From Dick Jordan
Racing phenom Kyle Larson of Elk Grove, Calif. is planning to compete in Sunday’s USAC National Midget race at the New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna Beach, Fla. It’ll be part of a busy week of activity for the 21-year-old who has compiled 10 USAC National Midget victories in his first two seasons.
Larson will pilot one of four RW Motorsports entries in Sunday’s event, the first of two at the half-mile Smyrna oval which also hosts Monday USAC Midget racing. He’ll join teammates Bobby Santos, Dave Steele, Ross Rankine and Kyle O’Gara in the New Smyrna program, the first ever for USAC at the oval.
Larson plans to compete in Saturday’s ARCA Stock Car race at Daytona Beach and in Monday and Tuesday’s “Battle at the Beach” stock car and modified events on Daytona’s backstretch. He’ll return to Daytona the following Saturday for his NASCAR Nationwide debut.
Larson captured last year’s “Turkey Night Grand Prix” USAC Midget finale at Perris, Calif. and added wins at Rossburg, Ohio, Pontoon Beach, Ill., Peoria, Ariz., Kokomo, Ind. and Dodge City, Kans.
A revised format for USAC’s 2012 pavement Midget events will greet New Smyrna participants. Two “scrambles” will follow qualifications, with positions in the scrambles determining feature starting positions. The fastest qualifier will spin a specially-designed Oakley Invert Wheel which will determine the inversion number for the scrambles. The scramble winners will then share the front row for the feature event.
USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year Kyle Hamilton of Danville, Ind. is also expected to compete at New Smyrna, in his debut for car owner Shane Hmiel. Among Hamilton’s resume is a victory in the Alex Pruett Memorial race which honored the son of Steve Pruett, who owns Three Wide Life, Hmiel’s sponsor.