From Richie Murray
OCALA, FL (February 10, 2022) – After capturing the victory in last year’s Winter Dirt Games finale, Thomas Meseraull picked up right where he left off.
The San Jose, Calif. native set the fastest time in Thursday night’s practice session at Ocala, Florida’s Bubba Raceway Park in preparation for the first two events of the 2022 USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship season at the 3/8-mile dirt oval on Friday and Saturday night, February 11-12.
Meseraull took his RMS Racing/EnviroFab – Response Management Services – Engler Machine/Spike/Speedway Toyota straight to the top of the charts on Thursday with a time of 14.561 mph. Second was Franklin, Indiana’s Emerson Axsom, debuting for Clauson Marshall Racing, at 14.682. Third was Sutter, California’s Logan Seavey for the Tom Malloy-owned team at 14.688.
Cannon McIntosh (Bixby, Okla.) occupied the fourth and fifth spots in the session in two different Dave Mac Dalby Motorsports cars. The faster of the two was the No. 08x at 14.703, which will be piloted by Kevin Thomas Jr. for both of this weekend’s races. In his own No. 08, McIntosh laid down a 14.729 to round out the top-five.
Twenty-four cars took time during the three-hour session, including defending USAC National Midget driving champion, Buddy Kofoid, who was ninth overall at 14.796, the fastest of six Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports cars in the field.
Winter Dirt Games XIII begins with the 2022 USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget openers on Feb. 11-12 at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla. Pits open at 4pm ET, front gates open at 5pm and cars on track at 6pm with qualifying and racing immediately following. Adult general admission tickets are $30 with kids age 11 and under are free. Pit passes are $40 apiece. Race day tickets will be available at the gate on race day. No pre-order is necessary.
Each and every night of Winter Dirt Games XIII can be watched LIVE on FloRacing at https://bit.ly/3frPoW6.
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRACTICE RESULTS: February 10, 2022 – Bubba Raceway Park – Ocala, Florida – Winter Dirt Games XIII – 3/8-Mile Dirt Track
PRACTICE: 1. Thomas Meseraull, 7x, RMS-14.561; 2. Emerson Axsom, 39BC, Clauson Marshall-14.682; 3. Logan Seavey, 25, Malloy-14.688; 4. Cannon McIntosh, 08x, Dave Mac Dalby-14.703; 5. Cannon McIntosh, 08, Dave Mac Dalby-14.729; 6. Mitchel Moles, 89, CBI-14.740; 7. Ethan Mitchell, 19m, Bundy Built-14.747; 8. Justin Grant, 2J, RMS-14.778; 9. Buddy Kofoid, 67, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-14.796; 10. Brenham Crouch, 97, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-14.803; 11. Kaylee Bryson, 71, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-14.815; 12. Bryant Wiedeman, 01, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-14.829; 13. Tanner Thorson, 19T, Reinbold/Underwood-14.865; 14. Jade Avedisian, 84, CBI-14.960; 15. Taylor Reimer, 25K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-15.042; 16. Steve Buckwalter, 25B, Buckwalter-15.231; 17. Dominic Gorden, 83, CBI-15.260; 18. Jace Park, 87, CBI-15.307; 19. Hayden Reinbold, 19AZ, Reinbold/Underwood-15.428; 20. Mariah Ede, 71E, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-15.536; 21. Chase McDermand, 40, Mounce/Stout-15.890; 22. Frank Beck, 17J, Jordan-16.443; 23. Oliver Akard, 41, OMR-16.992; 24. Corey Joyner, 52J, Mounce/Stout-17.192.
NEXT USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: February 11-12, 2022 – Bubba Raceway Park – Ocala, Florida – Winter Dirt Games XII – 3/8-Mile Dirt Track