Some Florida junior dragster kids got the thrill of a lifetime recently when Don Garlits himself spoke with them and offered sage advice on how to be successful in the sport. The 78-year-old Garlits met with the kids at his Museum of Drag Racing located in Ocala, Florida.
The advice was pretty stock (and very sound) stuff on the order of keeping away from drugs and resisting the urge to street race when they get older. Coming from mom and dad, we’re guessing that those words would carry some impact, but coming from the mouth of Large Father, the greatest drag racer who ever lived, they may have some extra umph.
The Junior Dragster program that is fostered by most every strip we know is a truly cool thing. They aren’t the most exciting things in the world to watch, but the kids that spend a few seasons in a junior and graduate up to a full sized car are absolute killer drivers. More than one late twenty-something drag racer we know came out of the program and went straight into the tight Stock Eliminator ranks. They didn’t just show up, they were competitive right out of the gate.
Now that they’ve been around for years, there’s a large market for used dragsters and engines. It is a very cool way to develop the inner gearhead in your 8-17 year old kiddo and the only downside is that the closer they get to 17, the closer you are to having to build a real race car. Wait, that’s not a downside at all!
LINK: Ocala.com: Garlits meets junior dragster racers
