San Jose sisters cherish opportunity to race in NHRA Sonoma Nationals

Sisters Jasmine Salinas and Jianna Evaristo grew up in San Jose dreaming of the day when they would get a chance to race in the National Hot Rod Association Sonoma Nationals. 

Watching their dad, Mike Salinas, a fan-favorite NHRA Top Fuel driver, compete at Sonoma Raceway and other drag strips around the country made it a no-brainer to follow in his footsteps – even though speeds exceed 300 mph. 

It’ll be a full circle moment for the sisters as they compete this weekend at Sonoma Raceway for their dad’s motorsport team, Scrappers Racing. 

“I remember every year getting excited, knowing that we were going to Sonoma and watch the races,” Jianna said. “Now we’re out racing the racers we grew up watching. It’s really surreal. We have a lot of friends and family coming out and it’s been really fun.” 

Jasmine, 32, will compete in the Top Fuel Division of the NHRA Championship Drag Racing Series while Jianna, 26, will race in Pro Stock Motorcycle. 

This will be the first time Mike will be at a race since stepping down as a driver in March because of health concerns. 

Though their dad won’t be suited up, the sisters said his presence alone has motivated them to put on their best performance. 

“We’ve never had him miss races before, so this was our first season where we had to experience not having my dad or mom there,” Jianna said. “I don’t think he wants us to know he’s excited because he’s just been playing it cool. But I think deep down he’s excited to be able to see all the progress that me and Jasmine have been making and what we can do on the track.”

The sisters have also been trailblazers as two women of color competing in a male-dominated sport. The sisters are of Mexican and Indonesian descent. 

Jasmine was the first woman of color to compete in the NHRA’s Top Fuel Dragster ranks. 

“It’s something that I’m super proud of,” Jasmine said. “I am grateful to have this opportunity to be able to show up to the racetrack. If there’s another little girl that sees somebody that looks like them with curly brown hair, they might actually say, ‘Hey if she’s out here doing it, I can do it too,’ because they can see themselves in me.

“I think that it’s something that is very powerful, and I’m very grateful to have been able to create an even more expanded idea of what a racer can look like.”

Growing up in San Jose, the sisters were always around racing. 

Mike started his drag racing career in the 2000s, and received his NHRA license in Top Fuel in 2009. He is a nine-time NHRA winner. 

He emphasized the importance of education to his four daughters, but he couldn’t keep Jasmine and Jianna away from the race track. 

Jasmine is a graduate of Archbishop Mitty High School and the University of San Francisco, and Jianna graduated from Notre Dame-San Jose High School and San Jose State.

At 14, Jasmine got her start racing in the NHRA Junior Drag Racing Series. The oldest of four siblings, she made her debut for Scrappers Racing in 2019 and won her first national event at Gainesville Raceway in 2022. 

The plan for Scrappers Racing was to have Jasmine race alongside her dad this year, but when Mike had to step away, she was thrusted into the role of the team’s No. 1 Top Fuel driver.

“I’m learning so much,” Jasmine said about transitioning to the team’s No. 1 driver. “I’m being challenged more than I ever thought. I love the challenge. I love who it forces me to have to step up and be every single weekend, on and off the track.”

Jianna, who still works a day job as a health and wellness director at Valley Services in San Jose, began her pro stock motorcycle career in 2019. As a rookie, she won the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona.  

This year has also been a transition for Jianna. 

She started the first five years of her career racing in a MSR Suzuki. But this year, she made the switch to an MSR V-Twin Buell, a decision she said gives her a better chance to compete. 

“I made a transition to a new motorcycle this year, so the beginning half of the season was really more of a learning year for me,” Jianna said. “I’m progressing each race going faster and faster.”

While the adrenaline rush of racing still fuels both sisters, they have also come to grips with the realities of drag racing. 

Widely considered as one of the most dangerous forms of motor racing, drivers put their lives on the line anytime they get on the start line. Reaching speeds of up to 350 miles per hour, crashes can become fatal. In June, NHRA drag racing legend John Force was involved in a severe accident that left him with a traumatic brain injury and a fractured sternum.

In 2021, Jasmine survived an over-the-wall crash at Gainesville Raceway. Jianna survived a scary crash of her own in 2019 when her motorcycle swerved into the center line and crashed into the right-lane wall. 

“It’s definitely something that is on every racer’s mind, but the reality is what we do is an incredibly dangerous sport,” Jasmine said. “Not a lot of people can comprehend going 330 miles per hour and experiencing five, six or seven G-forces. I always try to find a balance between acknowledging how incredibly awesome and exhilarating this is, but at the same time respecting the cars and the sport.”

For both sisters, the ultimate goal is to come out of Sonoma with a win in front of their friends and family. 

But having the chance to represent their home region in a race that they have always dreamed of competing in is special. 

“I really do miss San Jose when I’m on the road for long amounts of time,” Jianna said. “For me, it’s home. That’s where my family is. No matter where we travel for racing, that’s home at the end of the day. So it’s nice whenever I get to come home and race.”