By T.J. Buffenbarger
ROSSBURG, Ohio (September 24, 2022) – Chris Windom has been focused on winged sprint car racing during the 2022 season, but proved he is still a force to be reckoned without it after winning the USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Car Series portion of the 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora Speedway on Saturday in only his third start with the series this year.
Windom, from Canton, Illinois, took the lead from Chance Crum and pulled away for his first feature victory of the 2022 season. Windom was elated in victory lane after struggling in some of the other divisions during the 4-Crown Nationals including flipping his USAC Silver Crown Series entry in hot laps and missing the USAC National Sprint Car Series feature through the B-Main event.
“I love this place, and this feels great to get this done because definitely hasn’t been the 4-Crown that I wanted in the other classes so far,” Windom stated about his rough 4-Crown Nationals ending in victory lane. “This is awesome. My car was so good around the top. It was good last year I almost think it was better this year, so hats off to all these guys on the CB Industries crew, NOS Energy Drink. Lauren Albano, Chad and Casey Boat couldn’t be here tonight. I’m happy to get this for them for the second year in a row. Their cars are so good here and these guys here tonight that stepped up with Chad being gone, they did a great job”.
Logan Seavey and Chance Crum started on the front row for the 25-lap main event. Cum led the field off turn two with Chris Windom in second and Buddy Kofoid moving up to third spot with a huge dive on the opening lap. Windom quickly pounced on Crum for the lead taking the position off turn two on lap three.
As Windom tried to pull away, Crum and Kofoid raced back and forth for the second spot until the red flag appeared when Mitchel Moles got into the fence and flipped in turn four. Moles emerged from the car under his own power. During the red flag Logan Seavey entered the work area with a flat right rear tire.
Crum attempted to slide by Windom during the restart but was unable to make the pass. Five laps later Windom was pulling away as Crum was being pressured by Kofoid for second. Kofoid and Crum raced side by side for two laps until Kofoid took over the position on lap 15.
Kofoid was starting to close on Windom for the lead when his right rear tire let go entering turn one. Kofoid nosed hard into the wall and flipped, leaving Crum nowhere to go as he slammed into Kofoid’s car and flipped as well. Both drivers exited their cars under their own power, but Kofoid scratched from the remaining two races he was scheduled to compete later in the evening.
Following the red flag Windom pulled away from the field for the victory. Bryan Wiedeman, Alex Bright, Justin Grant, and Thomas Meseraull rounded out the top five.
Windom credited his past experience at Eldora as being a major factor victory at Eldora.
“Laps around here are key, you know, it’s taken me a lot of years to get to run on the fence here and it’s definitely tough to do and hit your marks especially when you’re out front by yourself for that long it’s easy to kind of get distracted from stuff but you got to stay laser focused when you’re running that close to the fence.”
40th 4-Crown Nationals
USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Car Series
Eldora Speedway
Rossburg, Ohio
Saturday, September 24, 2022
SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS/COMPETITION SUSPENSION (CSI) FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1. C.J. Leary (#25L Petry), 2. Logan Seavey (#19 Reinbold-Underwood), 3. Buddy Kofoid (#67 Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), 4. Mitchel Moles (#89 CBI), 5. Taylor Reimer (#25K Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), 6. Alex Bright (#25 Malloy), 7. Jacob Denney (#25m Malloy), 8. Hayden Reinbold (#19AZ Reinbold-Underwood). 2:17.92
PIT STOP USA/ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1. Chris Windom (#89x CBI), 2. Thomas Meseraull (#7x RMS), 3. Justin Grant (#2J RMS), 4. Chance Crum (#26 Rudeen), 5. Tanner Carrick (#97K Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), 6. Cannon McIntosh (#08 Dave Mac-Dalby), 7. Bryant Wiedeman (#01 Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), 8. Kaylee Bryson (#71 Kunz/Curb-Agajanian). 2:17.49
FEATURE: (25 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Chris Windom (4), 2. Bryant Wiedeman (8), 3. Alex Bright (3), 4. Justin Grant (10), 5. Thomas Meseraull (12), 6. Taylor Reimer (11), 7. Cannon McIntosh (16), 8. C.J. Leary (7), 9. Logan Seavey (1), 10. Hayden Reinbold (13), 11. Kaylee Bryson (14), 12. Jacob Denney (15), 13. Tanner Carrick (9), 14. Buddy Kofoid (5), 15. Chance Crum (2), 16. Mitchel Moles (6). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-2 Chance Crum, Laps 3-25 Chris Windom.
**Mitchel Moles flipped on lap 8 of the feature. Buddy Kofoid & Chance Crum flipped on lap 17 of the feature.
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Buddy Kofoid-1581, 2-Justin Grant-1424, 3-Bryant Wiedeman-1232, 4-Cannon McIntosh-1227, 5-Thomas Meseraull-1219, 6-Mitchel Moles-1215, 7-Kaylee Bryson-1173, 8-Jacob Denney-970, 9-Taylor Reimer-967, 10-Brenham Crouch-928.
OVERALL PROSOURCE PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Justin Grant-152, 2-Thomas Meseraull-129, 3-Brady Bacon-111, 4-Robert Ballou-98, 5-Buddy Kofoid-97, 6-Kaylee Bryson-97, 7-Logan Seavey-83, 8-Kyle Cummins-76, 9-Emerson Axsom-75, 10-Cannon McIntosh-73.
NEXT USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: October 7, 2022 – Wayne County Speedway – Wayne City, Illinois – 1/8-Mile Dirt Track – Jason Leffler Memorial
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Dirt Draft Hot Laps Fastest Driver: Chris Windom (16.816)
Simpson Race Products / Competition Suspension (CSI) First Heat Winner: C.J. Leary
Pit Stop USA / Rod End Supply Second Heat Winner: Chris Windom
Feature Hard Charger: Cannon McIntosh (16th to 7th)