Motor Sports Weekly News

By Drew Hierwarter

ADRL photo

One of the most popular forms of drag racing that has emerged in the last ten or fifteen years is the “Junior Dragster”. Basically a Junior Dragster is a ½ scale dragster powered by a small two stroke engine similar to that which is used in a go kart. There are classes for kids ranging from 8 to 17 years old. The cars race on an 1/8^th mile strip and speeds are rarely above 70 or 80 mph. The series has proven to be a great training ground and many competitors in the Junior Dragster ranks go on to become full time drag racers when they grow up.

 

While most of the action in the class is sanctioned by the NHRA, the American Drag Racing League’s (ADRL’s) “Pro Jr. Dragster” (PJD) series is about to enter its third full season.

 

“The Pro Jr. Dragster class really came into its own last year with some truly great performances and record participation,” ADRL President and CEO Kenny Nowling said. “In fact, we had waiting lists for entries at several events . . . “

 

Based in O’Fallon, Missouri, the American Drag Racing League is the nation’s premier sanctioning body for the sport of eighth-mile drag racing. The professional categories featured in the ADRL are Extreme Pro Stock, Pro Extreme Motorcycle, Extreme 10.5, Pro Nitrous, and Pro Extreme, the quickest doorslammer class in all of drag racing. The 2010 ADRL schedule currently includes 10 national events run throughout the United States.

 

“The Pro Jr. Dragster class is very important to the ADRL,” Nowling stated. “These kids and their families represent the future of our sport and I can’t wait to see the first Pro Jr. Dragster driver that makes the step up to competing in one of our professional classes. I think that’s what we’re all looking forward to around here.”

 

The Pro Junior Dragster class has become an important part of every ADRL two-day national event and each year it becomes tougher and tougher to make the 16 car field.

 

This year there will be ten such events on the calendar beginning with the season opener on  March 12-13, at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, Texas, and concluding on October 22-23, with the ADRL World Finals IV at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas. You can check the full schedule and learn more about the ADRL at their website:

 

http://www.adrl.us/index.php/main/

 

 

 

This entry was posted on Monday, January 11th, 2010 at 8:59 am and is filed under Pro Stock, Funny Car, Top Fuel, NHRA, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.