13 year olds can race full bodied cars at the track now ?
 

Saw this on the rules revisions/amendments. (dated 3/19/14)

http://www.nhra.com/userfiles/file/2...%203-19-14.pdf

^^^ starting on page 5 ^^^

Copy -n- paste:



NHRA YOUTH RACING
As part of its wide variety of racing series, NHRA offers the Youth Racing program, in which teenagers who are 13 to 16 years old can race one another in street vehicles, be they vintage machines or models straight from the showroom floor. The cars must be full-bodied street-legal vehicles that meet program requirements. Participants must have a licensed supervising adult in the car on all runs, which are made on the eighth-mile track using an elapsed time dial-in format and limited to 10.00 seconds and slower.



The way I understand the wording, the youth cannot drive the car from the ticket booth to their pit area, or from their pit area to the entrance of the staging lanes.

Interesting.

Re: 13 year olds can race full bodied cars at the track now
 

IHRA has been doing it for a few years now. It's a great opportunity for young people to get started . My daughter participates in it.

Re: 13 year olds can race full bodied cars at the track now
 

I see.

Is this new for NHRA ?

Re: 13 year olds can race full bodied cars at the track now
 

Yes, new for NHRA.

IHRA has had it for several years, called TCR (Teen Championship Racing). Same rules apply there, street cars, 10.00-slower, but ages 13-17. Dave Campolito's son Eric has won the last three track championships in TCR at Quaker City Motorsports Park in Salem Ohio. A great, and more affordable alternative, to Jr Dragsters.

Re: 13 year olds can race full bodied cars at the track now
 

my kid turns 13 june 30th...better not let him see this! LOL!
I think he'd stick to the junior though, in his mind it's a top fueller.

Re: 13 year olds can race full bodied cars at the track now
 

Sure would be easier on you the other way tho...:p

Re: 13 year olds can race full bodied cars at the track now
 

The Teen Championship Racing (TCR), originally named Junior E.T., was created by Beaver Springs Dragway track operator Beaver Bob McCardle over a decade ago. We presented the idea and format to IHRA, and they granted BSD an exclusive one-year pilot program. It was very successful, and IHRA made the program available nationwide the following year.

The concept was born out of kids being able to compete (along with their parent/guardian) without needing a purpose-built race car. You could race your tow vehicle, or buy the kid a beater to play with at the track -- and when they turned 16, that could be their CAR!

While the program started out with a lot of 2nd and 3rd generation drivers, they've discovered a whole new segment, as some outside/spectator families have gotten involved.

http://www.beaversprings.com/2012/index.3175.jpg

http://www.beaversprings.com/2012/index.3121.jpg

http://www.beaversprings.com/2012/index.3216.jpg
Lots of girls get involved, too. All young ladies final...


There's even been a couple of stick cars out there. How cool is that?

Re: 13 year olds can race full bodied cars at the track now
 

Great idea. Much more practical and cost effective than Jr. Dragster. That always seemed pretty elite to me, starting out in a rail and then selling it for a door car at 17 or so.

Dale

Re: 13 year olds can race full bodied cars at the track now
 

Eric Campolito is going to be a force to reckon with. An up and coming racer from the Junior dragster class. I would hate to be in the other lane from him.

Re: 13 year olds can race full bodied cars at the track now
 

Thank God, my baby was just born last month and all of my friends are already jabbing me about the inevitable (cringe) Jr dragster that I will have to buy. Now I have hope that I can hold him off until 13 for a doorslammer.

Jim Caughlin
SS 6019

Re: 13 year olds can race full bodied cars at the track now
 

Jim congratulations on your new baby.

Re: 13 year olds can race full bodied cars at the track now
 

hi, caughlin is a dad, excellent, welcome to dad world. enjoy it, always be a dad. jim

Re: 13 year olds can race full bodied cars at the track now
 

Congratulations, Jim!

Re: 13 year olds can race full bodied cars at the track now
 

My son (age 11) is going to flip when he learns of this......but he's still got a couple years to wait.

Re: 13 year olds can race full bodied cars at the track now
 

Thanks to everyone. Lucas James Caughlin born 14 Feb and doing very well. In case anyone is attempting to do the math, yes I'm a little old to be a first time dad. I'm happy with the idea of this new NHRA program, in an attempt to be a responsible parent, I need to encourage little Lucas to be racing a stick shift doorslammer not some @#$%ing dragster.

Jim

Re: 13 year olds can race full bodied cars at the track now
 

Don't worry...we will all be running EV's by then. :p

Re: 13 year olds can race full bodied cars at the track now
 

I was going to say something silly like "shocking". Then I remembered the Silent Thunder electric car nationals on the schedule this season at Pacific Raceways. It's coming...

Dale

Re: 13 year olds can race full bodied cars at the track now
 

Are throttle stops legal? I can see it now: 10 second eighth miles @ 110 mph . . . just to control the finish line!

Re: 13 year olds can race full bodied cars at the track now
 

That would be one fast street car in the 1/8th mile seeing as how the teens have to drive licensed and insured vehicles.

Re: 13 year olds can race full bodied cars at the track now
 

Personally I think juniors are awesome as they've gotten a lot of kids (and more importantly wives) involved in dragracing. From 8 to 13 the kids get the bug and if they move on to cars, great, if they stay with them until 17 then go to cars, great too.

This was invented to directly answer the problem of declining numbers of new dragracers.

People wanted factories involved again like the 60's and as soon as they do...everybody starts crying.

These are the junior leagues for dragracing, enjoy it, don't discourage it.

Re: 13 year olds can race full bodied cars at the track now
 

Congrats Jim on the Valentines Day kid.

The program sounds worthwhile, wish there was such a thing when i was young. Beaver Bob should be running NHRA and IHRA i'd say.