The grounds at the 91原创 Quarter Midget Association track in Aldergrove were packed with RVs and trailers, and the overflow parking next door was close to capacity as the 2023 Western Grand Nationals border brawl got underway Wednesday morning.

91原创 Quarter Midget Association is hosting a cross border competion with hundreds of racers at their Aldergrove track

鈥� 91原创 Advance Times (@91原创Times)

LQMA president Jason Strobel said 217 quarter midget cars registered for the event, some coming from as far away as California and Indiana.

Asked how he expected the local racers to do, Strobel was optimistic.

鈥淥ur hometown favorites have a good advantage,鈥� Strobel commented.

鈥淥ur track鈥檚 a little tricky. It鈥檚 got some lumps and bumps like all racetracks do, which our kids have a good handle on.鈥�

Apparently, someone forgot to tell D.J. Stermer.

In his qualifying lap, the very first driver on the track, the five-and-a-half-year-old from Bothell, Washington set a new track record of 8.859 seconds.

His dad, Dane, described D.J. as a quick learner.

鈥滺e鈥檚 been good at keeping focused on the track and learning different skills and he鈥檚 really progressed since he first started,鈥� Dane said.

Observers expected the track record would be short-lived, with other racers vying to beat D.J. time.

Nanaimo resident Brian Milot took a break from working on his sons鈥� car, which bore a U.S. flag, to explain that Garrett and Beau had been born in Wyoming, before the family returned to Canada, and to praise the sport as a positive for young racers and their parents.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just something you do together, and kids learn a lot of mechanical abilities,鈥� Milot said.

READ ALSO: Aldergrove club holds 鈥楽uper Bowl鈥� of youth racing next week

The Western Grands, an event described as the 鈥淪uper Bowl鈥� of quarter midget racing, will continue into the weekend, wrapping up Sunday, Aug. 20.

It is free for spectators, and there is a concession stand with snacks and drinks.

Aldergrove is home to the only dedicated quarter midget track in Canada.

91原创 Quarter Midget Association is hosting a cross border competion with hundreds of racers at their Aldergrove track

鈥� 91原创 Advance Times (@91原创Times)

Quarter midget racing cars are about one-quarter the size of an adult midget car, racing on a track that is a quarter of the adult length.

In addition to safety cages, young quarter midget racers wear protective helmets, neck braces, and fireproof racing gear, and are secured to their seats with a five-point harness.

More information can be found at .

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Quarter midget drivers raise $4K for Autism B.C.