Moparts

Getting kids involved in our sport!

Posted By: tboomer

Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/02/13 01:26 PM

As some of you know,my grandson,Alex bought a 96 Z-28. We ordered a shift lite,line-loc,and a skip shift for it. He is pretty excited about running high school class and pure street. I am glad to get him started. Anyone else getting their children involved? I think he is going to have fun!
Posted By: MPerry

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/02/13 01:39 PM

I was hoping but the money isn't there. My youngest wanted a junior dragster at one point.
Posted By: dizuster

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/02/13 03:21 PM

My kids are both three, I've got them mopar brainwashed already...lol

They love it!

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Posted By: dizuster

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/02/13 03:22 PM

Learning to be a man...lol

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Posted By: Shoozy

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/02/13 03:29 PM

Quote:

Learning to be a man...lol




Priceless

My kids are too busy dealing with survival in today's economy although they like to look and watch, no funds available for the foreseeable future.
Posted By: OhioMopar

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/02/13 03:44 PM

I've been trying to talk my daughter into driving a Jr. Dragster if I bought her one. She has no interest. She does want a Road Runner, and loves riding with dear old dad and burning tires. She's 11, so there is time.
My son is visually impaired, but he loves anything car related. He goes everywhere he can with me. Looking at cars. Hauling them. Working on them. He even wrenches if he can. Have a nice picture of him helping put seat belts in my old GTS.
My girlfriend's kid is all over the Jr. Dragster. If we free up some money I may go in with her on one for him. He's 12. Trying to get one, or all of them involved.
Posted By: pittsburghracer

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/02/13 03:51 PM

My son Matt (whiskyrunner) is 24 and made his first 12 second pass in my ex-wifes belly. I swear he goes to sleep watching our old Norwalk Halloween Classic tapes every night. If he has 5 dollars in his pocket he would rather spend it toward racing than he would eating.

My younger son Ethan (20) came to the track once last year with a couple of his Friends. Claims he would like a nice street car but wants one of mine instead of putting some effort toward his own.
Love them both very much but with Matt involved in the sport we spend a lot more time together and at that age time together is "premium time"
Matt totally rebuilt his 360 last year by himself including using mics and bore gauges to check all clearances, file fitting his rings, checked spring pressures, spring heights, shimmed, and assembled his heads, installed it in the car and ran 10.50's in his Duster the first weekend out with the car.
Enjoy your time together with him Ted. Its good for both of you and may keep him from getting in trouble from hanging around with the wrong crowd.
Now all I have to do this Summer is get the boat in the river so the 3 of us can enjoy a sport that all of us enjoy. (fishing)
Posted By: dvw

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/02/13 03:58 PM

Dizuster actually got started earlier than his kids. Learning to be a man hasn't changed.
Doug

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Posted By: 383man

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/02/13 04:01 PM

My oldest Ron Jr still has his Dart. He has raced it about 6 times but I will say the last 2 years he has not had it to the track as he is now getting married and that has kept him ocupied the last year or two. But he told me the other day he wants to race the Dart this year. He is 26 now and he even won a class race at a Mopar show one year. He also told me he does not want to ever sell his Dart. I caught him cleaning the rubber off the 1/4's after racing a few years ago. Ron

Posted By: Dean_Kuzluzski

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/02/13 04:44 PM

Quote:

I am glad to get him started. Anyone else getting their children involved? I think he is going to have fun!



My sons go to the Mopar Nat's, Woodward Cruise & Back-to-the-Bricks (Flint) every year with me. It all happens in August and they never hesitate to go.

As for building a car, it isn't the funding, but the time to get it done. With school, marchingband, swim team and maintaining a household there's not much time left over.

My oldest just got his permit, I hope to have bolted together a budget/bracket car for him by the summer of 2014.
Posted By: mshred

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/02/13 05:41 PM

Im on the opposite end of the spectrum- im the kid who got involved, and have to say I love it! It was a great way for me and my pops to bond also....When I was little he would take me and my twin bro to the track, would bring us to the shop where he had his dart fired up with open headers, and had us help him do little things over the years finishing it up.

When it came time to wanting a car, my dad did everything in his path to make sure I knew what I was getting into- made me come up with a plan for paying for it, where to park it, insurance, etc. etc.

Now I have my 71 scamp, my twin brother has a 72 Lemans getting a 488 poncho motor, and my dad has his 69 440 dart, and my mom wishes her and my dad bought a bigger house since the 2 car garage doesn't cut it anymore lol
Posted By: FastmOp

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/02/13 05:56 PM

My oldest has a jr. Dragster but he's moving up to his Buick this year. My middle kid has no interest and my 4 year old said all my cars are his lol. But he is most interested in the turbo car lol.
I have a Jr. for sale or trade if you know anyone looking. It has two motors and the starter that goes with it. It's a moly 03 shock car. My oldest has won several races in it. I would trade it for a project B body
Posted By: Todd

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/02/13 08:37 PM

My 4 year old wondering when she drive

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Posted By: SpareParts

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/02/13 08:51 PM

My brother and I have ALWAYS been die hard mopar! I'm 23 but in November of 89 I was brought home from the hospital in the 67 fast back cuda that mom and dad got married in. Always went to mopar events and races growing up and dad has always been a collector who I think has 9or 10 now. My brother and I do a lot of racing and are pretty big into grudge racing my Duster and have just started getting more edgy with his dart. It's great to get your kid's involved but never let them forget that there is a lot more to life then those 4 wheels. School is everything and having a life should come first. Sometimes I struggle with that.
Posted By: BSB67

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/02/13 10:14 PM

Three kids, and none of them are into it, and honestly, I'm way okay with that. They are into other things and my wife and I have enjoyed supporting their interests.
Posted By: mshred

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/02/13 10:21 PM

Quote:

It's great to get your kid's involved but never let them forget that there is a lot more to life then those 4 wheels. School is everything and having a life should come first. Sometimes I struggle with that.





