FINAL POINT STANDINGS FOR 2001

Little New Smyrna Celebrates Inaugural Year
The NSQMRA Inaugural year is complete. From the first time the cars hit the track on January 1 to our season ending Family Fun Day on December 2, it has been a year of excitement for all. Our club has grown very rapidly with new families still joining weekly.

The awards banquet was held on December 8 in the beautifully decorated Bill France Room at the Daytona Beach Hilton. It was a great chance to meet with old and new friendships one last time. Everyone enjoyed a nice buffet luncheon. For dessert there was a beautiful cake and a sundae bar for all to make their own delicious creations. The current board members and Mark Martin were all recognized with a plaque for their endless hours of dedication. President Jim Neaves, and Vice-President Randy Dye each spoke from the heart and reviewed the year from their own perspectives. A magician performed and entertained the children and adults with magic tricks and jokes. The track record holders were presented with a medallion engraved with their class and record setting times. A few special acknowledgements were made to Janice Lykes, Melissa Bergman, and Jamie Neaves for their weekly devotion to assist in running the show. All of our drivers were awarded a trophy and a special keepsake driver's year book. Our point's champions, Chad Akins, Kory Abbott and Patrick Conrad, each received a watch with the New Smyrna logo on the dial. To complete the awards ceremonies, Greg Keeling was presented with a ring as he is our first driver to retire after 11 successful years in quarter midgets. Good luck to Greg as he moves on and congratulations to all of our children. They are truly a special group that we can all be proud of. See Racing News for the season's final point standings.

A quick recap of all the things that we have accomplished this year include, a JSCA race, a Grand Opening second to none, electronic scoring, the New Smyrna News newsletter, visiting competitors and race fans from all over the United States, the golf tournament, a few grand national champions, track records, the Pump-Around system, weekly EMT's, a first class photographer and announcer, a number one web site and a season that included 20+ points races. WOW!! Needless to say there were a lot of opportunities to fill your Need for Speed!

Of course there were many other things that kept the Board of Directors and the membership constantly busy. There was a never ending attempt to continually improve upon something every week. Whether it was the racing program, the facilities, or areas of tech, we never stopped. Not everything worked, but that's part of "first year" growing pains.

The safety of our drivers and handlers should always remain a top priority of NSQMRA. With what we learned this year it should have taught us not only how precious our relationships are, but also the importance of safety both on and off the track. But, just like everything else we accomplished and learned this year, we made adjustments, did the best we could and raced on.

As we prepare for the second season, some things will change and some things will always be the same. Consistency and Communication will be the key to the continued success of our club. Take advice from the experienced members, but always be open-minded and listen to new ideas. Read your QMA rulebooks, the Code of Conduct and learn the judging requirements. Don't criticize the "volunteers' who are running the show. Get involved. Support your board of directors. If you see something that isn't working, make suggestions. Remember to work together to get the end results that will promote safety, great competition, and teach our children the values that are the goals of QMA.

In closing I would like to say that I have enjoyed bringing you the New Smyrna News each week and working with the Maynards to keep the web site current. The electronic scoring has been a true challenge, but with help, persistence and your patience we were able to make it work for us. Thank you for all of your support throughout the year.

Our family has always been race fans. But when our own sons became race drivers we became a team, a special family team that worked together, and grew together. I can only hope that your families have as many wonderful memories and opportunities that we have had. My passion the last 11 years has been quarter midget racing and doing whatever it took to run a successful program, no matter which event we were attending or hosting. While we will miss the competition, we look forward to exploring new racing adventures for Nick and Greg. Good luck to all of the Little New Smyrna racers in the 2002 season. I will miss each of you.

- Marla Keeling