USAC REGIONAL RACING PREVIEW: 9/26/2020

WHOLESALE BATTERIES MIDWEST WINGLESS SPRINT CARS

Saturday, September 26 at Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Missouri

By Ray Cunningham (Grain Valley, MO) -- The 3rd Annual John E. Helm Memorial takes place this Saturday night at Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Missouri, featuring the USAC Midwest Wingless Sprint Cars and the POWRi Valley Midgets among other classes

John E. Helm passed away in 2016 at the age of 82. He was a veteran who served during the Korean War from 1951 to 1954 as a corporal in the United States Marine Corps. In addition, he was an auctioneer for many years and was affectionately given the name “Colonel” by his peers.

This popular patriarch of the Helm Family was a longtime participant in auto racing throughout the greater Kansas City area during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Over that period, John E. Helm would race stock cars, coupes, and super modifieds with his signature #12 at Olympic Stadium in KC as well as Riverside Stadium in North KC.

This love for racing was also later shared by his son John Helm, (AKA The Ageless Wonder) who continued to race with the number #12 in open wheel competition for many decades as both a driver and owner in sprint car racing. In addition, 10 members of the Helm family have competed across the metro area, in one form or another, racing from the 1950’s to the new millennium.

In 2018 John Helm got together with Dennis Shrout of Valley Speedway to host the 1st annual Helm Memorial event to honor the Colonel John E. Helm. On that occasion Chad Goff, a regular competitor with the MWRA in 2020, would win that first race while later taking the Valley Speedway Sprint Car Championship.

For the 2019 season, the John E. Helm Memorial would once again return to Valley Speedway as part of the series featuring the POWRi Valley Sprint Cars. The 2nd annual race would also prove to be a great success, while Wesley Smith, in the Helm #12, would drive to victory over Mitchell Moore, Taylor Walton, Brian Beebe, and Quinton Benson, rounding out the top-five in the 22-car field.

The win by Nixa’s Smith was a popular one as dozens of friends and family of the Helms' joined the celebration in victory lane after the Helm #12 was given the checkered flag first. Smith, like Goff in 2018, would also later take the track championship at Valley Speedway.

In 2020, the 3rd annual John E. Helm Memorial will race for the first time with a sanctioning body. The MWRA under the direction of Series headman Raul Romero and competition director Lonnie Pauley, are excited to be a part of the Helm Memorial while bringing the USAC based series to Valley for the first time as a non-points event.

In 2020, the Midwest Wingless Racing Association had a great first season racing 13 times across Kansas and Missouri with a four-way battle for the championship highlighting the campaign going into the final weekend.

When the dust settled after the final go at Bethany, Wyatt Burks of Topeka would take the MWRA title after winning a tie breaker over Don Droud Jr for most wins, (7 wins to 2) while Wesley Smith, in the Helm #12, would finish third in points and Chris Parkinson fourth.

For the Helm Memorial at Valley Speedway in 2020, the “Sheriff” Wyatt Burks will be looking for his 10th win this season and his eighth victory racing in the MWRA, driving the Don Rumsey 11w, and wrenched by Jeff Burks. Burks also won earlier this year at Valley Speedway in non-winged sprint competition. But as they say, “This one will not be over until it’s over.” Many top flight competitors are expected to be at Valley.

Included in that group are the defending track champ and Helm winner Wesley Smith, driving the #12 once again. Smith, a winner in the MWRA at Bethany, has also “Parked it” in victory lane at Valley in 2020 as well. And, nothing would make a rowdy group of Helm supporters more happy than to win the race named in honor of the Colonel once again.

Chris Parkinson, a former WAR Champ, and fourth place finisher in the MWRA for 2020, will be looking for his first win this season. The third-generation driver will be hunting for a win at the Helm Memorial driving his #65. Parkinson had some bad breaks down the stretch in the USAC based series which kept him from the title, but will not keep from challenging for the W at Valley.

While Kory Schudy, driving the JSR #28 of Jon Sawyer, is rounding back into form after an accident earlier this Summer cost him a shot at the championship. Schudy, a top performer in only his second year of driving sprints, won the “lid lifter” in 2020 for the MWRA at I-35 Speedway.

Other contenders at Valley to keep an eye on include fifth place finisher in the Midwest Wingless Series for 2020 Brian Beebe, who has been close to a signature win in sprints this season numerous times. A resurgent Cody Baker, who has also been very close to victory driving the #38 Sprint Car running with his grandfather the legendary Ted Hall. While his sister Casey Baker Tribble, Brad Wyatt, (who will compete in both sprints and midgets) Chad Tye, Warren Johnson racing for Rick and Deb Smith, and many more that include a list of promising young gunners

Among that group are 2020 MWRA ROY Driver Mark Lane, Dakota Earls, coming off his best ever finish in sprints at Bethany with a fifth place finish, Kyle Lewis, Tom Curran, a second place finisher in the MWRA in 2020, “Cool Hand” Luke Howard, and Xavier Doney, the 14 year old racer who has made the A feature in five straight starts during his first campaign competing in non- winged sprint cars.

