By Richie Murray
Tulsa, Oklahoma (April 20, 2022)………At a track he once described as his personal kryptonite, Buddy Kofoid played the role of Superman to a T in the 2021 T-Town Midget Showdown at Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Port City Raceway, charging his way from his 16th starting position to win the 50-lapper, the deepest starting spot any USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship feature winner came from during the year.
In fact, Port City has produced the hardest charges of both the 2020 and 2021 USAC National Midget seasons: Logan Seavey, 19th to 2nd in 2020, and Kofoid 16th to 1st in 2021.
Kofoid (Penngrove, Calif.) will shoot for another big payday at the 1/8-mile dirt oval this Friday and Saturday night, April 22-23, as he seeks to become the first repeat victor of the event which will pay $4,000-to-win for Friday’s 30-lap feature and $7,001-to-win for Saturday’s 50-lap grand finale at the third annual Werco Manufacturing T-Town Midget Showdown Presented by Priority Aviation.
In his debut at Port City in 2020, Kofoid finished 8th and 11th on each of the two nights, which he readily admitted were not up to par with his expectations. Those expectations were undoubtedly met, and exceeded, in 2021 as he was victorious in one and 7th in the other. Since then, the defending USAC champ has won once more at Port City, taking the POWRi round in October of 2021.
Series point leader Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) will be looking to repeat his magic from 2020 where he won the T-Town finale. He finished 7th on the first night of 2020, and last year, added a 5th on night one and a runner-up result on night two. Grant has won the first two points-paying features of the USAC National Midget season, but none have won the first three to start a season. He’ll have his shot this weekend.
Grant’s RMS Racing teammate, Thomas Meseraull (San Jose, Calif.), finished inside the top-six of both his T-Town starts a year ago, with a 3rd and 6th on night one and two, respectively. Between the two points events and the two non-points events, RMS is undefeated in 2021, with Meseraull adding a victory at the Southern Illinois Center in March and Grant doing likewise the following night.
Hayden Reinbold (Gilbert, Ariz.) will attempt to make his first T-Town Midget Showdown feature lineup this weekend. His Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports team captured the victory in the most recent series event at Port City in 2021. Throughout the event’s four features in 2020 and 2021, four different teams have won features: Tyler Courtney (Clauson Marshall Racing), Grant (RAMS Racing), Kofoid (Keith Kunz/Curb/Agajanian Motorsports) and Tanner Thorson (Reinbold-Underwood).
HEY, WE’VE WON HERE TOO
Aside from Kofoid and Grant, there are a handful of others in this weekend’s field who’ve reached victory lane in a midget at Port City outside of USAC competition. Cannon McIntosh (Bixby, Okla.), a micro sprint star at the track, scored victory in POWRi’s Turnpike Challenge at Port City in 2020. He also owns the USAC National Midget one-lap track record at Port City of 9.398 seconds, set on night two of T-Town in 2020. McIntosh took 5th in the feature that night and added an 8th in 2021.
Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.) was victorious at Port City in 2020 during POWRi’s Donnie Ray Crawford Sooner State 55. He ripped through the field from the 19th starting spot to a runner-up finish in 2020 at USAC’s T-Town Midget Showdown. Seavey, the 2018 USAC National Midget champ, went forward again on T-Town night two in 2020, racing from 16th to 5th, and equaled it with another 5th place result in 2021.
Jonathan Beason (Broken Arrow, Okla.) kept the winning trophy in state as the victor of the 2019 Port City Turnpike Challenge, then won once more in September of 2021 with POWRi West. His best result with USAC at the T-Town came in 2021 where he finished 12th. Andrew Deal (Caney, Kan.) scored a victory at Port City with POWRi West in 2016 and is shooting for his first T-Town Midget feature start this weekend.
LOOKING FOR AN EVEN BETTER TULSA TIME
Ethan Mitchell recorded his best career USAC National Midget finish of 3rd in the 2021 event, taking his Honda engine to its first ever podium finish with the series. Kyle Jones, (Kennedale, Texas), the 2016 USAC Gulf Coast SpeeD2 Midget titlist, earned his two best career USAC National Midget results in 2021 at Port City with a 6th on night one and a 10th on night two. Bryant Wiedeman (Colby, Kan.) made his maiden T-Town Midget Showdown voyage in 2021, taking a best performance of 8th in the opener. Most recently, back in March, Wiedeman took 2nd in POWRi’s Turnpike Challenge.
