AQMA Club Membership

 

Quarter Midget Racing...

American Quarter Midget Association is a non-profit organization made up of family members and drivers. QMA is the primary sanctioning body for Quarter Midget Racing and there are 13 Regions in our organization and 50 Quarter Midget Clubs Nationwide. QMA started in Los Angeles Calif. in the 1930’s. It’s operated by volunteers and has over 2,500 family memberships and approximately 4,000 drivers.

QMA is a family oriented sport that involves racing in special prepared cars. The cars, rules and safety procedures are designed specifically for kids. They race on oval tracks approximately 1/20 of a mile. A child who is 5 to 16 years of age can race. Safety features include full roll cages, multi-point seat harnesses, full face helmets, and other gear. This sport has fewer injuries than little-league or football. The Quarter Midget Association is constantly reviewing and evaluating safety rules to ensure that quarter midget racing remains a safe competitive sport. The racing environment is about children and family. Not only do kids learn valuable skills and sportsmanship, but they also make new friends. Mom and Dad will make new friends too.

Quarter Midgets...

A Quarter Midget car is a scaled-down version of an actual midget racer, approximately 1/4 scale.  The cars are built around a tubular frame and are fully suspended with springs or torsion bars and shocks.  The bodies are fiberglass or aluminum, usually painted to the driver’s preference. Surrounding the driver is a chrome-moly roll cage and nerf bars. The engines are single cylinder and are manufactured by Honda, Continental, Briggs & Stratton, and Deco. In the motors stock configuration they produce between 2.5 & 4 horse power. Modifications in the upper classes allow these engines to reach several times the stock horse power. These air-cooled 4-cycle engines are reliable and can produce as much as 10,000 rpm's in their more highly modified forms.

The Sport

Types of Racing...

Quarter Midget Racing is divided into 14 classes and divisions with ages ranging from 5-16: Junior Novice, Senior Novice, Junior Honda, Senior Honda, Heavy Honda, Junior Super-stock, Senior Super-stock, World Formula, Light Mod, Heavy Mod, Light B, Heavy B, Light A, and Heavy A. Additionally 1/4 Midget drivers may graduate to Junior 1/2 Midgets. Junior 1/2 midget drivers may be ages 12-17. Quarter Midget Racing not only hosts many weekly races, but also local Regional races, one State Championship race per region, and for the more serious competitor, three Grand National Events (two asphalt track and one dirt track race).

Benefits of QMA... 

·          Quarter Midget Racing was started to develop sportsmanship in the children while also providing a family oriented racing activity. In recognition of the drivers, trophies are awarded at Regional, State, and National events. No cash prizes are awarded.

·          Quarter Midget racing is not a "drop off your kid" kind of sport, but an involved family sport. Few other sports permit all members of the family to participate. The kids do the driving while other family members serve as pit crews, chief mechanics, scorers, timekeepers, and operators of concession stand or novelty booths.

·          It teaches the meaning of sportsmanship, fair play by following rules, how to be a good winner or a gracious loser.

·          It develops coordination, and a sense of timing and independent thinking.

·          It teaches self-reliance. Once a green flag has dropped, they are on their own.

·          The spirit of competition also comes along here. They learn to drive hard, but that rules must be observed. Rule infractions may result in disqualification.

·          It teaches safe driving skills that are carried on in their teen years on the road. Very few people develop the skill that these children acquire. We believe this level of skill is valuable when they become adult drivers. They learn that there is a place to race an automobile— which is NOT on the public highway systems where so many young adult drivers lose their lives.

·          It develops a sense of responsibility. Alertness and concern for the safety of others is acquired.

 

How To Get Started...

 

How do you get started? First, call our Club Hotline. You should visit your local club before buying any equipment. Talking to some of the other parents at the track, as well as the directors who run the club will be a huge education on how to get started. Once you have joined a local club and QMA, the novice training director will arrange for a time for your child to begin a required novice training program. Once the training program is complete, usually 3 to 6 sessions depending on the child, you are ready to purchase a car and equipment and start racing.

 

 

How much does it cost?

The average cost of a Quarter Midget is $2500.00. Used cars start under $1000.00 and a top of the line brand new car can cost as much as $5000.00. The cost of an engine varies greatly. A brand new Honda engine can be purchased and made ready to race for around $400.00. The Deco engine is a more expensive and more technically demanding engine and is the only approved engine for the Super-stock, Mod, "B" and "AA" classes.

 

Is it safe?

Have no fear our sport is very safe. Our children are safer in their race cars than they are in football, soccer, field hockey, bicycling, skate boarding, or roller blading. Our safety record is squeaky clean. Since it’s inception in the 30’s, there has never been a fatality or life-threatening injury to a participant while in a race car at a sanctioned event or practice.

 

Where do we race?

There are 6 tracks located in California (Rancho Cordova, Rio Linda, Livermore, San Jose, Madera, and Pomona). There are over 55 nation wide.

 

Has anyone famous got started racing in a quarter midget?

Quite a few of NASCAR racers got their start from quarter-midget racing. Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte Ryan Newman, Bobby Labonte, and Reed Sorensen are just a few examples of them.

 

Should we race a Go Kart or a Quarter Midget?

Go Karts are open cars without seatbelts and the cars provide no side impact or rollover protection.

Quarter Midgets have a multipoint harness system that holds your child securely within the fully enclosed chrome-moly protective cage. If the safety of your child is a concern of yours, we believe that, there is no comparing the two. We have gained several new members after their children were injured in Karting Accidents.

Prairie City Map of the General Area.

www.aqma.org

LOCATION

American Quarter Midget Association

13302 White Rock Road

Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

 

The AQMA track is located within the Prairie City SVRA OHV Park approximately 20 miles east of Sacramento. From Sacramento, take US Hwy 50 east towards Lake Tahoe. Exit Hwy 50 at Prairie City Rd. and turn right (south). At White Rock Rd. turn right. The park entrance is about 1/2 mile down on your left.