Why mix Youth Work and Drag Racing?
How does that work?

Mike Cresswell gives us...

A background history


Drag Racing has its origins in the USA during the 1920's. During prohibition the sellers of illegal ‘Moonshine’ outran the authorities by making their cars fast, often by hiding bigger and more highly tuned engines under the bonnet- And so the Hot Rod was born!

The youth of America was fascinated with the automobile and creating ‘Hot Rod’ cars quickly became a hobby.

Races would be suggested on a dare, and even perhaps as way to settle a score in place of physical violence.

Crowds would assemble to witness a spur of the moment race. The element of danger for the drivers and audience alike fuelled the allure of the sport to youngsters. To most, trying to make the sport legitimate was akin to organizing drug addiction parties or going out looting. To others, it was less than a sport, it was an attitude, and a bad one at that!

During the early fifties, the local drive in restaurants became the place to be seen. Having a cool car was the ultimate status symbol, and being cool meant being fast and being able to race. This quickly became a problem for law enforcement. Cars were racing through city streets, people were getting hurt and others were complaining.

A Southern California police officer, Bud Coons began a crusade which became one of the largest movements to promote racing in the USA. He saw the benefit of making the young racers allies rather than enemies and began offering "clinics" to the teens, arranging top mechanics to show them how to tune carburettors, change distributors and give other mechanical lessons that were not offered in ‘conventional’ classes.

Through his unconventional approach Coons was able to engage with young people and provide a positive focus and support for young people with a range of social ‘issues’.

Almost immediately, problems on the street, particularly those associated with drag racing, began to decline and complaints were less. People around the country were tuned in to what Southern California was doing with its ‘speed crazed youth’.
In 1951 Wally Parks established the National Hot Rod Association. The NHRA board of directors compiled a program and racers would travel the USA and speak to clubs and law enforcement officers about the merits of legal drag racing.

The Safety Safari Tour, as it was dubbed, began in 1954, teaching how drag strips should be set up with the best methods of safety, and how a drag strip should be established and maintained.
With this success and blessings from law enforcement across the country the NHRA supervised the opening of drag strips across the USA.

Madera, California, was the first drag strip operated under the NHRA sanction program. The number of tracks under the association banner grew to 132 in the late fifties and early sixties. In the mid-fifties, guys like Dick Landy, Don Nicholson, Ronnie Sox, Grumpy Jenkins, and Buddy Martin were making the sport very impressive. Sox and Martin had literally changed the sport when they began wearing team uniforms and running regular "clinics".

From the late sixties and early seventies, amateurs had access to the same equipment as the ‘pros’, but most competed on a local basis. From then on amateur racing had its own benefit and anyone who had an interest in competing in motor sport was no longer limited by money or equipment.


Today the National Hot Rod Association caters to some 220 individual classifications for competitors. The three basic levels are: the all-out professional racer, the mid-range sportsman, and the largest group is the hobby racer.
The NHRA has become the largest motor sports organization in the world with more than 90,000 members, 35,000 licensed drivers, approximately 3,500 events conducted each year at more than 140 NHRA sanctioned tracks throughout the United States, Canada and the UK, with 68 million fans and racers.

Despite it’s early image of an outlaw sport designed to cater for rebellious young people, Drag Racing has become a true passion for motor sports fans across the world and continues to provide the fastest competitive vehicles on the planet.

Since 2004 fReQracing has aimed to provide a means for today’s youth to be involved in motor sport and maintain the focus from the origins of the sport. To date his has been largely achieved through the active promotion of Drag racing amongst youth groups, and through advising and encouraging young drivers of ways to participate at the UK venues for the sport. The team compete in the Wild Bunch nostalgia class an have achieved good success within it’s class including the No1 spot during the 05/6 season.

Several ‘new’ drivers ranging in age from 18 to 25 have now made their competition debut through ‘Living the Dream’, the fReQracing team car including Ed, the startline marshall at Shakespeare County raceway.

Ed's first drive of a competition vehicle was in Living the Dream and Ed's enthusiasm for the sport led to his current position as 'starter' at national competition meetings. Dan Baldwin was amongst the early Pioneers of Junior Dragbike and has progressed and continued to race in the 'streetbike' class.

‘The fReQ crew’ is regularly complimented by the inclusion of 16-25 yrs olds, each of which has earned a position on ‘the crew’ through showing positive change in their lifestyle/attitude. Drag racing requires self discipline, commitment, and focus and to earn a position on the fReQracing ‘team’ is a means of illustrating that the individual team member has achieved these qualities.

fReQracing is comprised of a core group of dedicated team members who have a wide skills range, and guest ‘young people’ who have earned their weekend of racing through positive action in a range of activities.

Through the active engagement of ‘young people’ in both session based work, discussion, promotion and reward, fReQracing aims to encourage young drivers to participate in safe motor sport activities and keep the roots of the sport alive ;-) The team will continue to make appearances in competition and at Hot Rod shows and events throughout the UK.