Ride Along with Erica

Twenty-two year old, third-generation racer Bobby Santos III just keeps on setting records. In addition to his duties as a development driver for Bill Davis Racing, he is an avid – and on-the-hammer – short track racer. Among his adventures last year was turning in an all-time new closed course midget speed record of 147 mph in Iowa. Just last month he made history on Turkey Night at Irwindale, winning the first sprint car race ever in a Toyota-powered car.

But ask Bobby about his most cherished recent racing memory and he will tell you it was watching his sister Erica win the NEMA feature at the Xtreme Tuesday show at Stafford, CT, last July.

Erica and Bobby grew up in one of New England’s favorite racing families and the two have already raced together for 15 years. Both have demonstrated uncanny talent behind the wheel, whether in go-karts, quarter midgets, limited supers, midgets, or any other form of weapon.

Bobby chose to go forward with a career as a racer and has drawn national acclaim. Erica, on the other hand, has been a little less visible. She attended the University of Massachusetts and is now a critical care nurse in Boston. But her weekends have always been busy, as she continued in the midgets.

In 2005, Erica made history racing to an all-female podium at the Speedrome in Indianapolis with Stephanie Mockler and Allison McLeod. It was the first in USAC history.

On July 10 of this year, Erica swept the midget portion of the Xtreme Tuesday event at Stafford Speedway. It was a wildly popular victory, the first ever by a woman in the Northeastern Midget Association.

Howie Hodge, New England’s most active racing photographer, was able to preserve Erica’s drive at Stafford for perpetuity. He placed an in-car camera in her midget, the clip was edited by his son Kevin, and it can be seen below.

Does that Erica go, or what?!

Clip - Ride Along with Erica - Xtreme07b.wmv

Video by Howie Hodge - Edited by Kevin Hodge