NHRA Jr Street (2 Viewers)

[FABMAN]

What's your opinion on training 13 to 16 year olds to learn drag racing in a street legal car with adult co-driver teammate. Cars must run 10 seconds or slower.

 

[Jeff]

If wed or fri night street legal drags is available to them, I have no issue with it. If they are going to build a group of people who'll have the street as their ONLY outlet for youthful competition once the co-driver gets booted .... well then I'm not as sure.

We street raced as kids (I'm currently 50) .... lots. But things seemed much more forgiving back then.

 

[vegasnitro]

I hope you mean 10 seconds in the eighth mile. If so, I would be all for it.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

Ditto, what Chris said.^^^^^

 

[FABMAN]

NHRA just started this but I haven't seen the rules yet. I will research it more. Like Jeff was saying I learned about Drag Racing on the street then built a car for Drag strip, I just wonder that requiring a street equipped car if it will encourage street racing.

 

[FABMAN]

[QdepositeTE="Jesse Robinson, post: 330625, member: 4328"]NHRA just started this but I haven't seen the rules yet. I will research it more. Like Jeff was saying I learned about Drag Racing on the street then built a car for Drag strip, I just wonder that requiring a street equipped car if it will encourage street racing.[/QUOTE]

I read that this is on a 1/8 mile distance.

 

[yoda]

NHRA just started this but I haven't seen the rules yet. I will research it more. Like Jeff was saying I learned about Drag Racing on the street then built a car for Drag strip, I just wonder that requiring a street equipped car if it will encourage street racing.

The rules:

http://www.nhraracer.com/images/NHRAYouthRacing.pdf

 

[rckymtn3]

Yeah. We had a discussion about how best to get youth back into drag racing. There was the Social Media angle, the Jr. Dragster angle, and I brought up the NHRA Youth Racing. I thought that was the best idea they've had in a loooong time. Jr Dragster cost money. Having your mom or dad drive the family car to and from the house to the track, then drive you from the shutdown area to the waterbox area.....well....that is completely do-able for most families. All a kid needs is a parent willing to let them do it. I still think it's the best way to get drag racing to the young masses.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

Thank you Martin, I've got a granddaughter just turned 13 that I'm sure is gonna find that info VERY interesting. I can't wait to suprise her.

 

[rckymtn3]

[QdepositeTE="Jesse Robinson, post: 330625, member: 4328"]I just wonder that requiring a street equipped car if it will encourage street racing.

Good question. I figured it will actually be a good deterrent to street racing. Racing on a track is "big time". Being exposed to professional, and respectable sportsman racers will be a positive impact, and certainly get the message across that real racers use tracks, kids use streets.

 

[Jim]

GREAT IDEA!
I thought somebody mentioned the program on ESPN3 or the broadcast last weekend.

I wonder - given the street and relatively slow nature - if NHRA (with local charitable / service organizations) could support this kind of youth activity on non-dedicated race venues (i.e. blocked street, large parking lots, airfields etc)? Maybe there could be a new generation of enthusiasts?

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

Air strips maybe......but no parking lots or blocked streets. That will just give the kids the idea to block streets themselves. Lets put it in their heads
that you race safely on a purpose built track, not an impromptu track.

 

[Jim]

I hear ya'

I was thinking of hardly used facilities (industrial park access roads, large entertainment venue parking lots (and the like) where local service clubs (Rotary, Kiwanis, Jr. Chamber of Commerce, whatever) would work with local police installing jersey barriers etc. and "keeping the peace".

Isn't THAT how drag racing got started?

Air strips maybe......but no parking lots or blocked streets. That will just give the kids the idea to block streets themselves. Lets put it in their heads
that you race safely on a purpose built track, not an impromptu track.

 

[Jimbo]

My son started in karting at age 8 and at that age they would could hit 45 to 55 miles an hour and with open wheel racing that sometimes got the younger kids in trouble.

I have always told both my sons that no one is born going fast it is something you learn to do over time.

Whenever someone would stop by the track to watch the karts racing sooner or later they would get the bug. We would put them in a kart but then tell them they had to race with the 8 to 12 year kids.

Keep in mind this would normally be someone between 18 and 35 years old so they thought we were joking until the practice secession started and then they quickly found out just how fast the kids class can be as they lapped many times in a 15 lap test secession. It can be interesting experience when you see just how good these kids are at racing

It should be interesting to see how the N.H.R.A. makes out with this program.

Jimbo
http://www.nostalgicracingdecals.com
http://www.nostalgicracingdecals.com

 

[Butch]

Jim; My grandson has raced GoKarts since he was 5 on a limited national basis. He turns 13 in August. At first I thought he might like this new NHRA program. After I explained it to him, do a 1/8 mile in 10seconds didn't excite him.
I still am going to try and at least get him his license. Time will tell.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

I'm not used to racing l/8mi. Help me out here gang. I'm thinkin a pure stock 4cyl might run 10's in the l/8th, but what mph is that??
Someone here must run a stock 4 or 6, What ET & MPH do you do in the l/8th, thanks.

 

[JON]

Sites like dragtimes suggest plenty of popular stock vehicles can run in the 9-10s range for the 1/8

E.g. F150 V6, even Camry V6 (don't!).

 

[yoda]

10's in the eighth should put you around 67-72 mph

 

[rckymtn3]

All this talk about where? There seems to be plenty of smaller drag strips dotting the nation that could use some more cars. I imagine of there's a place where you can't find a drag strip, then sure, figure something out, but are they there yet? If there's not a drag strip nearby, there's probably not a whole lot of other things either, including people. I guess it depends on what part of the US you're thinking. There seems to be a lot of 1/8th mile strips in the places I've been. Either way, it's still a solid idea. Not so much for the tech/mechanical side, but it sure does get some new (young) fans interested via some seat time on a track.

 

[JC]

I think this program is a great idea. Everything with youth these days is trendy. If the program gets going it could really turn into a huge thing for our sport! This is a really good idea!! Go NHRA!!!!!!