Pitt State student to compete this weekend at HPT
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Megan Meyer is quickly moving up the drag racing ladder. The 22-year-old will compete in this weekend's races at Heartland Park.
Being the daughter of a world drag racing champion didn't guarantee Megan Meyer anything — except a love for the sport.
But the 22-year-old daughter of veteran Spring Hill racer Randy Meyer appears to be well on her way to carving out her own niche in racing after making a successful debut last weekend in the Top Alcohol Dragster class of the NHRA's Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.
Meyer, who will graduate from Pittsburg State in December with a degree in graphic design, advanced to the finals in her initial Top Alcohol appearance last weekend at Gateway Motorsports Park in St. Louis and she will be back in action this week in the Division V event at Heartland Park Topeka.
After cutting her racing teeth in the Junior Dragster and Super Comp ranks, Meyer is now just one rung below the NHRA's premier series, the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
While making it to drag racing's major leagues was once just a dream, now it's what Meyer feels is a realistic goal.
“I'd love to do that,” she said. “I can see it (as a reachable goal), definitely, especially if I can do Top Alcohol for a few years and get my name out there.
“I know I can do well and win some races, especially with the team that we have. Our cars have proven to be able to win races and get championships and I know I'll be able to do that.”
Meyer looks at former/current racers like Ashley Force Hood, Courtney and Brittany Force, Alexis DeJoria and Leah Pritchett as role models as she moves up the drag racing ladder.
“Especially Alexis and Leah reach out to the Alcohol classes all the time and always welcome us to their pits and we can go hang out with them,” said Meyer, whose younger sister, Rachel, is also a drag racer. “When Ashley drove, we were probably 10 or 12 years old and we'd always hang out at Ashley's pits and watch everything.
“They were all super nice and friendly and they want us to come with them (into the sport). As long as I can remember I always wanted to (race). I was 10 years old when I got my Jr. (Dragster) and ever since then that's what I wanted to do.”
Meyer, who got her Top Alcohol license back in March at Gainesville, Fla., took a big step in her development with her breakthrough performance at St. Louis, exceeding even her own expectations.
“We just wanted to qualify and make it to the first round because the first round was actually the first time I had ever been against another car in the other lane,” she said. “All the other times I had been by myself.
“It was a really good learning experience, but I wasn't nervous or anything. I've been around it my whole life so I know how everything's supposed to sound and what it looks like. So I just went through the motions and it all just came natural to me.”
Now Meyer is hoping to follow up last week's showing with another solid performance at a Heartland Park dragstrip she knows well.
“That's my home track, so I've been racing there for years and I like it,” she said.
The Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car classes will run a qualifying session at 5 p.m. Thursday and also qualify at 5 and 7 p.m. Friday. Eliminations are set to start at 5 p.m. Saturday.
The Alcohol classes will compete as part of a Division V Doubleheader Weekend at HPT, which is open for the first time since the Kansas Nationals in May.
This week's races come in wake of last week's announcement that CoreFirst has taken over ownership of the facility and that the bank has reached an agreement with a new track owner/operator.
Gates will open at 7 a.m. Thursday and time trials and qualifying in the Sportsman classes will start at 8 a.m. Sportsman eliminations for the first of the two Division V events will start at 8:30 a.m. Friday.
Racing will continue at 8 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
In addition to the Top Alcohol classes, competition will be held in Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock Eliminator, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street, Top Sportsman, Top Dragster and Sportsman Motorcycle.
Spectator tickets are $25 per day ($10 for children 4-12), although free tickets are available at several local businesses, including The Capital-Journal.
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