This Month, "Ask the Experts" sits down with 2006 NDRA Comp 4, NHRA BFGoodrich^® Street Stock Champion and current Bounty record holder, Loan Nguyen, to talk about her life, racing and how she manages to juggle her day job and her weekend life as a professional racer in the sport compact circuit.

How is the race season shaping up?

The season is going very well. I attended eight out of 16 races so far this season and I have only lost twice. I made it to the finals in every race. In the NHRA's BFGoodrich Tires Street Stock class I have won two events out of four and I'm the current BFGoodrich Tires Bounty record holder. In the second NHRA race in Richmond I had an accident and I just missed hitting the wall in the finals. My car caught on fire and I did a couple of 360's - not a good thing in my kind of racing. However, I was fortunate to walk away without any injuries and my car wasn't badly damaged. In both the NHRA and NDRA I'm in first place in the championship points chase. I'm looking to end the season strong and capture both championships.

Tell us a little bit about your car.

I currently race a 1999 Honda Civic hatchback with a K20 engine, Driveshaft Shop axles, Clutch Masters FX700 Twin Disc and NP Racing transmission. The current modifications on the engine include: IPS Cams, IPS intake manifold, IPS Signature Series JE pistons, BC crank, Cunningham rods, Burns Stainless race header, Burns aluminum exhaust system, NP Racing Cylinder head, Supertech Valvetrain and Darton MID sleeves. The chassis has an M. Gerber roll cage and the suspension has Omni Power full coilovers. The interior of the car is equipped with Autometer gauges and Simpson restraints. It runs on BFGoodrich^® g-Force™ T/A^® Drag Radial tires (225/50/15) with Racing Hart CP-FG wheels and Wilwood brakes. Top elapsed time and speed is 11.75 @ 119 mph.

What goes through a drag racer’s mind when choosing a set of tires for a race?

I currently run BFGoodrich g-Force T/A Drag Radial tires that provide me with incredible traction and allow me to extract more peak performance from the tire during launch. When choosing a tire, consistency is my number one priority and my tires need to be reliable slicks or drag radials that are sticky and provide the grip I need to help me in my 60-foot times. Something that is going to get me down the track as fast as possible.

Do heat or different weather conditions have an affect on your performance on the track?

Weather conditions definitely have a huge effect on the way I perform on the track. On a hot or humid day, the car is prone to overheating and may not perform as well. Hot weather also has an effect on tire performance. In the spring you will find that the cars run faster and produce quicker launch times.

You are an accountant by day. How do you juggle your day job and your life on the weekends as a professional racer?

Well, it helps out a ton that I don’t work on the cars. I usually try to fly out on Friday after work and my main purpose on race day is to drive. When I get in the car, I’m not worried about my day job, my main focus is to worry about what RPM I am launching at, my shift points and make sure my tires are at the right PSI for traction. So in short, I really don’t find it too much of a hassle to juggle both.

You are a woman in a male-dominated sport. What is your advice for women who would be interested in getting involved in racing?

I would tell women that are interested in drag racing to get out there and practice at their local track, and once they have the skills and the confidence to get out there and race, they should participate in the series. I would also advise them to ask lots of questions and take advice from other professionals in the sport. I have learned so much from the guys. They are so great and have taught me so much. They make it really easy to want to get out there and race with them.

Below is a look at Loan’s 2007 race schedule for the remainder of the year:

June 30-July 1 Summer Slam Englishtown, NJ
July 14-15 NHRA Las Vegas, NV
July 21-22 NOPI Milan, MI
August 4-5 NOPI Epping, NH
August 18-19 NHRA Indianapolis, IN
August 25-26 NOPI Budds Creek, MD
October 6-7 NHRA Englishtown, NJ
October 20-21 NHRA Pomona, CA