NHRA NEWEST DUMB DECISION (1 Viewer)

[Dragracer]

NHRA has changed the minimum age for Junior Dragster to age 5. If this is not the most insane decision NHRA has made in sometime I don't know what is. I have a 5 year old grandaughter and there is absolutely no way in H#ll she should be driving a car nor would I let her. Also, very few Junior Dragsters cockpit are small enough thereby requiring people to either buy new cars or make major modifications to a current one.
While they are at it why not let 15 year olds get Pro licenses?
DUMB DUMB DUMB I hope they have a lot of insurance to cover this major blunder.

 

[Doug]

The local paper just had an article on a 12 yr old motorcycle racer (dirt) who is doing well nationally. The article also talked about other local kids. It included a class a rider who races in the 4-6 year old 50cc class. A dragster sounds safer than a motorcycle to me.

 

[Jah]

So my kids play baseball at age 5, Soccer at age 4 and Swimming starting at 3 1/2. At age 5 or so kids will say "Dad - that looks awesome, can I do it? Nope, sorry son - not allowed." They make choices over what sports to participate in and follow at that age. If we don't get kids involved as fans and participants, we won't have adults involved as fans and participants. Safety? I put purport that Junior Dragster is safer than Pop Warner football. Anytime, anywhere.

Let them play! Let them play!

 

[Jah]

The local paper just had an article on a 12 yr old motorcycle racer (dirt) who is doing well nationally. The article also talked about other local kids. It included a class a rider who races in the 4-6 year old 50cc class. A dragster sounds safer than a motorcycle to me.

You right on Doug. And why make them NOT choose drag racing when they can choose those other "dangerous" sports. Each parent can judge their kids ability and make their own safety decisions.
Dangerous? Not for me or my 5 year old....

 

[Dave]

From the NHRA press release:

In the 5-year-old classification, the Trainee category, participants can begin running a Jr. Dragster with a crate engine from Briggs & Stratton with a slide valve limiting the power output of the engine. Trainee participants will make single passes down the dragstrip to get familiar with the car and track surroundings in a non-pressure environment.

Another separate classification for 6-and-7-year-olds also has been created, the Youth category, which will allow participants to begin competing head to head on the track at the 13.90-second index with a crate engine and slightly increased power output from the Trainee category engine.

“It is important to provide competition opportunities for children in these age groups so they can become exposed much earlier to the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League and the sport of NHRA Championship Drag Racing,” said Josh Peterson, NHRA vice president of racing administration. “With similar introductory programs available in stick and ball sports for ‘pee-wee’ competitors, we wanted to put an NHRA Drag Racing option into that mix for families to consider.”

NHRA also instituted a new licensing process for all new Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League participants that require each driver to complete a cockpit orientation, basic driving test, track orientation, and test passes.

So really, they are only allowed one at a time, just to get the feel of it, at no more than 15-20mph at best (even that might be a stretch). In reality it's just a different shaped version of the very tame and speed regulated go karts they can go drive at the mini golf and fun centers. Jeff Gordon, Kyle Larson, etc in NASCAR as well as many F1 and IndyCar drivers got their starts at 4-5-6 years old in go karts and mini midgets. Instead of a kid wanting to race in circles, now he can start drag racing at that age and progress his speed levels as he ages. It might not be for you or your granddaughter, but I'm sure a lot of kids are thrilled to have the chance!

 

[Just Paul]

My boys are 2 and 3, and no question the Jr Dragster deal is something that will be coming up as they get older. I was surprised by the announcement, but I think every situation depends on the child. First thing, the 5 year olds will be limited to single runs only, and very slow cars. Also, there is a new a test the driver must pass before they are allowed to run.

I know, some 5 years olds cant drive a power wheels without mowing down the mail box or rose garden, and at the same time there are 5, 6, 7 year olds driving midgets on dirt tracks and doing really good. Just because they are allowed to drive, does not mean they should. (Same as when kids turn 16 I guess)

I told my wife they lowered the age to 5, and she pretty much told me there is no way in hell our kids will be driving one at 5!!

 

[FABMAN]

My boys are 2 and 3, and no question the Jr Dragster deal is something that will be coming up as they get older. I was surprised by the announcement, but I think every situation depends on the child. First thing, the 5 year olds will be limited to single runs only, and very slow cars. Also, there is a new a test the driver must pass before they are allowed to run.

I know, some 5 years olds cant drive a power wheels without mowing down the mail box or rose garden, and at the same time there are 5, 6, 7 year olds driving midgets on dirt tracks and doing really good. Just because they are allowed to drive, does not mean they should. (Same as when kids turn 16 I guess)

I told my wife they lowered the age to 5, and she pretty much told me there is no way in hell our kids will be driving one at 5!!

Mom straighten DAD out real quick!

My boys are 2 and 3, and no question the Jr Dragster deal is something that will be coming up as they get older. I was surprised by the announcement, but I think every situation depends on the child. First thing, the 5 year olds will be limited to single runs only, and very slow cars. Also, there is a new a test the driver must pass before they are allowed to run.

I know, some 5 years olds cant drive a power wheels without mowing down the mail box or rose garden, and at the same time there are 5, 6, 7 year olds driving midgets on dirt tracks and doing really good. Just because they are allowed to drive, does not mean they should. (Same as when kids turn 16 I guess)

I told my wife they lowered the age to 5, and she pretty much told me there is no way in hell our kids will be driving one at 5!!

 

[vegasnitro]

Kids start competitive Karting in Europe at that age. There are dozens of them on the track at the same time taking corners wheel-to-wheel. I think a 5 year old on a solo pass in a straight line will be OK. As an aside, if the NHRA thought for 1 second someone had a better than average chance of getting hurt, there is no way they would do it. Kids getting hurt is bad for business. Lastly, I was riding a John Deere mower in first grade ... a lot more power and a lot more opportunity for carnage, and I am relatively OK.

