By Dick Jordan
Drivers Rico Abreu, Bryan Clauson and Zach Daum captured victories last week in Honda USAC National Midget action, leaving the diminutive Abreu holding a sizeable 111-point lead in the latest series standings entering an August 17 race at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisc.
Abreu stole the major headline Saturday night as he swept to victory in the 37th “Belleville Midget Nationals” championship at the Belleville (Kansas) High Banks.
Abreu and his Toyota TRD Bullet/Speedway Toyota ran down Daum, of Pocahontas, Ill., on lap 14 of the 40-lap finale and proceeded to lead the rest of the way, despite challenges in the closing laps due to a restart. Daum, who had appeared dominant throughout the Belleville event, took the runner-up spot ahead of new track record holder Tracy Hines, defending winner Christopher Bell and Chris Windom.
Hines obliterated the one-lap Belleville record on Thursday night but settled for a fourth-place finish in that night’s 25-lap prelim behind Daum, Abreu and Dave Darland, who led the opening seven laps before yielding to Daum, who wheeled the Daum Crop Insurance/Weld Wheels Eagle/Stanton Toyoya. Windom rounded out the “top-five” at the checkered flag. New track records were also established by Michael Pickens in the heat races and Daum in the main event.
Tuesday night’s “Chad McDaniel Memorial” at Solomon Valley Raceway in Beloit, Kansas was won by Bryan Clauson of Noblesville, Ind. in the Curb Records Spike/Esslinger. Daum was second ahead of Hines, Bell and Abreu.
Pickens led the first 11 laps at Beloit and Daum the next eight before Clauson took over for good.
2014 Honda USAC National Midget Standings: 1-Rico Abreu-788, 2-Tracy Hines-677, 3-Christopher Bell-653, 4-Bryan Clauson-621, 5-Zach Daum-549, 6-Chris Windom-538, 7-Tanner Thorson-500, 8-Michael Pickens-455, 9-Dave Darland-418, 10-Andrew Felker-332,