By Dick Jordan
Mario Clouser of Auburn, Ill. emerged from the past weekend’s two USAC Mopar National Midget races at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, N.C. with a four-point lead in the series standings going into a pair of races May 4 and 5 at Dodge City (Kans.) Raceway Park.
Clouser finished third and second in the two races and set a track record during qualifying Friday night at the 4/10-mile paved oval.
Bobby East and Darren Hagen won the two “The Real Deal” 30-lap features which served as a tribute to Grand Marshal Shane Hmiel. East won Friday night and Hagen Saturday. They emerged second and third respectively in the new standings.
East, of Brownsburg, Ind., led all 30 laps Friday in his Klatt Motorsports Classic Car Sales/East Enterprises Beast/Chevy to beat Bobby Santos III, Clouser, Hagen and Kyle Larson. Hagen, of Riverside, Calif., led all 30 laps of Saturday’s race in his RFMS Racing/Liberty Village Beast/Esslinger to beat Clouser, Caleb Armstrong, Dalton Armstrong and East.
2012 MOPAR USAC NATIONAL MIDGET POINT STANDINGS
1-Mario Clouser-129, 2-Bobby East-125; 3-Darren Hagen-124; 4-Caleb Armstrong-110; 5-Bobby Santos III-107, 6-Tanner Swanson-101, 7-Kody Swanson-92, 8-Bryan Clauson-82, 9-Dalton Armstrong-77, 10-Dillon Welch-72.