How to get started in Junior Drag Racing

After posting yesterday's blog about my crew experiences, a few readers have asked me about Junior Dragsters and how to get started. I have a few years experience with a Jr team, so I consider myself to be rather knowledgable on the topic, but I'll use a couple sites I like to use.

At many NHRA Junior Drag Racing League tracks, there are 3 age groups; 8-9, 10-12, and 13-17. The first group is restricted to running no quicker than 12.90 E.T.'s, 10-12 can run no quicker than 8.90, and 13-17 is restricted to 7.90 seconds. Some tracks run all age groups in one class, while others use the three seperate classes for the age groups, but the restrictions are in place in both instances. Junior Drag Racing uses the handicap system, so everyone is even.

Steve, to answer your first question, one of the best ways to get started in Jr. Drag Racing is to visit your local track that has a Jr. program during a Saturday points race. Many of the parents will be more than happy to answer any questions you might have. Make sure you bring your child that is interested in driving, so they can get up close with the cars. They may even get the chance to sit in the car, to be sure that they're comfortable in the race car. Call or email your local track to find out when they run the Jr. Dragsters, as it can vary between tracks. My home track, Norwalk, starts Jr. time trials around 9 and the last car is usually down the track by 1:30. The NHRA JDRL has a nice page about getting started, they cover some things I might have missed. How To Get Started JDRL site

The cost of Junior Drag Racing varies widely, depending on what age group you will be racing in, if you buy a new or used car, etc. I know a family that was able to buy a complete 7.90 race car with spare parts for $4,000, used. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you can spend over $10,000 just on a brand new rolling chassis, without an engine. A great classified site that we like to look around is Racing Junk. Here, you can find hundreds of listings, from parts to complete cars.

Junior Drag Racing parents and even drivers are always very courteous and willing to help, especially when it comes to newcomers. A really fantastic forum that I participate in is Jr Dragster Plus, which includes several sections, like Classifieds and Tech help. You can get a free profile, allowing you to post and comment in all of the sections. Post your questions in any of the sections and you can expect at least one response within a day.

A great opportunity to learn for both the parent and the driver is to go to a driving school. There are only a few schools that offer Jr. Dragster lessons, and Doug Foley's Drag Racing School is one of the best. Not only will they teach the driver how to drive, they also teach the parents how the car should run and how to tune it. For $800-1,000, you'll get lessons both in the classroom and on the track. Your child will get to make a few passes in the car, after learning all of the essentials. They also offer several other courses and "experiences" in different classes. Visit their website here.

I've covered the basic essentials that you'll need to know to get started in Jr. Drag Racing. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. You can also contact any of the sources that I included, they can also be a big help. Good luck!

Thanks for reading!

Nitro Nate