The Junior Dragster is a half-scaled version of the top fuel

Top Fuel

Top Fuel racing is a class of drag racing in which the cars are run on a mix of approximately 90% nitromethane and 10% methanol rather than gasoline or simply methanol. The cars are purpose-built for drag racing, with an exaggerated layout that in some ways resembles open-wheel circuit racing...

 dragster

Drag racing

Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....

. Also known as the jr dragster, it reaches speeds of up to 85 mph. The cars were created in New Zealand and first raced there in 1988. There is a league called the JDRL (Junior Dragster Racing League). The JDRL is a division of the NHRA. Junior drag racers may choose to participate in programs run by the NHRA, IHRA

IHRA

IHRA may refer to:*International Human Rights Administration*International Hot Rod Association*International Hotel & Restaurant Association*International Human Rights Association*International Harm Reduction Association*Illinois Human Rights Act...

, or at an unsanctioned facility. Drivers may be male or female between the ages of 8 and 17, though racers can run through the end of the year that they turn 18. The track is 1/8 of a mile, and contested as a bracket race

E.T. bracket race

Bracket racing is a form of drag racing that allows for a handicap between predicted elapsed time of the two cars over a standard distance, usually 1/4 mile or 1/8 mile .-Goal:...

on a 5-tenths sportsman tree. Racers E.T (Elapsed Time) is determined by age. Drivers age 8-9 can go no faster than 12.90, 10-12 year olds are limited to 8.90 and 13-17 year olds can go up to 7.90 at 85 mph.

Jr.Dragsters also compete in a different class of racing. This different class is called Outlaw. This class is run to the 330 ft cone of the racing surface. The class runs heads-up on a 4-tenths pro tree. Usually this class is a qualified field, so the teams have to give it all they can just to make the field. While different series rules vary, the main principle is the same. The different series restrict engine combinations and weight packages so that the cars do not exceed the 4.10 time NHRA says is the fastest junior dragsters can run to the 330 ft. legally. The current record of 4.162 was set by Brianna Leigh Blinzler (Wicked West Coast 330s Series) on May 1, 2010 at Sacramento Raceway in Sacramento, California with a total package weight of 403.5#.(http://www.jrdrags.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6202)

Racers compete most every weekend, running in points series at their home tracks, or in various specialty events with big prizes. During the course of the year, racers could also attend various division events, or Nationals. In the NHRA, racers choose between attending the Eastern Conference Finals, and the Western Conference Finals. In the UK there are over thirty racers and still growing. Though Bracket racing is still the main factor of Jr. drag racing, varieties of heads up racing are also a growing part of this sport. The next step up for Jr. racing is super comp dragsters.

External links

• NHRA Junior Dragster Racing League
• IHRA Junior Dragsters
• NHRA Official website
• IHRA Official website
• Official NHRA Drag Racing Podcasts
• Drag Race Central The Latest NHRA News and Analysis