The new series director for the USAC Western States Midget Series comes from a family of racers and brings years of experience in series development and promotion.

A familiar face on the West Coast open wheel dirt track racing scene, Scott Hall took on a new role in late 2023 as series director of the USAC Western States Midget series. A 16-race schedule is currently underway. He is aiming to expand the sport’s family appeal and attract more youngsters to the exciting world of midget racing.
A roofing and solar installation contractor, Hall also has plenty of his own experience as a racer, promoter, and series organizer. Many know he comes from a major California racing family. Hall’s grandfather, Jimmy Sills Sr., was a winner on the Bay Cities Racing Association (BCRA) midget circuit in the early to mid-1950s. As a boy in the 1990s, Hall watched his uncle, Jimmy Sills Jr., become a household name as a three-time USAC Silver Crown champion. He later pursued his own racing career and entered the racing business.
“I’ve done a lot of promoting in the past with the Sprint Car Challenge Tour, and I’ve helped develop the Hunt Magneto Wingless Sprint Car Series out here, and I’m still on the board for both of those series,” Hall told PRI when discussing his plans for this midget series.
“There’s a lot of passion out here on the West Coast for midget racing,” he said. “It’s an amazing development series for the upper ranks in racing.”
Hall also has a strong personal connection to midget racing, as his daughter, Taylor, recently moved to midgets after two seasons in outlaw karts and one in micro sprints.

PRI: What was your first experience behind the wheel of a race car?
Hall: My Uncle Jimmy had the racing school at Marysville Speedway in California. After the school one night, he said, “You want to jump in that thing and make some laps?” I was in my mid 30s when I started racing and did it for about 12–15 years. I won a fair share of races here in Northern California running non-wing stuff.
PRI: What in your racing background has prepared you for this role as director of a midget series?
Hall: I’ve done this before and understand the role. With the Sprint Car Challenge Tour, I was in the trenches at the beginning stages of building that thing out and learning what I’m about to do here with the USAC midgets on the West Coast.
PRI: Is that related to needing to attract more young people to the sport?
Hall: Yes, it kind of goes hand-in-hand with a couple of things. Development is huge.
At 14 years old, you used to have to go to the Midwest to be able to race. We just got the minimum age down to 14 on the West Coast, which I think will be crucial for us in developing younger drivers coming out of go-karts and micros. Mixing some micro races with some midget races is something I want to do to develop these kids coming up.
PRI: What needs to be done to preserve the future of midget racing? How do you plan to implement that in this series?
Hall: Racing has gotten expensive over the years. While there are families that can afford this industry, we want to bring on the resources that can help the kids that might not have the money. Part of developing this younger generation is going to be helping them market themselves. I’m going to use my experience with marketing and sponsorship.
PRI: Because so many young people are involved in social media, is that an avenue that you are pursuing?
Hall: Yes. It’s where everybody goes these days. Using social media when we launched the Sprint Car Challenge Tour gave it a lot of traction. It’s a great way for fans, racers, sponsors, and car owners to all engage.
PRI: How else can you help boost exposure for the series?
Hall: Streaming is crucial. With the Sprint Car Challenge Tour streaming, it allowed us to utilize some marketing tools that used to be used on television to help bring money into tracks and traveling series. That’s a great way to open eyes for sponsorship.
PRI: You are still working full time as a construction business owner. Does this benefit you in terms of marketing and strategic development for the USAC Western States Midget Series?
Hall: Yes, I’ve been doing that in Sacramento Valley for quite a few years, so we have marketing partners and connections to utilize to grow this series.
PRI: What is one mistake that you feel you’ve learned from in your professional career?
Hall: A lesson I learned in business is to try not to talk too much about what you’re doing until you’re done. It’s hard when you are working on your purpose, as I feel I am now, because you get excited.
PRI: Aside from your phone, tablet, or computer for business, what’s one thing you can’t live without.
Hall: I’ll give you three: God, my daughter, and the gym—in that order. I wouldn’t have anything or be in the position I am right now without any of those.

Scott Hall

TITLE: Series Director
ORGANIZATION: USAC Western States Midget Series
HOMETOWN: Roseville, California
FAST FACT: Hall recently signed a lease on his own micro track in Dixon, California, that he will use for driver development. “It is going to help me with some dreams and goals that I’ve been trying to work on for a long time. I’m blessed to be working with my purpose, and my purpose aligns with my daughter’s dreams. I don’t think I could be in a better place in life.”