Living in McAlpin is a tiny 20-year-old girl with a tiny voice and a big attitude. Lindsey Wood likes to take on the big boys of drag racing and make them eat her dust. She likes to win.

According to Wood’s mom Kim, no one in the house likes it when Lindsey loses. She’s a terror. But losing hasn’t been much of an issue lately. Lindsey is listed at number four in the Southeast division and 25th in the world in her class. She recently won Gatornationals in Gainesville in the Super Comp division.

The only thing in the world that Lindsey has ever wanted to do is race. She has no hobbies, no outside interests, she’s single-minded about her racing. She’s been drag racing in the Junior Division since she turned 10. She competed as a junior until she turned 19 with lots of success. She had 17 wins in the Outlaw 330 heads-up class and more than 50 wins between bracket and index racing. Racing as a junior, Lindsey learned the art of drag racing.

“I learned the basics, dials, reaction times, driving the finish line, all the things you need to know to be competitive. The junior program meant a lot more to me than just the trophies and savings bonds I won,” Lindsey said.

When Lindsey grew out of the junior class, her family had to buy her a new drag racer. Most of the cars are designed for men. The cars need to fit, conform to the driver’s body for safety. When and if a car rolls, it has to cradle the diver to keep them safe. All Lindsey’s cars have to be modified for her tiny size. Her controls have to be moved and the compartment has to be shrunk.

This is only Lindsey’s second year racing with the big boys and she’s taking it to them. Lindsey was leading in the South East division until she had engine trouble and dropped to fourth. Fourth is no shame for a 20-year-old girl in her second season.

Racing is a family affair for the Woods. Her father was a driver in the Super Comp division, winning the Super Comp Championship in 1984, the year before Lindsey was born. Dad, Rowland, now works on the family’s race cars. Lindsey’s mother Kim supports her in everything she does and is very involved with the Junior Drag Racing Program. Her brother Jason is also a driver, racing in the Pro Stock truck Super Gas division. Jason also works on all of the race cars. Together, the entire family owns and operates CSR Performance in McAlpin, a company that manufactures parts for drag racing cars and race cars. Lindsey’s boy friend is . . . what else? a drag racer of course.

Kim said she has a grandson that’s three. The entire family has big plans for Dillon. When he turns eight, he will be racing in the Junior Division.

Lindsey says one of the main reasons she thinks she wins, is she is more relaxed than the male race-car drivers. Kim agrees.

“Girls are just more relaxed,” Kim said.

“I don’t get that nervous,” Lindsey said.

Drag racing is a different kind of racing. There is no pack racing around a track chasing each other. Instead, it’s just one car on one car for a quarter of a mile. In Lindsey’s Super Comp division, whoever gets closest to 8.90 seconds wins. It’s a last-man standing kind of thing. She competed against 129 other drivers to win Gatornational.

Because of the way the matches are designed, in an elimination style, there is a lot of sitting around at big events with so many cars entered.

Lindsey said most of the men drivers in drag racing treat her decently out on the track.

“I get treated pretty good,” Lindsey said. “Unless I beat one guy too many times.”

Drag-racing drivers are 98 percent men. According to Lindsey she’s raced against a few other women.

In 2003 Lindsey started racing full time. She hopes to make a living at racing. There is a lot of traveling involved, but it is a year-around job. Because there is winter racing in Florida, the Woods are close to the racing for much of the year. The NHRA season is from February until November.

Lindsey plans to add a Super Gas or Top Sportsman car to the team in 2005. Her long-term goal is to go professional. It takes a lot of money and big sponsors to go pro.

“It was exciting to win my first national race,” Lindsey said. “That’s my main thing. I like winning.”

Janet Schrader-Seccafico may be reached by calling 1/386/362-1734 ext. 134 or by e-mail at janet.schrader@gaflnews.com.