MOTHER NATURE TAKES PENNSYLVANIA MIDGET WEEK TITLE; WINS 3 OUT OF 4

Abbottstown, Pennsylvania………The quote “It’s like déjà vu all over again” attributed to Yogi Berra has never been more apt than it is after these past 96 hours in the Keystone State as, for the third time in four nights, Mother Nature washed away USAC/ARDC Midget racing during “Pennsylvania Midget Week.” 

After rainouts at Susquehanna Speedway and Path Valley Speedway Park on Sunday and Monday night, respectively, Wednesday night at Lincoln Speedway was the latest victim, falling to the elements with just six of 30 laps completed during the feature.

At the start of the abbreviated feature, pole-sitter and ARDC regular Nick Wean jetted out front to the lead with a scramble for position following closely behind. 

Spencer Bayston, eying redemption after losing the lead on the final corner of the final lap to Tanner Thorson one night prior at Lanco, hit the bottom of turn three underneath Wean.  The two made contact and Bayston was able to capitalize, grabbing the lead while Wean got shuffled out as the field exited turn four at the end of the opening lap.  Brady Bacon ducked to the inside, taking second, just trailing Bayston at the start/finish line by a half-car length.

As the frontrunners entered turn one on the second lap, sixth-starting ProSource Fast Qualifier Tanner Thorson put his heavy right foot on display as he nearly painted the inside turn one guardrail with the nose of his no. 67 as he threaded the needle three-wide on the bottom alongside Bacon and Wean, emerging with second by the time the trio hit turn two.

A yellow on lap three for the stalled car of Eric Heydenreich brought out the yellow, setting up a restart with Thorson just behind Bayston at the front.

When the green flag flew, Thorson hit the topside in turn one, riding the cushion to perfection, rocketing off of turn two with a run on the inside of Bayston, pulling away from Bayston as the two hit the back straightaway.

After a pair of cautions were displayed due to the stopped car of Steve Buckwalter, the skies began to open up and the rain began to fall, saturating the Lincoln Speedway surface.

After a valiant effort by the crew to nearly get the track back to near race-worthiness, the rain began to fall again, signaling an end to the night’s activities and an unsavory conclusion to “Pennsylvania Midget Week” that saw two complete washouts, a rained out feature and a fantastically competitive feature at Lanco’s Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway that was run after a lengthy rain delay.

The Lincoln event also was to be the third round of Jonathan Byrd’s Indy Challenge.  Rico Abreu won the opener at Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway in June while Chad Boat took the “Belleville Nationals” earlier in August. 

The next event for the Indy Challenge is scheduled for Sunday, September 4 when the USAC Western States Midgets head to Calistoga Speedway for the “Louie Vermiel Classic.”

Next up on the USAC Midget National Championship calendar is the 35th running of the “4-Crown Nationals” on Saturday, September 24 at Rossburg, Ohio’s Eldora Speedway.

Contingency award winners at Lincoln Speedway included Tanner Thorson (ProSource Fast Qualifier), Trevor Kobylarz (Simpson Race Products First Heat Race winner), Chad Boat (Competition Suspension, Inc. (CSI) Second Heat Race winner) and Alex Bright (Benic Enterprises/Indy Race Parts Third Heat Race winner).

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USAC MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: August 17, 2016 – Abbottstown, Pennsylvania – Lincoln Speedway – “Pennsylvania Midget Week” (co-sanctioned by ARDC)

PROSOURCE QUALIFYING: 1. Tanner Thorson, 67, Kunz/Curb-15.942; 2. Steve Buckwalter, 27, Heffner-16.085; 3. Spencer Bayston, 97, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-16.102; 4. Carson Macedo, 71K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-16.179; 5. Brady Bacon, 76m, FMR-16.231; 6. Brenden Bright, 92, Bright-16.231; 7. Nick Wean, 78, Wean-16.234; 8. Ryan Robinson, 71, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-16.244; 9. Alex Bright, 77, Hemler-16.245; 10. Tyler Thomas, 91T, Thomas-16.320; 11. Chad Boat, 84, Tucker/Boat-16.329; 12. Holly Shelton, 67K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-16.367; 13. Trevor Kobylarz, 14, RT-16.391; 14. Gage Walker, 7, Walker-16.449; 15. Tony DiMattia, 50, DiMattia-16.487; 16. Brett Arndt, 46, Arndt-16.536; 17. Jamie Speers, 74, Speers-16.729; 18. Brett Wanner, 44, Fisher-16.793; 19. Ryan Greth, 4, Lesher-16.863; 20. Eric Heydenreich, 11, Heydenreich-16.888.

SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Kobylarz, 2. Thorson, 3. Arndt, 4. Thomas, 5. Wean, 6. Macedo, 7. Greth. 2:10.20

COMPETITION SUSPENSION (CSI) SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Boat, 2. Walker, 3. Bacon, 4. Buckwalter, 5. Robinson, 6. Speers, 7. Heydenreich. 2:10.60

BENIC ENTERPRISES/INDY RACE PARTS THIRD HEAT: (8 laps) 1. A. Bright, 2. DiMattia, 3. B. Bright, 4. Bayston, 5. Shelton, 6. Wanner. 2:12.59

FEATURE: (Halted by rain after 6 of 30 laps)

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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-2 Bayston, Laps 3-6 Thorson.        

NEW USAC MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Bayston-911, 2-Boat-855, 3-Bacon-845, 4-Thorson-840, 5-Macedo-747, 6-Bryan Clauson-720, 7-Robinson-639, 8-Thomas-589, 9-Shelton-577, 10-Greth-467.

NEXT USAC MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: September 24 – Rossburg, Ohio – Eldora Speedway – 35th "4-Crown Nationals"

RICHIE MURRAY – USAC MEDIA