Despite its name, this definitely is no drag.
While most people play soccer, or dance, or ride horses, sophomore Leigha Miller does something completely out of the ordinary. She drag races.
Drag racing falls under the category of motor racing in which cars or motorcycles race on a short straight track to the finish line. Most of the time, this course is only a quarter of a mile long.
Miller has been racing this course since she was nine, ever since her dad introduced her to the sport.
“I introduced Leigha to drag racing because I felt that when she was young, she was a dare-devil,” her father Dean Miller said.
To Leigha, it is just a way to relieve stress and bond with her family.
“I just like to do it to have fun with my dad on the weekends,” Leigha said.
Although for Leigha the main goal of participating in this activity is to spend quality time with her family, she races all over the country as well.
“My favorite part of racing is meeting so many different people while traveling throughout the United States to different race tracks,” she said.
Before every race, she practices with her dad, who is also always there to support her at the races themselves.
“Wherever she is racing, I am there too,” he said. “It’s both of us, or neither of us.”
However, despite its exciting and seemingly spontaneous aspect, drag racing is an extremely detail oriented sport. Every factor is accounted for to ensure the car runs at a specific time, a time that is measured to the thousandths of a second.
“Based off of the density altitude, the temperature outside, and humidity, I have to dial my car to run 6.90 seconds in a 1/8th of a mile,” Leigha said. “If I run as fast as 6.899 seconds, I am disqualified.”
Being able to drag race requires a keen eye for detail and the ability to distinguish the nuances in all the factors that affect the performance. It has helped shape Leigha into who she is today.
“My favorite part of racing with Leigha is learning all about how she faces adversity, good/ bad sportsmanship, and watching her grow into the young lady that she is as the sophomore class president,” her father said.