How many kids have fancied themselves as budding drag racers having watched the fuel and sportsman racers cover the quarter mile in 'oh my god seconds' to win a race! Well now they can by getting behind the wheel of Shakespeare County Raceway's very own 'Junior Dragster Experience' hire car!

The SCR Junior Dragster Experience car is a half scale version of a conventional Top Fuel Dragster. This has ideally been designed for male and female drivers aged between 8 to 17 years to get behind the wheel of a 5 hp Stock Class Dragster and compete against other young drivers. For an 8 year old who has never driven a car of any kind, this will surely be an exhilarating experience!

The specially designed single day course teaches both the driver and his/her parents the initial steps in becoming a young drag racer. From the classroom to the track, each driver will make single runs on the eighth mile under the supervision of an instructor.

Although classed as an eighth mile competition, each driver will make incremental runs from start line to 60ft to completing a full run safely. Additional basic training will consist of braking, turning the car round and driving in a straight line!

Parents will be taught the fundamentals of running the dragster, its round-by-round maintenance, starting and start line procedures all within their own comfort levels and performance.

You can also hire the dragster for the weekend and compete in one of the Junior Dragster League meetings or Junior Dragster Shootouts (please check SCR's events calendar for Public Track Day events and Junior programme weekends). Tuition will be given on Saturdays if hiring for a weekend.

Let your child experience the power and the thrill of drag racing with a day's hire of the Shakespeare County Raceway Junior Dragster Experience Ride! Book an event today!

Junior Drag Racing in the UK offers kids aged 8 to 17 years the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a real live race car.

First step is to go to a race event and experience first hand of what Junior Drag Racing is all about. By talking to the drivers and parents and examining the dragsters at close quarters you'll get a better feel for what our sport is all about and the costs involved.

Step two will be to either hire the Shakespeare County Raceway Junior Dragster for an event(s) or to buy a complete turnkey Junior from the listings found at Eurodragster.com Swap Meet pages.

Sometimes you can pick a car up for £2,000 to £3,000. Sometimes this may come with all the spares and a trailer too. Most cars offered have been raced before and will have a chequered history. It's like buying an ordinary road car, ask about its history, what has it had done to it, how many owners, that kind of thing. We can also trace a cars history here as well to race and championship wins, best times and speeds. All you need do is ask.

However, when looking for cars please remember, dependant on your age, you are restricted to limit on your class i.e. Junior Stock (8-9 years) 12.90 seconds, Junior Modified (10-18 years) 8.90s & Junior Modified Advance (13-18 years) 7.90s. So don't buy a dragster set up for a JMA if you can only compete in the JS class as you wont be able to slow down the dragster to comply with the JS regulations.

You will also need to purchase a helmet, race suit, neck brace, gloves and suitable footwear. Most leading manufactures in junior motorsport can supply these items what ever the age, but we can put you in touch with suppliers who already support our Junior Dragster programme www.dsracewear.co.uk.

Take in a few Run What You Brung Public Track Day events to get a better feel for the car and its race-by-race operation. If you need help or advise there's always someone at an event to talk to. If you need guidance about race procedure you can always talk to track officials. We're all a friendly bunch here and we're happy to give advise to anyone with an interest in Junior Dragster.

After experiencing the schooling of Run What You Brung events and you feel comfortable enough to enter the big league - the UK National Championship - then you will need to complete a licence application form which can be downloaded from the Motor Sports Association [MSA] www.msa.org.uk web site. You will also be required to join one of the two organising clubs; Avon Park International Racing Association [APIRA] or Santa Pod Racers Club [SPRC] to race at national championship level. For Run What Ya Brung this isn't a requirement. You may also be required to make observed runs in front of MSA officials or this process can be done at Run What Ya Brung events without the pressures of a national championship event.

So, if all the boxes have been checked and your feel comfortable with yourself as driver, and parents as crew hands, then you're ready to race. Good luck.

Shakespeare County Raceway offers two options in hiring the dragster for either a Public Track Day of National Championship event competition.

Cost of a single days hire is £120.00. This will include the hire of the Dragster, race attire (suit, helmet, gloves, etc), and tuition for the day with a minimum of 3 runs and a maximum of 10 runs. One day/weekend tickets will be made available to parents or partners. Additional tickets can be purchased in advance at any one event. After the day is complete the driver will receive a signed Track Certificate & their time slips as a memorandum of their experience driving a Junior Dragster at Shakespeare County Raceway drag strip.

To hire the SCR Junior Dragster for a UK National MSA 2/3 day event is £225.00. An MSA competition license must be held for permit events, (not necessary for SCR Junior Events). The hire does not include Event Entry Fees!! SCR will supply a scutineered car together with race attire to MSA requirements. The car will have participants race number affixed to both sides of the car and to rear firewall, and drivers name on both sides of windscreen. No tuition will be given at race meetings.

To book a day/weekend then please call the raceway office or e-mail enquiries@shakespearecountyraceway.co.uk.

Below are the 2012 dates for the hire of the raceways Junior Dragster. Dates and events in bold (red) indicate the dragster is no longer available for hire. A second dragster can be made available but on selected dates.