Story and photos by Bob Johnson

Troy Barton is 9-years old and has been racing in the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League since the age of 5. He hadn’t won an event in his previous three years of competition, but that all changed at the season-opening Pacific Division race at Irwindale Dragstrip, as he left the track on Sunday afternoon with two NHRA Wally trophies. Barton won the first race of the doubleheader weekend by defeating Boden Cook in the final round and swept the weekend when he stopped Isabella Pires in the Sunday final.

The Pires family from Madera, Calif., had racers in three of the five classes contested in the Jr. series on Sunday, with Emersyn Rose Pires winning the 10-12 year-old class, beating Paige Smith, and Ayden Pires winning Jr. Comp, stopping Madison Gordon in the final. As mentioned, Isabella Pires lost in the final to Barton.

Hailey Pierce and sister Paige each shared the 15-17 year old winner’s circle over the weekend, with Hailey stopping Hannah Cook in the Saturday final, and Paige taking the win over Taylor Lee Taylor in the Sunday final.

The Gordon girls had another great weekend, with Madison going to both Jr Comp finals, beating Cole Rouse on Saturday and losing with a -.003 red-light on Sunday to Ayden Pires.  Macie, a division champion in 2017, won the 13-14 year-old class final, stopping reigning champ Dylan Hegwood in the Sunday final.

Other finals included Kayslee Price defeating Mason Phlegar in the 10-12 final, and Carson Wells beating Haylee Ramos in the 13-14 year-old finals on Saturday.