GRAYS HARBOR, SPEEDROME HOST HPD MIDGETS;

GOETZ, ASH, ELLIOTT ALL WIN; RAIN TAKES GAS CITY

Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash. and the Indianapolis Speedrome host USAC HPD Midget races this week. Chase Goetz leads the Washington series to Grays Harbor and Austin Nemire sits atop the Midwest Pavement points entering the Speedrome race.

Defending USAC Washington HPD Midget Champion Goetz, of Snohomish, Wash., won Saturday night’s series opener at Grays Harbor Raceway. He caught Chance Crum on lap eight and led the rest of the way to win the 25-lapper over Crum, Jeremy Miller, Elma Lanes Pill Pick Award Winner Dougie James and Ariel Biggs. Michael Vollbrecht won the Elma Auto Racing Hall of Fame Fast Time Award, Goetz won the Speedmart Hard Charger Award, Crum won the K & N Sportsman Award, and James won the Joe’s Racing Move of the Night Award.

Dustin Ash of Las Vegas, Nev. scored his second consecutive USAC Western HPD Pavement Midget victory at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring Saturday night, leading the final 24 laps after passing Jeff Kelley on lap 7. Fast qualifier Jake Swanson took second ahead of Kelley, Christine Breckenridge and Western point leader Shawn Buckley.

Cory Elliott of Bakersfield, Calif. is the early leader in the 2014 USAC HPD Western Dirt Midget standings after winning Friday night’s 25-lap race at Plaza Park Raceway. Elliott originally finished second but was declared the race winner after the car driven by Michael Faccinto was disqualified for failing post-race technical inspection. Randi Pankratz led the first 23 laps and Elliott the last two for the win. Pankratz finished second ahead of Ashley Hazelton, Marvin Mitchell and Jesse James Burks.

Friday night’s race at the revamped Indianapolis Speedrome contiues to add to that track’s claim as USAC’s most active ever, closing on its historic 500th USAC race. The races is the first for USAC at the Indianapolis oval since 2011.