Loyd Cook Photo Maranda Gay shows off her drag racing trophy which she won in November, hitting 50 mph and pulling a 13.5-second, one-eighth mile. Last March, The Statesman ran an article about Chandler youngster Maranda Gay, then eight years old, and her hobby — drag racing.

There’s been a development since. While it’s still a hobby, it’s a hobby that’s added its first trophy.

Maranda has entered victory lane.

She took first place in early November at Pine Valley Raceway in Lufkin, taking top honors in the 8-to-15-year-olds division.

Maranda reached 50 mph in her run, while recording 13.5 seconds on her oneeighth mile run on the track.

Later the same month, during Thanksgiving week, she advanced to the quarterfinals at the same track, before getting knocked out of the competition.

The win, and trophy, came as a surprise to Maranda.

“I didn’t know I had won (right off) but the big scoreboard showed my land had won and I got real excited,” she said.

Along with the trophy came a $50 cash prize.

“I think she was happier about the trophy than the money,” her dad, Randy Gay, said. He noted that her “excitement” included some jumping around after the race was over.

Maranda runs a 5-hp, Raptor engine on her rail dragster. She ran “four or five” races during 2009, according to her Dad.

And her racing career isn’t over ... they said the next racing season begins in “late February or early March.”