“It’d Be Pretty Awesome” - Rachel Meyer Chases Her First IHRA Ironman with Family and Legacy in Mind

(Photo Credit: Peyton Lohr/Racing Refresh)

By Logan Morris

Rachel Meyer was born into drag racing. She loves the sport, and it’s woven into her DNA. But as time has passed, life has brought new responsibilities, and her priorities have naturally shifted. Committing to a demanding racing schedule is harder to justify at this stage in her life and career.

When I spoke with her at Darana Dragway in Milan, Michigan, she emphasized what she enjoys most about the revived IHRA: the lighter schedule. It’s a welcome change and one that fits well with her current lifestyle. The series also holds a personal connection for her, thanks in large part to her father, Randy Meyer, a drag racing staple who wears many hats as a team owner, tuner, and mentor.

Randy Meyer has a rich history with the IHRA, having raced with the organization from the late 1980s through the 1990s. He got his start in bracket racing and has just about done it all in the sport. Yet one thing has always eluded him — the Ironman trophy. Rachel is fully aware of that and carries the torch with a competitive fire as she races in this new chapter of the IHRA.

“I think it’s awesome. I just want a series that you’re not going to have to be gone 24 weekends in a row to have a chance for a championship. So, I think it’s awesome that they’re starting off with a few races, and I’m actually able to make the races because I have kids back at home and I feel bad leaving them all the time. So, I’m pretty pumped and my dad used to race IHRA back in the day, he never got an Ironman; he came close twice, and I actually met my husband at an IHRA track, and he has an Ironman, so I think it’s cool that I get a chance for one too.”

When asked what it would mean to bring home an Ironman this weekend, her smile said it all.

“It’d be pretty awesome.”

Despite growing up in the sport, Rachel still feels that unmistakable rush every time she approaches the starting line.

“It’s just an adrenaline rush, honestly. Even when we come back from the rounds, your heart is still racing, just going that fast down the track…it’s a lot of fun.”

She elaborated further.

“I get a little anxious, but as soon as you get in the car it’s like a comfort feeling because you’re strapped in there so tight and then once the engine starts, all the nerves just kind of go away and you’re just in the zone.”

(Photo Credit: Peyton Lohr/Racing Refresh)

Rachel is proud of her hands-on, old-school approach in a time when that mindset is becoming rare. Her competitive drive remains as strong as ever.

“I do work on the cars between rounds with the guys, there are a few drivers that do that but not many anymore. I have four kids back at home. I won the NHRA world championship in 2021. I showed up there just to block the girl [Jackie Fricke] from winning, and it ended up being us in the final, and it was a winner-take-all final, and then the next weekend I went and got married, so it was back-to-back amazing weekends.”

Now, Rachel Meyer is aiming to add an Ironman to her already impressive resume. Meyer earned the number one qualifier spot with a 5.2306 ET at 275.06 MPH on Saturday. Eliminations begin Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET in Milan, Michigan.