Also on the card are the POWRi Valley Midgets. In this popular Valley series, Chad Winfrey of Gladstone, the 2018 Champ is leading the point standings racing the #321 wrenched by brother Delty. With ROY candidate Trevor Casey of Altoona, Iowa, defending champ A.J. Gilbert of Tonganoxie, Chad Frewaldt, and Casey Hicks round out the top-five in points. Frewaldt is a two-time winner in 2020 in Kansas City Midgets running at Valley, and KC Raceway.

So, this Saturday night, September 26th, join us at the Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Missouri, for the John E. Helm Memorial event honoring and celebrating the Colonel. This is an open wheel event that should not be missed.

RAPID TIRE EAST COAST SPRINT CARS

Saturday, September 26 at Bridgeport Speedway in Bridgeport, New Jersey

The Rapid Tire East Coast Sprint Car Series is back for its annual trip to New Jersey’s Bridgeport Speedway this Saturday night, September 26.  However, this will mark a new challenge for drivers of the series with the new 3/8-mile configuration in place this year.

Coleman Gulick and Joey Biasi have won with the series at Bridgeport over the past two seasons.  Steven Drevicki (Reading, Pa.) leads the standings and comes as the series most recent winner as he shoots for his third consecutive series championship in as many years.

Drevicki also won a USAC SpeedSTR feature at Bridgeport earlier this year on a last lap pass.

The Friday practice session is not mandatory. It is open to anyone that might want some more seat time. Bridgeport Speedway is planning to give the Rapid Tire Service USAC East Coast Sprint Cars a warm-up session early and then 2 more warm up sessions throughout the night.

Pits open at 2pm ET with grandstands open at 3pm and hot laps at 5pm.  Adult general admission tickets are $28, students $15 with ages 9 and under free.  Pit passes are $35 each.  Modifieds, 602 Sportsman and SpeedSTR practice are also on tap.

USAC RAPID TIRE EAST COAST SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Steven Drevicki-665, 2-Chris Allen Jr.-544, 3-Bill Unglert-520, 4-Bruce Buckwalter Jr.-404, 5-Ryan Quackenbush-341, 6-Christian Bruno-332, 7-Jonathan Swanson-308, 8-Kyle Spence-294, 9-Jason Cherry-265, 10-Carmen Perigo-263.

MIDWEST THUNDER SPEED2 MIDGETS

Saturday, September 26 – U.S. 24 Speedway – Logansport, Indiana

USAC SpeeD2 Midwest Thunder Midgets are back in action this Saturday night, September 26 for the final SpeeD2-only race of the 2020 season at U.S. 24 Speedway in Logansport, Ind.

Aaron Leffel (Springfield, Ohio) won the most recent round at U.S. 24 back in July.  His Taylor Racing teammate, Jacob Denney (Galloway, Ohio), is set atop the point standings with a 56-point advantage over Stratton Briggs (Anna, Ohio).

Pits open at 3pm ET, front gates at 4pm, driver draw closes at 5pm, drivers meeting at 6pm with racing to follow.  General admission tickets are $10 for adults and free for children age 12 and under free.  All 600cc mini sprint divisions will be in action.

USAC MIDWEST THUNDER SPEED2 MIDGET POINTS: 1-Jacob Denney-671, 2-Stratton Briggs-615, 3-Adam Taylor-610, 4-Chett Gehrke-608, 5-Ian Creager-497, 6-Aaron Leffel-495, 7-Abby Hohlbein-493, 8-Zack Gingerich-488, 9-Gunnar Lucius-474, 10-Zane Briggs-407.

RADICAL FOCUS MIDGETS

Saturday, September 26 at Madera Speedway – Madera, California

Round three of the USAC Radical Focus Midget season brings the series to its debut at California’s Madera Speedway this Saturday, September 26 for the Kenny Takeuchi Tribute / 48th Annual Harvest Classic presented by Protect the Harvest and Lucas Oil.

Madera’s own, Joseph Holiday, won the series’ most recent race at Stockon, Calif. in August and leads the standings entering the event.  Kyle Tellstrom (Ukiah, Calif.) captured the opener at Lakeport, Calif. in July.

Pits open at Noon Eastern with the drivers meeting at 1:30pm.  Practice begins at 2pm with qualifying at 3:10pm and heat races at 4:05pm.  Opening ceremonies are slated for 4:55pm and will be live on Short Track TV a free livestream where the main events will commence at 5pm.

Donnie Large Tribute 30-lap Supers vs Sprints, Focus Midgets, Madera Late Models, Madera Hobby Stocks, MST/Toyota Sedans, Legends of Kearney Bowl and California Hard Tops are also on the docket.

USAC RADICAL FOCUS SPEED2 MIDGET POINTS: 1-Joseph Holiday-139, 2-Kyle Cline-137, 3-Austin Edwards-127, 4-Kyle Tellstrom-75, 5-Nathan Byrd-70, 6-Johnny Nichols-66, 7-Dillon Tucker-62.