Power Wheels are motorized electric vehicles that give young gearheads their first taste of what its like to drive something. So, it’s only natural that drag racers would find a way to line them up and race them. Organized Power Wheels racing has been steadily growing, and it gives kids a chance to try out drag racing.

So how big is Power Wheels racing getting exactly? Well, companies like Hot Shot’s Secret are getting involved and sponsoring an entire series. You’ll see kids from three to nine years old racing their Power Wheels at events in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, South Dakota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Iowa, Idaho, and Kansas. These races will pull in upwards of 130 entries.

While racing Power Wheels isn’t new, Mel Robison from the Northside Church of Christ Sidewalk Outlaws explains how this new version of Power Wheels drag racing has grown.

“Back in 2018, Rod Zolman, who ran Pacemakers Dragway teamed up with Street Racing Channel’s Bill and Vicky Hoskinson. They started no prep heads-up racing at the track to keep people from racing on the streets. Bill and Vicky always got the kids involved in drag racing with big wheel races. Rod and Bill wanted to step it up, and I was asked to get some power wheels together. We had done a little Power Wheels racing in 2017, but this was a set schedule for 2018 at Pacemakers Dragway.”

From there, Robinson took the reins and ran the Power Wheels events just like the big cars. The kids prefer to race heads up, get to participate in a chip draw to see who they race, and use flashlight starts. They started out with just two classes, the 12-volt stock, and 12-volt modified categories. Later, a 24-volt modified class was added for the kids who want to go really fast. The race distance is just 60-feet long. The 24-volt modified Power Wheels racers will rip off ETs in the 2.10s and run 19-24mph.

“We started this to help get more kids involved with drag racing. This is a stepping stone for kids to get into JR Dragsters. We’ve had some kids go from Power Wheels racing, to a JR Dragster, and end up winning in a JR Dragster,” Robinson says.

Anything that involves getting kids interested in drag racing is important. It’s great to see a group of people finding a way to make it affordable for kids to enjoy the sport. Who knows, a future NHRA world champion could get their start racing at a Power Wheels event…