Oklahomans Trey Marcham (Newcastle, Okla.) and Kaylee Bryson (Muskogee, Okla.) both have extensive experience at Port City, both making recent starts in the T-Town Midget Showdown. Marcham collected a 14th on night one of the 2021 event while Bryson tabbed a 16th in the inaugural running in 2020. Multi-time Port City Raceway micro sprint track champ Alex Sewell made his first career series starts in the 2021 T-Town, finishing 17th. Second-year USAC driver Brenham Crouch (Lubbock, Texas) debuted with a 22nd in the 2021 T-Town.
FIRST TIME T-TOWNERS
A large contingent of competitors have midget experience at Port City, but this weekend will be what they plan as their first T-Town Midget Showdown feature start. Zach Daum (Pocahontas, Ill.) finished 2nd and 5th with POWRi back in 2016. Leading USAC National Midget Rookie Mitchel Moles (Raisin City, Calif.) turned in a 3rd in March with POWRi, one spot ahead of teammate Dominic Gorden (Clovis, Calif.), a 4th place finisher in his debut. Jace Park (Overland Park, Kan.), one of three CB Industries cars competing this weekend at Port City, took 13th in March.
Gavin Miller (Allentown, Pa.), the 2015 USAC .25 National Junior Honda and Junior Animal Dirt champion, scored a runner-up result with the Outlaw Non-Wing Micro Sprints at Port City last October and will be making his USAC National Midget debut this weekend with Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports. He’s joined in the field by March’s 7th place POWRi finisher Chance Crum (Snohomish, Wash.) and NASCAR Cup and Truck Series veteran Tanner Berryhill (Bixby, Okla.), 5th with POWRi at Port City last October and 3rd with POWRi West there in September of 2021.
Like Moles, who won a USAC Western States Midget feature at Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway last Saturday, Chase McDermand (Springfield, Ill.) enters the event riding the wave of a victory within the past week. McDermand scored with POWRi last Saturday at Federated Auto Parts Raceway in Pevely, Mo., which was preceded by an 18th place finish at Port City with POWRi back in March of this year. Trey Gropp (Lincoln, Neb.) notched a 13th with POWRi at Port back in 2021, while Mariah Ede (Fresno, Calif.) tallied a 16th there this past March. Austin Shores (Atoka, Okla.) took 8th at Port City in 2016 POWRi action. Just last month, Zac Millikin (Pryor, Okla.) was a 14th place finisher with POWRi at Port.
Seeking first T-Town Midget feature starts are Taylor Reimer (Bixby, Okla.), the winningest woman ever in micro sprint competition at Port City. Australian Speedcar champ Kaidon Brown (Sydney, N.S.W.) will represent the southern hemisphere as he returns to the States for his first USAC appearance since 2019. Curtis Jones (Sand Springs, Okla.) captured Port City’s 2018 Non-Wing Micro Sprint title. Veteran Chad Frewaldt (Kansas City, Kan.) is another T-Town hopeful as is Brendon Wiseley (Sand Springs, Okla.), Noah Harris (Broken Arrow, Okla.) and Port City Micro superstar Kevin Bayer (Bixby, Okla.).
THE DETAILS:
The Elite Racing Promotions event is spearheaded by four-time USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Champion driver Brady Bacon and his wife, Xia Xianna, who will serve as the promoters of the event for the third consecutive year.
Thursday night action at the T-Town Midget Showdown begins at 7pm Central. Pits open at 5pm. Front gates open at 6pm. Open practice for midgets and micros is on tap as well as a $500, winner-takes-all Midget Dash for Cash Presented by Dragonfly Aviation and a $500 to win Restrictor Showdown presented by Velox Racing. General admission tickets on Thursday night are $10 apiece while pit passes are $20.
Advance tickets for the T-Town Midget Showdown are on sale now at www.usacracing.ticketspice.com/elite-promotions.
