By Dick Jordan
USAC’s HPD Midget series are taking a hiatus this week, preparing for Midwest, Western and Eastern races next week at Altamahaw, Calif. (Eastern), Lemoore, Calif. (Western) and Plymouth, Ind. (Midwest).
Patrick Bruns, Cory Elliott and Dylan Nobile all recorded HPD Midget wins last week. Bruns was the Midwest Dirt winner Friday at Gas City I-69 Speedway in Indiana, Elliott won in the Western Dirt series at Plaza Park Raceway in Visalia, Calif. Saturday and Nobile took Saturday’s Western pavement race at Madera (Calif.) Speedway.
Bruns, of Champaign, Ill., scored his fourth USAC HPD Midwest Dirt Midget feature victory in four starts this season as he picked up the 20-lap victory Friday night at Gas City. Bruns caught Austin Nemire on lap eight and led the rest of the way to beat Nemire, Adam Thomason, John Heydenreich and Jacob Taylor. Bruns was also the fastest qualifier and won his heat race in his Cain’s Marine Welding/Tin Cup RV Park Beast/Ecotech.
Western dirt leader Cory Elliott of Bakersfield, Calif. led all 20 laps to win Friday night’s 20-lap feature at Visalia, Calif. Fast qualifier Wally Pankratz took second ahead of Ashley Hazelton, Davey Marcotte and Shawn Buckley.
Dylan Nobile of Clovis, Calif. wheeled his Gerhardt USAC HPD Midget to victory in Saturday night’s 30-lap “Gerhardt Classic” at Madera Speedway. He passed Tom Patterson on lap four and led the rest of the way to beat Duke Love, Cody Jessop, series point leader Shawn Buckley and Patterson.
2014 HPD USAC Midwest Dirt Midget Standings: 1-Austin Nemire-250, 2-Bill Kriegbaum-159, 3-John Heydenreich-130, 4-Adam Thomason-64, 5-Alex Watson-63, 6-Jacob Taylor-54.
2014 HPD USAC Western Pavement Midget Standings: 1-Shawn Buckley-680, 2-Toni Breidinger-480, 3-Christine Breckenridge-426, 4-Joel Raybourne-397, 5-Annie Breidinger-381, 6-Dylan Nobile-360, 7-Cody Jessop-319, 8-Tom Patterson-277, 9-Jeff Kelley-259, 10-Michael Faneli-200.
2014 HPD USAC Western Dirt Midget Standings: 1-Cory Elliott-219, 2-Ashley Hazelton-185, 3-Marvin Mitchell-169, 4-Wally Pankratz-135, 5-Randi Pankratz-69, 6-Davey Marcotte-60, 7-Cody Jessop-57, 8-Shawn Buckley-55, 9-Jesse James Burks-54, 10-Dahne Lynn McKay-1.
2014 HPD USAC Western Midget Standings: 1-Shawn Buckley-735, 2-Toni Breidinger-480, 3-Christine Breckenridge-426, 4-Joel Raybourne-397, 5-Ashley Hazelton-382, 6-Annie Breidinger-381, 7-Cody Jessop-376, 8-Dylan Nobile-360, 9-Tom Patterson-277, 10-Jeff Kelley-259.
2014 HPD USAC Eastern Midget Standings: 1-Scott Hunter-489, 2-Calvin Carroll-436, 3-Chris Lamb-416, 4-Tyler Corriher-364, 5-Nikki Carroll-356, 6-Blaine Leydig-295, 7-Jessica Bean-241, 8-Fletcher Wulff-277, 9-Matt Lundstrom-173, 10-Eric Lewis-112.