HAGEN WIRE-TO-WIRE IN 68TH “NIGHT BEFORE THE 500”

Indianapolis, IN……..Defending National Champion Darren Hagen of Riverside, Calif. led all 30 laps of Saturday night’s 68th “Night Before the 500” classic for the Honda USAC National Pavement Midget Championship at Lucas Oil Raceway. Driving the RFMS Racing Liberty Village/McGladrey & Pullen Beast/Esslinger, he beat Bobby Santos to the checkered flag for his second victory in the American classic. Fast qualifier Tracy Hines took third, followed by Kyle O’Gara and Caleb Armstrong. The race was delayed due to rain but finally conducted during a window late in the evening. Santos emerged as the new Honda USAC National Midget Pavement point leader going into the June 29 “Rocky Mountain Classic” at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo. Prior to the race Pancho Carter, A.J. Watson and Bob Wilke were celebrated as new inductees into the USAC Hall of Fame.

HONDA USAC NATIONAL MIDGET PAVEMENT CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: May 25, 2013 – Indianapolis, Indiana – Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis – 68th View Hendricks County “Night Before the 500”

QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Tracy Hines, 24, Parker-20.755; 2. Dillon Welch, 7, C&A-20.827; 3. Bobby Santos, 17, RW-20.881; 4. Kody Swanson, 11, Wilke-Pak-20.927; 5. Christopher Bell, 71, Kunz-20.981; 6. Caleb Armstrong, 7c, C&A-20.992; 7. Dalton Armstrong, 7A, C&A-21.099; 8. Darren Hagen, 3, RFMS-21.120; 9. Tanner Swanson, 67, Kunz-21.122; 10. Kyle O’Gara, 27, RW-21.186; 11. Kyle Hamilton, 33, Hamilton-21.201; 12. Austin Prock, 41, Prock-21.449; 13. Jim Anderson, 36, Guess-21.522; 14. Derek Bischak, 31, Bischak-21.638; 15. David Byrne, 20, Byrne-21.669; 16. Mike Larrison, 50, Hamilton-22.034; 17. Taylor Ferns, 55, Ferns-22.051; 18. Nick Wagner, 32, Wagner-22.140; 19. Bret Sanderson, 66, Sanderson-22.254; 20. Todd Bertrand, 39, Bertrand-22.333; 21. Bryan Nuckles, 59, Nuckles-NT; 22. Cole Carter, 5, Bertrand-NT.

FIRST SCRAMBLE HEAT: (12 laps) 1. Hamilton, 2. Santos, 3. Hines, 4. D.Armstrong, 5. Bell, 6. Byrne, 7. Ferns, 8. Sanderson, 9. Anderson, 10. T.Swanson. 4:14.23

SECOND SCRAMBLE HEAT: (12 laps) 1. Hagen, 2. O’Gara, 3. K.Swanson, 4. C.Armstrong, 5. Prock, 6. Larrison, 7. Wagner, 8. Bertrand, 9. Welch. NT

FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Darren Hagen, 2. Bobby Santos, 3. Tracy Hines, 4. Kyle O’Gara, 5. Caleb Armstrong, 6. Kyle Hamilton, 7. Tanner Swanson, 8. Dalton Armstrong, 9. Christopher Bell, 10. David Byrne, 11. Austin Prock, 12. Mike Larrison, 13. Taylor Ferns, 14. Todd Bertrand, 15. Kody Swanson, 16. Nick Wagner, 17. Jim Anderson, 18. Bret Sanderson. 10:46.47

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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 Hagen.

NEW HONDA NATIONAL MIDGET PAVEMENT CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Santos-186, 2-Hagen-180, 3-C.Armstrong-178, 4-Hines-170, 5-O’Gara-165, 6-T.Swanson-156, 7-D.Armstrong-144, 8-Bell-130, 9-Byrne-98, 10-Ferns-89.

NEXT HONDA NATIONAL MIDGET PAVEMENT CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: June 29 – Fountain, CO – Pikes Peak International Raceway – “Rocky Mountain Classic”