This past drag racing season saw many youngsters coming through the ranks with great results, here we take a closer look at nine of them.

Each season there is an influx of new drivers competing, or existing drivers stepping up to run in a more competitive class. The 2008/2009 season saw more youngsters racing at a competitive level than ever before, so we thought it was about time we took a closer look at those achievers.

While many have come from racing Junior Dragsters as kids, there are a few who have jumped straight into the deep end. Read on to find out where these young achievers have come from and what the future holds.

Morice McMillin

Age: 23
Vehicle: Dodge Avenger Funny Car
Sponsors: Scrap Palace, Teng Tools, Brad Penn Oil, Nostalgia Motors, Upper Hutt Glass, Mitsi Spares Hamilton, Jonsey’s Garage, ISS

Morice McMillin has probably been in the limelight more than any other young driver this year, thanks to his great success in the Scrap Palace-sponsored Dodge Avenger Funny car.

When Morice was just five years old, his father Noel started building a Junior Dragster for him. However, he didn’t get to drive it until he was eight. “It was my Christmas and birthday presents for three years,” Morice says with a laugh. After that car came another two Juniors, which his brother and sister also drove.

Aged 12, Morice competed at the Junior World Champs, where during the one meeting he made more passes than in a whole season of racing back home. While in Australia he also competed at the Winternationals, although much to his disappointment he only got three runs in before the event was rained out.

But Morice didn’t remain in juniors for too long. “I got a bit bored with Juniors,” he says, “so left to crew for Blobby [Mark Thomas] and his ute. Any event that Blobby wasn’t running at, I would race dad’s truck.” The truck in question is Noel’s daily-driver-come-work-hack, which while no doubt fun, is far from fast.

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