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CLEAR Temp: 77 °F Wind: WNW at 4 mph Friday, August 15, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend August 2, 2003 The Repp family, from left, father Randy, mother Shannon and their kids Holly, 18, Jonathan, 16, David, 14, Savannah, 11, and Miranda, 10, are all involved in drag racing in some aspect. Randy is the mechanic on race night, while his kids are ranked firs Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Racing brings out best in Repps With all five kids on the track, the local family dominates the junior dragster division By DON HUNT Mail Tribune WHITE CITY — They arrive at the Southern Oregon Dragway on race night in a Ford F250 pickup that is towing a 30-foot long, 10-foot high racing trailer. The Repp family — father Randy, mother Shannon and their five children — pile out and the racing madness begins. Five kids. Five junior dragsters. Advertisement And racing galore. "It’s pretty crazy," Randy Repp, 41, says with a chuckle. "I’m sure some people must think we’re insane." The elder Repp is, with little argument, the Rogue Valley’s busiest mechanic on race night as he runs from one dragster to another with wrenches in hand. But it’s a sacrifice he’s happy to make. Like the bolts that keep the cars fastened together, drag racing helps keep the Repp family together. "We’re out there working as a team," Randy Repp says. "It’s a great bonding experience." The junior dragster division is dominated by the Repps. Holly, 18, ranks first with 131 points, followed by Jonathan, 16, with 114; David, 14, with 103; Miranda, 10, with 100; and Savannah, l1, with 83. Jonathan actually drives the fastest car, a 2003 Hardens junior dragster that has reached speeds of 80 mph. But the Repps compete in bracket racing, where cars are handicapped according to their qualifying runs. Under this format, drivers take several practice runs and then predict their time, a procedure known as "dialing in." The closer they run to their predicted time, the better, as long as they don’t run faster than predicted. That’s what’s known as "breaking out," which causes an automatic loss. Added to the equation are the starting lights. A driver must wait for the green light to come on following three amber lights that flash in half-second increments. Holly Repp, driving a 1994 Canadian-built dragster, has been a master of consistency on the starting light and in elapsed time — the difference between her predicted and actual times. She edged David by one point for the junior dragster title last year and currently owns a 17-point advantage over Jonathan. "I’ve been getting better this year," she says. "Last year, I didn’t get the hang of it for a while. My brothers have more of a gift for it than I do. I’m still learning." The machine she drives is one that’s been in the family for several years. Jonathan first drove it, then it sat idle. "My dad said, ‘Why not just try it out?’" says Holly, who is attending Rogue Community College and to study business technology. "Dad didn’t want the car to just sit on the shelf." Although his sister downplays her feel for racing, Jonathan has seen enough to be impressed. "Cutting a good night is critical, and Holly is very good at that," he says. "Plus, her car runs so consistent." David races a 1996 Spitzer junior dragster while Savannah and Miranda both operate 1994 California Toys junior dragsters. Randy Repp admits there’s a lot of work to be done leading up to a race. "We’ve got to get the oil changed in all the cars and make sure all the bolts are tight," he says. "But Jonathan and David have been helping me out more and more. "I’m able to catch my breath a little bit these days." The Repps started racing in 1999, when Jonathan and David shared one car. But one car led to two the following year, and then the girls decided they wanted to compete as well. Last season was the first year all five were on the track on the same day. "It’s been a lot of fun," Jonathan Repp says. "I’ve learned a lot about cars, racing, competition and sportsmanship." Adds David: "The excitement of getting to the starting line and then just the speed of racing — that’s what I like the best." Randy Repp got the racing bug while growing up in Norwalk, Calif., a town of 100,000 south of Los Angeles. He began working in a gas station when he was 13 years old and bought his first car, a 1964 Pontiac Tempest, when he was 14. "A lot of kids in my neighborhood were into cars," he says. By the time he was 16, Randy Repp was racing at the Orange County International Raceway — the biggest dragstrip in Southern California. Randy Repp, who moved to Oregon in 1992, hasn’t raced in earnest since the Orange County track closed in 1979. But don’t think for one second that he’s permanently retired. He recently bought a pair of Pontiac GTOs — a 1964 model and a 1967 edition — that he and Jonathan plan to race in 2004. "I haven’t had much time to work on them this summer trying to keep all these other cars going," he says. "But we’ll get those two cars rebuilt over the winter." Five Repps on the track is one thing. But six? Now that’s what you call Repp-etition. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times