By Dick Jordan
Bryan Clauson of Noblesville, Ind. will try to join Ron Shuman and Billy Boat as the only drivers to win three straight “Turkey Night Grand Prix” Midget races when the 71st running of one of America’s most revered short-track events unfolds this Thursday night at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, Calif. Shuman actually won four straight from 1979-1982, while Boat won three straight at three different tracks from 1995-1997.
Clauson, the 2009 and 2010 race winner, will also try to nail down his second consecutive USAC Mopar National Midget series championship. He enters the 98-lap contest with a 19-point lead over runner-up Darren Hagen. Hagen holds a 21-point lead over Kyle Larson in his bid to claim his second straight USAC National Midget Pavement title. A total of 66 points are available Thursday.
Cory Kruseman of Ventura, Calif. will also try to claim his first USAC Mopar Western Midget title, holding a 43-point lead over David Prickett going into Thursday’s race. Kruseman previously won the 2006 USAC/CRA Sprint Car championship.
Brad Kuhn of Avon, Ind. won Saturday night’s 30-lap “Battle at the Beach” USAC Mopar Western Midget race at Ventura Raceway. He passed Austin Smith on lap 11 and never looked back, piloting the Rotondo Weirich/Champion Brands Beast/Fontana to the victory over Clauson, Brent Camarillo, Smith and Kruseman. Prickett finished eighth at Ventura.
Thursday’s “Turkey Night Grand Prix” concludes with a 98-lap Midget race, continuing a tradition begun back in 1934. The AMSOIL USAC Western/Western Classic Sprint cars also compete on the Irwindale half-mile paved oval, while the USAC Western Ford Focuses compete on the Irwindale third-mile.
USAC MOPAR NATIONAL MIDGET POINT STANDINGS
1-Bryan Clauson-1,110; 2-Darren Hagen-1,091; 3-Kyle Larson-1,030; 4-Tracy Hines-941; 5-Bobby East-840; 6-Zach Daum-787; 7-Brad Kuhn-763; 8-Jerry Coons Jr.-701; 9-Caleb Armstrong-677; 10-Tanner Swanson-617.
USAC MOPAR WESTERN MIDGET POINT STANDINGS
1-Cory Kruseman-586; 2-David Prickett-543; 3-Johnathon Henry-518; 4-Cody Swanson-479; 5-Jake Swanson-421; 6-Scott Pierovich-300; 7-Connor Kassik-292; 8-Chris Ennis-240; 9-Randi Pankratz-215; 10-Austin Smith-192.