Micro sprints and mini sprints make the case to be the ultimate entry-level segue into open wheel racing.

In racing, everybody has to start somewhere. Increasingly, the launching pad for young talent is the ranks of micro sprints and mini sprints.

The reasons for that aren't hard to figure out. Micros and minis, along with junior sprints, are among the most economical paths into the driver's seat. Add in a competitive, accessible racing scene, and a few big-name stars like Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell, who came up through the ranks and still race there to stay sharp, and all of a sudden micros and minis have sprinted to the front of the pack in recent years.

"With my junior sprint class and my restrictor class, it continues to grow each year," said Shane Stewart of Port City Raceway, an eighth-mile clay oval in Tulsa, Oklahoma. "It used to be quarter midgets, quarter midgets, quarter midgets, but now it seems that people are starting to look at the micros to get their kids started. It's definitely a great spot to teach your kid how to race."

One look at spec sheets for these classes reveals why these scaled-down sprint cars have carved out an economical niche for beginning racers. Junior sprints, aimed at 5- to 12-year-olds, are powered by simple, 204cc Briggs & Stratton World Formula engines. Micro sprints typically run side-mounted 600cc four-stroke motorcycle engines, either with or without wings. Outlaw micros are allowed up to 640cc of displacement. Mini sprints, also known as Lightning sprints, are larger and powered by front mounted 1,000cc four-stroke motorcycle engines with 200-plus horsepower. The cars race on banked dirt or clay ovals, sometimes on asphalt tracks.

There are regional variations in classes and terminology, but taken together, the micro and mini scene is vibrant and growing, known for being family friendly. Mike Dicely of Hyper Racing, a chassis builder and parts manufacturer in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, that specializes in micro sprints, Lightning sprints, and junior sprints, has watched firsthand the enthusiasm for the sport. "The junior sprints are booming in popularity, too. They're a direct steppingstone into the 600s," he said. "The junior sprints race at the same tracks as the 600s. So you have two kids, one old enough to run the 600s, the other one is just coming through, you can race the same track with both kids on the same night. It really makes a lot of sense that way."

Money's Worth

Money is always a factor in racing, so classes that are relatively affordable are going to catch people's attention. Micro sprints and mini sprints have earned a reputation for affordability that has helped propel their popularity. "The cost isn't terrible," Stewart said. "It's an easy way for a family to get involved in racing to see if their boy or girl is even going to enjoy it. It's not like you need to go spend a ton of money to figure that out. I think that's one of the reasons why it keeps growing."

Exact numbers are a moving target, but according to Kevin Bayer of the Midwest Mini Sprint Association (MMSA) in Jasper, Indiana, it's possible to find used race cars for as little as $5,000. Spending in the mid-teens will land a very competitive car.

"It all depends on how much you want to spend on it. You spend $5,000, you know what you're getting for $5,000," Bayer said. "You can get a very good competitive car from $8,000 to $10,000. You spend $15,000 to $17,000, you're still going to be running with the guy who's running a $5,000 car. I've always said you can put a top-notch driver in a low-budget car, and that car is going to look like a hero. But if you put a driver that's not able to drive in a high-budget car, he's going to look like a monkey on top of a football.

"Some of these people start their kids out in a high-dollar car, and after a couple of races they wish they wouldn't have," Bayer continued.

The affordability of micros and minis isn't just a matter of the up-front price tag. "When you do wreck in a 600 it doesn't cost you nearly as much to repair the car," Dicely said. "Their speeds aren't as high and the cars aren't as heavy, so you don't total a frame pretty much every time you wreck like you do in a 410.

"You can run engines 20 to 40 races and a rebuild is only like $800 to $2,000, depending on what you get," he continued. "Engine rebuilds are a lot cheaper. The engines are pretty darn reliable these days. You don't go through bearings. You don't wear out tires as much. Most of these races, we run spec tires, so the tires are really hard. You can run them five to 20 nights depending on how long you want to run it. So it's not like you're putting on new tires every race or anything like that."

Affordability is relative, of course, but micro sprints and minis usually come off well when compared to other racing classes. "I think when you try to do a modified deal it's so expensive. The motors are so expensive, shocks are so expensive. Where do you go from modified?" Bayer said. "Well, you have sprint car. So Lightning sprint is the good one where a lot of kids get involved. Their parents have raced in the past or their grandparents have raced in the past and want to put their kids in it. So you have 14-year-old kids running it, and you have a 60-year-old guy running some mini sprints. It's a good form to get in."

Quality of Racing

Besides the dollars and cents involved, there are other factors that have made micros and minis a premier training ground for young talent. "The racing is really good. On the small tracks we put on really good racing," Dicely said. "That's one of the reasons the class is growing so much and gets so much attention. It's as tough a car to drive and it's real racing just like you have in the midgets and the 410 sprint cars. As far as driver development goes, it's the best platform out there to hone your skills and stay on top of your game. For a young kid growing up, it's the best place to start learning how to drive."

Micro sprint and mini sprint fields aren't entirely filled with school-age drivers, but the classes are set up to start drivers at a very young age...

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