By Dick Jordan
The “All-Coast Challenge” this Saturday at Ventura (Calif.) Raceway includes round two of the 2011 USAC Mopar Western Midget series, as well as USAC Ford Focus and Focus Young Guns competition.
Kody Swanson of Kingsburg, Calif. edged Bryan Clauson in a photo-finish to win Friday night’s 30-lap “John Padjen Classic” USAC Mopar Western Midget race at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif. Swanson passed Dillon Silverman on lap six and led the rest of the way but had to hold off Clauson on the final lap in his Keith Williams Dentistry/Lyons Transportation/K & N Filters Toyota.
Fast qualifier Clauson, Scott Pierovich, Shannon McQueen and Tanner Swanson rounded out the “top-five” at the checkered flag. Swanson and Clauson came from eighth and 10th starting positions respectively. Clauson’s performance left him two points ahead of Swanson in the Western Midget standings going into this Saturday’s race at Ventura and his qualifying time at Chico set a new track record for Midgets at 14.498 seconds.
Last year’s three Ventura races produced three different winners, namely Johnathan Henry, Robby Josett and Brad Loyet. Josett finished third in the 2010 standings behind champion Alex Schutte and runner-up Cory Kruseman. Schutte scored a third at Ventura last year and Kruseman has a second and a fourth.
USAC MOPAR WESTERN MIDGET POINT STANDINGS
1-Bryan Clauson-71; 2-Kody Swanson-69; 3-Shannon McQueen-62; 4-Scott Pierovich-61; 5-Tanner Swanson-54; 6-Shane Golobic-51; 7-David Prickett-50; 8-Brenton Bock-45; 9-Dillon Silverman-42; 10-Jake Swanson-38.