The Bittersweet Feeling of Aging Out

As this racing season comes to an end, we wanted to acknowledge the racers that are getting in their cars for the last time as a junior. It is a very emotional time for not only the racers, but also their parents. Kids start racing as early as 5 years old and some are even raised at the racetrack. It is definitely a family sport that is enjoyed for years until the bittersweet time of aging out. We asked racers and their parents about their time spent in junior drag racing and what they would say to those just starting out.

About the Racers and Crew

Breanna Bemister is 17 years old and has been racing for 4 years. She lives in South Bloomfield, Missouri and races in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and Oklahoma. We have had the pleasure of getting to know Breanna through our sponsorship program this year.

Lilly Warner is another one of our sponsored drivers from Maple Plain, Minnesota. She is 18 years old and has been racing for 9 years. We were lucky enough to work with the whole Warner crew this season. Her parents, Tom and Tamara, still have Simone and Katie who will continue to race juniors next season.

We met the Estevez crew recently, as one of our employees is marrying into their family next fall. We spoke to Gina about her racing family in Maryland. The Estevez crew has two racers who have aged out and two that are entering their final years as juniors.

We had the pleasure of talking to Paul on JuniorDragsterPlus.com (if you haven’t checked out this site, you definitely should!). He has a daughter who has aged out of juniors, two children who are currently racing, and one that is too young to race. It is safe to say that he will have many more years of racing in his future.

What is one thing you will miss about juniors?

“I will miss the closeness of families in juniors. Everybody is one big family” -Breanna

“The camaraderie of all the racers and how well they get to know one another in a season” -Lilly

“We all love it at the track and enjoy just being there together. It is a way for us to support the kids, spend time together, and work as a team” -Gina

“I'm very lucky that I still have 2 kids in it, but I miss having my oldest there, as well as the families we've become friends with over the years who have aged out as well. We've seen families come and go, and it's great to watch kids grow, but when the time comes for them to move on, it takes a part of you with it” -Paul

What was your fondest memory of racing juniors?

“My fondest memory would have to be racing in Hardinsburg, KY for the Mid-American Bracket Finals with a torn ACL and having to postpone all my surgeries” -Breanna

“One of her fondest memories of racing is when after a race, one family would project a movie onto the side of their trailer for all of the racers to watch, and they'd just all sit and watch it together, 8-18 year olds” -Tom Warner

“Seeing the look on each of my kids faces when they got their first win. Nothing but that first race win compares to the first round win” -Paul

What are your future plans?

“My plans after aging out, is to attend Arkansas State University & major in Physical Therapy. I have already purchased a big dragster for the 2017 racing season” -Breanna

“After aging out, Lilly will continue to race, but is unsure of what she will be racing in the future. It may be a car or it may be a motorcycle. She also plans to go to college to study Anthropology” -Tom

“Maria’s new race car is in the works as she loves the thrill of racing and says there is nothing like it.  She is going to college to be a teacher and continue to race. Adriana has aged out of Juniors and is now racing a Mustang.  She is going to college to be a Sports Therapist and will continue to race” -Gina

“Luckily I still have many, many more years left in this sport between 2 kids that are young, and one that's still a few years from getting into a car. I can't fully answer this question for another 16 years or so, and maybe by then I'll have grandchildren into it and not have to leave?” -Paul

What is one piece of advice that you would give to a racer who is just beginning juniors?

“Take the turn off slowly. Do not flip like I did” -Breanna

“Enjoy your time racing and to try to make friends with the other racers, so that you have something to do when the races are over for the day. Also, pay attention to maintenance because what you learn in a junior is still applicable when you learn to drive a full size car” -Tom and Lilly

“Don't get discouraged, you'll only be able to do this for so long, enjoy the time you have with it, and everything will fall into place” -Paul

“Have Fun... This is a great experience like no other.  Appreciate the opportunity your parents have given you.  There is a lot to be learned from racing a junior.  Oh and wear your safety equipment in your car it is there for a reason and obey the rules of the track. For the families starting to race Juniors.  Take the time to spend with your kids.  It is great family time to spend time with the kids, teach them new things and work as a team (family) and having fun together” -Gina

Whether you are a kid who is just starting to race or a parent who has been racing for years, we can all agree that junior dragster racing is a sport that creates memories that last a lifetime. Times flies by, so remember to take it all in and have the time of your life.

