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Summer Fun
Yesterday was a real highlight of our summer vacation. We went to the drag races in Woodburn, OR to watch my 10 year old grandson, Anthony, race and he ended up by winning his first race. I don’t know who was more excited…Anthony or the adults who were there to cheer him on. It is hard to believe kids this age are racing dragsters but that is what is happening, and in a big way. The NHRA Junior Drag Racing program is open to all kids ages 8-17. The cars they race are half-scale versions of Top Fuel dragsters with 5 hp single cylinder engines that can go as fast as 85 mph and run an 1/8 mile track as quick as 7.90 (that would be seconds, folks). 
This is Anthony’s second season, although last year he was only able to make it to one race. He is in the “8-10” Class which is the beginning class where they learn the ropes. These kids are not allowed to go quicker than 12.90 or 45 mph. The next class up is the “Thunder” class which is also 8-10 year olds but these kids are allowed to go as fast as 12.70. “Lightning” Class is for ages 10-12 with a time limit of 8.70 in the 1/8 mile. Finally is the “Fast” Class for 13 and up. These kids may go up to 7.50 or 89.99 mph. If they go 7.4999 or 90.00 mph they are immediately disqualified. Oh...and lest you think this is a male sport…there are many, many girls racing as well. 
They are capable, smart and often beat the pants off the boys. Given that many of these girls are very pretty as well, I suspect they create other issues for the boys as well. Ahhh…the joys of being a girl! Honestly, it is great to see the camaraderie between the genders that takes place at the racetrack. These kids do not seem to have those same stereotypes that those of us from the 60’s grew up with. They treat each other as equals and that is a very good thing to watch. Oh...and one of the really great things is the sportsmanship the kids learn. Win, lose or draw, they always go up to their competitors and congratulate them on a good race and wish them luck in the next one! I know a few adults who could stand to learn that lesson. Here’s how the racing works: Everyone arrives early so they can get as many time trials as possible completed. This gives them an average speed for the car and driver on that day at that track. Then they try to figure out what might change as the day goes on and how that might affect the performance. Will it get warmer or cooler? 
Will the wind pick up or die off? Will that make the car run faster or slower? All this must be taken into consideration so they can “dial in” an accurate time which will establish this driver’s handicap. The trick (and it can be very tricky) is to get as close to the speed and time the car will actually run on that day. If the dial in is too fast, they may end up too far behind the competitor to catch him. If it is too slow, they run the risk of “breaking out” (beating their own time) which is an automatic loss. Fortunately, dial in’s can be changed between races but it is better to get it right the first time. As you might imagine, the parents (“pit crew”) are kept busy re-tuning and tweaking the engines between races so they will go fast but not too fast. Another big part of racing is the driver’s reaction time. 
The faster your reaction time the more advantage you have as far as getting to the other end before the guy in the next lane. Anthony’s reaction time is quite good for a beginner but he tends to stage deep so he worries about red lighting (another automatic loss) and is a little slower to leave. Yesterday there were some amazing reaction times…several 0.00’s. Anthony’s was around .40, which is very good for a beginner, but he is working on improving that as it is key. It was a lot of fun to watch the kids in particular but there were adults racing as well and many were racing “vintage” cars from my era. I have to admit that the sights and sounds brought back a lot of memories. I used to race back in the late 60’s and spent lots of time at the track. My ex built the engines and I drove the cars and we really did quite well. A lot has changed since then. The car I drove most often was a ’64 Fairlane and it usually ran the quarter mile in the low 14’s. That car is still around but h
as been severely modified over the years. My son drives it now and, as I understand it, his times are in the low 12’s. Much faster! His son, Jordan, is also in the Junior Racing program but at the moment his dragster is not running. I don’t miss the noise or the sunburns or going home from the track smelling like burning rubber but there are a lot of memories from that time. The thrill of racing at an NHRA National competition. The agony of catching a great light and then leaving spider gears all the way down the track. Blowing by a guy with a big handicap just before crossing the finish line. Watching some of the greats…”Big Daddy” Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney, Jim Dunn, Don Prudomme…as they set record after record for speed and elapsed time. 
Life moves on and we all change but, somehow I have never lost that competitiveness. I have shown dogs, done a bit of downhill ski racing, raced sailboats (though that seems a bit like an oxymoron) and constantly pushed the envelope in an effort to experience new things. I’m trying to slow down. Honest. But that adrenalin rush is hard to deny. It looks like that gene has moved on down the line! The picture at the beginning is Anthony with his trophy and his best bud (and competitor), Shawn, who won a medallion for being the first qualifier in his class.
