|
Go Fast Turn Left. |
|
JJ Hughes started practicing for his first race in February of 2000 at the age of six. On his first day, he made 502 laps. JJ showed a natural ability to make smooth laps in the correct line around the track, and began training for his first race at his home track, the Pomona Valley Quarter Midget Racing Association.
JJ’s first novice race was on April 15, 2000. It was a special event at the Pomona, California track, The Ernie Bose World Record Breaker Race. The goal behind this race is to be the fastest qualifier. JJ was the fastest qualifier at 7.2733 seconds. This performance set the event record for the Junior Novice class.
Toward the end of JJ’s first year, he started racing in the Junior Stock class. At the speeds that these little cars race, drivers and handlers experience a steep learning curve. JJ ran in three races and competed very well showing that the team was ready to challenge this class of racing competitors. |
|
JJ raced in the Junior Stock class for his second year of racing, and as his equipment and experience got better, so did JJ. In the middle of the year, the team purchased a new car. He raced this car in the Junior Stock class and the team purchased a Honda 160cc engine for the other car to race in a faster class. JJ’s proven racing skills allowed him to race in the faster class two months earlier than his age would allow by a unanimous vote of the club board. With the added car, JJ was able to get more time in the drivers seat. He was able to run competitively in both classes by the end of the year. He finished fourth in both classes and received trophies at the year-end banquet.
JJ started his third year of racing using two cars manufactured by different companies. Each car had unique features, and this made it hard to keep up with necessary adjustments throughout the day. After the first race of the season, Dad parked the older of the two cars and put it up for sale. Using the newest car JJ signed up for the Senior Stock class. Although JJ was too young to gain automatic admittance into the next class, the board again bent the rules to allow JJ to move up ahead of schedule. In the twenty races of that year, JJ had nine quick times, seventeen heat race wins and seven main event wins. This gave JJ his first championship. He went on to win a championship in the Southern California Regional series as well.
During the third year of racing was going on, JJ’s Dad was shopping for two identical cars so adjustments could be easier and more consistent. He did not like what he found at racecar manufacturing companies and decided to build his own cars. It took a few races, but the team became very competitive with both cars, and by the end of the season, both new cars were running with the pack. |
|
JJ’s fourth year of racing went very well. JJ won the Senior Stock club championship, and in the Light 160 class, he was running third, but gaining quickly on the second seat. In the Regional series, JJ won the Light 160 class and came in second in the Senior Stock.
That year JJ’s team started traveling. They competed in the California Monza series and came in seventh in both classes. JJ and his team learned a lot while traveling. They could not wait to have a second chance at these unfamiliar tracks. They also had a dirt series during the summer, and JJ came in third in the 160cc class.
At the end of the fourth year, JJ said that he wanted to go faster and was tired of running the Senior Stock class, so in our fifth year the team decided to move up to a class called “Light B.” This class is more competitive, faster, and much more expensive. He ran that class and the Light 160 class, so the team was very busy all year. We only ran for points with the local club in the Light 160, finishing third in points. We also ran the Regional and California Monza series finishing first in both cars in the Regional and we finished third in Light B and fourth in Light 160 in the California Monza Series. Near the end of 2004, JJ was getting taller so we had to move into to the Heavy B class. We ran very well at the end of the year and went to a national event, finishing sixth. |
|
Before our sixth season, the team sold one of the home built racecars and a sponsor gave us a car to run in the fastest class, Junior Half. We continued to run Heavy B. We did very well. We won all of the championships in California, and in the biggest national event, we finished second in the Heavy B class and seventh in the Junior Half. We were hit numerous times, that took us out of contention for a win. That year was by far the best year we had with track records and wins at every track
In our seventh season we were starting to tire of the quarter midget racing, but ended up running half of the season. We broke three track records and competed at one of the biggest races only to have some bad luck. During the rest of 2006 we were moving from California to Indiana so we were not focused on racing. At the end of the year we bought a Micro Sprint. We repainted the chassis and fixed the car up for the 2007 season.
The eighth year of racing , saw the biggest change for JJ. He started racing on dirt, something he had not done much of in the past. He started in the restrictor class and ended up finishing second his first night.
Since JJ grew up around non-wing sprint cars, to run a Micro Sprint as a non-wing car was an easy decision to make. He ran non-wing almost the whole year with a couple wing races in the mix. He did a great job. JJ races at many tracks in Indiana and many of the competitors are a lot older than he is. At the end of the year, JJ and his team learned a lot about the car and went on to win their first race. JJ won Rookie of the Year with his consistent top five finishes in his first year of this type of racing.
In the ninth year the team decided to run for the championship at the toughest track in Indiana for Micro Sprint Racing. JJ finished second in the Non-Wing class and received the “Most Improved Driver” award.
In JJ’s tenth year of racing he and his team went Sprintcar racing. These cars are 800+ horsepower and less that 1200 pounds. They decided to go to each track in Indiana three times consecutively. This would get him some seat time and get him familiar with the different tracks. Two times at Lincoln Park Speedway and he looked pretty good for a rookie driver that was not even old enough for a drivers license. The third race at this track was rained out. The team decided to go to Lawrenceburg Speedway. The people there were very nice and welcoming. JJ’s team decided to run a few races there. After the second race the track promoter told JJ that if he kept running like he does he could be rookie of the year there. So, when Lawrenceburg had a race for Sprintcars, JJ and his team was there. JJ did go on and finish fourth in points and get the Rookie of the Year title.
The other tracks that he went to was Florence Speedway in Kentucky, Bloomington Speedway in Indiana, Eldora Speedway in Ohio, Kokomo Speedway in Indiana and Twin Cities Speedway in North Vernon Indiana.
In the middle of the year JJ was passing another car. The other car hooked a rut and turned up the track into the path of JJ. JJ’s car hit the other car an launched up into the air. This wreck totaled the car.
JJ and his team put another car together and finished out the year. The second car was so different (but better) that JJ had to learn how to drive all over. By the end of the year JJ was finally running up front. He won a heat race at Kokomo Speedway and a qualifier main at Lawrenceburg Speedway.
JJ finished off the year so well that we were all disappointed that it was over. We can’t wait for next year! |