By Bryan Gapinski
Tulare, Calif.,Nov. 10–Defending champion Bryan Clauson holds a fifty point lead in the battle for the 2010 National Midget Driver of the Year Championship, with three races remaining. Brad Loyet’s recent victory in the BCRA Midget Series season finale at Chowchilla (Calif.) Speedway on Oct. 30 has closed the margin. Two-time NMDOTY Champion Brad Kuhn trails Loyet by an additional 28 markers.
The next event will be the Nov. 13 Pacific Coast Nationals at Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare. It be the 176th midget race of the season, and marks the first-ever USAC National Midget event at the facility.
Action will switch to Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway on Nov. 20 for the ARP/J.W. Mitchell Fall Classic, which will pay $10,000 to win. Kuhn is the defending champion of the race, while Loyet won the most recent feature at the track on Oct 16.
The Toyota Speedway at Irwindale California will then host the 70th annual Turkey Night Grand Prix on Thanksgiving Night Nov. 25. Clauson won last year’s event and overcame an 87-point defect heading into the event to claim the 2009 NMDOTY Championship. Trailing trio and still in mathematically in contention for the tile is ’07 NMDOTY Champion Jerry Coons Jr.
Clauson’s car owner Corey Tucker holds a four point lead over Loyet Motorsports in Car Owners Championship. Rookie Dalton Armstrong has put a virtual lock on the Design 500 Racewear NMDOTY Rookie of the Year standings. Armstrong winner of seven features this season leads Tim Buckwalter and Alex Bright, all three drivers are not excepted to compete in the final three events. Spike (Chassis), and Ford-Esslinger (engine) have clinched the Manufacturers Championship.
POINTS
Driver: 1. Bryan Clauson 1409; 2. Brad Loyet 1359; 3. Brad Kuhn 1331; 4. Jerry Coons Jr. 1178; 5. Steve Buckwalter 988; 6. Darren Hagen 958; 7.Tracy Hines 892; 8. Brad Sweet 876; 9. Zach Daum 799; 10. Dave Darland 769.
Car Owner: 1. Corey Tucker#39, 1362; 2. Loyet Motorsports#05, 1359, 3. RW Motorsports#17, 1285; 4. Wilke-PAK#11, 998, 5. RFMS#3, 878.
Rookie of the Year: 1. Dalton Armstrong 389; 2. Tim Buckwalter 310; 3. Alex Bright 286; 4. Dillon Welch 204; 5. Shane Golobic 191.
Manufactures: Engine: 1. Ford-Esslinger 360; 2. Toyota 115; 3. Fontana 75; 4. Mopar 71; 5. Gaerte 54.
Chassis: 1. Spike 439; 2. Beast 166; 3. Stealth 89; 4. Buzzard 31; 5. Bullet 26.