Opinion: It's time for minimum age requirements in full size cars.

[Shiny Side Up 18]

During Saturday's Crate feature at Fairbury, a 13 year old driver (that shall remain nameless) spun out, and was sent to the rear. The driver is stopped on the track by a track official, who is at the front of the car. The driver then lets the car roll, bulldozing the official out of the way and nearly running him over. The driver is then black flagged, goes to the infield, then drives back onto the track as the feature restarts, causing another driver to collide with him and spin out. The driver then drives through the infield, nearly hitting several track workers, then finally leaves the track. Then his crew leaves the track on the 4-wheeler, flipping off the crowd. The driver was promptly banned from the track, probably for life. Then his mother comes into the stands and trys to start a fight with those of us that were upset by what we had just witnessed. I was furious, to say the least. This kind of crap is the last thing our sport needs, since these are the kinds of incidents that tend to find their way into the "mainstream" news (i.e. Stewart/Ward Jr.), and not the racing product itself. I know there are some good kids driving race cars out there, but as the saying goes, one bad apple spoils the bunch. I personally don't think anyone under 16 has any business driving a full size car. End rant.

[427c.i.]

Why is UMP giving a license to children?

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

Why is UMP giving a license to children?

UMP exists to collect $$$.

[Gary]

It sounds like a "trash" or class issue to me. Some people will never grow up. I've seen a several adult drivers who act the same way over the years in all forms of racing making a$$es of themselves like the young kid you described. I think Billy Green at Florence Speedway was 12 when he started racing a Crate Late Model at Florence. He won the Crate Late Model track championship at 13 last year and runs a Super Late Model this year at 14 and picked up his first Super Late Model win already. He's very respectful of the other drivers, race officials and races very clean. Another young racer at Florence was Josh Rice in a Modified. They were both very good at a young age. Raising the age limit won't change someone who is a hot head or trash.

[turnleftandgasit]

Peyton Walker earned his notoriety, don't protect the little idiot.

[Cardirt0]

You fix this by Banning him for life. Cant drive cant run someone over.

[turnleftandgasit]

UMP needs to ban him. Livingston county also needs to look at criminal charges.

[Crash 4]

I was there and witnessed this travesty. If his parents were in any way sticking up for or condoning this child's actions, THEY are the problem.

On a side note, if Fairbury decides to have the "Pro" Crate Late Model class again, I will not be attending. If this is the future of racing, dirt racing is probably coming to an end.

[Crash 4]

UMP exists to collect $$$.

Agree 100%. UMP was a great thing for local tracks and racers when it was first conceived by Bob Memmer. Since it was sold out to a corporate entity it has become nothing but a money grab for certain corporations. Mostly a monopolistic tire selling mafia.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

It sounds like a "trash" or class issue to me. Some people will never grow up. I've seen a several adult drivers who act the same way over the years in all forms of racing making a$$es of themselves like the young kid you described. I think Billy Green at Florence Speedway was 12 when he started racing a Crate Late Model at Florence. He won the Crate Late Model track championship at 13 last year and runs a Super Late Model this year at 14. He's very respectful of the other drivers, race officials and races very clean. Another young racer at Florence was Josh Rice in a Modified. They were both very good at a young age. Raising the age limit won't change someone who is a hot head or trash.

Correct. And hearing the Mom was raising hell defending him, well, ya know where he got his trashiness.

It’s parenting and all around decency. It crosses all boundaries.

[turnleftandgasit]

If that was my son, he would be cleaning all of our racing equipment so it would be ready for the auction.

[JJHunttheFront]

That’s terrible. It’s a difficult question/issue, but Tony Stewart talked about it a few weeks back and I felt the same way then as I do now. Dirt track racing depends on younger generations more than we think, so we should be careful telling potential racers ‘no.’ https://www.huntthefrontblog.com/sin...rivers-License

[Shiny Side Up 18]

I'm not saying to tell them "no". I'm saying kids don't belong in full size cars. There are plenty of other classes for kids to compete in until they are old enough to use good judgment. Some kids think it makes them look big and bad to pull crap like that because they saw some NASCAR driver lose their temper on TV, and can't be convinced otherwise because most 13 year olds think they have it all figured out and are totally infallible

[TheJet-09]

I've felt that the younger generation of today (my son included) think you can just hit the "reset button" when things go bad, getting to start all over again, fresh and ready to go. Life obviously doesn't work that way.

And maybe that's a byproduct of society, as we've "softened" discipline over the years leaving the younger generations oblivious to what it's like to suffer consequences for their actions.

[Krooser]

The problem with these younsters is they mostly have zero respect for authority... been coddled too long. The rules dont apply to them... I had to wait until I was 18 to get in the pits and 21 to drive. I'm not saying that we should go back to that but....

[Hollis]

If UMP would ban him for the rest of the year ,perhaps next year he would be a different type racer. Don't know his background that he would be called trash? Maybe he will get his own T that says eat crap, or cheat at a pill draw. Maybe he will learn?

[chupp n bloomer fan]

If UMP would ban him for the rest of the year ,perhaps next year he would be a different type racer. Don't know his background that he would be called trash? Maybe he will get his own T that says eat crap, or cheat at a pill draw. Maybe he will learn?

Bloomer did not cheat the pill draw, Jordan Bland did.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

The problem with these younsters is they mostly have zero respect for authority... been coddled too long. The rules dont apply to them... I had to wait until I was 18 to get in the pits and 21 to drive. I'm not saying that we should go back to that but....

It’s all in parenting, from parents who are 65 and down. Or worse. They coddle their kids, who coddle their kids, and so on. I haven’t lived at home since I was 18. Have a sibling who’ll never leave(30), and it’s perfectly ok in all their eyes. And it’s not the same as everyone else who lives with Mommy after about 20. In their eyes.

It all makes me wanna puke in my mouth. This kid, and anyone else who pulls these kinda stunts.

[westlingracing]

It's an issue with the individual not an age group. My kis started in karts at 7, a bmod at 13, a UMP mod at 14 and a latemodel at 15. Clearly this kid had no clue and had no business to be out there. I've known probaby dozens of kids that raced a full size car. Most people wouldn't have known if the age wasn't mentioned.

[Hollis]

Bloomer did not cheat the pill draw, Jordan Bland did.

I did not say it was Bloomer. It was an adult and former racer. Lack of character even in the big show.