By Dick Jordan
USAC’s Midwest Ignite Midget Series returns to the Buckeye State this week for races at Barberton Speedway in Norton, Ohio Friday and Lake County Speedway in Painesville Saturday. Cooper Clouse of Ohio City sits atop the Midwest pavement standings entering the event. He finished third in Friday’s dirt race at Gas City (Ind.) I-69 Speedway.
Toby Alfrey of Miamisburg, Ohio won Friday’s Gas City 20-lapper, leading all but the first two laps after passing early leader Adam Thomason on lap three. Midwest Dirt point leader Ross Rankine was second ahead of Clouse, Tyler Shullick and Katlynn Leer. Rain forced cancellation of Saturday’s scheduled Midwest race at the Montpelier (Ind.) Motor Speedway.
Garrett Peterson and Tyler Edwards split the glory in Saturday’s Western Ignite races at the Madera (Calif.) Speedway, part of the track’s “Gerhardt Classic.”
Peterson, of West Sacramento, Calif., led wire-to-wire in the first 30-lapper to beat Ricky Bowers, Davey Hamilton Jr., Edwards and Sheldon Didinger. Edwards, of Ventura, Calif., passed Bryant Dawson on lap five and led the final 26 laps of the second Madera feature to beat Dawson, Peterson, Hamilton and Didinger.
NEW WESTERN IGNITE PAVEMENT MIDGET POINTS: 1-Peterson-618, 2-Bowers-556, 3-Edwards-552, 4-Didinger-518, 5-Dawson-472, 6-Molly Helmuth-406, 7-Winn Frazin-335, 8-Michael Fanelli-331, 9-Marina Turner-272, 10-George Blacker-268.
2012 USAC MIDWEST IGNITE PAVEMENT POINT STANDINGS
1-Cooper Clouse-457, 2-Gage Walker-441, 3-Ross Rankine-416, 4-Davey Hamilton Jr.-407, 5-Ryan Krachun-391, 6-Sam McGhee-350, 7-Joey Greening-291, 8-Tyler Shullick-261, 9-Toby Alfrey-238, 10-Austin Nemire-222.
2012 USAC MIDWEST IGNITE DIRT POINT STANDINGS
1-Ross Rankine-458, 2-Toby Alfrey-400, 3-Cooper Clouse-391, 4-Stratton Briggs-347, 5-Sam McGhee-332, 6-Katlynn Leer-327, 7-Tyler Shullick-269, 8-Joey Greening-263, 9-Adam Thomason-192, 10-Kent Kriegbaun-175.
2012 USAC WESTERN PAVEMENT IGNITE POINT STANDINGS
1-Garrett Peterson-618, 2-Ricky Bowers-556, 3-Tyler Edwards-552, 4-Sheldon Didinger-518, 5-Bryant Dawson-472, 6-Molly Helmuth-406, 7-Winn Frazin-335, 8-Michael Fanelli-331, 9-Marina Turner-272, 10-George Blacker-268.
2012 USAC EASTERN IGNITE POINT STANDINGS
1-Jared Irvan-277, 2-Nic Davidson-217, 3-Tyler Corriher-217, 4-Chris Lamb-214, 5-Michael Fanelli-160, 6-Orry Hunte-156, 7-Calvin Carroll-146, 8-Bradley Riethmeyer-135, 9-Ryan Krachun-128, 10-Matthew Lindstrom-112,
2012 USAC NORTHWEST IGNITE POINT STANDINGS
1-Jared Peterson-417, 2-Chase Goetz-378, 3-Garret Johnson-378, 4-Thomas-364, 5-Todd Hartman-333, 6-Michael Millard-304, 7-Ariel Biggs-238, 8-Jeremy Miller-228, 9-Hannah Lindquist-188, 10-Zak DeBakker-182.