CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – A Clarksville boy with big dreams is taking on the racing world one lap at a time.
8-year-old P.J. Majors competes against other children ages 5-16 in quarter midget races. These cars are scaled down versions of a full midget car, which is a small racing vehicle with a 4-cylinder engine that resembles a go-cart.
After winning the United States Auto Club (USAC) “Battle at the Brickyard” race in Indianapolis last year as a rookie, P.J. returned this year and was treated to his once-in-a-lifetime experience this past weekend. USAC and Honda allowed the kids competing in the race to line up all of their cars on the track for a full lap, making it the highest car count ever seen on the track at 179 cars.
P.J. has been racing for the past 16 months. His father, Russ Majors, who recently retired from the Army, said the competitions are a family affair.
“It’s something we can do together, and really the whole family is involved with prepping the cars and working at the track on race day,” Majors said.
Since P.J. began racing in February of 2014, he has competed in more than 60 races and won multiple national and regional competitions. Between asphalt/concrete races, indoor races, and an upcoming dirt series, P.J. participates in these competitions almost year-round.
Racers are allowed to run five cars per event, but for now P.J. races in two cars/classes.
The proud father is impressed with his son’s ability at such a young age.
“He just likes to compete. He was actually racing a car before he learned to ride a bike,” Majors said. “He’s doing really well. He’s competing and becoming a contender against kids who have been doing it three or four more years than we have. He’s full of life and he’s got a lot of fans.”
Majors doesn’t know exactly what the future holds for P.J., who has expressed an interest in eventually racing Indy cars when he grows up. For now, he will continue to race quarter midgets and possibly look into moving up to a full midget car.
Photos courtesy of Jan Majors