Geneva "Gee Wiz" Williams is no little old lady, she's not from Pasadena and she's not the terror of Colorado or any other boulevard.

But she drives real fast and drives real hard, all right, enough to win the drag racing title of Street-Freak Outlaw Pro Street Champion, not once, but twice.

As a female dragster, she's probably the uncontested queen of the sport as well.

For the clueless, drag racing is officially a contest in acceleration from a standing start over a measured distance, two cars at a time in elimination rounds.

North Laurel resident Williams, during the work week a cheerful and friendly presence at the Highland branch post office, first ran two qualifying passes at the Mason-Dixon Dragway in Hagerstown, then went on to win four rounds, surpassing 11 other cars to attain her title.

The Hammond High graduate drives a modified 1968 "Hot Lava"-colored Camaro with the moniker "Gee Wiz (her nickname) and Jayden (her 7-year- old son)" on the back. Street class refers to street-appearing, though totally modified, cars. Williams' comes with a scoop so big you wonder how she can see past it, designed to let plenty of extra air into the carburetor, and packs two parachutes, rocket-style, to bring it to a halt.

The surprise that this champ is a woman is really no surprise. Dad Emerson Williams, a street racer back in the day, taught her two brothers, and then their friends, how to race.

"I kept telling them 'I'd like to try, too,' " his daughter says. When she finally got her chance, it turned out she was the best driver of all, and brother Emerson Jr. ("The Wiz," from whom Geneva's nickname comes) is now the mechanic who runs the show on her 12-person team.

She's got what it takes, all right, and what it takes, she says, is remaining cool under pressure, keeping focused on what she's doing, having a quick reaction time and "lots of guts to handle something that powerful."

Williams' record is a blistering 187 mph in 7.3 seconds over 1/8-mile, but her goal is to reach 200 mph. If this amazes, Stock-class dragsters, she notes, exceed 300 mph.

Just what is it about this need for speed, anyway?

"It's the thrill of beating those other fellas in the next lane," she answers with a laugh, "and knowing that the car performs that well, that it can handle round after round, is a testament to the team. Any racer would love to have my team," she says in tribute.

"But I'm all about safety," Williams emphasizes. She has spoken to elementary kids and wants to get into high schools to talk about safe driving.

"I can only do this because of all the safety equipment: the helmet, fire suit and shoes, the 12-point roll cage and all the features at the tracks," she explains to the kids. Her car must be re-certified every two years.

No, it's nothing like that good old Toyota Avalon that provides her daily transportation (and goes into a regular shop when it needs work).

This past season (from the end of April to the beginning of November, weather permitting) Williams raced an average of once a month.

Without sponsors, "We can't afford to practice," she explains. "If we break any parts we have to pay for new ones." All her prize money goes right back into the car; team members are paid "a hug and a prayer."

She has actually been approached about going professional, but although that is still her dream, she declined ... for now. And while she has her share of fans, the biggest ones are still her immediate family.

"I could count on one hand the number of races my dad has missed in the 10 years I've been racing," she says. Mom Betty Williams, on the other hand, sits on the porch waiting for the team to come home.

"Her nerves can't take anymore. She can watch the DVD later."

And Jayden? Of course he's always there to cheer her on, but does he want to follow in her, uh, tracks?

"I pray not," she answers. Williams is a mom first, too.

An update: On Nov. 8 at Capitol Raceway in Crofton, in the final Street-Freaks race of the year, Williams had qualified and won her first round by 3/10 of a second when the rains came down and the season abruptly ended.

To learn more about drag racing, Williams recommends checking out the National Hot Road Association Web site www.nhra.com. And to see her in action, find out about "Gee Wiz & her Team," a DVD available at www.fspmedia.com.

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