For Friday’s April 22 show, which features a $4,000-to-win, 30-lap feature, the pits open at 3pm Central. Grandstands open at 5pm. Drivers meeting at 5:30pm. Cars on track at 6pm. Adult general admission tickets are $23. General admission for ages 6-12 is $10. For ages 5 and under, it’s free! USAC member pit passes are $30 apiece for members and $35 for non-members.
It’s $7,001-to-win and a 50-lap main event on Saturday night, April 23. Pits open at 3pm Central. Grandstands open at 5pm. Drivers meeting at 5:30pm. Cars on track at 6pm. Adult general admission tickets are $28. General admission for ages 6-12 is $10. For ages 5 and under, it’s free! USAC member pit passes are $35 apiece for members and $40 for non-members.
The Outlaw Non-Wing Micro Sprints will join the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship for complete events on both Friday and Saturday.
Watch flag-to-flag coverage of the T-Town Midget Showdown on FloRacing at https://bit.ly/3dgONXz.
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T-TOWN MIDGET SHOWDOWN ENTRY LIST:
00 AUSTIN SHORES/Atoka, OK (Grady Chandler Racing)
01 BRYANT WIEDEMAN/Colby, KS (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian)
08 CANNON McINTOSH/Bixby, OK (Dave Mac Dalby Motorsports)
08x TREY GROPP/Lincoln, NE (Dave Mac Dalby Motorsports)
2J JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (RMS Racing)
3 ZAC MILLIKIN/Pryor, OK (Hunt Brothers)
4F CHAD FREWALDT/Kansas City, KS (Chad Frewaldt)
7u KYLE JONES/Kennedale, TX (Trifecta Motorsports)
7w BRENDON WISELY/Sand Springs, OK (Rick Horn)
7x THOMAS MESERAULL/San Jose, CA (RMS Racing)
8J JONATHAN BEASON/Broken Arrow, OK (Hard Eight Racing)
9m ZACH DAUM/Pocahontas, IL (Bundy Built Motorsports)
15 ALEX SEWELL/Broken Arrow, OK (Mounce-Stout Motorsports)
15D ANDREW DEAL/Caney, KS (Mike Deal)
17 TANNER BERRYHILL/Bixby, OK (Shophouse Racing)
19AZ HAYDEN REINBOLD/Gilbert, AZ (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
19m ETHAN MITCHELL/Mooresville, NC (Bundy Built Motorsports)
20H NOAH HARRIS/Broken Arrow, OK (Jimmy Harris)
22 CURTIS JONES/Sand Springs, OK (Curtis Jones Motorsports)
25 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Tom Malloy)
25K TAYLOR REIMER/Bixby, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
26 CHANCE CRUM/Snohomish, WA (Rudeen Racing)
32 TREY MARCHAM/Newcastle, OK (Trey Marcham)
40 ®CHASE McDERMAND/Springfield, IL (Mounce-Stout Motorsports)
67 BUDDY KOFOID/Penngrove, CA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71 KAYLEE BRYSON/Muskogee, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71E ®MARIAH EDE/Fresno, CA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71m GAVIN MILLER/Allentown, PA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
83 ®DOMINIC GORDEN/Clovis, CA (CB Industries)
87 ®JACE PARK/Overland Park, KS (CB Industries)
89 ®MITCHEL MOLES/Raisin City, CA (CB Industries)
91K KEVIN BAYER/Bixby, OK (Kenny & Kevin Bayer)
97 BRENHAM CROUCH/Lubbock, TX (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
97K KAIDON BROWN/Sydney, NSW (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
2022 USAC MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVER POINT STANDINGS (TOP-10)
POS. PTS. DRIVER, HOMETOWN
1 154 Justin Grant, Ione, Calif.
2 145 Buddy Kofoid, Penngrove, Calif.
3 139 Tanner Thorson, Minden, Nev.
4 118 Emerson Axsom, Franklin, Ind.
5 117 Bryant Wiedeman, Colby, Kan.
6 115 (R) Mitchel Moles, Raisin City, Calif.
7 111 (R) Jade Avedisian, Clovis, Calif.
8 110 Cannon McIntosh, Bixby, Okla.
9 106 Logan Seavey, Sutter, Calif.
10 98 Thomas Meseraull, San Jose, Calif.
® = USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Rookie of the Year Contender
PORT CITY RACEWAY USAC NATIONAL MIDGET TRACK RECORDS:
1 Lap: 5/23/2020 – Cannon McIntosh – 9.398 – 47.883 mph
10 Laps: 5/22/2020 – Kevin Thomas Jr. – 1:38.966 – 45.470 mph
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET WINS IN OKLAHOMA:
2-Tanner Thorson & Bob Wente
1-John Batts, Christopher Bell, Steve Cannon, Jimmy Caruthers, Tyler Courtney, Jimmy Davies, Justin Grant, Buddy Kofoid, Daison Pursley, Lloyd Ruby, Logan Seavey, Sleepy Tripp & Roger West
PAST PORT CITY USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK NATIONAL MIDGET FEATURE RESULTS:
2020 FRIDAY FEATURE: (40 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Tyler Courtney (6), 2. Logan Seavey (19), 3. Chris Windom (2), 4. Tanner Thorson (3), 5. Cannon McIntosh (9), 6. Andrew Layser (13), 7. Justin Grant (10), 8. Cole Bodine (1), 9. Tanner Carrick (22), 10. Tyler Thomas (17), 11. Buddy Kofoid (4), 12. Kevin Thomas Jr. (8), 13. Thomas Meseraull (5), 14. Dave Darland (15), 15. Jonathan Beason (20), 16. Kaylee Bryson (23), 17. Hank Davis (18), 18. Jake Neuman (24), 19. Daison Pursley (12), 20. Emerson Axsom (14), 21. Jesse Love (11), 22. Ethan Mitchell (16), 23. Clinton Boyles (7), 24. Ace McCarthy (21). NT
2020 SATURDAY FEATURE: (40 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Justin Grant (3), 2. Chris Windom (2), 3. Tyler Courtney (8), 4. Cole Bodine (7), 5. Logan Seavey (16), 6. Andrew Layser (21), 7. Thomas Meseraull (6), 8. Buddy Kofoid (10), 9. Daison Pursley (4), 10. Tanner Thorson (15), 11. Tyler Thomas (12), 12. Tanner Carrick (23), 13. Jason McDougal (5), 14. Kevin Thomas Jr. (1), 15. Robert Dalby (14), 16. Trey Marcham (22), 17. Emilio Hoover (24), 18. Cannon McIntosh (11), 19. Clinton Boyles (9), 20. Kaylee Bryson (19), 21. Presley Truedson (17), 22. Ethan Mitchell (18), 23. Jesse Love (13), 24. Jonathan Beason (20). NT
2021 SATURDAY FEATURE: (50 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Buddy Kofoid (16), 2. Brian Carber (14), 3. Thomas Meseraull (9), 4. Jason McDougal (12), 5. Justin Grant (11), 6. Kyle Jones (13), 7. Joe B. Miller (21), 8. Bryant Wiedeman (18), 9. Emerson Axsom (7), 10. Kevin Thomas Jr. (5), 11. Tanner Thorson (17), 12. Chris Windom (2), 13. Daison Pursley (3), 14. Trey Marcham (24), 15. Jonathan Beason (10), 16. Sam Johnson (20), 17. Alex Sewell (19), 18. Cannon McIntosh (6), 19. Chase Randall (15), 20. Ethan Mitchell (23-P), 21. Logan Seavey (1), 22. Brenham Crouch (22-P), 23. Ryan Timms (4), 24. Tyler Thomas (8). NT
2021 SUNDAY FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Tanner Thorson (4), 2. Justin Grant (1), 3. Ethan Mitchell (9), 4. Chris Windom (13), 5. Logan Seavey (5), 6. Thomas Meseraull (6), 7. Buddy Kofoid (11), 8. Cannon McIntosh (8), 9. Joe B. Miller (15), 10. Kyle Jones (19), 11. Jake Neuman (18), 12. Jonathan Beason (14), 13. Emerson Axsom (10), 14. Jacob Denney (20), 15. Jason McDougal (12), 16. Ace McCarthy (21), 17. Chase Randall (17), 18. Daison Pursley (7), 19. Brian Carber (24-P), 20. Bryant Wiedeman (22), 21. Ryan Timms (23-P), 22. Alex Sewell (16), 23. Sam Johnson (3), 24. Kevin Thomas Jr. (2). NT