By Dick Jordan
Bryan Clauson will sit on his 46-point lead in the USAC Mopar National Midget Series until late-August when the series resumes with back-to-back races at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisc.
Clauson finished ninth in last Thursday’s 30-lapper at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis, Ind.
Kody Swanson of Kingsburg, Calif. led all 30 laps to win at O’Reilly Raceway Park and in the process gave his car owners, the Wilke Racing Team of Milwaukee, Wisc., a historic all-time record 134th USAC National feature victory! The Wilkes were tied with Steve Lewis of Laguna Beach, Calif. for the all-time lead prior to Thursday’s race.
Swanson started on the pole in the Toyota/Speedway Motors Spike/Toyota and beat Jason Leffler, Levi Roberts, Darren Hagen and Brad Sweet to the checkered flag. Fast qualifier Daniel Bedford finished sixth.
The first Wilke USAC victory came with driver Rodger Ward in the 1959 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. The team owns USAC National victories in 16 different states and Canada at 61 different tracks and this was the team’s 82nd USAC National Midget win. Swanson was the 30th driver to pilot a Wilke entry to a USAC National victory.
USAC MOPAR NATIONAL MIDGET SERIES POINT STANDINGS
1-Bryan Clauson-954, 2-Brad Kuhn-908, 3-Tracy Hines-902, 4-Brad Sweet-860, 5-Darren Hagen-844, 6-Jerry Coons Jr.-842, 7-Dave Darland-815, 8-Bobby East-635, 9-Zach Daum-608, 10-Henry Clarke-590.