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Elaine Larsen has raced cars for over 23 years. She met and married her high school sweetheart, Chris, and never looked back. With their 17-year-old son Andrew, and dog Nitro, Elaine lives her life all out. Her motto is Live Fast and Play Hard. She definitely practices what she preaches. Not coming from a racing background, she was a former kindergarten teacher, Elaine headed into uncharted territory and never stopped. She never let being a female in a male dominated world affect her in any way. She chose not just any race car to drive for her career path, but a jet dragster capable of going 300 mph in five seconds with over 5000 horsepower. These cars are powered by the exact same engines that power the jet engines we fly in.

After drag racing stock cars at NHRA for years, Elaine and Chris decided to go jet car racing. She came to West Palm Beach and obtained her jet car license at Moroso Motorsports Park in 2002 (now Palm Beach International Raceway), where she continues to compete every year in front of her home track fans. “I felt at home at Moroso because I could identify with a track run by women in a predominantly male industry. The fans and staff are always so welcoming and it has always been a good fit,” comments Elaine.

Now President of Larsen Motorsports, Larsen rarely backs down from a challenge. Along with Chris Larsen, she oversees a team of seven drivers, the Jet Technology Center, a 30,000 sq.ft. shop with teaching and entertainment facilities, a full crew of mechanics, designers, and interns, runs their marketing and promotional program. This involves not only obtaining and managing the sponsors for all the teams, but the scheduling, corporate responsibilities, driver development, and all aspects of the media. Larsen won her first IHRA Jet Dragster World Championship in 2014, and backed it up in 2015.

Being a strong positive role model for young girls, Larsen is trying to blaze new trails in the racing industry. “Our passion is creating a unique hands-on training experience that will inspire the next generation of Motorsports professionals.” Working with Florida Institute of Technology, has enabled us to foster that spark for the next generation.

With her own comic, a die cast, and a bobble head modeled after her, Elaine is living her life at full throttle. “Giving young ladies the opportunity to shine and find out what makes
them special has fueled me in this industry!” says Larsen. The future holds many great things; at 48 years old, Larsen has just gotten her engine started and she is focused on the finish line!

For more bio information, interview, or photos contact Laura South @ 561-371-7818 orLAURA@THEMERCHANTSTRATEGY.COM, HTTP://WWW.ELAINELARSEN.COM/

Elaine has been a Keynote speaker for:
25th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference Walt Disney World
Cochiese College 50th anniversary
Rockwell Collins
Miller Welding District Conference
2015 All About You Conference for Women
WeVenture Business and Leadership Summit

Other Larsen Motorsports noted accomplishments:
NHRA Best Engineered Car
IHRA 2014 World Champion
IHRA 2015 World Champion
Brevard County Innovative Company of the Year Inducted into the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame STEM Ambassador for High Performance Vehicles
Featured on Jay Leno’s Garage
Co-founder of the National Jet Racing Association