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

[Chris Thomason]

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.

Bingo. C&B got it right too. BUT! Some kids do have the reset button mentality and that stupid feeling of entitlement. I'd imagine good parenting usually gets past that though. This conversation always makes me think of kids like Cruz Skinner and Tyler Clem

[CageFaraday]

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.

I'll probably get slammed for agreeing, but yes. When I first got into racing in the mid 80's you had to have a valid drivers license to compete or even come in the pits and that made sense to me. Matter of fact the Late Bill Ingram's son, Frank was caught racing under age. Frank started in Hobby at Dixie speedway and ran a half dozen shows before he was found to be only 15. Instead of filling suit or calling on the SJW's to tweet the track into oblivion for obvious discrimination, he simply waited till he turned 16 a few months later and came back. It was a different time and I think a more sensible time, but that was before Jeff Gordon came along and convinced every father in America that his son or daughter had to be racing at age 4 or 5 to make it in racing. The ripple effects of that made it now where you can't get into Nascar after age 25 unless you've won the Indy 500 and even then its a tough hill to climb for a halfway decent ride. It use to be children weren't given rides in full size race cars, you had to build your first race car yourself and pay your dues to get noticed. I would support having an age minimum on racing full size cars, its not about ability its about maturity and understanding how much all this costs. JMO

[Kromulous]

He's a minor, so his Parents (lack of) are on the hook, with the Law and Financially.

[Shiny Side Up 18]

I saw a picture of the kid on their FB page. He doesn't even look like he's older than 10. Hmmm... His nickname is "Superman".

[Cardirt0]

Kid needs his pants pulled down and the moon made red.. Then the libs be calling you a child beater. Spanked kids would not do this most of the time. Some kids there head is just not wright .. And they will be locked up later. Just like the Kids that shoot up schools. They Think just hit replay.

[tsand]

Another problem I have with these kids I recently witness at a track. Kid looked to be about 13 was racing a crate car hit the wall in hot laps and ripped the right front off. I walked by the kids pits and the car was being fixed and the kid was nowhere around. When I was brought up the rule was you wrecked it you fixed it. Most of this kids don't know one end of a wrench from another.

[Centeroff]

I’ve seen adults do way worse than that. A kid leads by example and only and always will do what he is taught or sees. Kick his father out of the track and watch the kid change. My rules to my children are family first, always respect your elders and never start a fight but never get hit first. Had my son done that, you should search racing classifieds immediately because you would catch one he11 of a deal on a car. Kids with attitudes like that will never make it in the long run anyhow. Shame on his father for letting him away with his actions. That’s how innocent people get hurt

[a25rjr]

QUOTE:I’ve seen adults do way worse than that. A kid leads by example and only and always will do what he is taught or sees. Kick his father out of the track and watch the kid change. My rules to my children are family first, always respect your elders and never start a fight but never get hit first. Had my son done that, you should search racing classifieds immediately because you would catch one he11 of a deal on a car. Kids with attitudes like that will never make it in the long run anyhow. Shame on his father for letting him away with his actions. That’s how innocent people get hurt

I bet a dollar to a doughnut, he saw his dad act this way!

[Josh Bayko]

I don’t think it should be a blanket ban on young kids on cars, for every hothead like this kid, there’s a kid like Tyler Red(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) who keeps his nose clean and isn’t an issue. Any penalties could be decided on s case by case basis. Perhaps lengthy suspensions for wild immaturity could be a solution.

[grt74]

my son ran when he was 13-14, and he was scolded (scolded might be the wrong way of saying it but he knew i would take the car away if he didn't listen) by me to keep his nose clean and respect everyone out there and if there was an official to treat them like it was me out there (and if something happened that it was just racing and to race everyone the way they raced him), I've seen to many times under a caution that dumb things happened, its all fun and games until someone gets hurt or killed, in my opinion for what its worth, when the yellow is out and track officials are on the track, nothing much more than an idle, if you burp the car with officials on the track your black flagged, then when the officials get off the track give then 1 or two laps to feel the car, all the tracks today run receivers so it shouldn't be an issue
age is not the issue its the head in the helmet

[Shiny Side Up 18]

http://dirtunlimited.com/2017/09/01/...peyton-walker/

[CIRF]

Wow!! This kid and his family probably should be dealt with in a sure handed and very firm manner. I would agree with the previous assessments that there are plenty of places where children can participate, hone and develop their racing skills prior to driving full on race cars with grown men and sometimes women.

What is it about the last name Walker? There was another "Walker" who raced and was excessively talented but dropped off the deep end a few years ago several times in a similar manner. I think he was from California and his first name is Tyler.

[Illtsate32]

Cardirt and CnB I second your thoughts...

[chupp n bloomer fan]

Wow!! This kid and his family probably should be dealt with in a sure handed and very firm manner. I would agree with the previous assessments that there are plenty of places where children can participate, hone and develop their racing skills prior to driving full on race cars with grown men and sometimes women.

What is it about the last name Walker? There was another "Walker" who raced and was excessively talented but dropped off the deep end a few years ago several times in a similar manner. I think he was from California and his first name is Tyler.

Don’t get me started on Tyler Walker. Came from a wealthy family, that gave him his start. And you’re right, so freakin talented it’s just so aggravating. Was very good in a sprint, watched him win at least once at Sharon on the old half mile during the Sharon Nationals. Was going places, was in the Great Clips Busch car, but I believe failed a drug test there.

Back to sprints, won I think it was the Kings Royal, got canned from that very ride a week or two later. Crossed three states in a police chase with his girlfriend with at least paraphernalia in the car.

He went away for probably two years or so for it. Was racing again as far as I know.

I just freaking hope he has finally turned it around. Because his talent is just enormous. But there is a ton of very talented people who let drugs destroy their lives. Whether it’s legal drugs or illegal drugs.

[CIRF]

CnBF, I watched Tyler spank the field at Du Quoin driving a Silver Crown car then proceed to do his patented back flip off the right rear. He probably had as much natural driving talent as anyone has ever had and it seems bad parenting and a nearly inexhaustible source of cash caused all that to be pissed away along with probably hundreds of thousands of mom & dad's cash.

This kid at Fairbury is a prime candidate to head down the same road with the apparent blessing of his parents. I wasn't there but if eye witness reports are remotely accurate the parents are the source of the problems.

[EvelB7]

I've posted on the subject before (believe in the need for minimum age in full size cars); funny thing-raced yesterday finished 2nd and when we got out on the front stretch the 3rd place driver could not be over 12 (I had no idea who he was or that he was racing). He did a great job, drove better than most the field. I still would have to race him differently knowing his age, that is the reason i do not agree with it. No question that some are very talented, just would not want to be involved in a bad accident that left a very young kid hurt.

[TackyTracker]

parents are the problem

no way the kid should have been on the track and his dad was telling him to go back out after caution as they were going back green

[Shiny Side Up 18]

parents are the problemno way the kid should have been on the track and his dad was telling him to go back out after caution as they were going back green

It very well may have been his dad that was flipping off the crowd on the way to the pits. Classy people.

[Last Rebel 1]

16.....If you can not drive on the highway you don't need to be on a racetrack. I don't care how good you are.
That's what go cart racing is for.

[TBSprintFan]

Wouldn't it be interesting if this kid did a slide job on Rusty Schlenk and then ol Rusty flipped and then Rusty walked across the track and gave the kid a few punches while the kid was strapped into the car. lmao