State Of The Class Address: Pro Junior Dragster

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Only one month and two races remain in Pro Junior Dragster before the LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals VI in October.?Eight spots are still up for grabs heading into “The Battle For The Belts,” making this a perfect time to see what has happened up to this point and what the future holds.?Call it the State of the Class Address or call it whatever you like. ?Either way, these final two races before the world finals - Simpson Dragstock VII at Rockingham Dragway (Sept. 10-11) and the Summit Racing Equipment Ohio Drags IV (Sept. 24-25) - have plenty on the line.?For the final part in this series that spanned all the ADRL classes, we take a look at Pro Junior Dragster and get a glimpse of what’s in store for this wild finish.TODAY: Pro Junior DragsterSATURDAY: Extreme Pro Stock?FRIDAY: Pro Extreme Motorcycle?THURSDAY: Extreme 10.5?WEDNESDAY: Pro Nitrous?TUESDAY: Pro ExtremeHOW IT GOT THEREKendall Thiesse doesn’t have a win this year, but Thiesse has been remarkably consistent throughout the 2010 season.That means as much as anything when accumulating points and nobody has been better in Pro Junior Dragster than Thiesse this season. Thiesse, though, has plenty of company in an extremely diverse field.Morgan Benfield has the most wins of anyone in the class, as she has two and currently sits in third place.Those wins came in May in Richmond and at Texas Motorplex last October.Above her has been another remarkably consistent driver in Tyler Allen, who sits in second place. Allen trails Thiesse by 224 points, but Benfield is right behind in a tight 3-driver race for first place heading into the championship race.Alexander Oppen, K.J. Nowling and and Timmy Clifton sit in spots 4-6, with Oppen winning at the Gateway Drags in August.Of course, that win might be best known for Oppen’s cartwheel and backflip just minutes before the race, but Oppen proved himself as a serious racing threat with the win as well.Nowling is certainly capable of winning and going rounds and just knowing that he will be racing these next two events might be enough to push him up the standings as well.The top eight is rounded out by Wayne Gunnels and Taylor Weatherford, but a number of competitors are right behind.Tia Tutterow (9th, five points behind Weather), Kyle Dvorak (10th, 28 points behind), Jimmy Sackwich, Corey Tankersley, Jordan DeWald, Zana Hines and Justin Penton are all within 275 points of eighth place, and a host of others aren’t far behind, either.Among that group are three drivers - Sackwich, Tankersley and Penton - who all have wins this year, which could make them even more dangerous. Sackwich was the most recent winner, picking up his first Minuteman with a victory at the Independence Drags, which were completed in August at Gateway International Raceway. Should those three - or any of the racers in positions 9-15 - make consistent appearances at the next two races, things will get even more interesting in Pro Junior Dragster.WHAT LIES AHEAD The Pro Junior Dragster racers have already performed in front of big crowds this year, but 16 of them will get another thrill at this weekend’s Simpson Dragstock VII at Rockingham Dragway.Allen picked up his first ADRL win last year at Dragstock VI in Rockingham, winning in front of a standing room only crowd.Should he repeat that feat and get his first win of the 2010 season, that No. 1 position might be his and he’ll certainly become an even bigger favorite heading into October’s LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals VI.Two weeks later, the Pro Junior Dragsters will make their first appearance at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk for the Summit Racing Equipment Ohio Drags IV.PJD raced at the Ohio Drags III last year, but 2010 marks a return to Norwalk for the ADRL. It’s a first for the junior dragsters, though, as they will race for the first time in the cool fall air at Norwalk.That will make for an interesting dynamic and, with it being the final race before the World Championships, plenty will be on the line.Only the top eight will advance, meaning plenty of talented, young drivers will be left out.That’s another interesting dynamic and that’s why these two races in September are so anticipated by fans and drivers alike.(Photos by ADRL/Richards)

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