Mini Sprint Racer, E-Zine magazine for mini sprint racers

The Next Step: Quarter Midgets to Mini Sprints

by Phil Heil

For more and more drivers, mini sprints have become the second rung of the ladder. One of the most recent drivers to take the step from quarter midgets to mini sprints is TJ Heil. TJ's dad Phil recently took the time to put pen to paper in hopes of providing encouragement to other quarter midget drivers looking to take the next step.

We were never much of a racing family. Prior to TJ’s sudden interest in the sport at age five I have no recollection of ever having watched a race. My experience with racing was limited to making fun of my nephews who were NASCAR fans. Racing to me was simply cars turning circles. I had no idea what was involved in setting up a racecar and if you would have asked me at the time I would have told you there was little likelihood I would ever know anything about it.

Our racing future changed in 2000 when TJ was in kindergarten. For some reason, unknown to any of us, he began an obsession with Jeff Gordon and NASCAR. Suddenly we were buying Jeff Gordon clothing, decorating his room in a NASCAR theme, watching races on TV, and attending races at the Kentucky Speedway. The races at the Kentucky Speedway opened my eyes to the excitement of the sport and helped me to understand what TJ saw in racing. It was an incredible experience for a father and young son, standing in the pits at the NASCAR truck race with TJ on my shoulders.

Even with this new found enjoyment of racing I never anticipated TJ would ever be driving a car. We were much more of a traditional football, basketball, baseball family and TJ had played all of those sports during his early grade school years. He had always talked about racing, but I had no idea how to get started. That changed in 2005 when TJ was 9 and we were introduced to Quarter Midgets by a work buddy of mine whose son was racing at Mini Indy Speedway located at the fairgrounds in Indianapolis.