Teen enjoys drag racing
By Kevin Pierson, kpierson@mariettatimes.comArticle Photos
When the lights on the Christmas tree turn from amber to green, 13-year-old Paige Griffith gives in to her need for speed.
Griffith drag races All Terrain Vehicles, pushing speed all the way down the track on a modified Honda 300 four-wheeler.
The young Marietta athlete raced her Honda 360 to victory in two separate classes in the West Virginia Interstate Fair Tuesday night, claiming both the 0-360 and 0-416 classes as the lone female competitor in the field topping nearly 40 other drivers in the two classes.
Griffith also took second in the powderpuff division, which was all girls racing.
"I get to race 40-year-old men and it's just kind of neat to get out there and race with them," Griffith said.
Griffith first got involved in ATV racing through her uncle, Larry Hendershot, who owns Hendershot Performance ATV.
After watching her uncle drag race one time Griffith took one of her four-wheelers out on the farm, tried it out and discovered she loves the sport.
"I thought it'd be neat and then I got the opportunity to try and now I love it and it's my hobby," Griffith said.
Hendershot has done all the modifications and mechanical work on Griffith's ATV which has had the chassis, swing arm, engine and head all improved.
"It's a pretty cool, decked out bike. It's pretty cool looking," Griffith said.
Racing against drivers who are substantially older than she is Griffith maintains her composure and focus, which impresses her mother Taylor.
"When she gets out there it's amazing to watch how in control she appears to be. She gets focused and she's on it and she's watching what she's doing," Taylor Griffith said.
Focus is important for the younger Griffith, who said being focused and smart on the ATV is the key to avoiding injuries which are unfortunately becoming more commonplace.
"You definitely have to be full attention on what you're doing because you can't get out there and be stupid and not wear protective gear because that's when you get hurt," Paige Griffith said.
Safety is a primary concern for the Griffith family with Paige, her father Floyd, and her uncle all racing ATVs now.
"It's an enjoyable family thing. We have a lot of fun," Taylor Griffith said.
With the success that she's enjoyed drag racing ATVs, including at the Interstate Fair, Griffith has designs on going further with her career.
Racing with the Mineral Wells ATV Dirt Drags Club, which follows the fair circuit for races, Griffith hopes to one day make it to the national circuit.
"That's like my whole goal, is to do well enough to step up into the national drag races. That would just be like, the ultimate goal that I could do," Griffith said.
