Nichole Elff

Nichole Elff is a biomedical engineer by day and one of the fastest female drag racers in the world by night, piloting her 1992 Honda Civic—dubbed “Miss PSI”—to seven-second quarter-mile passes at nearly 200 mph in the Xtreme Front Wheel Drive (XFWD) class.

EARLY YEARS

Elff’s love affair with cars began about 20 years ago, right around the time The Fast and the Furious hit theaters. She was immediately enamored by the car culture and the adrenaline rush that came with it. What started as casual interest quickly evolved into a full-blown obsession with modifying vehicles and chasing speed. That competitive fire—something she describes as resonating through all aspects of her life—set her on a collision course with drag racing.

OTHER INTERESTS

When she’s not tearing up the track or engineering medical devices, Elff is an avid horse rider who shares her passion for equestrian pursuits with her community. She’s also deeply committed to advocacy work for women in engineering and manufacturing, serving as a Process Development Manager at Boston Scientific Corporation, where she’s spent more than 17 years. Through her involvement with the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and various industry initiatives, she champions the next generation of female engineers and racers alike. Elff has been recognized with multiple awards for her professional contributions and community outreach, including the SWE WE Local ELiTE Award in 2021.

EARLY SUCCESS

Building a competitive race car wasn’t a straightforward sprint—it was a marathon. Elff and her husband Damon Elff, who also serves as her tuner through his business Demon Motorsports LLC, spent most of their first year getting the car dialed in. The breakthrough came in November 2019 when she ran her first eight-second pass, a critical milestone that met the Round 1 minimum qualifying elapsed time (ET) requirement for serious competition. From there, the wins started stacking up. She claimed victory at the World Cup Finals Import vs. Domestic at Maryland International Raceway in the True Street class, becoming a standout in a field dominated by men.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2019: First eight-second pass in her 1992 Honda Civic, meeting minimum qualifying ET for competitive racing[1].
• 2021: Won World Cup Finals Import vs. Domestic True Street championship at Maryland International Raceway[2].
• 2021: Received Society of Women Engineers WE Local ELiTE Award[3].
• 2023: Opened the season with a blistering 7.780 at 196 mph pass at the World Series of Promod, claiming sixth-fastest in the world title in XFWD[4].
• 2023: Set the Tesla Model S Plaid world record with a 9.081 at over 154 mph in a stock Model S Plaid[5].
• Ongoing: Campaigned a 1,500-horsepower Honda Civic with a B18 engine to seven-second passes, ranking among the top seven quickest XFWD competitors globally[6].
• Ongoing: Only female currently fielding a car in the XFWD class, consistently holding her own against male competitors[7].
• Secured multiple major wins including FL2K X-Street victory after an intense staging duel in the final round[8].

INSPIRATIONS

Elff built Miss PSI Racing to fuel her thirst for excitement, channel her competitive spirit, and—crucially—to inspire more women and girls to pursue racing. She’s open about the fact that none of her success would have been possible without the support and dedication of her husband Damon, the mad scientist behind the optimal tune and the backbone of their racing operation. Her mission extends beyond personal achievement: she wants to normalize the sight of women at the starting line, wrench in hand, ready to run with the boys.

REPUTATION

In the XFWD community, Elff is a superstar—a title she’s earned through grit, consistency, and a refusal to back down. She’s been featured in Drag Illustrated‘s “Women of Power” series and showcased at events like PRI 2022, where her rowdy 1,500-horsepower Civic turned heads. Her best time—a 7.78 at 196 mph—places her seventh quickest in XFWD globally, and she’s widely recognized as a trailblazer for women in the class. Beyond the drag strip, she’s respected in the engineering world, where Boston Scientific colleagues and SWE peers alike admire her ability to integrate her high-octane hobby into a powerful professional brand. She’s proof that being a serious engineer and a serious racer aren’t mutually exclusive—they’re complementary.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Elff has her sights set on becoming the first woman to make a 200 mph pass in her 1992 Honda Civic, a barrier that would cement her legacy in XFWD racing. She continues to compete at premier events like the World Cup Finals, where she’s a regular entrant, and is actively working with Damon to push the boundaries of what their four-cylinder powerhouse can do. Professionally, she remains committed to advocating for women in STEM and manufacturing, using her platform to show young girls that they can chase speed, break records, and build successful careers—all at the same time.

REFERENCES

[1] About | Miss PSI Racing
[2] NICHOLE “MISS PSI” ELFF – WORLD CUP FINALS 2021
[3] SWE Announces 2021 WE Local Award Recipients
[4] Miss PSI Racing: Home
[5] Tesla Model S Plaid Becomes First Full Production Car Into The 8’s
[6] Making A 1,500-Plus Horsepower 119 CI Honda B18 Engine Live
[7] XFWD Superstar Nichole Elff Ready to Break Records
[8] Xtreme Front Wheel Drive superstar Nichole Elff Claims FL2K X-Street Win
DI ‘Women of Power’ Alumna Nichole Elff Dishes on Summer Wins
A drive to succeed in engineering and beyond – Boston Scientific
Ep 257: How Hobbies Elevate Your Professional Potential With Nichole Elff
PRI 2022: Nichole Elff’s Rowdy 1,500 Horsepower Civic
PRI 2022: Nichole Elff’s 7-Second Honda Civic
Nichole Elff’s “Miss PSI” Journey to Becoming the Worlds Fastest Female XFWD Driver
About Us – Demon Motorsports