By Dick Jordan
The 33rd “Pepsi Midget Nationals” this weekend at Angell Park Speedway will showcase stars from the Honda USAC National Midget Series as well as Powri and Badger, who serve along with USAC as co-sanctions for the prestigious event at the home of the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame.
Races are planned both Saturday and Sunday at the one-third mile dirt oval in Sun Prairie, Wisc., near Madison.
Rico Abreu of Rutherford, Calif. (USAC), Christopher Bell of Norman, Okla. (Badger) and Zach Daum of Pocahontas, Ill. (Powri) enter the Sun Prairie weekend atop the respective point standings.
Abreu’s credentials are particularly impressive this season. In seven Honda USAC National Midget races he’s never finished off the podium, notching three wins, a second and three thirds!
Daum returns as the defending “Pepsi Nationals” champion, while other previous winners expected to compete include Tracy Hines (2001, 2002 and 2010), Brady Bacon (2008), Jerry Coons Jr. (2007), Scott Hatton (2004-2005) and Davey Ray (2003).
Abreu’s Honda USAC National Midget point lead over Hines stands at 93 points. Hines is pursuing that elusive final leg of a USAC Triple Crown, which would include his previous titles in USAC Silver Crown and AMSOIL Sprint racing.
2014 Honda USAC National Midget Standings: 1-Rico Abreu-481, 2-Tracy Hines-388, 3-Bryan Clauson-387, 4-Christopher Bell-370, 5-Dave Darland-311, 6-Tanner Thorson-311, 7-Zach Daum-285, 8-Andrew Felker-272, 9-Chris Windom-267, 10-Kevin Thomas-257.