Kourtney Dixon is no stranger to a drag race. She and her family have been racing for years at the Woodburn Dragstrip in Oregon and other tracks around the Northwest. Today, she’s climbing inside her faithful 1957 Chevy pickup sporting a 355 SBC motor with a TH350 trans and 10” slicks. It’s not the best-looking rig out there, with paint colors including light and dark blue splotches covered by bits of white and rust. But what it lacks in paint continuity it makes up for in personality and grit.
“We pulled it out of the bushes and cleaned it up,” Kourtney said when asked about the truck’s origins. “I can launch it down a quarter mile stretch in just 13 seconds,” she adds with a sly grin.
In those heart-racing 13 seconds, Kourtney and her ’57 Chevy reach speeds of up to 90 miles per hour. It’s easy to see that it takes careful attention to details and a great work ethic to make a good drag racer. Kourtney has all of those traits and the support of her family.
“My whole family comes out and races,” she added. “It’s our family hobby. There’s rarely a day that we aren’t out racing or in the shop. There’s always some kind of race or work to be done. The folks at Coastal understand and really work with my racing schedule.”
Kourtney has been working at the Coastal Albany store since late 2017.
“I like that the Coastal family is like my home family. They’re a close-knit group that’s very compassionate, friendly, and outgoing. There’s never a dull moment around here.”
As a classic car collector, Kourtney’s dad, Darin, got both her and her brother, Devon, into racing.
“My brother won the state tournament in 2017 and was the second-place top contender in 2016 for the high school racing division. I’ve done well too.”
Over time, Kourtney and her younger sibling won races against others their age, and even got the chance to meet some of their racing idols.
“I got to meet John and Ashley Force when I was in Washington,” Kourtney proudly stated. “She signed one of my postcards that I had.”
John Force is a National Hot Rod Association legend and his daughter is a former Top Fuel Funny Car drag racing professional who raced for her dad’s racing group.
Kourtney has even convinced her friends to come out and enjoy her hobby.
“My friends like it,” she added. “At least I think they do.”
After graduating high school in 2014, Kourtney took some general education college classes but couldn’t decide what to do with the rest of her life.
“I put a hold on my future education until later. No point in wasting money if you don’t know what you would like to do for the rest of your life,” she said. “All I know is, racing is going to be part of my life forever.”
Coastal is a Proud Employer
It’s people like Kourtney who make the world a brighter and more interesting place. If you get a chance to see her race at the dragstrip in Woodburn, Oregon, give her a big round of applause and a cheer. She certainly deserves it. Looking for a new job? Coastal might be looking for you, too. Visit us online and see what’s available in your area.