2/1/2024
IHRA Events
IHRA Junior Dragster Profile: Maddie Winkle
HOUSE SPRINGS, Mo. — The International Hot Rod Association is highlighting great Junior Dragster racers across North America. The latest is Maddie Winkle, nicknamed “Madditude,” an eight-year-old from Riner, Va.
Winkle is in her third year of competition, racing at home tracks of Elk Creek Dragway and Motor Mile Dragway. Her top goal is to make it to the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals.
It appears to be a goal she can achieve. She was the Motor Mile Dragway Rookie of the Year in 2022 with a pair of final-round appearances and a fifth-place finish in the points. She bettered that last season with her first win, another runner-up finish and third in the points. She also advanced to the quarterfinal round on multiple occasions at Elk Creek.
Winkle has a ton of drive, focus and dedication to the sport at a young age. She’s learning both on the track and promotion off the track with her Facebook page having a large following.
Her dad is her No. 1 hero at the race track and she has a guardian angel and hero with her late papaw. Local favorite Matt Hagan is one of her favorite racers as well as Erica Enders, Lizzy Musi and Leah Pruett. Her favorite parts of drag racing are making new friends, hanging out with them and winning rounds.
Reading is her favorite school subject and she often reads between rounds at the track. When she’s not at the drag strip, you can find her at the family dairy farm feeding and taking care of the calves and kittens. She stays active riding her go-kart, bike and playing basketball.
Once she graduates from Junior Dragster, her plans are to race her dad’s 1985 Ford Mustang in Box or No Box, hoping that she can beat him.
Keep checking out the IHRA website and social media pages as more young racers will be spotlighted over the next few weeks.
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