HOPKINS COUNTY, KY - Junior Dragsters have been around for about 17 years.  The Jr dragster class gives the future racer a chance to understand the sport of drag racing and feel the pressure of competition. 

The dragsters are powered by a single cylinder, naturally aspirated, engine.  The engines are basically a 5 horsepower Briggs and Stratton like you have on your garden tiller.  The engines are then redesigned to make around 40 horsepower and run on Methanol (100% alcohol).

the sport has really grown over the past 17 years.  The cars can run the 1/8 mile dragstrip in 7.90 seconds @ 85 mph.  Racers range from 8-17 years of age.

Rookie Nathan Jones, age 12, has just completed his first full season of racing and is addicted to the sport.  He now spends most of his free time at home watching the Speed Channel. You may actually be able to prove it is in his blood.  His father and his grandfather race also, along with other close relatives.

Nathan has raced just about every weekend in the 2009 Texas Roadhouse Junior Dragster class at Windy Hollow Dragway located in Owensboro.  This year he was runner up 4 times and won two races including the 2009 NHRA Jr. Dragster Challenge also held at Windy.  He completed the year with a 7th place finish in points at Windy.  Other drag strips that Nathan has raced this year include Chandler Motorsports Park in Chandler IN., Clarksville Speedway Dragstrip in Clarksville TN., and Thunder Valley Dragway in Bristol TN.

In 2010 he plans to race at Windy and attend the Mike Bos Nationals and the Eastern Conference Finals located in Bristol TN.  The racers from our local track join as one team and try to win all of the events they can win. The team will be judged on things such as team spirit as well as how the place in the races. 600 plus Jr Dragsters will converge at Bristol for these events.

The other Jr. teams become your racing family, we have received so much help from them.  Nathan has just received a new Mike Bos Jr. Dragster that should help him in next year’s points battle. He hopes that someday he will make it big and race a Top Fuel Dragster like Tony Schumacher, Cory McClenathan, Spenser Massey or Shawn Langdon.  Spencer and Shawn both came up through the ranks starting with Jr dragsters.

The Jones racing family has had many great businesses help them stay in the sport over the years with sponsorships from Stanley and Sons in Nebo, Henderson Chevrolet, Rays Auto Glass in Evansville, Key Mowing in Henderson and Sebree Machine Shop.

Information provided to iSurf by J. Jones.
Posted by Karen Klay Orange - iSurf News