OK...so Junior Dragsters......love them or hate them....these kids can race !!!!!

[Chassisman]

I just got back from a week long eye opening experience at Bandimere Speedway...home to the Western Conference Finals for Junior Drag Racing. This was our first year attending. First of all....5800' kicks your rear tuning a single lung motor. Secondly...corrected alt hit 9800'....um....ya.....kills all HP. But the thing that blew me away.....was these kids chopping down the tree and driving the big end. One kid averaged an .007 on the tree after 8 rounds...WTF...thats insane...or kids going .001 on a .500 pro-tree. My boys first round was a 10.801 on a 10.80....and we went home by .001...I really wanted to throw up.Or one kid ran right on his dial 3 passes in a row.....we were so out raced it wasnt even funny.....got a plaque for going to the eigths in the shootout race...that was even a miracle.
But for all the hatred of these kids....they are the survival of our sport....and they are darn good racers to boot.

[TheSilverBuick]

Welcome to the Little Leagues

[Thumpin455]

I dont hate them, and I didnt mind waiting to run while they ran since they are racing just like I was. Although the kid who is now racing against me that started out in a JrD and is now in a doorslammer has an advantage. He hasnt been racing longer than me, but I bet he has made more passes down the track and is good at cutting lights. If we want to kep the tracks open, we gotta start em young and those little diggers are a great way to involve the kids. I just wish I could have gotten my daughter in one.

[A/Fuel]

Why is yours for sale then, did your kid out grow it?
I don't hate them, but I would probably take more intrest in them if one of our kids was in one.
I've help out some people that have them and was supprised at the little race pak and how involved the Dads get!

[Grumpy]

I like them, I'll go up to the fence to watch them and you're right about the lights those little burgers cut. I've always thought it'd be great on the tube car to take a kid along and let them have control of the trans brake while I drive the car, OK, just teasing there but it would probably be a better light then I could ever cut. The only time that I have a problem and it's not with the kids but with the strip, on a cool midwest day and you're sitting in the staging lanes and they run a bunch of Bikes or Junior Dragsters and the track cools off while you're waiting to make a pass.

[TC]

I've always wanted to put a 250 2-stroke motor out of a dirt bike in a Jr Dagster. Or better yet build a Jr Dragster that an adult can sit in and run a KX500 2-stroke motor......... I'm thinking this could be a whole new addition to the sport........

[Ron Ward]

Let me make this VERY clear. I do not HATE junior dragsters.

As stated earlier, these are the future drivers of our sport and they are as competitive as you will ever find. The reaction times and precision dial-ins are absolutely top notch.

There are, however, two things that would make them more enjoyable for me to watch.

1) MUFFLERS!!! These little one-lungers are the loudest vehicles per cubic inch on the planet. I can only hope Borla or Flowmaster steps up with a national sponsorship for the juniors, awarding a muffler to the winner of every race.

2) Set a maximum stage time of 30 seconds from the time they leave the burnout box. Between the tweaking, tuning, fiddling and farting around with the carb, clutch, data recorder and everything else prior to staging these little monsters, it takes as much time between pairs of junior dragsters as it does between pairs of top fuel cars.

Fix these two things, and JD's would be badass!


Ron

[Ron Ward]

TC, check out Junior Comp cars. You described them to a "T".

http://www.mcgeecams.com/jr-comp.html

Ron

[SpiderGearsMan]

wish my daddy bought me a race car

[A/Fuel]

wish my daddy bought me a race car

No doubt but, I'd have sold it for beer money anyway!

[ksj2]

Daddy issues? J/K I agree with you Ron.Made the mistake of firing ours in the trailer one day.I'll agree about the amount "some" take to stage.I was a single parent with custody of my son when he started racing.The trips,talks,meeting new people and going to new tracks will never be forgotten by him or me.Hes still a track rat.LOL I never did like tuning on the mountain though but was always a blast to go.

[JOES66FURY]

I like the cars and the kids..but I agree that they should have a time limit on fiddle-farking with the cars after the burnouts.

The kids do cut some crazy lights too...

[Chassisman]

Why is yours for sale then, did your kid out grow it?
I don't hate them, but I would probably take more intrest in them if one of our kids was in one.
I've help out some people that have them and was supprised at the little race pak and how involved the Dads get!

YUP...he's outgrown it...he's 12....6' tall 200lbs.... cage width is 17" at the shoulder bar.....we're having a Motivational Tubing Pinnacle Xtra built for him....big tube car....will pass 27.1 spec....can later be converted to Junior Comp car like pictured on here.
AIM Mychron 660/4 is the latest data logger for these....we monitor CHT...EGT...jackshaft RPM...Engine RPM...G force...and have GPS capability. We also know what over % of OD is in the clutch.... the software will also let us see if we made gear changes what the RPM's would turn to.....its really cool...but at 5,500.00 to 6k a motor.....you need it....we don't run that big of motors.

[LORENSWIFE]

I know some hard core racers don't like waiting for the Juniors but just think how great these kids will be at this when they grow up having done it from such a young age! The Kids that used to bomb down the slopes skiing are the ones who grew up to be real competitors...The little kids in moto-x, baseball, all of that stuff... I think you develop skill sets much better at a young age while brain connections are still forming...



~gail

[Chassisman]

wish my daddy bought me a race car

He earned his.....from when he was young and saw his sister racing a junior we told him he had to do it like her...and this is what we did.
We made JR Dragster cash.The way they earned it was....grades....attitude.....and chores.
A's are 100.00
B's are 75.00
C's are 5.00
D's are -75.00
F's are -150.00
Attitude cash varies.....it goes off their willingness to help around the house...business or life in general...100.00 - 50.00
Chores... 10.00 a week

Now this JR Dragster cash also goes towards race day expenses.....if he can't afford entry or fuel he has to sign loan docs and repay those expenses.
So far....4.25 GPA...honors classes....Citizenship Award Winner... Presidential Academic Award Honor.
And has saved enough JR Dragster cash to buy a new roller for next season....IF we can sell his old car.....He'll get a new 3.125x3.750 bore big motor.