Before CJ Jenkins ever made a pass in his Junior Dragster, he already had clearly defined goals for both drag racing and life. The kid wanted to be a Top Fuel Dragster driver and, wise beyond his years, understood such lofty aspirations required the means to fund the dream. Many of his classmates wanted to be pro athletes, while others just wanted to be famous as entertainers; Jenkins wanted to be the one who made stuff fly better and faster. He had wanted to be an aerospace engineer from a time when many of his peers couldn't even spell it. 

Recently, Jenkins took a significant step toward his aspirations in winning the Junior Dragster division at the 2nd Annual BTE King of the Coast Christmas on the Coast Junior Dragster $10,000 Invitational 64-Car Shootout presented by DragChamp. The event took place December 14-18, 2023 at Gulfport Dragway.

Winning was tough, but not as tough as getting an invitation to compete. 

"[DragChamp] took the 64 best drivers in the country," Jenkins explained. "They made people submit resumes and videos, and they reviewed the resumes with anonymous judges and all. They printed them out, redacted them, crossed out everybody's names and key takeaways, and sent them out to people throughout the country, like a panel of five judges."

The event featured all ages eligible to race Junior Dragster, from seven up to 17. And when it was all said and done, Jenkins defeated Wyatt Palmatier in the final round of the $10,000 invitational event. 

"My goal is just to make a name for myself, honestly, in racing," Jenkins added. "I've always wanted to have fun with it. But I really wanted to be a part of a big thing in Junior Dragster. I've wanted to leave a mark, and that's really something that I think everybody really tries to do. They try to be, 'Oh, I want to be the best racer." 

"That's really something I want to do. Try to be one of the best racers and leave a name for myself. I think I'm doing a pretty good job with it now."

As Jenkins understands, there's a fine line between cockiness and confidence.

"When somebody asks you a question, you have to answer it honestly, right?" Jenkins responded. "You asked me that question right then; I try to be as humble as I can about it while also not sounding cocky but confident at the same time.

"I think there's a very thin line between confidence and cockiness, honestly. A lot of it, I believe, is tone, the way that your tone sounds when you're talking about something. Confident and cocky can be mixed up very easily. But one thing I know is drag racing will humble someone easily. You don't have to be an adult to know that part."

Jenkins is firmly entrenched his Top Fuel aspirations. So what separates him from the gazillions of others sharing the same dream?

"I feel like I'm very marketable," Jenkins said. "I feel like I'm a very likable person. A better way to put it, I'm the total package. I'm a good driver. I'm very marketable. So I feel like I'm what a lot of people look for in a person when they want to put them in a car; they want to look for somebody who can sell a product. They want to look for somebody that can back them up on a track.

"I have a clean record, so they look for somebody that's not going to get them in trouble. That's what sets me apart from a lot of people out here. I feel like that's what makes me different from these people."

And in the unlikely event he doesn't reside in the cockpit of a Top Fuel dragster, the kid knows he's destined to make a difference in the world. 

"I'd like to live in the Texas area [after college] because it's very popular for the line of work I plan to be in," Jenkins explained. "For one, it's a very big state, and then they have a lot of aerospace companies in there, like Lockheed Martin systems. They make a lot of defense systems for the US military, along with a couple of other things. Either there or a Boeing company, which makes your commercial airplanes."

For Jenkins, his biggest influence hasn't come from one who has been a scientist or engineer, but instead a retired Kroger Supermarkets forklift driver who went on to become one of the most beloved drag racers in the world. Clay Millican stands as Jenkins' biggest inspiration. 

"I always liked the way that he carried himself," Jenkins said. "I don't think, even now, I've never seen the man without a smile on his face. He always brings a positive energy to whoever sees him, whoever's around him. That was even more confirmed a couple of years back when I got to meet him. He's such a great person. Even though his performance might not have been the best, he was always very upbeat.

"Antron Brown is another one as well. He has a great sense of humor, and I've always wanted to follow in his footsteps as well because he's a great driver. He's very marketable. Then he has a sense of humor with him as well, so it makes him very likable in the same sense."

Jenkins, 15, is eligible to race two more seasons in Junior Dragster, although he may forgo those remaining years to step up to a "big" car.

"We're going into Top Dragster after that," Jenkins said. "We're going to run a lot of the NHRA circuit and PDRA circuit with that to try to get a lot of exposure. After that, when I work my way up, I'll eventually get into the Top Alcohol and then Top Fuel. So that's the plan I'm taking while also pursuing school at the same time."

And, in a generation that's often maligned for "not getting it," at least one kid gets it. Jenkins plans to work hard, learning the lessons of others, to get there.