photo: Sebastian Breid, Emil Jungvar and Matilda Sjöström-Andersson are active in the Junior Dragster class. Great ambassadors for the sport and the class and during the Sweden Internationals at Tierp Arena Speedgroup also asked them to display and talk Junior drag racing with the crowd, which they and a few of the others did a great job with!
The Stock Dragsters can be run by youngsters from the age of 8. The engines are Briggs & Stratton’s of lawn mower type producing about 5 hp, they run the 201 meter track distance. as quick as 12.90 sec. which is the lowest ET allowed in this class and where the speeds are around 60 km.
The Modified Junior Dragsters run on methanol and engines are custom race engines. The clutch is of the same type as used for snowmobiles. With speeds around 120-130 km/h and ET:s down to 7.90 sec. the “Modifieds” can even compare with some of the senior drag racing cars at a short distance.
The technique and know how in Europe have developed a lot during the last few years and as a result many Modified Junior Dragsters perform in the region of the low ET allowed by the regulations (7.90 sec.)
Qualification in Junior Dragster is based on reaction times where a “perfect light” is 0.000 sec. Swedish Jr Dragster driver Hampus Staflund managed just that - to pull off a perfect light at the last race at Alastaro Finland. Well done!
As a result of constantly hunting the "perfect light", when the drivers grow too old for the Junior Dragsters and take the step into senior classes, they are often known for their good reaction times.
photo: Fredrik Leanders is new in the class and made his first appearance at the NDRS event in Finland.
