USAC MIDWEST THUNDER MIDGETS CROWN 2016 CHAMPION

The USAC Midwest Thunder Midget Championship has completed its inaugural season and Celina, Ohio driver Gage Etgen has been crowned its first champion. 

A division of United States Auto Club’s (USAC) ‘Speed2 Midget’ series, the club presented a 14-race schedule, held at Indiana’s Montpelier Speedway and Ohio’s Waynesfield Raceway Park.

The Midwest Thunder Midget series and its sister association - the Illinois Midget Racing Association - support USAC’s efforts to grow midget racing in the Midwest by offering a rules package limited to production-based automotive and motorcycle powered midgets.

Competitors utilized Ford Focus, Chevy Ecotech, Honda K24 and a variety of 1000cc motorcycle engines throughout the season.  Forty competitors participated in 2016.  Five races were lost to rain, but of the nine races that were held, Etgen was victorious in five, with Alex Watson, John Heydenreich, Kobe Allison and Brad Racer winning one each. 

Etgen totaled 591 points to win the championship, with Gunnar Lucius 2nd, Corey Bedwell 3rd, Cory Guingrich 4th and Watson 5th. 

USAC MIDWEST THUNDER MIDGET SERIES 2016 FINAL POINT STANDINGS

1.   (591) Gage Etgen (Celina, OH)

2.   (485) Gunnar Lucius (Delphos, OH)

3.   (475) Corey Bedwell (Bluffton, IN)

4.   (401) Cory Guingrich (Celina, OH)

5.   (352) Alex Watson (Columbus, OH)

6.   (331) Tommy Bigelow (Winchester, IN)

7.   (276) Jacob Taylor (Troy, OH)

8.   (256) Jon Watson (Columbus, OH) & Nick Corea (Crawfordsville, IN)

10. (198) Ty Tilton (Lima, OH)