Angelica Larsson is a young lady who have a definite goal in life; to drive a Pro Mod car, and to beat her mum Annica Larsson who compete in the Bracket class.
Angelica Larsson lives with her parents in Mora in Sweden and is, as  you can say, born in to drag racing, as her mother have been racing for many years. She is 16 years old and started to drive the junior dragster when she was 12. She is also the only girl that starts the brand new High School drag racing education at Tierp next autumn!
 
Angelica did follow her parents to the events and there she started to know other kids that were competing with junior dragsters. And the interest started to grow.

-    Dad wanted me to start racing earlier. But it was when I got the opportunity to help other kids, to do the polishing and see them driving, that I kind of woke up and wanted to try on my own, say Angelica. At the same race I decided to start racing, which was in Sundsvall we found a dragster for me that we bought. And now I just love it!

Angelica tells us about her racing carrier and it has been both ups and downs.
-    At the start it didn’t go so well, but at the end of that first season I did enter the podiums a few times. Last season I ended the season as Runner Up in the MSDR series and in Nedre Norra Bilsportsförbundets series. I also got a runner up at the Night of Fire at Tierp last year.

She now drives a dragster that Wallberg Racing has built, and that both Lina and Linus Wallberg have been driving, with success. It’s a bit rebuilt as the Larsson crew changed engine last season.

Angelicas future plans for the drag racing is, among others and as said, to beat her mum! This year she staying in the junior class, but next year mum better watch out for her daughter! There is already a Ford Fairlane in the garage waiting, which now makes about 10 sec at the quarter mile.

-    But we’re going to fix the engine a bit, so it might be a bit faster, she says. But my dream is a cool Ford -57 Pro Mod-built car and I would never ever sell that one. But first I going to start my drag racing education at the High School at Tierp and after those three years we´ll see what happens.

-    For this season I´m in to the Swedish Championship as it is the last season in the junior for me, and I also go for the new series Svealands Dragracing Cup.
The first race in the Swedish Championship was at Tierp Arena in middle May and how did that turned out then?

-    It went both good and bad, says Angelica. Because of the cold track and new renovated engine I didn’t go fast enough as I had to be carful the first round with it. First elimination I had Amanda Sjöström-Andersson (Swedish champion 2011) and beat her, but then then I had Emil Kivinummi and did a break out verses him. I´m a bit disappointed of course as I wanted so take some more points in the Swedish Champ but nothing is broken in the car so I´m quite happy anyway. 

What is the best with drag racing then, even though You didn’t win this time?
-    The very best with drag racing, especially as a junior, is that we all have lots of fun at the races, Angelica ends this interview.

Victor Heleander is 11 years old from Bålsta outside Stockholm. He is a rookie in the dragster even though he has been in drag racing since he was born. His parent’s Nettan and Håkan are well known in this circus, as starter, in track prepairing, time keeping and race directoring, something they have been involved in for many years.

Victor started to race 2011 when the opportunity to rent a dragster by mum’s friend, and it was the best that had happened all year.

-    This season I drive a junior dragster with a Stock engine, tells Victor. But when I am 12, I want to drive a Modified as they are much quicker. Then when I´m a grown up I have a dream to drive my own Pro Mod car, because they are so cool!

It looks like the Pro Mod guys and girls have to watch out in the future. Here is two youngsters that are going to hang in their tails. When it’s not drag racing at the schedule Victor has many other interests’ to fill his time with. He’s playing table tennis, hockey and football and of course TV games, which can be very good for a drag racer as there is a skill to be observant and fast in those games.

So what does the upcoming season look like?
-    This year I´m heading for EDRS and some more races, say Victor. I trying to learn to be fast at the tree and practice makes perfection. And fast is what he is. At the last race EDRS Nationals at Tierp Arena Victor vas very eager and in the first elimination round he had a Modifed car to beat, Frida Jonsson. So the only option in that situation is to step on the pedal, but this time Victor did it just a little bit too well so he did a break out. Well, next time it’s going to be better.

-    It was not so fun with all the rain, Victor says. I did think there would not be any race at all that Saturday, but eventually it stopped and I was so happy for that. I had butterflies in my belly, as it was the first race this season. The car was a bit tricky and it didn’t want to start as it should. And this weekend I had a new crew chief that wasn’t use to the car, so it was a bit hard. But it was ok except that I did a break out with 0.88 seconds. Sad in one way but good in another, as I set my personal best also. I´m anyway happy as I have got new painting on the car and helmet, kind of my own character.

Next race is probably at the next Tierp event in June, if I have a crew chief that can help me. My parents are quite occupied at that race, finishes the young man after an intensive weekend.

This was the first race for the season in EDRS and at the end of it we will know what  happened in the Junior Dragracing. It´s going to be a hard season, that’s for sure. The best qualifying time at this race was amazing 0, 0006 second from Marcus Back Andersson and that’s what all these kids are doing so well. They are quick at the start line and we have noticed they carry that skills with them when they later on start competing in senior classes.. and many of the Junior Dragster drivers do just that, they are in dragracing to stay!  



Angelica and Victor will both have chance to compete for a bonus from Alamo Rent A Car which award the EDRS division winners at the end of the season. Running Alamo Stickers on the car is requested and they can be obtained from Speedgroup at the track during the EDRS race at Sweden International Tierp June 14-17 or at EDRS events following that.


ME Racing Service is also a company that support the Junior Dragster Class, both for EDRS and the Swedish championship. Owner active Pro Mod driver Mats Eriksson is closely connected to the Junior class, both as a chassis builder and as a parent to Ludvig whowas active in the class until 2011, when he turned 18.

Any company, individual or assoctaion that want to support the work around Junior Dragracing are always welcome to contact Speedgroup, easiest via email to co-ordinator Åsa Kinnemar asa.kinnemar@speedgroup.eu