MIDWEST HPDs AT COLUMBUS, WESTERN HPDs AT VENTURA;

PANKRATZ SCORES BAKERSFIELD VICTORY

USAC HPD Midget competition unfolds this Saturday in Columbus, Ohio and Ventura, Calif. as Midwest and Western series participants compete. The Midwest opener is at Columbus Motor Speedway and the Western event is at Ventura Raceway.

Austin Nemire, last year’s Midwest champion, won all four features contested at the Columbus oval. Saturday’s race at Ventura is the first for USAC’s HPD Midgets at CMS in four years.

Randi Pankratz of Atascadero, Calif. led all but the first lap to win Saturday night’s USAC Western HPD Midget dirt opener at Bakersfield Speedway. She passed Tom Paterson on lap two and led the rest of the way to beat Shawn Buckley, Jet Davison, Ron Hazelton and Robert Dalby.

The win was Randi’s first under USAC sanction since a 1998 TQ Midget win at Bakersfield.