by Cori Hilsgen
news@thenewsleaders.com
Kennedy Community School fifth-grade student Carlee Reber enjoys being active. Her father, Pete Reber, said that is why the sport of drag racing fits her personality so well.
“She just loves it because she loves going fast,” Pete said. “Carlee has had reaction times as good as .001 and has had many event wins. She was born with racing in her blood.”
Reber has been racing for two years, beginning when she was 8. Her favorite part of racing is hanging out with all her race friends.
“It’s really fun and you get to learn how to drive fast,” Reber said.
Drag racing involves two cars racing to the finish line. Reber, 10, races a one-eighth mile in about 8.90 seconds at 75 mph. She races in the Intermediate class which is for 10- to 12-year-olds.
“There is a lot of sportsmanship the kids learn, and win or lose they shake hands after each race,” Pete said. “It’s fun to watch the kids race each other. Off the track and at night, the kids all like to run around and play games after the races are over.”
Reber races at the Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Grove Creek Raceway in Grove City and Top End Raceway in Fargo. She also hopes to race in Iowa and Wisconsin. Her racing season is from the middle of April until the middle of October.
Reber competes against other children throughout the state in which she competes. It varies each weekend how many children race, but it’s usually between eight and 16 children.
She was recently featured on the cover of the July 2017 issue of Midwest Drag Racers Associate magazine, which is published monthly.
There are Midwest Drag Racers Association points races at different tracks. Reber won both races in one weekend, July 1 and 2 at Grove Creek Raceway, and she now has a huge lead with MDRA points. MDRA points are different from race-track points. The association has its own points championship.
Reber said she enjoyed the July 1 and 2 weekend races because she won both days and she was able to race with her friend, Aspen Meagher from Wisconsin.
Drag racing offers children ages 5-17 a chance to race half-scale dragsters in a controlled environment. The cars Junior Drag-Racing League competitors race are called Junior Dragsters and are half-scale versions of Top Fuel dragsters.
A Junior Dragster uses a 5-horsepower, single-cylinder engine and can go as fast as 85 mph in as quick as 7.90 seconds in a one-eighth mile. Younger age groups are restricted to slower times/speeds.
With weekly Junior Drag-Racing League programs, children can race to earn points toward track championships in their age group. The points leaders in each class are then chosen to represent their track at conference finals.
A new basic Junior Dragster costs about $5,000. Racers also need to wear an approved helmet, jacket, neck collar and gloves. Drivers must also wear long pants and arm restraints while behind the wheel of their Junior Dragsters.
Reber’s National Hot Rod Association license qualifies her to drive on the race track.
Carlee Reber, 10, waits in the staging lanes at the Grove Creek Raceway in Grove City this summer. She has been competing in drag races for two years.
Kennedy Community School fifth-grade student Carlee Reber does a test pass in her Junior Dragster at the Grove Creek Raceway in Grove City.
Carlee Reber, 10, shows her first-place trophies by her Junior Dragster this summer at the Grove Creek Raceway in Grove City.
Carlee Reber, 10, holds a first-place trophy she won this summer at the Grove Creek Raceway in Grove City.
Kennedy Community School fifth-grade student Carlee Reber competes in a drag race in June at the Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd.
