Burgess signs Junior Dragster pilot Wheeler to R2B2 team

Multi-car team owner Roger Burgess is taking steps to secure the future of his R2B2 drag racing team by signing 12-year-old Junior Dragster sensation Paige Wheeler of Wellingborough, England.

Wheeler first came to prominence in her inaugural race last year, the Easter Thunderball at Santa Pod Raceway in England, where she raced her Alamo Rent-A-Car dragster to a semifinal finish. A few months later, Wheeler met and befriended R2B2 pro Melanie Troxel, who was racing in the FIA European Finals at Santa Pod. With Troxel's signature on the top of her racecar, Wheeler went on to win that event, and celebrated the occasion by accepting Troxel's invitation to attend the NHRA National event in Las Vegas in late October.

It was there that Wheeler was introduced to Burgess, who offered her a chance to join his six-car team in time for her to compete in this year's United Kingdom Championship Series.

"This is a fantastic opportunity," Wheeler said. "I keep pinching myself. Melanie has been my idol since I first discovered drag racing and it was such a thrill just to meet her. To think that I'm teammates with her now is hard to believe. I'm absolutely over the moon at the moment.

"I will do my very best to represent R2B2 Racing in the U.K. and Europe. Mr. Burgess puts forth the utmost in everything he does and I want to show off his team at a top level. The R2B2 motto is 'Uno Alla Volta' -- One at a Time -- and that's how we plan to race the season."

Wheeler will carry R2B2 branding on her Alamo dragster beginning immediately. She plans to race all events in the United Kingdom Championship Series as well as the NHRA Junior Drag Racing League Eastern Conference Finals, which are scheduled for July 28-30 at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn. She also may enter any other races she can manage to attend while in the United States, pending her school schedule. Additionally, Wheeler will represent R2B2 Racing at numerous car shows and exhibits.

"We welcome Paige and her parents Andy and Dionne to our family," Burgess said. "She's such a delightful young lady and I'm extremely confident she'll be a championship drag racer and a wonderful spokesperson for our team, both in Europe and here in the United States when her schedule allows.

"She reminds me a lot of Melanie in that she has a quiet intensity about her, and as we all saw at Santa Pod, she knows how to win. She's definitely R2B2 material."

When not in her dragster, Wheeler can be found cheerleading at her local club and majorette troupe. She'll soon be joined on the strip by younger sister Belle.