Rice Cars 50 Year Anniversary
50 years of innovation, design, & technology all began on an appliance service call in 1958. Ken Rice saw a small, go-kart like machine in a customer’s garage and thought to himself; “Hey, I could build one of these...”
Since then, Rice Cars have been at the forefront of not only speed technologies, but safety innovations as well. The first to have the enclosed roll cage, the first with the high left-side knerf bar, and the first with the now QMA standard shoulder bar. Also the 1st cars to incorporate coil-over shocks and still the only car to have independent front suspension, the Rice crew have been “on the pole” for quite a while now.
Ken Rice himself has been somewhat of an institution since he became President of QMA in 1964. One of the first things he did as President was to establish uniform National rules for cars and engines. He also introduced Regional, Western & Eastern States qualifiers, and a little race that we now know as the Grand Nationals. In addition, he started the Novice training program across the country and was responsible for bringing national driver, handler and track insurance into QMA. 25 years later, during his tenure as QMA Vice President in the late 80s, he was instrumental in bringing the “Race Against Drugs” program to Quarter Midgets, as well as installing a Quarter Midget wing in the Motorsports Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame himself in 1998, and to this day he continues to help train new novices, adding to the literally thousands of kids Ken has helped develop into fast, safe drivers.
Team Rice has graduated hundreds of kids not only into safe drivers on the highways and city streets, but into NASCAR & Indy Car fame as well. Most notably, Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Vasser, Mike Bliss, and even newcomers like AJ Almendinger and Bryan Clausen have at one time or another been a part of the Team Rice family.
And so, moving into the summer of our Golden Anniversary, we want to thank all of the people, families, parents, and kids who have made this sport not just a job or a hobby for us but an absolute pleasure. Thank you all very much and we’re looking forward to the next 50 years!!!