Blakely Wood was beaming as she got out of her car at the Langley Quarter Midget Association (LQMA) track in Aldergrove on Sunday morning, March 24.
In her very first competitive race, the fearless six-year-old novice from Maple Ridge had attacked the track with confidence, finishing a strong second.
She laughed when she was asked what she liked about driving quarter midget cars.
“Racing people and winning,” Blakely grinned.
Older sister Charlee, 15, and brother Drysen, 13, who have been racing at the Aldergrove track for about three years, were there to cheer her on.
So was their mom, Jen, who admitted that even with all the safety gear, the helmets, fireproof suits, roll cages, neck braces and five-point safety harnesses the kids wear, there are still moments of tension watching them sling shot around the track.
“It took me a long time to be comfortable with my kids [racing] but now I find it super exciting and it’s fun,” Jen shared.
“And it’s not just the racing, it’s the community feel here. They’ve made really good connections with people. Everyone is so helpful, so I think besides racing they’ve made lifetime friends and amazing memories, even if they don’t win. It’s just been a really good experience.”
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Ken Shrimpton, LQM promotion director, explained Sunday marked the official start of racing season at the non-profit Aldergrove track, the only dedicated track for quarter midget cars in Canada.
“We have 10 new novice drivers,” Shrimpton told the Langley Advance Times.
“They just completed their graduation yesterday. And so our season is officially underway.”
LQMA specializes in car racing for racers five to 16, who compete in small competition cars scaled down to one-fourth the size of midget race cars, powered by small one-cylinder engines similar in size and construction to most lawnmower engines.
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Last year, the Aldergrove club won the right to hold the Western Grands, an event described by Shrimpton as the “Super Bowl” of quarter midget racing that drew hundreds of U.S. and Canadian drivers to compete in what was billed as a “border brawl.”
Quarter Midget race cars have four-wheel suspension, unlike go-karts.
The sport is nationwide with regional and national championship races held each year.
For more information about the club, including a schedule of events this season, visit www.lqma.ca or the club Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LangleyQMA/.