Teen dragster from Marshall has been racing half her life

During the summer, Lauren Thomas may seem like an average, no worries teenager throughout the week, but on the weekends she is a take-her-hobby serious drag racer.

"Racing is my passion and I love it," Thomas said. "I can't imagine not racing during the summer."

In 1999, at eight years old, Thomas took her first trip down an eighth-mile in her Jr. Dragster, which is a half-scaled version of a Top Fuel Dragster.

"My greatest memory is the first time I ever saw a top fuel go down a track," Thomas said. This was the first time the whole family went to watch the summer nationals for the "big boys" in Topeka, Kan. "We go every year they have it."

A Jr. Dragster can go as fast as 85 mph and as quick as 7.90 seconds in an eighth-mile. Just like Top Fuels, Jr. Dragsters must meet National Hotrod Racing Association's (NHRA) technical specifications. NHRA also places speed and elapsed-time (E.T.) restrictions on competitors based on their age and experience.

Mike Thomas, Lauren's father, said there are three age groups for Jr. Dragsters, eight- to nine-year-olds are only allowed an index time of 12.90 seconds as the shortest time to get down the eighth mile.

"The idea is to get as close as you can to that time limit and anything faster than that your disqualified," Lauren said.

In the 10- to 12-year-olds, they are allotted an index time of 8.90 seconds, while 13- to 17-year-olds are allowed 7.90 seconds index time as the fastest time.

The starting cost of a basic Jr. Dragster is $5,000. NHRA requires drivers to bea member of the Jr. Drag Racing League (JDRL). To race, a driver must have the necessary requirements outlined by NHRA including an approved helmet, jacket, neck collar and gloves. The driver must also wear long pants and arm restraints while behind the wheel.

Lauren's sister Mattie was the first dragster driver in the family. Mattie started racing when she was about 10 years old. She is now 20 years old and attends the University of Missouri, majoring in political science. She is no longer racing because of studies but wishes she could, Lauren said.

In Mattie's racing career, she won two Kansas City International Raceway track championships.

"I was excited to start racing because Mattie had been racing for a long time," she said. "I didn't win until a year or so later."

Lauren said her greatest accomplishment was in 2001 when she won the Western Conference Finals Championship in her Jr. Dragster.

"To me it means that I stand above the rest," she said. "I can and am able to be a better racer than most around here."

Lauren moved up to the Jr. Comp Open class. This class is open to drivers from the age of 14 to 20. NHRA says this newest category provides a bridge for JDRL drivers to advance to other NHRA categories before moving into a Top Fuel car that has a wheelbase between 285 and 300 inches.

Her dragster is powered by a four-cylinder Suzuki GSX-R 1000. The car is capable of going 6.0 seconds down a eighth-mile at 120 mph. "NHRA won't let us run that fast," Mike said. The wheelbase length is between 150-190 inches long.

"We race just about every weekend from late April to September," Lauren said. "We race points races at Independence and Topeka, Kan. We go to Iowa quite a bit. We have been to South Dakota, Georgia, Indianapolis, Ind., and Denver, Colo."

The Junior Comp Division has been around only for a few years because it was implemented in or around 2005. The first time the class was run at the Western Conference Finals was in July 2007.

An excerpt from a NHRA press release says, "Thomas' name will go down in history books as the first-ever Jr. Comp Open winner after she beat Heather Bolton in the final. Thomas paired a 0.067 reaction time with a 6.992 to win."

Lauren said there are three things she loves about racing. The first is "going faster." The second is "pushing yourself to get better every time." And, last, "beating up on the boys. I would have to say is a good one."

When asked if she thought she was intimidating to other racers, she said, "I think some of them are. People I normally race with know my record and how many races I have won. I think I can intimidate them."

Lauren's accomplishments include two national, two divisional and two track championships.

She is setting her goals high as she wants to continue a career in drag racing. "What I want to do now is to be a Top Fuel driver for NHRA," she said. "I don't know if I am going there but I am going to college for a back-up."

She would like to go to University of Missouri and study medicine; however, she hasn't decided whether she wants to be a doctor or a veterinarian.

Lauren said her biggest disappointment in her racing career so far was "this past weekend, I was runner-up in Jr. Comp division at the Division 5 Championships." At Rolling Thunder Dragstrip at Mid-America Motorplex in Pacific Junction, Iowa, Briar McGee beat Lauren in the last race. McGee finished with a 6.953 to Lauren's 6.982 seconds.

"About every time she gets into the finals, she wins," Mike said.

Mike and Lauren chuckled when asked why Mike lets his little girl drive a dragster. He said, "That was mom's (Tracy) decision." When they were at the summer nationals, Lauren was about five years old, Tracy was in the pits for almost the entire race. When she finally came back she said to Mike, "We're going racing." Mike replied, "Isn't that what we are doing (here)." She said, "No! We're going racing." That was the start of the Thomas racing team.

Mike said, "What idiot coined the phrase 'stay-at- home-mom.'"

He does the mechanal work on the dragsters while Tracy does the dialing or programming of the car. "She is not perceived well for what she does for this team," Mike said.

Mike recalls when a father-son duo came up to him to shake his hand when Lauren defeated them. "They wouldn't shake her hand."

Lauren is legally able to run a Super Comp Dragster, which is a 1,000 horsepower machine that can go up to 200 mph and is held on an 8.90-second index. The wheelbase length on this car is between 230 and 250 inches.

She has been asking to move up to the Super Comp division but Mike said he is leery and that it is her mom's decision.

"We do have the car but another boy (Justin Couarrubias) is driving it," Mike said. "It is too much for me!"

Mike said he is very proud of Lauren's accomplishments. "I do give her a hard time when she messes up," Mike said. "We are caught between doing it for fun as a junior and doing it for a job as a pro."

The JDRL has roughly 4,500 members and about 35 percent of them are females.