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Entry 170Filed under Breeding

How Cats and Drag Racing Traveled Together for Ashley Force Hood

Former drag racer Ashley Force Hood recalls how cats Simba and Gizmo traveled with her family during racing seasons—and the Seattle RV trip when Gizmo escaped.
3-minute read By Animalso Team
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For former professional drag racer Ashley Force Hood, cats were part of life long before they shared the road with her family during racing season. In a Catster interview updated June 19, 2025, she recalled childhood cats, two very different American Bobtails named Simba and Gizmo, and an RV trip that took an unexpected turn near the track in Seattle.

Why cats were part of Force Hood’s life

Force Hood said she got her first cat when she was six or seven. “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.”

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When she and her family later chose Simba and Gizmo, she said they researched breeds and selected American Bobtails partly because they expected children to be around. In her recollection, Simba was especially affectionate, while Gizmo was more energetic. Their contrasting temperaments were her experience with those two cats, not a promise about how every cat of the breed will behave. Catster’s interview with Force Hood was updated June 19, 2025.

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Did Simba and Gizmo travel well?

During racing seasons, Force Hood’s family traveled frequently, sometimes renting an RV for West Coast races. The cats were part of that routine, though travel could bring its own complications. At a race in Seattle, Gizmo escaped and ran beneath trailers near the track. The group eventually got him back.

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It is the interview’s clearest collision of cat life and racing logistics: a busy track, a loose cat, and a search around the trailers. Force Hood did not identify a particular carrier or other equipment as part of the incident, so the story is not an endorsement or a product recommendation.

What happened when Simba got carsick?

Force Hood recalled that Simba became carsick on one winding stretch of desert road. She said the family tried changing speed and stopping, but neither solved the problem. That is a personal recollection about one cat and one trip—not medical guidance, evidence of a treatment, or proof that a particular remedy works.

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How fast did she drive with cats on board?

Asked about the fastest she had driven with cats aboard, Force Hood answered that the family traveled at the highway speed limit in the RV. Her answer offers a small but revealing contrast with her professional career: the cats’ road trips were family travel, not a drag-strip run.

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How racing fans became part of the cats’ story

Simba and Gizmo also became familiar to some fans. Force Hood recalled people bringing cat-themed gifts and making signs for the cats. A crew photo later appeared on a themed car, linking the cats to the racing team’s public identity as well as its travel schedule.

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At home, she said, watching her young sons react with amazement when a cat ran past was another source of delight. When the family traveled without the cats, she recalled arranging for someone to check on them. She also explained that a dog was not ideal while the family was frequently on the road; when the boys were older, they got two dogs.

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The racing career behind the road stories

Force Hood’s racing background helps explain why the cats’ travel stories are so distinctive. NHRA’s January 16, 2017 career summary credited her with nine career wins across Alcohol Dragster and Funny Car: five in Alcohol Dragster and four in Funny Car. Those figures cover both classes, not Funny Car alone. NHRA’s 2017 profile provides that dated tally.

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Her milestone Funny Car victory came at the 2008 Southern Nationals in Atlanta. NHRA identifies it as the first NHRA Funny Car event title won by a woman; a 2026 NHRA retrospective says she defeated her father in the final. Separately, that retrospective credits her with five Top Alcohol Dragster wins, including the 2004 U.S. Nationals. These are distinct career milestones and classes, rather than additional Funny Car wins. NHRA’s 2026 retrospective recounts the Atlanta breakthrough and her Alcohol Dragster record.

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