 

[Nick Name]

PeeWee motorcycle road racing starts about 5

 

[Butch]

My two sons started racing Quater Midgets at 5. Now the oldest son has his boy racing GoKarts. He started at 5. He turns 13 in August. Loves Drag racing, BUT has no interest in a Jr. Dragster.
My daughter raced MX kids in that start at 5.
Long story short. By the time a kid turns 8. The hook has already been set in some other form of Motorsports. And NHRA gets the leftovers.
NOW that may change.

 

[Draw 3D]

Guess it wasn't such a dumb decision after all.

 

[Bubba]

Let 'em race but, please, put mufflers on the juniors. I'm begging you, NHRA.

 

[Rajunz]

Too funny, I saw this story today. Jeff Gordon started racing when he was 5 years old, that didn't turn out so bad.

http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-me...ofia-behind-the-wheel-new-hampshire-test.html

I do agree though, it all depends on the child. I have 3 young grandsons, and one of them can throw a ball and hit anything he looks at, can log on to a computer and if you write it down for him, can type in the address, yet at 4 1/2 years old, still can peddle a bicycle. I have another one that's 3 years old that absolutely loves cars, and can spot a Mustang, Challenger, Corvette, and call it out by name. They're all different from the day they are born.

 

[Leebone]

This is all set up by John Force. He finally has boys in the family. He wants to get Jacob and Noah in the seat as soon as possible.

 

[yoda]

Let 'em race but, please, put mufflers on the juniors. I'm begging you, NHRA.

Brent- what about these dragster's exhaust tone bothers you that you think they need a muffler? What- are they too loud for you?

I hear this on these boards and have to shake my head- I don't get what the gripe is. The well-tuned ones that hit the number crack and cackle (with a lot more pop than a Pro Stock car). We launch at 4200rpm and wind out to 8100rpm before the shift point where the clutch goes into high gear/overdrive and we are rolling through the traps at 7800rpm... We do that all on one 3.5" piston and two valves. What part of these things are you hating on?

 

[yoda]

NHRA has changed the minimum age for Junior Dragster to age 5. If this is not the most insane decision NHRA has made in sometime I don't know what is. I have a 5 year old grandaughter and there is absolutely no way in H#ll she should be driving a car nor would I let her. Also, very few Junior Dragsters cockpit are small enough thereby requiring people to either buy new cars or make major modifications to a current one.
While they are at it why not let 15 year olds get Pro licenses?
DUMB DUMB DUMB I hope they have a lot of insurance to cover this major blunder.

Terry- we in the Jr community have been debating this since it was suggested out loud a couple of years ago. The general consensus out here is that, with the stipulations NHRA has placed on the 5 year olds (solo training passes only) and the E.T. restriction on the 6-7 year olds, this is no worse than many other Motorsports that kids the same age can participate in, as long as their parents allow it. Now with the licensing test that is being administered (already in place at IHRA, and adopted this season in NHRA), kids and their parents will have to prove their skills in driving, and inevitably, tuning.

We all foresee the initial influx of cars coming from currently existing teams; parents of older children that already run juniors and wish to get the younger siblings into a training program sooner. We don't foresee many families that aren't racing already getting into the younger class at the moment; the start up costs for a 5-6 year old are prohibitive. One of the reasons for that is the construction of new, smaller cars or refitting of the current cars to incorporate a better cockpit fit and a wider rear axle stance.

Racing in this series is a collective of concerned parents making sure that EVERY child participating is safe; none of us ever want to see a child injured by doing this. Between the rules put forth by NHRA and the already extensive safety requirement applied to all these purpose-built dragsters-

(when was the last time YOU changed out your seatbelts? We have to do them EVERY 24 months- no questions asked)

-we feel that having a younger category will be better for the entire sport- kids that would otherwise be competing already in MX or karts can instead start here. It will obviously be up to the local tracks to efficiently schedule these eliminators so that "real race fans" aren't "inconvenienced" by having to watch the kids out there having fun. And with the inclusion of Invitation-Only Juniors making exhibition runs at all the National events (What? You didn't know that? Yes- we eat up all of 5 minutes of the racing day....), hopefully the attention that we get with the younger age group will help in doing what so many here continue to whine about (figuring out how to attract a younger demographic).

 

[Raconteur]

NHRA has changed the minimum age for Junior Dragster to age 5. If this is not the most insane decision NHRA has made in sometime I don't know what is. I have a 5 year old grandaughter and there is absolutely no way in H#ll she should be driving a car nor would I let her.

There you go, end of story. As a parent or grandparent, you made a decision for your kid or grandkid, good for you!

Now those of us, who responsibly had our kids in go-karts at five years old can make those decisions for our kids, as you have done. I did not see anything in the changed rules that requires all 5 year old granddaughters to drive a Jr Dragster.

As soon as my younger son was of age, he took an on-track class at the Jr. Drag Racing School at the old track in Las Vegas, he loved it, his mom hated it, I was in tears with pride... today he could give a crap about any kind of racing.

Hoping that "they have a lot of insurance to cover this major blunder" is exactly what is wrong with this country and will ultimately kill drag racing, there's no more responsibility for your own actions. As that old drag racing pioneer Bill Shakespeare once said, "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers"

Let 'em race but, please, put mufflers on the juniors. I'm begging you, NHRA.

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[yoda]

Thank you, Darr....

 

[Mike]

I cant believe that I'm going to say this but "Darr is my hero" and get the post of the year award!

 

[M Jones]

Ya, Darr got me too, ever since I knew what a muffler was I hated it