Generation Racer

Tulsa has a deep history in motor sports. From national events in the 50's and 60's at the Tulsa Dragway or the Chili Bowl with sprint car legends and NASCAR gladiators, Tulsa has hosted it all. The backbone to any motor sport is the local competitor, the guy or gal that gets to the track every weekend and spends money on fuel, parts and entry fees. These same "car owners" for years have personally financed their kids racing dreams. These young racers take it as serious as a driver of a top fuel dragster or the greatest motocross rider of all time. In the sprint car world the Chili Bowl is the Super Bowl and the Daytona 500 all wrapped up in one. Those same drivers cut their teeth on quarter midget tracks like the one in Tulsa. Built in 1957 the Tulsa Quarter Midget track hosted national events in 59, 61 and 1981. Its history is as deep and rich as German chocolate. Current NASCAR drivers such as Jeff Gordon, Terry LaBonte, Bobby LaBonte, Shane Stewart and Daryn Pittman have graced its turns. The track today is not much different than the one Gordon and the LaBonte brothers raced around. Kids from the ages of four and a half to sixteen are grouped together by age. Ran by the members, the track itself is a non-profit organization and only one of 57 tracks across the country. It's actually the smallest track in the country. "The club is a non-profit organization and attendance for spectators to the races each week is free. This is a parent/family-supported club. You see that by the schedule we race almost every week starting in March and running through November. The parents operate the races, concession stand, and the tower each week so this is definitely a family sport, but it is worth it when you see the kid's race and the good friends they make," said Kelley Head. Check out the racers at www.tulsaquartermidgets.com. Forty-three years ago a track opened just off of Hwy 169 in Tulsa. Drag racers from the West coast made the long pull to Tulsa to race at the newest track on the circuit. The list of drivers that have guided their nitro driven monsters down the quarter mile include Don Garlits, Don Prudhomme, Bill Jenkins and John Force. Just as impressive is the list of drivers that have won major events at the track. It's been the fastest asphalt track in the country and affiliated with the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) and the IHRA (International Hot Rod Association). In the late 80's a smaller, scaled down version of the big dragsters was built by Vinny Napp thus the junior drag racing series was born. The series has grown to epic proportions with national events and huge meets during the racing season. At the Tulsa Raceway Park the junior dragster series is alive and well. Drivers from ages 8 to 17 compete in scaled down versions of the bigger cars that can reach 85 mph in the quarter mile. The track hosts the Teen Championship Series in addition to Hannah's Frozen Nitro Junior Dragsters. The series is named for one of its favorite drivers, Hannah Martin. Today she not only competes in the junior dragster ranks, but has driven the quarter mile in a 240 inch, 800 horsepower dragster that can hit 140mph. Visit them at www.tulsaracewaypark.com. Another track taking its rightful piece of the historic pie is Port City raceway. Once known as Ru-Jo Raceway, Port City today is an 1/8 mile high banked clay oval. Since the track first opened the focus has been on the modified midgets or micros. These scaled down versions of sprint cars have the large wings and hit speeds of nearly 100 mph. They also run a non-winged class. Many drivers have pushed their cars to the limits on the high banks including Andy Hillenburg, Daryn Pittman, Shane Stewart, Darren Stewart and most recent driver to enter the Kasey Kahn camp, Brady Bacon. The track today is owned and operated by Aaron Lemmons and his wife Beverly. Every year they host a huge event in honor of Aaron's father, Al Lemmons. At Port City there are six different classes to run in and plenty of competition. You can catch young drivers like Cameron Beller and Trenton Jackson racing junior sprints or David McIntosh and Cameron Hagin battling it out in the sportsman division. This is the proving ground for young drivers dreaming of driving in races like the Chili Bowl or even NASCAR. Log on to their website at www.portcityracin.com. If dirt isn't your thing then head to West Tulsa and the JRP race facilities for some Kart action. The Tulsa Kart Club is road course style track with plenty of pit area and a bank final turn. These road racers have taken go-carts and transformed them into fast, well handling machines. With several different classes to choose from, the Kart Club offers a great environment for racing. Each year they host huge events bringing in hundreds of kart racers from around the country. Kart racing is a huge motor sport and its popularity is growing. Bailey Ring and Cody Miller is just a couple of the racers you'll see at the track. Their season runs into November and gets fired up in March. Go to www.tulsakartclub.org for more information. The two-wheeled racers are not left out. Motocross really took hold in the 70's and 80's. Today kids of all ages compete on tracks in Oklahoma big enough to host national events. Cooperland Raceway is one of those tracks. The red dirt and clay is undeniable. With a huge starting area, big jumps and enough turns to satisfy the best riders in the world, Cooperland has become one of the premier tracks in the state. The racing for the younger riders is exactly what helps create champions. These kids get on the dirt and rip through the turns like seasoned pros. Riders like Ashton Bloxom and Gregory Gehrer can hone their skills in testing then compete at a high level in the Cooperland/Yamaha of Stillwater Fall Series. For more information on Cooperland Raceway and upcoming events go to www.cooperlandusa.com.