How To: Oil Change

We continue to be amazed by Junior Dragster drivers and how involved most of them are when it comes to working on their cars. Kids as young as 5 years old are unloading trailers, monitoring tire pressure, changing oil, and checking safety equipment. These young drivers show great maturity and take on all sorts of significant responsibilities without batting an eye.  This sport teaches children about life in so many important ways; it prepares them to be self-sufficient, yet instills the value of teamwork within them and we think that is incredibly valuable. 

Viperizer Racing is going to start to showcase some of these remarkable kids and the skills that they are building while working on their cars. Our recent visit to Quaker City Motorsports Park resulted in the pleasure of meeting Braxton Sukosd and his crew from Ohio. Braxton is 9 years old and has been racing for 2 years. Every  weekend, Braxton helps his parents by changing the oil in his junior dragster. We hope you enjoy this video as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Here is Braxton showing us how it's done…

Team Viperizer 101

What exactly is Team Viperizer?  --- Well, it began as a sponsorship program for Jr dragster racers all over the country, but in three short months, it has grown to become so much more. ViperizerRacing.com had three goals in mind when developing this sponsorship program: Support our racers, support our sport, and support our brand.

Support our racers: We first and foremost want to ensure that we were doing our best to support racers. We want to support those who are doing well on and off the track, as well as help those who are new to the sport.

Support our sport: We love this sport and we want to see more racers get out there and do what they love. We want racers that will not only support Viperizer, but racers that will also encourage other kids to start racing.

Support our brand: We truly appreciate all of the kind words that you have shared about our company over the past two years. We love hearing about our customers and seeing our decals on the track. We want to let everyone know that our company is very invested in our products and in our racers/customers.

With that being said, I wanted to answer a few questions that I have been getting about the program.

1. What is Team Viperizer?

• Team Viperizer started as a sponsorship program designed to help racers all over the world; however, it has grown into something much more. Team Viperizer has turned into a community of junior racers who support one another on and off the track. The word “team” cannot be emphasized enough. We are elated and very proud of our racers in everything that they are accomplishing.

2. How many levels/packages are there?

• There are three levels of sponsorship packages. When we developed the program, we had to decide between giving a few racers a large amount of perks or many racers an average amount. We ultimately chose a mix of both and that is how our levels were created. 

3. What are the levels?

• Level 1 is our beginner package, level 2 is our intermediate package, and level 3 is our pro package. Each level comes with special perks and discounts. If you would like more specific details regarding each package, please email Nicole at teamviperizer@viperizerracing.com

4. How were drivers chosen?

• Since this was our first year picking sponsored drivers, we looked into many different qualifications (location, age, online presence, experience, schedule, extracurricular activities, etc.). With over 200 racers applying for sponsorship, the competition was tight and our decisions were often difficult. One thing that we paid particular attention to was online presence. We looked for racers who were excited to share their accomplishments and our brand online with their family and friends. We have a strong online presence and we want to be able to interact with our racers on the same level.  We think this is one reason why this program has developed into a phenomenal community of racers.

5. How do I join?

• All of the 2016 sponsorship spots have been filled; however, we will be accepting applications for the 2017 season in February. We post all of our news and updates on social media. We are on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Stay connected with us throughout the year, even if you aren’t sponsored. We love hearing from you and we definitely take note of those that are active on our page. Make sure you use the hashtag #TeamViperizer on your posts!

Team Viperizer is not only a sponsorship program, but it is a community of racers that work together and support one another to better this sport. 

5 Reasons To Create a Racing Fan Page

With over 700 million active users, Facebook is by far the most popular social media website to date. Hundreds of millions of people are interacting and engaging on Facebook each day. Whether you are considering a career in racing or you just want to show off your accomplishments, creating a Facebook Fan page is an easy (and free) way to showcase your racing career and connect with other racers. Still not convinced? Here are 5 reasons why you should create your Racing Fan Page today: 

1. It's Easy to Create

Creating a Facebook fan page is incredibly easy to create. It is also free. Websites are great to have as well, but they can become costly and are often difficult to create. The only requirement for a fan page is that it has to be linked to a personal page (don’t worry your fans won’t see your personal page). Because of its popularity, Facebook sets up an easy to use template to create the ultimate racing page.

