The Janeshewski jet car ready to run the quarter mile at Race City Sunday
You can’t beat the ear-splitting whine of a jet engine, volumnious clouds of smoke, great puffs of flame and 250 mph for pleasing race fans. The several thousand people who came to Race City this past weekend for the 23rd Annual Father’s Day Classic hosted by the Calgary Drag Racing Association went away happy customers.
This year’s event, which may be the last if the City of Calgary goes ahead with its plan to end Race City’s lease and tear down the facility in 2010, featured a variety of drag racing cars, but the highlight of the weekend was indoubtedly the two jet cars, owned by Prairieland Motorsports and Brad and heather Janeshewski.
The Janeshewski family is unique in North American racing circles. They are the only husband and wife jet car racing team.
Brad makes it clear, backed up by a big smile from Heather, that his wife doesn’t play second fiddle on the Janeshewski team. When Brad drives, Heather is his crew chief and vice versa. She learned to pull wrenches alongside Brad and now knows the cars as well as he does.
And they make their living touring the continent match racing against each other, Brad in his funny car and Heather in her dragster. The cars are essentially a light tube frame with four wheels strapped to a monstrous jet engine that makes around 7,000 horsepower.
Standing behind one of those jet engines when it fires up and belches fire and smoke is an experience not soon forgotten. One can only imagine the rush being strapped in the driver’s seat.
Despite their touring schedule, the Janeshewski’s are a closeknit family. The three children, teens and young adults, travel with their family whenever possible.
And no surprise, the kids have been bitten by the racing bug. While they haven’t showed interest yet in continuing the family business, each has carved out a niche in their own sport, such as motorcycle racing.
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