10/14/2026
Our story in a nutshell! All because 6 decades ago a someone gave a kid a quarter midget!
If your kid tells you they want to be a race car driverâŠ
Youâll have to find a track.
And if you find WQMA, youâll probably want to see what itâs all about.
So youâll sign up for an Arrive and Drive Day.
And if you go to an Arrive and Drive Day, youâll meet some great people.
And if you meet some people, youâll start talking about quarter midgets.
And while youâre talking about quarter midgets, theyâll ask to do it again.
So youâll start looking for a car.
And when you find the car, youâll need a suit.
And a helmet.
And gloves.
And a neck brace.
And shoes.
And about 500 other things you never knew you needed for a tiny race car.
And once you have a car, your kid will want to practice.
And if they practice, theyâll want to race.
So youâll join the club.
And once you join the clubâŠ
your weekends will never be the same.
Youâll wake up before the sun.
Youâll haul the trailer.
Youâll pack the race car.
Youâll forget something.
Youâll turn around.
Youâll spend all day at the track.
Youâll sit in a folding chair when itâs freezing.
Then youâll sit in that same folding chair when itâs 90 degrees.
Your car will be dirty.
Your house might be a mess.
And somehow, youâll love every minute of it.
Because your kid will be learning.
Theyâll learn how to be brave.
How to lose.
How to win.
How to try again.
How to work hard.
How to handle disappointment.
How to cheer for their friends.
And how to believe in themselves.
Then one day, theyâll get their first heat win.
And if they get their first heat win, theyâll want another one.
Then theyâll get their first top-three finish.
And eventuallyâŠ
their first feature win. đ
Youâll probably scream louder than they do.
Someone will congratulate you.
Youâll say thank you.
But secretly, youâll knowâŠ
you didnât win that race.
Your kid did.
They earned every lap.
Every pass.
Every trophy.
And right before your eyes, that little kid who was once nervous and all over the track will become a confident driver who knows their line and trusts themselves.
And somewhere along the way, youâll meet some other parents.
Then youâll meet their kids.
And those people you met at the track will become your friends.
And those friends will become your racing family.
Because thatâs what happens when you give your kid a quarter midget.
You donât just give them a race car.
You give them a sport.
A passion.
A place to belong.
A place to grow.
A place to push their limits.
A place to learn courage, confidence and resilience.
You give them friendships.
You give them memories.
You give them dreams.
And you give yourself a whole new family you never knew you needed.
And then one day, many years from now, your kid will find an old trophy sitting on a shelf.
Theyâll pick it up.
And theyâll remember the track.
The early mornings.
The long drives.
The freezing days.
The hot days.
The wins.
The losses.
The laughter.
The dirt.
The friends.
The folding chairs.
And all the weekends you spent watching them chase a dream.
And thatâs when youâll realizeâŠ
when your kid told you they wanted to be a race car driver, you thought you were signing them up to drive a little race car.
But you were really giving them a childhood they would never forget.
All because they once saidâŠ
âI want to be a race car driver.â đâ€ïžđ
A little disclaimer: â€ïžđ This is adapted from another version of the story, with a few edits to make it our own and to perfectly reflect how we felt after yesterdayâs WQMA Arrive and Drive Day. Yesterday reminded us just how special this sport, this community, and the memories we help create really are. â€ïž And weâre so excited to share it with all of you!
