Usac extending career ladder to include quarter-midgets
 

USAC EXTENDING CAREER LADDER TO INCLUDE QUARTER-MIDGETS





The United States Auto Club today announced the formation of its new Quarter-Midget Racing Series, under the direction of James Spink of Indianapolis, Ind. Quarter midget racing, encompassing youth beginning at age five, offers an entertaining venue for youngsters and families as well as offering fundamentals for race drivers aspiring to develop professional careers, and it will form the foundation for USAC’s career “ladder” system.



USAC’s Quarter Midget Series will be national in scope. Participant services will include memberships, rules and a dedicated presence on USAC’s website, usacracing.com.



USAC’s scope of sanctioning automotive contests has spanned the gamut of the motorsports industry and between 2001 and 2006 USAC actually served as a business office for the quarter midget racing. Grand National Champions were annually honored by USAC at its National Awards Dinner at the conclusion of each calendar year.



The concept of USAC’s involvement will encompass sanctioning of clubs, regions and districts, with each club or region conducting its own series of races and championship. USAC will host four district championships and a national event in 2009.



Although the roots of quarter-midget racing are somewhat vague, the first notice of an organized meet for youngsters was a two day event called the "Children's Speed Classic" staged on May 26-27, 1934 at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The cars were built by Floyd "Pop" Dreyer, who worked for the Duesenberg Brothers, Indianapolis race car builders. Oil drums were placed on a section of the main straightaway to mark out a small oval where the cars reached the fantastic speed of 20 m.p.h. Pop's three-year old son was one of the drivers.



Recent quarter-midget graduates have excelled in other forms of motorsports, including USAC’s series. Among the more notable graduates are current USAC point leaders Jerry Coons Jr. and Tracy Hines, NASCAR and USAC Champion Jeff Gordon, NASCAR Champs Bobby & Terry Labonte and USAC Champs Ryan Newman, Jason Leffler and Bobby East.

Re: Usac extending career ladder to include quarter-midgets
 

Good Luck James with the five year olds! I remember how much fun little league basketball, baseball etc was in my day. Molding small minds can be very rewarding.
Tom

Re: Usac extending career ladder to include quarter-midgets
 

Oh. goody, now USAC can sell more memberships amd charge more fees to more people...
and the kids will be racing for trophy's and dealing with an organization that really doesn't have their best interests at hand.......

Most TQ and Micro clubs are run by volunteers; USAC will collect all kinds of fees, and have way too many paid personnel working the kids' ranks. and in all likelihood, not listen to advice from those who've been supporting TQ's

Re: Usac extending career ladder to include quarter-midgets
 

Has anybody heard what QMA thinks about this?

Re: Usac extending career ladder to include quarter-midgets
 

WOW! can usac sanction plastic "Big Wheel" tricycle racing be far behind???:eek:

Re: Usac extending career ladder to include quarter-midgets
 

that's classic, Mac!!!! :rolling :rolling

Re: Usac extending career ladder to include quarter-midgets
 

And I'd like to add, maybe USAC should get the rest of their house in order before adding new responsibilities. The USAC/CRA series is becoming a joke, with dropping car counts and purses being cut, as exemplified by the recent announcement of a purse cut by Perris for the Oval Nationals. Fans are contributing to a point fund, and adding to the purse. And it seems to me that USAC promised the West Coast teams marketing support when they(USAC) took over the sanction at Perris. OK, so they announced Lucas Oil - but where's the money? But the teams are paying for transponders, radios, and higher pit fees...racing's not cheap, but USAC does not appear to be helping the racer - at least on the left coast...

Re: Usac extending career ladder to include quarter-midgets
 

QMA broke away USAC a couple of years ago, all they did was take are money with very little support. Although QMA does need some good leadership I don't think USAC is the answer, heck they could not even give the kids a USAC decal for there cars, also heard they want to rasie the member ship fee but yet cut the cost of racing, yeh right:thumbsdown:

Re: Usac extending career ladder to include quarter-midgets
 

I'm not even going to post what i'm thinking. :censor:LOL!!

Re: Usac extending career ladder to include quarter-midgets
 

Sad but true Chuck!!!!