Wed, 07 Aug 2019, 18:09 PM Texas Motorplex Hosts Second annual American Jr. Dragster Challenge to Benefit Children's

Courtesy of Texas Motorplex

ENNIS, Texas - Health in Dallas Health in Dallas The Texas Motorplex, home of the AAA NHRA Fall Nationals, will host the Second annual American Junior Dragster Challenge presented by CAPCO Contractors, benefitting the Children's Medical Center Foundation in Dallas. The racing event featuring some of the best young drag racers from around the country will get underway this Friday, August 9 and Saturday, August 10 with drivers ages 6-17 vying for trophies and nearly $16,000 in cash prizes.

"Ever since I came here I've wanted to do something kinda' cool and big for our kids that race but also tied into charity, so we got involved with Children's Health, which is the big children's hospital here," Texas Motorplex General Manager Andy Carter explained. "They do such important work up there and mean so much to the community, not just in Dallas but for all over Texas, so we just want to help raise some money and awareness for them."

Additionally, on Thursday, August 8, 13-year old Maverick Mackey along with brother and sister tandem of 17-year old Jason and 12-year old Mia Rhodes will be visiting Children's Health in Dallas to display Junior Dragsters and visit with patients and their siblings.

"We really want to show the people at Children's Health the dedication and professionalism of our young racers, as well as show off the engineering and preparation that goes into their Junior Dragster cars," Carter said. "I think it's important, too, for the Junior Dragster kids to see what they're contributing to by participating in this event. It should be a good learning experience for everyone involved."

The American Jr. Dragster Challenge on Friday and Saturday will consist of four Jr. Dragster classes based on driver age and elapsed time over an eighth-mile course, including the Summit 7.90 class for racers 13 years and older, the Lucas Oil 8.90 index class for drivers 10-12, Snap-On combined 11.90/13.90 class for racers aged 6-9 years.

There will be an all-run bracket class sponsored by Valvoline, which requires each driver to predict his or her elapsed time and then run as close as possible to it without going under. It creates a true test of tuning and driving finesse that rewards consistency and allows the youngest or slowest entry to go up against the oldest or fastest racer with an equal chance for success. Plus, with each class paying a guaranteed $2,500 to the winner, "any one of these kids could walk out of this thing with five thousand bucks in their pocket," Carter pointed out.

In all the classes there will be a Wild Card element with a 2nd chance race sponsored by Pro1 USA. The winner and runner-up from this race will be re-entered into the main race. This unique format gives racers a second chance to capture the win.

He also emphasized the Motorplex is offering free admission to fans throughout Saturday.

"We're trying to get as many people as we can here, so we're encouraging parents, grandparents, everyone to bring their kids and friends out to watch the Junior Dragsters," Carter said. "We really want to have some extended family and fans in the stands when the kids receive a $2,500 check and a big American Challenge Eagle trophy instead of just having Mom and Dad there."

"And there will be plenty of opportunities to donate and help out Children's Health, which is the bottom line of course for the entire weekend of racing," he added.

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