FROM JUNIORS TO PROS
by Amy Glover
The Junior Drag Racing League was founded in 1992, as a program for children ages 8-17 to gain the opportunity to experience drag racing through scaled down versions of dragsters. The generation that began it all has a few individuals who have claimed positions in the professional division of NHRA: Erica Enders, Richie Stevens, and (technically) Morgan Lucas.
Erica Enders began driving junior dragsters at the age of eight, influenced by her father, Gregg Enders, who had raced for many years. It came as no surprise that after her junior dragster career of 37 wins, she, with support from her father, became the fifth woman to race in the Pro Stock class. In between the two, she also won the 2004 O'Reilly Spring Nationals in the Super Gas category. She has become especially well-known among young girls through the Disney channel movie 'Right On Track,' a biography of her junior dragster career and a demonstration of feminine strength. Upon arrival at her racing rig for the scheduled interview, a crowd of girls came into sight, anxiously awaiting her presence and hoping for an autograph. One of the crowd, Kristen Ray of Louisville, Kentucky, proclaimed, "I never missed her movie once." Erica has always wanted to drive a Top Fuel dragster, but was quickly taken by her Chevrolet Cavalier, stating, "Pro Stock is more challenging to drive," a testimony of her dedication and passion for racing.
Richie Stevens began racing junior dragsters the year they became an official class. Winning his first junior dragster race was a prelude to his eventual success in Pro Stock. He quickly grew too tall for the half scale dragsters, and naturally moved on to the "big cars." His dad sent him to the Roy Hill's driving school, where his talent was instantly recognized by Roy Hill, who said he "liked the way he (Richie) did things." Stevens became hooked, saying, "I wanted to keep going faster, wanted to push the limit." He became the first junior dragster "graduate" to win an NHRA national event, the 1998 NHRA Winston Finals, in a professional category, later followed by three other NHRA national event wins. He plans on remaining in Pro Stock until he can win a championship, and hopes someday to drive a Top Fuel Funny Car. In reference to the difficulty of racing, he said, "Competition in junior drag racing is no less than right now in Pro Stock."
Morgan Lucas, the young rookie taking the place of the late Darrell Russell in Joe Amato's Top Fuel dragster, also has a background in the Junior Drag Racing League. Although he only raced twice in the junior dragster class, he supported his friends who were involved with it, and became hooked through the experience, saying, "It taught me about the better things in life, kept me out of trouble." Morgan has made it to two Top Fuel dragster final rounds, won four national events in a Top Alcohol dragster, and in the past weekend at the 25th annual Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, became the number one qualifier for the Top Fuel dragster class.
As drag racing becomes increasingly prominent in the sports world, so do the "new kids" as they rise to the top from their junior drag racing roots.
Photos by Wanda Glover
The Junior Drag Racing League was founded in 1992, as a program for children ages 8-17 to gain the opportunity to experience drag racing through scaled down versions of dragsters. The generation that began it all has a few individuals who have claimed positions in the professional division of NHRA: Erica Enders, Richie Stevens, and (technically) Morgan Lucas.
Erica Enders began driving junior dragsters at the age of eight, influenced by her father, Gregg Enders, who had raced for many years. It came as no surprise that after her junior dragster career of 37 wins, she, with support from her father, became the fifth woman to race in the Pro Stock class. In between the two, she also won the 2004 O'Reilly Spring Nationals in the Super Gas category. She has become especially well-known among young girls through the Disney channel movie 'Right On Track,' a biography of her junior dragster career and a demonstration of feminine strength. Upon arrival at her racing rig for the scheduled interview, a crowd of girls came into sight, anxiously awaiting her presence and hoping for an autograph. One of the crowd, Kristen Ray of Louisville, Kentucky, proclaimed, "I never missed her movie once." Erica has always wanted to drive a Top Fuel dragster, but was quickly taken by her Chevrolet Cavalier, stating, "Pro Stock is more challenging to drive," a testimony of her dedication and passion for racing.
Richie Stevens began racing junior dragsters the year they became an official class. Winning his first junior dragster race was a prelude to his eventual success in Pro Stock. He quickly grew too tall for the half scale dragsters, and naturally moved on to the "big cars." His dad sent him to the Roy Hill's driving school, where his talent was instantly recognized by Roy Hill, who said he "liked the way he (Richie) did things." Stevens became hooked, saying, "I wanted to keep going faster, wanted to push the limit." He became the first junior dragster "graduate" to win an NHRA national event, the 1998 NHRA Winston Finals, in a professional category, later followed by three other NHRA national event wins. He plans on remaining in Pro Stock until he can win a championship, and hopes someday to drive a Top Fuel Funny Car. In reference to the difficulty of racing, he said, "Competition in junior drag racing is no less than right now in Pro Stock."
Morgan Lucas, the young rookie taking the place of the late Darrell Russell in Joe Amato's Top Fuel dragster, also has a background in the Junior Drag Racing League. Although he only raced twice in the junior dragster class, he supported his friends who were involved with it, and became hooked through the experience, saying, "It taught me about the better things in life, kept me out of trouble." Morgan has made it to two Top Fuel dragster final rounds, won four national events in a Top Alcohol dragster, and in the past weekend at the 25th annual Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, became the number one qualifier for the Top Fuel dragster class.
As drag racing becomes increasingly prominent in the sports world, so do the "new kids" as they rise to the top from their junior drag racing roots.
Photos by Wanda Glover
posted by David @ 1:17 AM
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