I was in the staging lanes of the Modern Street HEMI® Shootout in Milan, Michigan, filming for “Grassroots: The Rookie Season” when a woman, a Chihuahua and a Dodge Durango 392 caught my eye.
“Does the dog like to race?” I asked, jokingly.
The dog’s name happened to be Cheech, and yes, Cheech loved to race, especially in his special racing bed with his own racing helmet. The woman was Karen Eisenhauer, who finished 2nd in the rookie class at Milan; her husband, Tom, also finished 2nd in the 10.50 index.
Having been married for over 40 years, Karen and Tom Eisenhauer know a few things about strong relationships. When I asked them to share some tips, there was one thing the Eisenhauers agreed on: race together in life and in fast cars! Karen and Tom have been happily racing for over four decades. Throughout our many conversations, they emphasized that racing is more about the friendships and the experience than winning trophies. They also (jokingly) stress how important it is to have your very own car.
Tom’s racing journey began when he opened a toy train for Christmas as a five year old, and decided to take it apart, to make it faster. His passion to build and create went hand in hand with his love for racing, which began in the early ’70s, when Tom was around 13. He started pumping gas and learned how to wrench vehicles, taking them apart and putting them back together. These passions would eventually lead him to a diverse career at Eastman Kodak, and later to the U.S. Embassy in Iraq for a year as a contractor.
When Tom and Karen got together in 1979, Tom couldn’t help but share his passion with Karen. Karen’s first race was in 1980, and racing together has become a staple in their relationship ever since. Karen didn’t even let pregnancy stop her; you might say the Eisenhauers have two sets of children: their biological children, and their cars.
In 2014, after their children were grown, Karen and Tom entered the Mopar® world with a package purchase from a buddy’s extensive car collection: a 2014 Jeep® Grand Cherokee SRT-8, and a 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT® Hellcat. Those cars have grown, too! Karen upgraded to a 2021 Dodge Durango 392, and Tom, a brand-new 2020 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody, built to his specs.
The head mechanic and crew chief couldn’t leave his Dodge Challenger Redeye stock, however, so he added a pulley and injectors. He’s also updating the Dodge Durango 392 with a PCM upgrade and a tune. Their current racing setup modernizes many of the cars they previously owned, like Tom’s 1970 Dodge Dart and a 1977 Dodge Van. The 4X4 lifted van did it all – from 1/4-mile drag racing to running 13s to mud racing and off-roading.
The Eisenhauers’ love for racing has brought them all over the country as spectators and racers. Tom attended Radford Racing School, and both have seen many NHRA events over the years, including the Mopar Nationals in Las Vegas, as well as racing at the Racemotive 1/3 Roll Race at Pocono and MSHS events.
Now that you know them better, I’m sure this season, you’ll eventually cross paths with Karen, Tom and Cheech. They are weekend racers at Empire Dragway in Leicester, New York, their home track, and have plans to attend upcoming drag and drive, no prep, and more MSHS events. This season also brings new goals: Tom is moving from the 10.50 to 9.50 index, and Karen is hoping to move the Durango into the 12’s this year. The Durango does double duty as the tow vehicle for the Redeye in the trailer. Then Karen takes it racing.
Tom and Karen are your textbook definition of Grassroots racers, but that doesn’t mean they are closed off to imagining the future of racing with electric cars and other technological advances. They’re willing to grow and to watch the sport grow: another relationship tip. In a sport sometimes filled with solitary action, the Eisenhauers are a great reminder that racing requires relationships built on trust, and that racing is not about the finish-line, but about the smiles per gallon and having fun with great drag racing people.