(Winona, MN) – October 26, 2022 — Ten-year-old Cooper Lawson races in the NHRA Junior Drag Racing League. This league is designed for kids ages 5–18 to race against each other on 1/8-mile dragstrips. At 1/4-mile tracks, racers just use the first half, giving them extra room to slow down. Kids are limited by their age as to how quickly they are allowed to run. In the summer of 2022, Lawson graduated from the 11.90 class to the 8.90 class, meaning he is not allowed to go any quicker than 8.90 seconds to the 1/8-mile mark. Once he turns 13, he will be able to go 7.90, which is the quickest allowed. His current car is reaching 72 mph in the 1/8-mile from a standing start, and he has gone as fast as 8.93 seconds.
Changing classes last summer meant changing cars, as it was not economical to upgrade the old car. The previous car was sold to another family with young kids just getting started in racing. Those funds were put towards the replacement, which was purchased from a family who had “aged out,” meaning the kids had outgrown the class. Lawson quickly adapted to his new car, winning his class the second time out!
Lawson uses Tufoil Engine Treatment in his motor oil as well as Tufoil Gun-Coat on the drive chain each day for consistent performance. The engine runs on methanol, which quickly contaminates engine oil, so it gets changed every three passes (multiple times per race day). Lawson does this himself as part of the between-round maintenance. He’s also the one deciding what the “dial-in” (predicted time) will be. His father and grandfather are there to keep the fuel tank full, drive the golf cart to tow the car to the starting line and back from the finish line (the kids are only allowed to drive on the actual racetrack). His father helps with all the required safety gear for every run, and his grandfather runs the starter (external to the car as another precaution). Once the engines are fired and the cars are lined up, it’s all up to Lawson to get to the other end of the track.
When Tufoil is added to an engine’s oil, the Tufoil-enhanced oil coats the engine and spreads everywhere to improve lubricity. The engine’s moving parts then glide against each other without causing inefficient heat friction. “The benefits of Tufoil include faster cranking speeds, more efficient engine performance, increased horsepower & acceleration, and extended engine life,” said Gregg Reick, Fluoramics’ President and Chief Chemical Engineer. Tufoil may be used with all 4-cycle gas and diesel engines including cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles, 4-wheelers, ATVs, and lawn mowers.
Besides the fun and excitement, racing has opened Lawson’s eyes to math and science. The timing system records his performance to the thousandth of a second. To level the playing field, the kids are given a handicapped start based on their “dial-in” which they cannot go under. Thus, their reaction time and car performance become critical. Even at this level, a tenth of a second makes the difference between winning and losing. At the end of the pass, the math always tells the story. On the science side, the car’s performance is mainly dictated by the weather conditions. Lawson has learned that temperature and humidity are key factors. As a result, he checks the weather after each run and enters it in his logbook for future reference.
Fluoramics, Inc. is a solutions provider manufacturing engineered sealants, greases, lubricants, and rust inhibitors. Founded in 1967, the company is based in Winona, Minnesota, and proudly manufactures its products in the United States. To learn more about Fluoramics’ products, please visit the company’s website at http://www.fluoramics.com.