04/20/2026
Alliance Racewear
Bill Herman
NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League
Dear NHRA—your first priority has always been safety, and it’s something you do better than any other sanctioning body. Just not in this instance.
The NEXT LEVEL Jr Dragster Left Hand Steer Roadsters. isn’t a typical junior car, and you recognized that when you created a custom rule set for it. But prohibiting a push bar while steering us toward a tow dolly or tow strap creates a problem that’s built into the car’s geometry.
Here’s the reality: the car runs a wide rear stance (50” across) on a solid axle. In any turn, the outside tire has to travel a longer path than the inside tire—but the axle doesn’t allow that difference to happen naturally. The result is binding and lateral load that the dolly can’t stabilize. Those forces lift the car and try to walk it right off the dolly. We didn’t imagine this—we experienced it. It’s unpredictable, and it’s dangerous.
Strapping it isn’t a viable workaround either. The front body hangs too low to safely route a strap without interference or damage, and even if it were possible, you’re now asking a junior driver to trail a tow vehicle with the risk of closing distance too quickly. That introduces a rear-end hazard that shouldn’t exist in the pits.
A push bar eliminates all of that:
• No differential binding or lateral load issues
• No tipping risk from geometry conflicts
• Direct, controlled movement at any speed
• Immediate stop capability with full visibility for crew and driver
It’s the simplest, safest, most controlled, and most proven way to move a car like this safely but your current rule set prohibits pushing a Junior stating that “Juniors must be towed in the pits”.
Right now, the rule is forcing C-7 Corvette side steer junior roadster teams into a method that conflicts with the car’s design and creates unnecessary risk. We’re asking you to revisit this with real-world function in mind and allow push bars for these cars.
Safety shouldn’t be theoretical—it should work in the pits, every single time for every single team.
NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League