2. Attract Sponsors

What better way to attract sponsors than to have a page that displays your racing career? If you are applying for a sponsorship, including your fan page is a nice touch to your application. It shows potential sponsors that you are serious about your sport, it will also showcase your accomplishments, and also lets a sponsor know that you will promote their brand on Facebook.  Sponsors want more exposure and this is an easy way to give it to them. It’s a win-win.

3. Show Off Your Racing While Keeping Your Personal Page Private

The difference between a fan page and a personal profile is that the fan page is completely public. Creating a fan page can allow you to keep your racing posts in one place and your private posts on your profile. When friends and family want to see how you placed last week, they can check out your page without having to log into Facebook. This is a great option for parents with young children who cannot have their own profile. 

4. Customized News Feed

When you have a Facebook fan page, you are able to connect with other pages and businesses by “liking” their page. Your news feed will only consist of the pages that you have “liked”. This is a cool way to keep up all of your racing news in one place. Not to mention it makes it incredibly easy to connect with and keep up with all your racing buddies across the United States and throughout the world. 

5. A Virtual Scrapbook of Your Career 

Even if you do not wish to pursue a career in racing, a Facebook fan page is an easy way to showcase your accomplishments in one spot. Highlighting your time as a Jr Drag racer on a fan page is literally a virtual scrapbook for you to have and reminisce for years to come. 

Check out some of Team Viperizer’s Fan Pages:

Snake Doctor Racing

CMR Boys Racing

Rev'n Devin Racing

Wolfe Pack Racing

Schubbe Racing

Horetski Racing

Tripp Breitkreitz Racing

Wild Child Racing

Girls Rule Racing

Joey Petrone

Kirk Motorsports

Renoll Racing


For more information about creating a Facebook Fan Page, click here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/create/

You Might Be A Jr Dragster Mom If . . .

There are two types of moms out there…

Moms & Jr. Dragster Moms

Jr Dragster Moms spend countless hours preparing, driving, cheering, watching and celebrating their little racers.  With Mother's Day quickly approaching, we wanted to take the time to thank these superhero women that make this sport possible. Without you Viperizer would not be what it is today.  

You might be a Jr Dragster Mom if:

1. You spend the majority of your weekends in a golf cart and have never touched a set of golf clubs
2. You are not only your child’s biggest fan, but you are also their personal assistant, accountant, and chauffeur - The Momager
3. You own more cars than your house has bedrooms, but your car is never parked in the garage
4. You see more Christmas trees in June, July, and August than you do in December
5. You plan your summer vacation around your child’s racing schedule or your vacation is your child’s racing schedule
6. Instead of having your child’s picture in your purse, you have their timeslips
7. You get tired of explaining why the first one to the finish line is not always the winner to people that do not understand the sport
8. You still hold your breath when your child is on the starting line whether it’s the 1st or 100th run
9. You don’t bat an eye about spending money on dragster tires, but the tires on your car should have been replaced months ago
10. You are proud of your kid no matter how many points they have and how many Wallys they receive. You are always the biggest fan and you LOVE every minute of it!

Special shout out to our Team Viperizer Moms we love you guys – thank you for everything you do for us and for your little ones, we couldn’t do this without you.  Comment below if you have another “You might be a Jr Dragster Mom if…”

             

 

“I would like to thank her for everything that she has done form me, how much she supports my racing, and how much I love her”   -Rachel Flowers

“She’s an awesome mom and an awesome co crew chief” -Connor McGee

           

  

“Thanks for all your dedication and support on and off the race track! Happy Mother’s Day. I love you!” – Jenna Kirk

“This lady has been by my side through every win & loss. I love her with all my heart and I'm glad to have her as one of my biggest supporters!” -Breanna Bemister

“My mother is the best mother ever! Just to have a mom that supports what I love doing, or even anything I want to do! She truly deserves anything in the world!” – Joey Petrone

"Happy Mothers Day Mom we love you so much and thank you even more for letting us both do what we love DRAG RACING. You're the best mommy in the world" -Hunter and Kyndal Wolfe