Don’t Call Them
Mom and Dad
THE SALINAS SISTERS refer to their parents by their given
names, an action that seemingly belies the closeness of the
family. Jianna explains it simply, however.
“I started working for my parents at their company when I
was still in high school, and if I would call them Mom or Dad,
it was uncomfortable,” she says. “I wanted our employees to
see us as equals, and if I would say, ‘Oh, my dad needs you to
do this,’ it wouldn’t have the same effect. It became easier for
me to say, ‘Michael needs this done,’ or ‘Monica asks that you
do this.’ It’s more of a respect thing in regard to the business.
At first, Michael had a hard time with it. But we all started
doing it, and now it’s just how we refer to them.”
FORWARD THINKING Jasmine, above, launches into drag racing in a Top Alcohol
Dragster with plans to move to Top Fuel in the near future. Jianna, below, is eager to
begin her career aboard a Pro Stock Motorcycle and chase a championship.
What Matters Most
JASMINE: Our dad had a very different
upbringing than we did; he had it very
rough and had to work for everything.
Our mom is a second-generation
American, so we learned that immigrant
mentality of working hard for the
American dream. It comes down to the
idea that you want everyone around you to succeed, because
when they do, you do.
JIANNA: Life is about being the best
person you can be, regardless of what
material items you have. We’re very
fortunate to have a lot, and that just
shows the hard work of our family. But
at the end of the day, if you’re not a good
person, none of that matters.
don’t have a lot of experience, and then you realize you’re able to do it, it
makes you feel that you can do anything. That’s something my parents
always taught us: if you don’t know how to do something, just go figure
it out. I figured it out. I’m still figuring it out and have a lot left to learn,
but I’m really excited about it.”
A
hop aboard a Top Fuel Harley (“The racers who do are amazing, but it’s not
my cup of tea at all,” she admits), there isn’t much else that she wouldn’t race.
“Right now, my main focus is Pro Stock Motorcycle,” Jianna states.
“I don’t want to leave the class until I win a championship. That’s my
goal; I want to be the best in the class, because I feel like this class has
some of the best racers. Once I win that championship, I would consider
moving on to something else. Will it be Top Fuel? I don’t know, maybe.
I’m very open to other classes, and maybe even interested in doing some
Nostalgia racing. I just want to continue to improve myself and grow.”
For Jasmine, the possibilities are also wide open. “I don’t know,” Jasmine
says thoughtfully. “There are classes that scare me, but I’m also the kind
of person that if something scares me, I want to go do it just to overcome
that fear. What initially attracted me was the dragsters. The first time I
ever went to a national event and saw the Top Fuel dragsters and that
there was a woman in the sport, that got me excited. Then, working on
the cars and learning about them – they’re like rocket ships, and people
are coming from all over the world to work together to send a human
flying or riding one of these things.
MAKING PLANS
S THIS STORY GOES TO PRINT, JIA N NA IS PRE-
paring to make her Pro Stock Motorcycle debut at the 50th
annual Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals, the same race
where Jasmine will make her first national event start in
the Scrappers Racing Top Alcohol Dragster. This is only
the beginning for these determined individuals. What are their future
plans? Is anything off limits for a family that isn’t shy about determining
and achieving goals?
While Jianna states with certainty that she would be none-too-eager to
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