Growing up we remember being a fan of the Sammy Hagar song “I Can’t Drive 55.” Of course, then Sammy joined Van Halen and ruined them. When we sat down to interview former National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) champion driver Ashley Force Hood, it made us think of that old Sammy Hagar song — but if Ashley was singing it, it would be called “I Can’t Drive 255”!
Ashley is the oldest of three Force sisters, who were all NHRA drivers at some point (one still is). She has a love affair with cars, to be sure, but what many don’t know is that she also has a lifetime love affair with cats. We talked to Ashley about life in the fast lane with cars and cats.
Catster: When did you get your first cat?
Ashley Force Hood: We actually got our first cat when I was six or seven, and over the years we have had several cats, as our neighbor bred them. We all loved animals. One of us was always rescuing some little kind of bird we found.
Can you remember all your cats’ names?
Taffy, Caramel, Licorice, Licorice #2, Coco, Caramel Corn, Sierra, Snowy, Timber, Simba, and Gizmo. Simba (silver and white) and Gizmo, who we had when I was still involved with racing.
Gizmo? So how big of a Gremlins fan were you?
Actually my husband was the Gremlins fan as he got me the cat and named him. I had seen the movie, but I’m not much of a scary movie fan [laughs]. But if you saw my cat, especially when Gizmo was a kitten, he had the huge ears and this little face same color, so we were definitely like, he was a Gizmo.
How long have you had Simba and Gizmo? What were they like to live with?
Simba was a birthday gift to me from my husband the year we got married in 2008, and then we got Gizmo the following year so Simba would have a buddy. Both Simba and Gizmo were American Bobtails.
We have had several kinds of cats over the years, but what I like most about the American Bobtails is they are so beautiful, very personable, and good around kids. At the time I had a little niece and we knew there were going to be kids around so after researching cat breeds we knew the American Bobtails would be good with kids.
Our cats would want to be on your neck when you wake up in the morning. They would push your face with their faces. It’s the most adorable thing. I’ve never had a cat that was as personable as Simba, almost too much, as you’re like, “I need my space, you’re in my bubble.” He so wanted to be near you.
Gizmo was a little more crazy. He just wanted to run around and be a cat. Sometimes he will come over to you but he was definitely more of the crazy one. It’s amazing that they were both American Bobtails, because personality-wise they couldn’t have been more different.
Is there a cute or funny story about Simba and Gizmo you can share with us?
When I was on the circuit we were traveling a lot and would take the cats on the road with us. During the summer we had a lot of races on the West Coast so we would rent an RV and all pile into it.
Being on the road with them was a lot of fun. However, one time were at a race in Seattle and we had our RV set up with all of the other racers. Gizmo somehow got out and under the trailer. We were really close to the track, and it would have been really bad if Gizmo had gotten onto the track as the cars are going 320 miles per hour.
We had all the racers and their wives trying to get under the trailer to get Gizmo out, and he kept going from underneath one trailer to the next — having the time of his life being chased, of course. We finally got him and put him back in the RV, and we’re like, “Okay, we have to be careful with this door!”
So what’s the fastest you have ever driven with cats on board?
Sorry to disappoint, but probably just out there on the freeway in the RV, driving whatever the speed limit was on the highway [laughs].
Do the cats travel well?
In the desert there’s this one area that has all these windy roads. Gizmo handled it fine but Simba would get car sick. Of course, it would always happen in the middle of winter, so there we were at a rest stop in the freezing cold, having to hose down the RV. Simba would always get sick over the same two miles of highway. We tried everything to avoid it. We tried going through the area fast, slow, stopping halfway, nothing worked.
Wait, you drive 320 miles per hour and you had a cat who was getting car sick at 60 m.p.h.?
Yes, I know it’s pretty funny!
Why cats?
With the lifestyle we had and being on the road a lot, the commitment of a dog wasn’t ideal. When the boys got older we got two dogs, Moose (who recently passed away) and Grizzlie.
What was the toughest part about having to leave your cats at home when you traveled?
You always miss them. I was just happy they had each other. We had a woman who came in to check on them, took them out to play a little, but she was only there for a limited amount of time.
We lived in Orange County so we took them with us to the nearby races. It was a little loud for them so we didn’t take them out during the races, but after when everyone was servicing and working on their cars, there were a lot of fans around so we took them out.
How did they respond to your fans?
I had a lot of young fans, and I swear I got more attention because of the cats than anything I had done during a race. People would make poster signs for them. One time I was doing an interview on ESPN and in the crowd someone was holding up a sign that said “Simba and Gizmo.” It was funny. I even briefly started a blog for them. The fans really loved them.
Wow, it sounds like Simba and Gizmo had their own fan club.
I think the fans really liked that I have cats. There were a lot of racers, and I think my having had cats was something the fans could relate to. People would bring them little goodies and gifts, and even though they may not have a lot in common with a race-car driver, they do with someone who has cats. I had a lot of people who would bring me pictures of their cats; it’s neat and interesting. You don’t think of cats and puppies necessarily when you think of the drag-racing crowd, so it was something that was a little different.
It seemed like Simba and Gizmo enjoyed the spotlight. Did your crew get along with them?
They loved them. However, one time we were in Las Vegas, and you have these guys who are working really hard all day on the car, and I told my crew that I wanted to do a picture of all of us with the cats for my scrapbook. For the most part they were great sports. But it’s the end of the day and we’re in Vegas, so the last thing everyone wanted to do was pose for a photo with the cats. So they were complaining a little.
We did theme cars sometimes, and in that case, the photo was going to be put on the car, but the crew didn’t know it. So while they were complaining I’m thinking, “You guys are going to feel so stupid when you see this and all of your faces are on the car.”
A few months later we debuted the car and they were all shocked when they saw their faces on it. I said, “Remember when you were all giving me a hard time about that photo?” They loved it!
What was the best part about having cats in your life?
Well, since I had my boys, it was seeing them interact with the cats. When they were little and saw things for the first time, every time one of the cats ran by they took a breath out of amazement and just held it, as if they were in awe of the cat.
To keep up with Ashley and the entire Force racing team, make sure to visit the John Force Racing website, subscribe to their YouTube channel, and follow them on Twitter. Ashley also has an Instagram page.
About the author: Brian Fischler is a standup comedian and writer. He has been seen on The Today Show, published in Maxim Magazine as the Comedian of the Month, and on Top Gear USA on The History Channel. Brian also wrote for Cesar Milan’s website and magazine. Brian also runs Laugh For Sight, a bicoastal comedy benefit featuring the biggest names in comedy that come together to raise money and awareness for retinal degenerative eye disease research. You can connect with Brian on Facebook and follow him on Twitter @Blindgator.
