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NHRA NEWEST DUMB DECISION (1 Viewer)

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My two boys got their first motorcycles when then were 3 and 4 (Yamaha PW 50's). By the time they were 6 and 7 they were on their third bikes (Kaw 60's then 65's). This is not at all unusual and my kids had varying degrees of skill. NHRA uses the same insurance carriers as everyone else, nice that they got with the program on starting kids closer to the natural entrance to motorsports.

We had juniors until the boys were 14 and 15, the younger one's torso and shoulders just wouldn't fit .... great family activity for many years. Almost 100,000 miles driven chasing junior races around the country. Wouldn't trade it for the world. I do readily admit that I hate the tone of even a well tuned Jr. It just stays with you too long.
 
Registered member said:
I do readily admit that I hate the tone of even a well tuned Jr. It just stays with you too long.
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I've been wearing hearing protection since I started shooting trackside in 1984, so I'm quite aware of what's available. Jeff is right; it's not the volume, it's the tone.
 
From a safety aspect, if that's one's argument, I can't see that this is anywhere more dangerous than letting kids of that age bang themselves around playing midget football.
 
Most Ski areas have a program to teach 4yr old skiing and snowboarding
 
I obviously opened a can of worms with this subject. We own 3 Jr. Dragsters and have talked to many of the other owners in SoCal and most do not think it is a good idea. Everyone has to make their own decision as some kids are more mature than others.
I see another subject has come up - the use of hearing protection. Am glad it has been brought. I have raced since the late 50's and have spent a tremendous amount of time on both the starting line and in the pits. My hearing and my friends all have some hearing damage because hearing protection, other than putting your fingers in your ears, has only been used in the last few years. I would highly recommend hearing protection. I think it should be used for the very youngest to the oldest. The decibel level in all levels of racing that do not require mufflers are all high enough to cause long term ear damage. Save your hearing, wear protection.
 
The only thing missing from the new Jr Dragster announcement is compulsory use of the 38.1 SFI Spec for Head and Neck Restraints.

No excuses.
 
Terry- are you on the D7 Facebook page? Those are the parents and kids that are attending most of the races and are being chosen for the National event Invitational races. The general thought over THERE is "hooray- about time! Let's do this"..."
 
When the Jr. Dragster program was first announced in 1991-92, it seemed like an overwhelming success! I heard the Jr. Dragster Natl's at Indy one year had over 1000 participants! It was thought that that is where most of the new Drivers in NHRA would come from, my question is; has it worked? Seems I hear a lot of Jr. Dragster racers end up getting out of it, moving on the stick and Ball sports.
 
It's working, Joe. But like any professional sport that has its own minor league, many participate- few advance to the Big Show. For as many kids racing in the Jr League, the number to get a Pro ride after is a small percentage- the number that race sportsman and weekend brackets is a much higher percentage. Cost is a factor- I know a few successful jr teams that had a decent racing budget in the small cars, and when they made the jump to a Super class car, the money ran out REALLY fast. Our annual budget without having to buy major support equipment is about $4000- that is to race regionally and it covers things like fuel, tires for the trailer, entry fees and the like. Ageing out and stepping into a bracket car (dragsters and altereds usually) can be ten times that amount. That's where we lose a majority of former Jr racers.

Emmett ages out this year and our plans are to run a bracket dragster- the budget is the only thing that will slow down our progress. Used junior stuff sells for dimes on the dollar when you are selling it; it's only valuable when you're buying it. :p

Would we like to run a TAD? Hell yeah. Can my wallet cover that? Not with college for him on the horizon. But the program absolutely has been working- it's the cost of playing that edits down the field (sound familiar? ;))
 
Martin; Your budget is only $4,000 for the year? WOW This dam Kart racing my Grandson is into is nuts. On a typical local race the cost is around $80. plus truck fuel and tolls = $200.00
Now when we go to a WKA event your looking at $1,200 for the 3 days plus travel, food, and lodging. If you are hitting the major races expect to budget $25-30K for the year for everything.
 
Junior drag racing leads to (hopefully) Pro drag racing- $4-7M a year budgets .

Kart racing leads to (hopefully) F1 or IndyCar- $10-40M a year budgets.

It's all relative, Harry... We can run fairly locally, and be a $100 day. Travel (not so much anymore) with the motor home kicks us into a new cost bracket for the weekend- sometimes $1000-1200 for the weekend
 
Registered member said:
I obviously opened a can of worms with this subject. We own 3 Jr. Dragsters and have talked to many of the other owners in SoCal and most do not think it is a good idea. Everyone has to make their own decision as some kids are more mature than others.
I see another subject has come up - the use of hearing protection. Am glad it has been brought. I have raced since the late 50's and have spent a tremendous amount of time on both the starting line and in the pits. My hearing and my friends all have some hearing damage because hearing protection, other than putting your fingers in your ears, has only been used in the last few years. I would highly recommend hearing protection. I think it should be used for the very youngest to the oldest. The decibel level in all levels of racing that do not require mufflers are all high enough to cause long term ear damage. Save your hearing, wear protection.
Click to expand...

I find myself suffering from Tinnitus (constant ring in the ears) due in part to nearly 35 years of surfing and a lifetime of being around race cars. It's most like ly du to sticking too many of the wrong things in my ears.

Terry, any suggestions on how to remedy this problem?

BTW, my cousin has recently buoght a Jr. dragster for his granddaughter who just turned 5. They're were going to wait till she was 8 tho put here in the car, but now they'll wait till she's 6. Something to do with the size of the engine.

And I've been riding motorbikes since I was that young. Had many of crashes, but always came out okay.
 
The Pro Mello Yello drag racing ranks is not the only place that Jr Dragster graduates end up, there are lots of other kinds of racecars to drive.

The Pro ranks is a delusional aspiration for most, a lottery win for the few who can eventually turn Pro.

Follow your dreams.
 
I would say the Jr program has been a huge success. But like anything else, it's a numbers game. If only a small percentage of Jr racers stay involved in the sport, it's successful. Not all racers want to go pro. And "going pro" is really a misconception. Going pro in most sports means you're getting paid. In drag racing, it really means you're competing in the top 3-4 classes, and most likely PAYING to do so. On the other hand, the cool thing about drag racing, is if you have or can find the coin, you can compete at a pro level. But back to the Jr deal, other than the fact that it can get pricey, I think it's a great program. And as far as 5 year olds driving, I think it's safer than most of the other sports mentioned, especially dirt bikes.
 
I'm asking how many Former Jr. Racers stay in Drag racing into their 20's? 3-4 Pro racers who came out of the Jr. Drag racing program isn't my idea of success!
 
Joe, how many turn pro isn't the barometer for success of the Jr program. Just at my local track, I've seen many families that have been out there for several years, and many kids move into big cars. I believe that happens all over the country. To me, that's a great program. Not every kid that excels at school sports will become a pro athlete. For that matter, even for the percentage of kids that get sports scholarships, the percentage of THAT group that become professionals is tiny.
 
Joe- you're still in Albuquerque, right? Folks from your track have been coming to SWIR since it opened... A lot of your local former junior racers still tow here with their Super class cars. That's just your track. You should look at the D7 Junior Families Fb page- this year alone we've seen posts of kids that were in Jrs last year are running blown cars this year.

Again, its not usually lack of interest that have former jr racers and their families drop out of big cars after a few years. $$$$$$ play a huge part in the equation.
 
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