By Dick Jordan
For the first time in nearly three years three USAC “Triple Crown” Champions will square off in competition on pavement when the USAC Mopar National Midget Series makes its inaugural appearance at the Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway Wednesday and Thursday nights.
Dave Darland, J.J. Yeley and Jerry Coons Jr. are among the stellar field of drivers expected to compete at the .363-mile paved oval. The last time they all competed in the same pavement event was in 2007 at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway.
The three stars have different agendas at Hickory but all three will be focusing on putting their cars in victory lane in the 40-lap feature. Coons hopes to give car owner Wilke-Pak Racers an all-time USAC car owner record 134th National triumph. Darland will pilot one of famed car owner Keith Kunz’ powerful cars for the first time on pavement and Yeley hopes to bring back some of the magic he exuded in 2003 when he won an all-time 24 USAC feature events. Yeley will compete in one of three C & A Motorsports entries, with teammates and cousins Dakoda and Caleb Armstrong. Darland’s teammate is 2009 National Sprint car Rookie of the Year Henry Clarke.
The field at Hickory also includes NASCAR star Jason Leffler, who strung together three consecutive USAC National Midget titles from 1997-1999, plus defending champion Brad Kuhn and 2004 champion Bobby East. Kasey Kahne, who won the 2000 USAC title, will also field a car for 2010 USAC Mopar National Midget point leader Brad Sweet.
Zach Daum, last year’s National Midget Rookie of the Year, is also entered, along with USAC Silver Crown and Sprint Car Champ Tracy Hines, 2010 Indiana Midget Week king Bryan Clauson and three-time Carolina USAC Ford Focus Champ Chase Scott.
Throw in 2008 National Ford Focus Champ Alex Bowman and the World’s fastest Sprint Car Driver, Darren Hagen, plus 2009 USAC pavement sensation Bobby Santos III and you have a wide-open battle for supremacy. Hagen set the World’s Sprint Car qualifying record of 146.145 mph during 2006 at Iowa Speedway and Santos was the only driver last year to win races in all three of USAC’s National series!
The Hickory “doubleheaders” on Wednesday and Thursday nights will include the Midwest and Carolina Ford Focus competitors, who will also compete on the .363-mile paved oval. A feature event for each series will follow preliminary events each night.
Race fans can take advantage of a $5 discount by purchasing tickets on line at www.usacracing.com, by calling the USAC Headquarters at 317-247-5151 or by accessing the following link: http://www.usacracing.com/store/hickory-motor-speedway.html. Tickets are priced at $20 each night but a two-night ticket is available at the price of $35.
Fans attending the March 24-25 Hickory races will also have the opportunity to win a free “Richard Petty Driving Experience” in a 600-horsepower NASCAR-style stock car at Charlotte Motor Speedway!
The pre-entry list for the Hickory Midget race is as follows:
CAR # – Driver
2 – ADAM KRAMER/Shelbyville, IN
2D – LEVI ROBERTS/Broomfield, CO
3 – DARREN HAGEN/Riverside, CA
4 – BOBBY EAST/Brownsburg, IN
5 – ZACH DAUM/Pocahontas, IL
6 – JASON LEFFLER/Long Beach, CA
7A – J.J. YELEY/Phoenix, AZ
7C – CALEB ARMSTRONG/New Castle, IN
7D – DAKODA ARMSTRONG/New Castle, IN
11 – JERRY COONS JR./Tucson, AZ
11D – DANIEL BEDFORD/Brentwood, CA
14 – CHASE SCOTT/Concord, NC
17B – BRAD KUHN/Avon, IN
20 – DAVID BYRNE/Shullsburg, WI
24 – TRACY HINES/New Castle, IN
31 – BUDDY LOWTHER/Cincinnati, OH
39 – BRYAN CLAUSON/Noblesville, IN
49 – BRAD SWEET/Grass Valley, CA
51 – UNASSIGNED
55 – ALEX BOWMAN/Tucson, AZ
56 – SHANE HMIEL/Pleasant Garden, NC
67 – HENRY CLARKE/Villa Park, CA
71 – DAVE DARLAND/Lincoln, IN
98 – BOBBY SANTOS III/Franklin, MA
USAC MOPAR NATIONAL MIDGET SERIES POINT STANDINGS
1-Brad Sweet-207; 2-Bobby East-169; 3-Brad Loyet-155; 4-Darren Hagen-155; 5-Tracy Hines-155; 6-Bryan Clauson-149; 7-Dave Darland-148; 8-Chad Boat-139; 9-Jerry Coons Jr.-136; 10-Mike Hess-117.