Spijkenisse-The Netherlands July 2023: Motorsport is frequently associated with high levels of testosterone and pit girls. But racing ladies are not rare at all, especially in Drag Racing. They have been several successful female racers, from street categories to Top Fuel Dragster. Also, within the Dutch community, several female racers compete locally or at the European level. Only a hand full of them is driving a shift stick import car. The TCOB team went looking for the story behind one of the Dutch female drivers. She is passionate about racing and considers herself a car enthusiast. Let us take you through the story of Street Modified driver Lisette de Koning.

Text: Told by Lisette de Koning, edited by Benjamin Wefer
Picture: Delivered by Lisette de Koning/Benjamin Wefer

Lisette was born and raised in Spijkenisse and is still a proud resident. She works in the procurement department for the US Parts Center. US parts center imports conventional and performance car parts from the United States. You might think she would favor American muscles working among car parts for American Muscle, but au contraire! Lisette prefers JDM. This passion kept growing, as she also enjoys racing games like Need for Speed and watching the Fast & the Furious franchise. Besides her Race car being a Honda Civic, she also is a proud owner of a 1994 Toyota Supra.

When she is not on the track, she is on a badminton court, where she plays in the Dutch second division. So how does a badminton player end up in the drag racing world?

When she was 16, she visited a scooter meeting, which also was part of the national scooter drag race championship. She was fascinated by this type of race and decided to build a Piaggio Zip scooter for drag racing (150 meters sprint). It was her first racing vehicle, and that deserved a proper name. It was a big happening to give the scooter a name. My best friend had a white horse named Lola. My scooter was also white and had some Horse Power. So the scooter was named: Lola! The engine produced twenty-four horsepower, and she clocked 7.7 seconds during her first year and ended up second in the championship. A new passion and identity was born!

Once she turned eighteen, she bought a 1998 Honda Civic with a stock D15 engine under the hood. At that time, she had no intention to race her, but that soon changed. The car got painted in the traditional Lola racing pearlescent pink/white with pink rims, and the Civic got a forced induction D16Z6 under the hood. She has been racing all around Europe, UK, and Malta. Of course, I took the opportunity to ask her a series of detailed questions.

Did you always want to race in the import class? To which she replies; I like the FWD/Sports compact class as it is considered the underdog of Drag racing. I currently compete in the sport compact shootout in the UK and the street modified in The Netherlands. The FWD community is so helpful. I love it. They all want to see you go faster.

Who usually builds your engine? It is a Mr. Boost Motorsport built that produces approximately 520 horsepower. I expect to run 10.5 with this setup. The car will get an upgrade during wintertime. The goal is to run in the nine-second zone. Yes, It is different from the rest of the competitors (most of them are B-series). I wanted to use an underdog engine and push its limits.

Would you be interested in racing any other class? If I got afford it, I would like to drive a Pro Modified car. I like doorslammers. Dragster is not my style. But for now. No, I would like to continue in this class. I feel like I can learn more, and I still enjoy it. 

What would be the most remarkable moment you ever experience in your racing career? And what would be the worst/least funniest moment? The most remarkable moment would be when I broke the eleven-second barrier. It was my personal goal and was on my bucket list for so long. And the reactions and compliments from racers I received that day are priceless!

How do you see your future in drag racing? What will be your ultimate achievement? To win an event! Not only for myself but to be a role model for the younger generation, so they also will follow their hearts. To show them that anything is possible if you put your heart, mind, and soul into it. 

So what does drag racing mean to Lisette?  It’s my vacation! I am busy the whole weekend and tired when I get home, but always looking forward to the next race. Especially trips to Santapod Raceway. The Journey itself, meeting new people, a new personal best. It is all worth it!  I  also want to take the opportunity to thank US-Partscenter & Mr.Boost Motorsport for their support and for being with me on my journey.

So now you know a little more about Lisette de Koning, Driver of a 1998 Honda Civic, competing in Street Modified. A female racer with a true passion for JDM cars. 

Lola’s Specifications

Build-by: Rollcage built by Lex
Engine Block: Mr. Boost Motorsport
Make: Honda Civic
Year: 1998
Wheelbase: 7 inches (Stock)
Engine: D16Z6
Transmission: B series S9B LSD
Turbocharger: Precision 5858
Fuel Type: VP Racing C16
Best E.T: 10.7 seconds at 135 mph