vette. She was challenging for the No. 1 spot when a fire sidelined her
efforts. The car was repaired, but an even greater tragedy was lurking late
one night at Gainesville. The Wades were there testing one evening and
Pamala had already put her race car in the trailer, but her youngest son,
Austin, encouraged her to get the car out and make one more pass along-
side him in the Vega. She reluctantly agreed and rolled to the starting line
to square off against her 17-year-old.
The tree flashed green and the two were thundering down track with
Pamala out in front. At about 300 feet the car broke loose and shot across
the track and bounced off the wall in front of her son. “When the car came
around, I’m suddenly staring Austin right in the face,” she remembers. It
was a scary ordeal, but all involved walked away. The road to repairing her
Corvette was never in question. “That car is my baby,” she declares.
In the meantime, she’s been bonding with another hot rod in their sta-
ble, a 1937 Chevy Coupe, built by Blackstone Race Cars in Boise, Idaho.
The car is motivated by a naturally aspirated 632 with Big Chief heads,
and Wade has been in the 4.90s at over 141 mph in it. “She’s a good driving
car,” she remarks of the coupe.
In addition to being a grudge race fanatic, Wade relishes a variety of
venues, including Gainesville’s Outlaw Big Tire Shootout, Bradenton’s
Snowbird Nationals, as well as Orlando’s World Street Nationals. “I like
to hurt feelings and smack their pocketbook!” she giggles as she describes
her grudge racing endeavors.
Back home in Palatka, Florida, the ladies at the accounting office where
she works routinely come out to observe Wade in her racing element.
Somehow, she’s even managed to maintain her role as cheerleading coach
for 20 years while also earning a fourth-degree black belt in karate. “I like
to multitask,” she reveals.
As for the opportunities she’s enjoyed in racing, Wade is quick to heap
praise on her family. “I wouldn’t be out here doing this if not for David and
the team that backs me up!”
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April 2019
DragIllustrated.com
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