Yesterday was a real highlight of our summer vacation. We went to the drag races in Woodburn, OR to watch my 10 year old grandson, Anthony, race and he ended up by winning his first race. I don’t know who was more excited…Anthony or the adults who were there to cheer him on. It is hard to believe kids this age are racing dragsters but that is what is happening, and in a big way. The NHRA Junior Drag Racing program is open to all kids ages 8-17. The cars they race are half-scale versions of Top Fuel dragsters with 5 hp single cylinder engines that can go as fast as 85 mph and run an 1/8 mile track as quick as 7.90 (that would be seconds, folks). 
This is Anthony’s second season, although last year he was only able to make it to one race. He is in the “8-10” Class which is the beginning class where they learn the ropes. These kids are not allowed to go quicker than 12.90 or 45 mph. The next class up is the “Thunder” class which is also 8-10 year olds but these kids are allowed to go as fast as 12.70. “Lightning” Class is for ages 10-12 with a time limit of 8.70 in the 1/8 mile. Finally is the “Fast” Class for 13 and up. These kids may go up to 7.50 or 89.99 mph. If they go 7.4999 or 90.00 mph they are immediately disqualified. Oh...and lest you think this is a male sport…there are many, many girls racing as well. 
They are capable, smart and often beat the pants off the boys. Given that many of these girls are very pretty as well, I suspect they create other issues for the boys as well. Ahhh…the joys of being a girl! Honestly, it is great to see the camaraderie between the genders that takes place at the racetrack. These kids do not seem to have those same stereotypes that those of us from the 60’s grew up with. They treat each other as equals and that is a very good thing to watch. Oh...and one of the really great things is the sportsmanship the kids learn. Win, lose or draw, they always go up to their competitors and congratulate them on a good race and wish them luck in the next one! I know a few adults who could stand to learn that lesson. Here’s how the racing works: Everyone arrives early so they can get as many time trials as possible completed. This gives them an average speed for the car and driver on that day at that track. Then they try to figure out what might change as the day goes on and how that might affect the performance. Will it get warmer or cooler? 
Will the wind pick up or die off? Will that make the car run faster or slower? All this must be taken into consideration so they can “dial in” an accurate time which will establish this driver’s handicap. The trick (and it can be very tricky) is to get as close to the speed and time the car will actually run on that day. If the dial in is too fast, they may end up too far behind the competitor to catch him. If it is too slow, they run the risk of “breaking out” (beating their own time) which is an automatic loss. Fortunately, dial in’s can be changed between races but it is better to get it right the first time. As you might imagine, the parents (“pit crew”) are kept busy re-tuning and tweaking the engines between races so they will go fast but not too fast. Another big part of racing is the driver’s reaction time. 
The faster your reaction time the more advantage you have as far as getting to the other end before the guy in the next lane. Anthony’s reaction time is quite good for a beginner but he tends to stage deep so he worries about red lighting (another automatic loss) and is a little slower to leave. Yesterday there were some amazing reaction times…several 0.00’s. Anthony’s was around .40, which is very good for a beginner, but he is working on improving that as it is key. It was a lot of fun to watch the kids in particular but there were adults racing as well and many were racing “vintage” cars from my era. I have to admit that the sights and sounds brought back a lot of memories. I used to race back in the late 60’s and spent lots of time at the track. My ex built the engines and I drove the cars and we really did quite well. A lot has changed since then. The car I drove most often was a ’64 Fairlane and it usually ran the quarter mile in the low 14’s. That car is still around but h
as been severely modified over the years. My son drives it now and, as I understand it, his times are in the low 12’s. Much faster! His son, Jordan, is also in the Junior Racing program but at the moment his dragster is not running. I don’t miss the noise or the sunburns or going home from the track smelling like burning rubber but there are a lot of memories from that time. The thrill of racing at an NHRA National competition. The agony of catching a great light and then leaving spider gears all the way down the track. Blowing by a guy with a big handicap just before crossing the finish line. Watching some of the greats…”Big Daddy” Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney, Jim Dunn, Don Prudomme…as they set record after record for speed and elapsed time. 
Life moves on and we all change but, somehow I have never lost that competitiveness. I have shown dogs, done a bit of downhill ski racing, raced sailboats (though that seems a bit like an oxymoron) and constantly pushed the envelope in an effort to experience new things. I’m trying to slow down. Honest. But that adrenalin rush is hard to deny. It looks like that gene has moved on down the line! The picture at the beginning is Anthony with his trophy and his best bud (and competitor), Shawn, who won a medallion for being the first qualifier in his class.
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