Ford Nationals Awards, held during the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show, Dec. 8, 2023, at the Indiana Convention Center, and in the upcoming Champions Issue of Fastest Street Car.