By Dick Jordan
Eastern and Washington USAC HPD Midget participants are gearing up for events this weekend. The Eastern series visits Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, N.C. Friday night and Concord (N.C.) Speedway Saturday. Scott Hunter is the current series point leader, two points ahead of Chris Lamb. Saturday’s Washington race unfolds at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma as the series makes its 2014 points debut.
Friday night’s non-points “special event” USAC Washington HPD Midget race at Deming Speedway was won by Tristin Thomas from Burlington, Wash, who took the lead from Robbie Price on lap six and led the final 10 laps for the victory. Joe Constance finished second ahead of Elma Auto Racing Hall of Fame fast qualifier Mike Vollbrecht, Al Goldie and Price. Thomas won the Speedmart Hard Charger Award and Goldie won the JOES Racing Products “Move of the Night.” Saturday night’s race at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. was rained out.
Austin Nemire of Sylvania, Ohio won Friday night’s 20-lap USAC Midwest HPD Pavement opener at Kil-Kare Raceway in Xenia, Ohio. Piloting the Hemelgarn Racing Enterprises Beast, he passed Tate Martz on lap 11 and led the final 10 laps to beat Martz, Jacob Stickle, Nikki Carroll and Calvin Carroll. Nemire returned with a 20-lap USAC HPD Midwest victory Saturday night at Columbus (Ohio) Motor Speedway. He passed Adam Thomason on lap eight and led the final 13 laps to beat Calvin Carroll, Thomason, Jacob Stickle and Nikki Carroll.
Nemire will take a 21-point lead over Calvin Carroll into the next Midwest race May 16 at Gas City (Ind.) I-69 Speedway.
Dylan Nobile of Clovis, Calif. won Saturday’s 30-lap USAC Western HPD Midget feature at Madera (Calif.) Speedway, part of this year’s “Vukovich Classic.” He passed Christine Breckenridge on lap five and led the rest of the way in his K & N Motorsports Special, beating Cody Jessop, Breckenridge, Toni Breidinger and Shawn Buckley.
Shawn Buckley leads the Western PD Pavement Midget standings to its next event May 17 at the Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway Bullring.
2014 HPD USAC Midwest Pavement Midget Standings: 1-Austin Nemire-148, 2-Calvin Carroll-127, 3-Jacob Stickle-119, 4-Nikki Carroll-115, 5-Steve Myers-96, 6-Adam Thomason-66, 7-Tate Martz-63.
2014 HPD USAC Western Pavement Midget Standings: 1-Shawn Buckley-422, 2-Toni Breidinger-287, 3-Dylan Nobile-218, 4-Cody Jessop-197, 5-Ashley Hazelton-197, 6-Christine Breckenridge-194, 7-Joel Raybourne-189, 8-Annie Breidinger-183, 9-Tom Patterson-157, 10-Michael Fanelli-136.
2014 HPD USAC Eastern Midget Standings: 1-Scott Hunter-251, 2-Chris Lamb-249, 3-Blaine Leydig-234, 4-Calvin Carroll-214, 5-Tyler Corriher-206, 6-Jessica Bean-194, 7-Nikki Carroll-163, 8-Fletcher Wulf-134, 9-Eric Lewis-112, 10-Jake Nelke-85.