It's a Saturday morning in October. Most kids are probably sleeping or watching cartoons.

Some, however, are spending their time in cars -- as the drivers. Their parents not only have given them permission to drive, but watch and cheer as well.

No, they're not breaking the law -- they're racing quarter-midget cars. Y-Press recently interviewed six area drivers about their sport. Ross Walker, 8, Ryan Christian, 12, and Jodi Meyers, 13, are from Indianapolis. Justin Hendrick, 7, is from McCordsville, Stephanie Tuttle, 11, is from Brownsburg, and Todd Kimmel, 10, is from Avon.

Started in Los Angeles in 1937, Quarter Midgets of America now attracts more than 3,500 drivers, ages 5-16, in the United States and Canada. Approximately 80 of them are members of the Central Indiana Quarter Midget Association.

The Indiana association sponsors races on Saturdays at tracks throughout the region, including at the State Fairgrounds. In winter, no races are held locally.

The cars are one-fourth the size of regular midget cars. They are built around a tubular frame with fiberglass bodies and single-cylinder engines and can reach speeds well over 30 mph.

The tracks are also small -- 1 1/20 of a mile around the inside -- made up of dirt, concrete or asphalt, and often banked. The drivers say they usually do 30 to 40 laps in a race.

"We race about 15 to 20 minutes,'' Ryan explained.

Classes of competition depend on a driver's experience, age, weight and motor type.

These young drivers said they were led to the sport by either friends or family. "My dad used to race stock cars and stuff, and it's just kind of been handed down to me,'' Todd said.

"My uncle started racing, and I wanted to be like him,'' said Justin.

For many kids, quarter-midgets are the first step toward becoming a professional driver. Well-known racers Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Vasser and Terry Labonte developed their skills on these small tracks.

"I want to get all the way to IndyCar, where my Uncle Ty is,'' Ross said.

"I want to race stock cars,'' added Justin.

The kids say some kind of accident usually happens at every race. Because of that, cars are equipped with roll cages, neck braces, safety belts and arm restraints, and drivers must wear protective clothing, helmets and gloves.

The drivers learn how to prepare for a crisis. "You never want to put your hands on the top when you're flipping. . . . You'll smash your hands,'' said Ross, who also advised not overextending your feet to reach the pedals. "If you have your feet straight and if you wreck, your feet are gonna come back and end up broken.''

Perhaps the most amazing thing about this sport is the drivers' resilience. Stephanie said, "I hurt my thigh when I flipped. . . . The next day I went out and raced.''

Jodi has flipped over nine times, broken an arm and been knocked unconscious, but still she said, "Usually nothing big ever happens. It's a safe sport.''

You might think accidents would discourage parents from supporting racing, but the families of these kids take an active role.

"My dad is sort of my crew chief, and my mom is just the nurse if I get hurt out on the racetrack,'' said Todd. "And then my uncle is one of the helpers, and the guy that works for my dad comes out and does all the work on my car.''

Entry fees vary for different races, Stephanie said. "If it's like region racers, it cost $25 per car. But regular car races, it's only $15.''

However, the real money is in the car itself. "My dad spent about $8,000 just on car parts,'' Ross said.

All the kids like racing because it is fun and because of the people they meet.

"Since I've been racing, I've made lots of new friends,'' Ryan said. "I've made a lot of friends that should last.''

For more information about the Central Indiana Quarter Midget Association, contact Carol Lambert at 862-4138.

REPORTERS: Chad Dyar, 11, and Valeri Simmons, 11.