BY WENDI REARDON PRICE
Clarkston News Sports Writer
Spring and summer seasons are right around the corner and young drivers from the Clarkston area are getting excited for Quarter Midget Racing.
Six-year-old MacKenzie Botha joined last spring.
“I love everything about it,” Botha said. “My mommy and daddy help so much volunteering to help make the day go by just like everyone else’s mommy and daddy. I get to learn new racing skills, make new friends, going super fast when I race and sometimes winning first place and do the victory lap with the checkered flag.”
Quarter Midget Racing is through Michigan Motorsports Racing Association (MMRA) and the club and the track are on the grounds of the Oakland County Sportsmen’s Club in Independence Township.

Botha shared she has learned to drive a race car and went to race school every Saturday and Sunday last April.
“We can’t race unless we know all the rules and how to race safely,” Botha explained. “I’ve learned how to control a fast car that can and will go faster. I also learned how to be a good sport and to be happy for my friends when they win. I love MMRA.”
Eight-year-old Gabriel Wierbicki is back for the third year after racing for two years and shared what he likes about MMRA.
“I get to race an actual car, meet great people, it’s really fun and concession stand has great food – the ICEEs are awesome,” Wierbicki said, adding he has learned a lot, too. “A lot about cars, how to prepare the car and how to win and lose.”
Tyler Lupton, who is 10-years-old, has been doing it for four years.
“I like to meet new friends, and I love to race,” Lupton shared. “I learned so much about sportsmanship and working hard to achieve my goals.”
Olivia Lupton, a 14-year-old Clarkston resident who has been has been doing quarter midgets for three years shared she also loves meeting new friends.
“It is so much fun racing with them and hanging out with them off the track,” Olivia said. “MMRA gave me an opportunity to learn a whole new sport, that I now love. It has taught me that practicing and hard work can help me accomplish my goals.”
MMRA hosts Experience Day on Sunday, May 15. Participants will be fitted for a fire suit and helmet provided by the club. The club added close toed shoes are required.

Once the driver is ready the track crew will give them a quick lesson on how to drive the car, what the flags mean, and push them off to take at least ten laps around the track.
All cars will have a special feature on them which makes them go slower than usual on race days.
Mindy Tache from MMRA shared, “it’s a great time for families to experience everything that goes into a race day, how it feels to sit strapped in the race car and how much fun it is to drive.”
MMRA will also host Experience Day on Saturday, June 18 and Saturday, August 13 and registration is online www.mmra25.com.
MMRA has a scholarship program and each year the board members go through scholarship applications and choose five or six applicants to drive a club owned car for a year. Scholarship applications are available on the website for the 2023 season as they are full for the 2022 race season.
Race schedules are also online and MMRA hosts Fun Race on April 30 and Race 1 on May 1.