Quarter Midget racing is motorsport racing for kids.
A Quarter Midget is a small racecar designed for children
to drive on oval racetracks. In fact, it is a scaled-down
version of a Midget-style racecar. It's only about 1/4 (one-fourth)
the size of a Midget racecar. There are over 55 Quarter Midget
clubs throughout North America, each with an oval racetrack
that is about 1/4th the size that the full-scale Midgets run
on. Quarter Midgets lap their 1/20th of a mile oval in about
6 or 7 seconds. This track could just about circle the perimeter
of an average-sized home lot. Quarter Midgets can attain speeds
of about 20 to 40 miles per hour which is about 1/4th the
speed of a full-scale Midget.
Quarter Midgets feature full suspension systems and full roll
cages. Seatbelts and shoulder harnesses are also mandatory
because safety is a prime consideration in this sport. Power
is ususally supplied by a 120cc engine with specifications
closely set by the national governing body and enforced at
each local club race by officials.
Quarter Midget racing provides competitive
motorsports for children ages 5-16; however, the whole family
is invited to get involved with dad as crew-chief and head-mechanic,
mom working in the Tower scoring races and the snack bar.
It is a great spectator sport since admission is free.
Clubs offer Promo Days throughout the year. During these events we envite familys to come down to the track to give their son/daughter ages 5-16 a chance to drive a Quarter Midget Race Car around the race track. For more infomation about "Promo Days" click here.
If no Promo Day is scheduled we recommend you visit your local track. Come watch the drivers and talk to other families. This is the best way of learning if Quarter Midgets is for your son or daughter.
Once you have made the decision that Quarter Midget Racing is something your family would enjoy doing. There are a series of procedures that need to be completed before your child will be able to Quarter Midget Race.
First of all you will need to purchase a Quarter Midget Race Car. Race Cars are NOT provided by the clubs. All cars are individually operated and maintained by the owner/handler. Most decent USED Quarter Midget Race Cars sell around $2500.00 to $3500.00. Some older cars can get as low as 1500.00 dollars during the off-season.
Next you will need to purchase SFI Racing Gear. Racing Gear consists of a Helmet, Neck Collar, Racing Jacket/Suit, Racing Gloves, Arm Restraints, optional Racing Pants and Racing Shoes. An “entry level” set of Gear costs around $450.00 while a Professional Package will cost around $1000.00.
Now that you have all the equipment, you need to sign up for a Local QMRA membership. To join the local club and QMA National you need to submit a request for a form to be mailed out to your home.
Once your QMA membership is validated, you will need to sign up for Novice Training. Novice Training is taught by one of the more experienced handlers about the basics of Quarter Midget Racing.
Practice, practice, and more practice. On race day there is two classes for the entry level drivers. Junior Novice for the 5-8 year olds and Senior Novice for the 9-16 year olds. Don’t underestimate the driving abilities of these young drivers. Some of them have a lot of experience at the novice level. They will run these cars at full throttle around the track with out lifting in the corners. On average a Junior Novice will complete a lap in less than 9 seconds. A Senior Novice will complete a lap in less than 8 seconds. Hint: Bring a stopwatch and have you child perform 5 laps at full speed. Take the time that it took for the 5 laps and divide by 5. Make sure your driver is ready to compete at those levels and has an understanding about stopping, lining up, rolling starts, getting on and off the track and the Flag System.
Race Day. Race day starts with the tower opening and a driver/handler meeting , but get there early because your first race day you have a lot of things to do. Everybody at the track is more than willing to help you, but you have to ask for it, otherwise they just assume that someone already has told you what to do. The first race day you need to get your equipment and racing gear Tech inspected by the Tech Director. This person will look at all your safety equipment and inspect the Quarter Midget to see if it’s within the QMA guidelines. Once the tower is open, you will need to sign in and pay your pit fees, along with pulling for placement in the race. Next, you need to check your weight at the scale with your driver (250 lbs for Junior Novice and 260 lbs for Senior Novice) and then get ready to race.
The first and second class to race that day is Junior Novice and Senior Novice, respectfully, so be ready. The race day consists of 2 races. Heat and Feature. There is around 7-8 different classes depending on race day attendance. You will need to be back in staging after the second to last class has finished their race. After 2 races your racing day is over. |