That is why my pop's did not want me getting a car at such a young age...he knew it would consume me, and it really does actually, and yes, sometimes i mix up my priorities too...life comes first- family, education, work...the car can wait
Posted By: Triple Threat

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/02/13 10:35 PM

I'm only 26, bought my first dart when I was 15. Dad let me make passes in his 12 second challenger when I was 16. Been hooked ever since. I don't have kids yet, but I'm doing my part trying to get my niece and nephew interested. Been taking a picture like the one below every 6 months or so. This was the first.

Posted By: SG duster

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/02/13 10:48 PM

I tryed to get my oldist son into the mopar hobby he perferd to play guitar, I tryed to get my 2nd son into the mopar hobby but he went off international sailing for the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. my daughter more interested than both of them put together
Posted By: Eric

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/02/13 11:17 PM

As a racer I hate to admit I really hate JR dragsters...
Posted By: rebel

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/02/13 11:42 PM

Quote:

As a racer I hate to admit I really hate JR dragsters...


well you'd just love to go to this event on our track today then. lmao

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Posted By: pittsburghracer

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/03/13 12:29 AM

Love em or hate em they are a big part in the future of drag racing. A lot of our better racers at PRP were raised at the track and when they were old enough started out in jr. dragsters then made the move into our Top and Modified class. I like them for that reason but I hate when I have to park next to them. I don't know if it from to many years working in the steel mill or if they remind me of running my chain saw but 8 hours of that crack,crack, crack sound has me climbing the walls.
Posted By: Eric

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/03/13 12:47 AM

John....what bugs me is it takes twice as long to send a pair of Jr's down the track...and half the parents act like they have the next John Force in front of that B&S motor. I think it's great that kids are involved and there are some great racers coming out of the JR classes...but I would much rather that they run thier show in it's entirely before the big cars. Thats how they did it at Dunn Tire and Empire in NY...much safer and less annoying.
Posted By: hemidup

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/03/13 12:49 AM

He keeps asking me..."Grandpa, when you go to heaven, do I get your truck?"

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Posted By: pittsburghracer

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/03/13 01:02 AM

Quote:

John....what bugs me is it takes twice as long to send a pair of Jr's down the track...and half the parents act like they have the next John Force in front of that B&S motor. I think it's great that kids are involved and there are some great racers coming out of the JR classes...but I would much rather that they run thier show in it's entirely before the big cars. Thats how they did it at Dunn Tire and Empire in NY...much safer and less annoying.



Your not going to believe the reason I heard for doing that. The grown-ups involved said that the kids want to race when there are spectators in the stands watching them. Can you believe that one. There were nights a couple of years ago when they were still racing at midnight. I hope we never go back to those days.
Posted By: Eric

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/03/13 01:10 AM

Quote:

Quote:

John....what bugs me is it takes twice as long to send a pair of Jr's down the track...and half the parents act like they have the next John Force in front of that B&S motor. I think it's great that kids are involved and there are some great racers coming out of the JR classes...but I would much rather that they run thier show in it's entirely before the big cars. Thats how they did it at Dunn Tire and Empire in NY...much safer and less annoying.



Your not going to believe the reason I heard for doing that. The grown-ups involved said that the kids want to race when there are spectators in the stands watching them. Can you believe that one. There were nights a couple of years ago when they were still racing at midnight. I hope we never go back to those days.



There's spectators????
Posted By: 65signet

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/03/13 02:44 AM

Quote:

John....what bugs me is it takes twice as long to send a pair of Jr's down the track...and half the parents act like they have the next John Force in front of that B&S motor. I think it's great that kids are involved and there are some great racers coming out of the JR classes...but I would much rather that they run thier show in it's entirely before the big cars. Thats how they did it at Dunn Tire and Empire in NY...much safer and less annoying.




Posted By: Todd

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/03/13 02:50 AM

Quote:

My 4 year old wondering when she drive


And my 8 year drifting his modified power wheel back when he was 5.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ9Uvs4rYlo

The pic of him sitting in the Lake Erie Monster last year at Magnolia. He talked about that for weeks.

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Posted By: gtsdude

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/03/13 03:21 AM

I got this Aspen to get my 17 y/o started, he ran my 05 charger a couple different times and did pretty well. We have the interior tore out to put in a roll bar, trying to make it safe for him, might not need it right away but just in case. My 7 month old has a ways to go!

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Posted By: rebel

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/03/13 03:55 AM

Quote:





There's spectators????



jnr dragster time is code for 'beer o'clock'
Posted By: hustlin hoosier

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/03/13 04:25 AM

My son came to me when he was 15 and said dad lets build a drag car. When he was 16 we debute the first Hustlin hoosier car, a 1965 coronet. He is 22 now and we race 30 events a year.We started at 13 seconds and went second faster every year. Now I have granddaughter that just turned 8 ,So I guess it is junior dragster time.
Posted By: BlueDart

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/03/13 04:58 AM

My son is 13 and has been playing Baseball since 5 and still loves it but he would stop in a heartbeat to go the dragstrip as you can see he is already in helping in the shop and in a few years he's getting in the daytona and I'm going back to my old dart

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Posted By: tboomer

Re: Getting kids involved in our sport! - 02/03/13 02:32 PM

Alex paid for his car with his own money. I thought that was great! He does farm work after school and during the summer. Last year,he farmed 17 acres of beans on his own. He also carries excellent grades in school. I also think that the jrs. are boring but an important part of the sport.
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