Bill Thomas Raceway

On July 3, 1995, an exhibition race was held in the parking lot in downtown Cumming, GA. This event was a huge success. The following week, Bill Thomas and several others went before the City Council meeting and received approval to build a quarter midget track in Cumming, GA. The grading began in August 1995 at the Cumming Fairgrounds. North Georgia Quarter Midget Association was incorporated in Sept. 1995. NGQMA had around 12 members and built the tower and other amenities themselves. Bill and Janis Thomas flew to Las Vegas in Feb. 1997 and asked for The Grands - the largest event in quarter midgets. They were awarded The Grands for 1999. Everyone supported their efforts and had a successful Grands race. Bill Thomas was given a plaque and presented the title of "Bill Thomas Raceway" during the 1999 Grands. Today NGQMA has about 125 members and holds about 20 races per year. Admission is always free to the public.

NGQMA is fortunate to have a wonderful facility at The Cumming Fairgrounds. No generators needed at our track. We have electricity. We also have full RV connections. Best of all there are plenty of restrooms, no need for Port-A-Potties at NGQMA. See photos below of our facility.

Hotel Info for NGQMA:

Holiday Inn and Suites, 870 Buford Hwy, Cumming, GA 30041, (678) 845-7100 Call for $99 Rate, Mention “Quarter Midget” for the rate or use this link to book: Book HERE.

Fuel: 87 Octance, Chevron, 940 Tolbert St, Cumming, GA 30040

Quarter Midget Racing

USAC is a non-profit organization with over 2,500 family memberships and approximately 4,000 drivers. There are 13 regions in our organization and 50 quarter midget clubs nationwide.

This sport is definitely the ‘best kept secret’ you'll ever come across. Quarter Midget Racing 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. Quarter Midget racing is divided into 14 classes with ages ranging from 5-16. Classes range from Rookie drivers that run at average speeds of 15-20 miles per hour to fully modified classes that can reach speeds up to 40 miles per hour.

Safety features include full roll cages, multi-point seat harnesses, full face helmets, and other gear. The QMA and USAC are constantly reviewing and evaluating safety rules to ensure that quarter midget racing remains a safe competitive sport. This attention to safety has resulted in a sport with fewer injuries than little-league football. 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.

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, 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.

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 teaches patience...

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 develops knowledge and an appreciation for mechanical devices.

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.

It gives drivers a well-earned right and a sense of pride and accomplishment. They stand taller and are more confident after becoming a proficient Quarter Midget Driver.

To speak with our Rookie Trainer to learn more about how to get your children involved in the sport, please e-mail info.ngqma@gmail.com