What age is it safe to start racing?

[IndyShiftman]

A lot of debate going on here in Indy. In case you didn't already know, there was a 13 year old boy killed in a motorcycle accident last Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
It was during warm up laps for a preliminary race before the Moto GP race. Kid lost it and got hit by another rider.

So some people are upset that a 13 year old was allowed to run 125 mph in a motorcycle race.

And obviously any kind of racing can be dangerous. So I guess you should expect the unexpected and live with what you want to do.

A spokesman for the racing league said this is the first time in 9 years that something like this happened.

I know it's up to the parents to allow or not allow their kid to race. They are the ones that have to live with consequences if anything happens.

I personally don't know what I would do. One side of me says if the kid is good, let him have at it. The other side of me says I couldn't stand the thought of losing my child if anything should happen.

Just wondered what you guys think?

[milner351]

Re: What age is it safe to start racing?

I've been told 8 years old is the minimum for a junior dragster.

The motorcross crowd starts at 5 years old I think - they have them out there on 50's with automatics before they are in school!

A friend of mine has a 12 y/o son who's already been through 18 bikes! He's up to the 85 two strokes now - his next step is 125s - what a tremendously expensive and time consuming hobby! Truck, trailer, fuel, food, bikes, parts, pads, helmets, boots..... :o :o :o

I'd love to start Lee into drag racing or karting at a young age, but I'm going to try to keep him off the two wheelers.

[Matt Cramer]

Re: What age is it safe to start racing?

Depends on what you're racing. I could see an 8 year old racing karts. But a 13 year old racing what looks like a street bike is just nuts...

[A/Fuel]

Re: What age is it safe to start racing?

In any kind of racing there are risks, at 13 he might not fully be able to understand them but the parents should have.
I would tent to make the judgement call based on ability rather than pure age. 13 seems to be on the edge for me in that type of racing.

[Monster]

Re: What age is it safe to start racing?

I couldn't stand the thought of losing my child if anything should happen.

Unfortunately, kids are killed every day from all kinds of causes and for the most part, they are accidents.
Down here in Daytona Beach, we have had several kids killed on the beach recently, hit by vehicles that were legally driving on the beach, at the posted speed limit (10 mph).
Now there is an uproar by the public and they want to stop beach driving all together.

My view is that the fault is both the drivers for not paying better attention and the adult(s) that were supposed to be supervising the child.

[Bamfster]

Re: What age is it safe to start racing?

To put a specific age limit on all racing is impossible. All kids have different maturity levels, etc, but it's ultimately up to the parents to make the call.

IMO, that kind of racing (speed) is a little much for most 13 y/o to respect. My oldest (16) is getting into drag racing, but he'll start in a car that only runs 15-16s, not something capable of a 130 trap speed, just my rules ....

[ksj1]

Re: What age is it safe to start racing?

My son started racing JRs at age 8.Hindsight tells me we would have been better off to start him at age 10.It was hard to keep him motivated only going 45 mph. ;D He could only race if his grades were good.Those were the best 4 years for he and I.It was worth the sacrifices.Hes 20 now and wants to start racing again.This time its on his dime not dads. ;D

[milner351]

Re: What age is it safe to start racing?

I'm hoping to do some kind of motorsport with Lee - he's only 8 months now so I have a few years yet.

What I don't want to do is make him feel forced into it, I want him to do something with me and mechanical stuff, because HE wants to.

That will be a tightrope walk I'm afraid.

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: What age is it safe to start racing?

Racing and safe are two words that should never share real estate in my opinion.

That being said, taking all precautions and following the rules go a long way to make things safer but not 100% "safe".

I think racing junior dragsters at 10 is pretty resonable, especially if you don't start the kiddo out in a real butt kicker of a car. I kept debating running the story of the 13 y/o on the blog, but decided not to. It was everywhere else and we didn't have much to add.

Racing serious motorcycles at that age seems pretty "on the edge" to me. I wouldn't be comfortable with either of my guys doing that.

Brian

[milner351]

Re: What age is it safe to start racing?

Brian

Maybe your boys and Lee can have some friendly competition with lawn tractor pulls... or something like that someday!
;D

[IRONHEAD]

Re: What age is it safe to start racing?

It depends on the racing, and the kid natural abillity and when they started..
meaning a kid that started on a 80cc mini bike around the yard at 5 will have a better feel for the speed than a kid that at 12 desides motorcross would be cool..

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: What age is it safe to start racing?

Brian

Maybe your boys and Lee can have some friendly competition with lawn tractor pulls... or something like that someday!
;D

Hell yeah! :D

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: What age is it safe to start racing?

only a NERD has his daddy pay for racing
without daddy , the pits would be a very empty place

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: What age is it safe to start racing?

Yeah, those 12 year olds in their junior dragsters are a bunch of LEECHES!

:

[A/Fuel]

Re: What age is it safe to start racing?

Yeah, those 12 year olds in their junior dragsters are a bunch of LEECHES!

:

That's what I was thinking, imagine how many news papers or cups of lemonade you have to sell for a new set of slicks.