Lacey Jay Timchuk - Watch Her Fly!

Winnipeg, Manitoba (Jan 05 2012) Lacey Jay Timchuk has always had a penchant for cool, fast cars. As a little girl, when her Uncle Bruce would visit from Webb City, Missouri, he would roll up in one of his minty ’55 or ’56 Chevys Lacey would get so excited. When he would take her for a ride, the “giddy meter” topped the charts!

The thirty-six year old receptionist’s drag racing hero is Shirley Muldowney and her favourite movie is Drag Strip Girl. It’s a 1957 flick about a girl who loves roddin’ and speedin’, some rebel hot rodders and a drag strip. Hmmmm … Maybe that’s why she was so smitten by boyfriend and car builder Frank Safonovs.

Frank has been racing and building door cars since 1983. In 2006, he picked up a ’70 ½ Ford Falcon with a 351 Windsor that, in Lacey’s terms, “always did huge wheelies at the start line”. Lacey would be there to catch each pass on the camcorder and would delight to jump into the passenger seat on the return to the pits. She never imagined that she would own or race her own car.

One evening in November 2007, our car nut was searching e-Bay for - what else? – cool race cars, when she stumbled on another 70 ½ Falcon that – yes – was doing a major wheelie in the picture. Frank checked it out and immediately responded, “ I just bought a ’71 Top Sportsman Mustang. What am I going to do with three race cars?” A moment later, he softened and said, “You can drive it and this can be your race car.” Later in the week, a deal was done with the owner from New Jersey.

Car delivered and new block picked up, the 572 build began. Frank walked Lacey through every step so that the novice racer would understand what she would be dealing with when the ignition fired.

Time came for the first turn of the wheels … just a quick ride around the block. As Lacey recalls, “Everything was great. I kneeled down on the passenger side and enjoyed the ride until Frank decided to test the transbrake. The car made a whole bunch of loud noises that actually scared me. I just smiled when Frank looked over at me. Back home, Frank asked what I thought. I burst out in tears and told him that there was no way that I could race this car without mufflers. I said that I would try, but couldn’t guarantee that I would like it.” Being the good guy that he is, Frank called in his friend Chris Derksen to install custom mufflers.

Finally, the Falcon was ready for its first trial run at Gimli Dragway on July 13, 2008. Built with an 8.50 certified tube frame and wrapped with the steel body, the car has an 800 HP, 572 Ford Big Block tucked neatly into the engine bay. A two-speed Powerglide turns the wheels. It is equipped with a Dana 60 rear end, Mega 450 delay box, throttle stop and a start line enhancer.

Prior to the date with the tree, Frank covered all bases about drag racing with Lacey to make sure that she would have fun and ultimately, be safe. She took notes on everything and studied right up to the drag strip gate.

All studying done, it was time for the practical stuff. Burnouts went great, green lights were as good as can be expected and the initial passes produced 14 seconds. As the day finished, our racer girl got the hang of an 11.90 run.

A couple more weekends of practice resulted in mid 10s on her third time out and the addiction set in.  

By the end of the 2008 season, with an IHRA 9-second license in hand, Lacey Jay Timchuk was blazing the asphalt in 9.62 seconds at 138 MPH!

On the first weekend of 2009, Lacey became a member of the Pro E/T box class and picked up a semifinals spot. By the end of the season, she won a couple of semis and two finals, earning third place in the points run. Her performance improved to an ET of 9.46 at 139 MPH.

Timchuk’s focus for 2010 was to master the tree and consistently run in the 9.90 class. Her 5.0 reaction times were just off a bit on four consecutive runs – close enough to be encouraging. Her fastest pass was 9.40 at 140 MPH. She landed at number sixteen in her first year of Pro Eliminator.

Still determined to improve reaction time in 2011, Lacey made the perfect sportsman light fifteen times. She stepped up to number ten in her class and crossed the stripe at 138 in 9.42 seconds. The year’s time results fell back a touch with a few difficulties plaguing the Team Peregrine Falcon. However, for those who follow her career, it is plain to see that this gal is getting to be a better driver every time she buckles up.

What’s in store for 2012? “Stronger consistency, faster times!” Lacey says that she would like to race at a few different tracks such as Medicine Hat Raceway, Brainerd International Raceway, Minnesota and Heartland Park Dragstrip in Topeka, Kansas.

Timchuk isn’t just a racer; she is an energetic sales person who digs to find sponsors. She is dedicated to supporting those sponsors by promoting them on and off the track and making appearances with her car as much as possible. Lacey would like to recognize them for their contributions to her developing success: Safonovs Restorations, ABM Concrete Ltd., BP Building Products, Warren Tire, GLP Enterprises, Castrol, 204EBIZ.COM, Maxim Muffler & Auto, Perfect Pose Photography, Investia Financial Services, and Bole Street Bolers.

Special thanks go out to her pit crew, family and friends: Butternuts, Dad and Laurie, Dan the Chef, Graham and Dana, Lonnie, Rob and Monique Young. Of course, her crew chief, Frank Safonovs gets the biggest thanks of all.

What makes Lacey tick? “I love the kids who come out to meet the drivers and want to get their t-shirts or photos signed. Racing my friends is a lot of fun and the after race barbeques and bonfires are part of the great atmosphere and friendship at the drag strip.”

She loves fast cars, mega horsepower and doing great burnouts.
The slogan on the tail of the car says it all. “It’s A Falcon … Watch it Fly!” Yeah! Watch Lacey fly too!

Dale Hickey
Canadian Drag Racer Magazine

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