By Dick Jordan
USAC’s Mopar National and USAC/STARS D1 Midget Series face a challenging week ahead, with back-to-back pavement and dirt-track events at Plymouth (Ind.) Speedway as part of track’s “Plymouth Palooza” racing program. They will utilize the paved oval on Friday and move to a newly-constructed dirt oval inside the paved oval for Saturday’s program. Sunday night’s races will be at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisc.
The USAC Midwest Ignite Midgets share billing on both nights at Plymouth and fans will be treated to numerous additional attractions, including a post-race Friday performance by the MGB Band and a dunk tank.
Caleb Armstrong of New Castle, Ind. and Kyle Hamilton of Danville, Ind. starred in last week’s USAC Mopar National Midget races. Armstrong led all 30 laps to win Friday night’s race at the Toledo (Ohio) Speedway and Hamilton won Saturday night’s “Freedom 50” USAC/STARS National/D1 race at Grundy County Speedway in Morris, Ill.
Hamilton set new track qualifying records at both Toledo and Morris. He caught series point leader Darren Hagen on lap 25 and led the final 26 laps in his Curtis Motor Sales/Hamilton Painting Spike/Esslinger Ford to beat Bryan Clauson, Tanner Swanson, Kody Swanson and Caleb Armstrong.
At Toledo, Caleb and his Syngenta Speed/EverFi Beast/Toyota were trailed by Dalton Armstrong, Hamilton, Mario Clouser and Bobby East.