Morrison-Lead Junior Street Event Builds Burgeoning Racers
NHRA Top Fuel Driver ‘Nitro’ Joe Morrison kicks off new Jr Street Instructional & Licensing program at Island Dragway
NHRA Top Fuel Dragster driver Joe Morrison has officially added ‘drag racing instructor’ to his diverse and impressive title collection following the launch of the Jr Street Instructional & Licensing program held at Island Dragway on May 21st, 2022. Seven teenagers and their parents attended the event, which kicked off with a discussion on the importance of safety and drag racing procedures before guiding the class through the entire process – from tech inspection to exiting the racetrack.
Class time turned into track time once all safety concerns were covered, and soon the young street racers were ready to make their first 100-foot run. They built upon this throughout the event, next tackling 330-feet, then finally four runs to the 1/8 mile with Morrison riding shotgun with each student to provide additional instruction. At the end, after successful completion, Morrison signed off on their NHRA competition licenses.
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“I’m impressed by how quickly these new drivers learned,” noted Morrison, who will be making his 2022 NHRA debut this weekend in Epping, NH. “There were some “nerves” early on, but once they had their first experience launching the car, everything started coming together. All in all, it was an encouraging environment that allowed these kids to learn with no pressure. One of the coolest things to see was the kids and their parent co-drivers having fun and experiencing the thrill of drag racing together. ”
The National Hot Rod Association launched its Jr. Street youth racing program for 13-16-year-olds in 2015. Following the momentum established by their Jr. Drag Racing League, NHRA’s Jr. Street program gives teenage boys and girls the opportunity to race against their peers in full-body street vehicles with an adult co-driver as their teammate. NHRA Jr. Street provides aspiring racers with an economical entry point into drag racing – as they compete in daily drivers.
This Island Dragway event was a collaboration between facility owner Melissa Milano, Morrison and EJK Insurance founder Ed Krajewski, with the intention of guiding young racers through the entire process of competing at an NHRA sanctioned track.
The success of this first event and multiple inquiries from other East Coast NHRA sanctioned tracks has convinced Morrison to extend the program. Additional dates and locations of Jr Street Instructional and Licensing events will be published soon.