DRAG RACING

Drag Racing for Kids

What: National Hot Rod Association's Jr. Drag Racing League

Who: About 3,200 members, ages 8-17, in four classes of competition.

Where: At more than 60 NHRA member racetracks across the country, including Indianapolis Raceway Park.

When: Junior dragsters race one Sunday a month at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Next race is June 27.

Valvoline has donated a junior dragster to IRP, which kids can register to win - the drawing will be at the end of summer, and all proceeds go to Riley Children's Hospital. Kids also can enter a drawing to drive the car in an upcoming race.

How: To join the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League, send $10 to National Hot Rod Association, P.O. Box 5555, Glendora, Calif. 91740-0950. Or call (818) 914-4761. You'll be eligible to race a junior dragster at NHRA tracks and will receive other benefits, such as a newsletter and jacket patches.

Getting a driver's license is usually an exciting event for a 16-year-old. But kids as young as 8 - more than 8 years away from legally driving on Indiana roads - are racing. What's more, they're in dragsters.

These dragsters, however, are a little different from the ones you may have seen on TV and in magazines. They are junior dragsters, specially made to meet the specifications of the National Hot Rod Association's Jr. Drag Racing League.

Each junior dragster has a 5- horsepower Briggs & Stratton engine, compared to a 5,000-horsepower engine of a full-size dragster. Likewise, the top speed of a junior dragster is about 50 mph - about 250 mph less than the speed of a full-size model.

Reasons for racing

Despite the lower speed, most young racers still think it's exciting.

"I think it's neat 'cause it's really nothing that a lot of people are doing," said Amy Dillman, 13, of Greenwood. "You're driving a car, and a lot of kids our age don't get to do that stuff.

"I just like the idea of racing and speed," she continued. "My whole family races (but) none of the girls in our family have ever raced - it's all the boys. So I thought it would be neat to be the first girl in the family to start racing."

"It's exciting," agreed her brother Greg, age 14. "It gives you something to do on your weekend instead of sitting at home watching TV and being a couch potato."

While sitting on the couch watching TV isn't the most healthy or exciting thing to do, the cost of drag-racing makes it a cheaper alternative. A completed junior dragster costs about $2,700 to $3,000, although the do-it-yourself dragster kits start around $1,000.

The Dillmans found their dragster under the Christmas tree. Amy and Greg's dad started racing when he was 18 and has encouraged them to race.

Kristle Lee Gugliotta, age 10, of Baltimore also was encouraged to race by her dad. He helped her find 14 sponsors for her junior dragster and a donor for the motor.

Kristle Lee, who bought her car from Spitzer Race Cars in Greenfield, has traveled twice to tracks in Maple Grove, Pa., and Englishtown, N.J., to compete.

Start-up work and costs

Michael Spitzer, president of Spitzer Race Cars, explained that drag-racing isn't something you do hastily.

"The first thing you have to do, you have to have the money to buy a car or find a sponsor that wants to buy one for you," he

"And then after that, then you have to commit yourself to whatever chassis builder you want to build that chassis. And at the same time, you have to have somebody, or yourself, build a motor.

"Then it's a matter of just assembling the cars, which most of the customers like to do themselves."

The kids involved know their cars.

"I know what class I'm in, and I know all about my car - I know what my engine is," said Kristle Lee.

Junior dragsters made their debut last summer at the Mopar Parts Nationals in Englishtown, N.J., but this is the first year where kids have been racing in earnest.

Spitzer was one of the first car designers to seize the opportunity. He now has orders for more than 85 junior dragsters. Once a contract is signed, it takes 10 to 12 weeks to deliver the car.

New people into drag racing

Spitzer is excited by the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League. "Drag racing has never had a start-up class for young men or women," he said. "I want to see drag racing grow . . . and to do that, you need to have new people coming into drag racing. I think NHRA figures it's a good way to get new young people into drag racing."

This attempt by the NHRA may be successful. Greg, at least, says he wants to race cars for a career and later be a police officer.

However, his sister has a different idea.

"For me, it's gonna (just) be a hobby. I don't plan to make a career out of it."

There aren't any money prizes for the winning kid dragsters.

"If we win the race, we get like a trophy or a neat jacket or something. . . . I'd just as soon have trophies - that way you can show your kids someday," said Greg, who has won two races and has been in the final round in another.

"It's like any other sport; if you win, you're really happy but (otherwise you) just go out and have fun," added Amy, who has been in the semifinals in two races.

While it may be fun to race a dragster, Spitzer cautions that there is no margin for mistakes.

"I guess I like (it) best of all because in a drag race, there is no chance for error. . . . You have to have a good-performing car, and the driver has to be on his toes," he remarked.

"If you make a mistake, the other guy will pass you, and it's over instantaneously. So you have no chance for mistakes. . . . You have to strive for the closest thing to perfection."

Safety checks

Before each race, track officials will ask the drivers for a valid NHRA driver's certificate and will check to see if the drivers are wearing proper helmets, neck collars, arm restraints, gloves, abrasion-resistant jackets (most kids wear denim jackets), pants, socks and shoes.

Track officials also may have a driver operate all the controls of the dragster to show that he or she knows how to operate the car. And then the kids can be in competition.

Amy says, "It's very unlikely that (a crash) would happen, though, 'cause there's a lot of protection."

"You have a helmet, and there's a cage over you so you don't really get hurt," Greg added.

But Kristle Lee admits, "My mom was scared. . . . It's not fast and it's not slow. It's like just right for a kid - you won't be scared or anything."

Drag racing schools offer lessons, but they are not mandatory for drivers.

Greg's advice to interested kids is: "Learn the functions of the car. . . . Just take all the precaution that you can (and) go out and have fun with it - try not to get frustrated."

EDITED BY: Joe Huser, 15, and Cindy Dyar, 12