Mini-Car Racing For Kids Coming To Moapa Valley

By NICK YAMASHITA

The Progress

A small-car racing course is coming to Moapa Valley and will play host to club racing starting this September.

The announcement came last week from local resident Jeff Hobbs, who along with Henderson resident Jesse Sunter, has been working to get the permissions and the permits needed to hold races in the Moapa Valley.

“We will just be glad to be racing,” said Hobbs during the Dan Bailey Memorial Car Show. “This is something we have been hard at work on, and we feel this community needs.”

The racetrack will be located on the northeast corner of the Clark County Fairgrounds. This unpaved area will be set up as a race track for mini-dwarf cars, mini-modified racecars, quarter midget racecars, and flatkarts.

The track is planned to be 1/22 size of a standard race track. The race track will be outlined by bales of hay and proper barriers and signage. All races will be organized under the Southern Nevada Racing Association, the regional club for these races.

“This will be a great addition to the valley,” said Hobbs. “But just for information, this will not be a rental course. You have to provide your own car.”

Hobbs and Sunter explained that the price of cars varies. Most of the cars range from $1000-$6000 to buy. However, the flatkarts can be as cheap as a couple of hundred dollars to get. Both men know a lot about the racing world as both of their sons are racers and champions at that.

Aeden Hobbs has been racing for 8 years; since he was 4 years old. Now considered a “professional” at age 13, he has multiple trophies to prove his skill and talent.

Halen Sunter has been racing for over a year now and already has won several races.
Jesse Sunter, Jr. just got into the sport.
“So we are ready to roll and excited to get racing going out here,” said Sunter, Sr.

Multiple local kids got to climb into the racecars and check things out on Saturday, June 12 at the Dan Bailey Memorial Car Show. Hobbs and Sunter were on site at the show displaying a number of the miniature cars. Smiles and excitement flooded the eyes of local kids as they checked out the cars. Parents and potential racers asked lots of questions.

“We do have to thank the local dwarf car racers like Stacy Woods, who has really helped open up the popularity of the sport,” said Hobbs.

The Moapa Valley Racetrack will be a temporary structure. The agreement with the County Parks and Rec staff requires the track to be set up and taken down for each racing event. But the extra work didn’t deter Hobbs.

“We are just happy to have a spot to race,” he said. “Yes, it will require more work, but we are racing! We are just happy to be racing!”

The season starts in September and ends in June of next year. The club fees are $150 per year and then race fees of $20 per race on average. The racing season will also be sanctioned by the Performance Open Wheel Racing, Inc.

For more information about racing contact Jeff Hobbs at (702) 885-5312 or visit the website at www.lvqm.webs.com.