Off the beaten path

This past Friday I found myself at Kansas International Dragway. I’ve always considered myself somewhat of a racing buff even though I have almost no knowledge of what makes these machines tick.

I’ve attended several NHRA events at Heartland Park in Topeka when the series brings its top competitors through town. Besides the adrenaline rush, why strapping yourself into a top fuel dragster that can exceed 300 mph in a 1,000-foot stretch sounds like a good idea is beyond me.

Friday night’s drivers weren’t quite achieving those speeds, but their desire and passion to do something they love was no different. This past weekend the drag strip held its Junior Dragster Nationals where nearly 80 kids ranging from 8 to 17 years old travelled from Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Illinois to take part in the event.

I caught up with a father-son duo that had made the trip from Morrison, Colo. for last weekend’s race hoping to score a big prize. I talked with Julia and Aaron Cooper, a brother-sister racing team that are third generation drivers and are doing their part to try and carry on the family legacy.

I was able to get up close and see how much effort these kids, and their support staff, mostly comprised of dedicated family members, put into making their machines perform to the best of their ability.

Even more exciting was standing on the strip right next to the dragsters as they waited to scream down the quarter-mile. After feeling, and hearing, the power these cars put out, it was getting extremely tempting to somehow find an open dragster and strap myself in to get a firsthand experience of what it’s like to take a trip down the track.

So if you’re ever looking for something that’s not on the radar and off the beaten path, give drag racing a chance, especially on the junior level. A lot of effort is put into making these machines work, and the dedication and determination these kids possess is truly inspiring.

In the summer we’re always looking for stories to cover, so if you’ve got something you think we should explore and discover let us know what we’re missing out on.