By Dick Jordan
Brad Sweet continues to lead the 2010 USAC Mopar National Midget Series as it prepares for a 100-lap contest at the Anderson (Ind.) Speedway, scheduled for April 11.
Sweet finished fifth in Wednesday night’s 40-lap race at the Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway and will carry a 31-point lead Over Bobby East into the Anderson program. Among East’s nine previous Anderson Speedway victories are National Midget wins in 2001 and 2008 and National Sprint wins in 2004 and last year. Sweet has yet to win on the quarter-mile pavement at Anderson.
Shane Hmiel of Pleasant Garden, N.C. earned his initial USAC Mopar National Midget feature victory Wednesday at Hickory. Driving the Three Wide Life/Rotondo Weirich Beast/Fontana, Hmiel tracked down leader East on lap 26 and led the rest of the way to post the 40-lap win over East, Tracy Hines, Cale Conley and Sweet. Hmiel was also the fastest qualifier and won his heat race. NASCAR stars J.J. Yeley and Jason Leffler finished 17th and 22nd.
Rain halted Thursday night’s Hickory event following two of the three Midget heat races. Wednesday night’s winner Hmiel, was Thursday’s fastest qualifier.
USAC MOPAR NATIONAL MIDGET SERIES POINT STANDINGS
1-Sweet-262; 2-East-231; 3-Hines-221; 4-Clauson-197; 5-Hagen-191; 6-Coons-178; 7-Darland-178; 8-Brad Loyet-155; 9-Chad Boat-139; 10-Kuhn-134.