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Rob Ragland, left, helps his son Ross
get ready for a practice run at the |
Local Youth Get Out With Dragsters
By Brad Trost
Staff Writer Web posted
It is every 16-year-olds dream to
get his or her license and start driving and feeling the freedom of the open
road.
However, for some
You can find these young daredevils
with a short drive up U.S. Highway 77 just north of
These speed demons participate in
the National Hot Rod Association Junior Drag Racing League. League races are
held at the Ardmore Raceway every other Sunday. July 5 will be the next time to
see them speed down the drag strip.
Rob Ragland, whose son Ross
participates in the league, said the junior drag racing league started in 1992
in
At a practice run last Thursday
at the Ardmore Raceway, the junior Ragland, showed what his dragster could do.
With no nervousness or
apprehension, Rob Ragland strapped his son in his dragster. Rob made sure that
his son's helmet was adjusted properly and made sure everything was safe for
Ross's practice run.
A few minutes later, Ross was at
the starting point of the track. A few seconds later he was at the end of the
track in a blaze of speed and noise.
The elder Ragland said he is not
very nervous when his son goes flying down the track.
"I've done drag racing for
most of my life, and I know how safe it is with all the safety
precautions," Rob said. "The kids have to wear a protective fire
proof suit, a helmet and gloves. I'm not nervous since these cars are very
safe."
To be able to drag race, a drag
racing license is required through the NHRA in
Ragland said the only requirement
to option a license is the age requirement. A racer must be 8 years old to get
a license and start racing. A racer must fill out an application and get their
parents permission. He said the age limit for the junior drag racing league is
from age 8 to 17.
Rob said every car must have a
five-horsepower Briggs and Stratton motor, a motor that is most commonly found
on a lawnmower or a rototiller.
"You can do any thing you
want to the motors, but whatever you do to the motor, it has to stay at five
horsepower," Rob said.
Another restriction is the weight
limit. Rob said most of the cars weigh about 110 pounds. The minimum weight
limit, with car and driver, is 225 pounds.
Rob said most of the local drag
racing tracks will offer a $100 scholarship to the winner of the races.
A few minutes after Ross'
successful practice run, 14-year old Jesse Williams attempted his practice run.
Unfortunately, Williams car is
having some trouble about 100 yards down the track in his practice run. A wire
came loose in the back of Williams' car and his practicing is done for the day.
It can be fixed in about an hour.
Many of the kids who participate
in the junior drag racing league get interested in drag racing since their
fathers currently race or have raced some time in the past.
That holds true for Ross,
13-year-old Will Carrell of Dickson and Williams, also of Dickson.
"I don't get scared when I'm
going that fast," Ross said. "You get used to it after a while. I've
won about nine races, and I want to do this forever."
"My dad drag raced when he
was my age," Carrell said. "My grandfather faced here in the
1950s."
Williams' father, Rick, said the
best part about the junior drag racing league is families get involved.
"It is a very
family-oriented sport," the elder Williams said. "I've meet more
parents at various drag races who have kids the same age and with the same
interests. All the parents are accustomed to each other, and you can always
strike up a conversation with everybody."
The younger Williams will be one
of 20
Rick Williams said he did not
have the advantage the kids have today when he was drag racing as a youth.
"When I was their age, I was
hitching a ride with the older guys to the drag races," Rick said.
"These kids are racing for college scholarships. We didn't have that when
I was a kid."