By Richie Murray
Ventura, California (November 25, 2022)………Jacob Denney not only recorded the fastest single lap during Friday night’s practice for the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship at California’s Ventura Raceway, he turned the fastest three laps!
The Don Basile Turkey Night Grand Prix Rookie from Galloway, Ohio timed in as the fastest overall of the 50 cars which hit the track for the open session in preparation for the 81st running of the ARP Turkey Night Grand Prix at Ventura on Saturday night, November 26.
Driving for the same team which captured the most recent Turkey Night Grand Prix victory in 2021, Denney’s three fastest practice laps of the night – 12.307, 12.367 and 12.377 – were faster than any other lap posted by any other driver in the field.
Denney, in his Tom Malloy/Trench Shoring – Rodela Specialty Fabrication/King/Ed Pink Toyota, was followed by Bixby, Oklahoma’s Taylor Reimer (12.397) while Daison Pursley (Locust Grove, Okla.) put two different cars into the top-four. He took the Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports No. 67K to third at 12.399 and the No. 71p to 12.481.
Rounding out the top-five on practice night was Tyler Courtney (Indianapolis, Ind.) at 12.514 seconds. The 2019 USAC National Midget champion was at the wheel of the same, exact winning Tom Malloy-owned car driven to victory a year ago at Turkey Night by Logan Seavey.
Newly crowned back-to-back USAC National Midget champion Buddy Kofoid (Penngrove, Calif.) was 12th fastest while past Turkey Night winners, 2021 victor Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.) and 2015 king Tanner Thorson (Minden, Nev.), were 16th and 32nd, respectively.
Two on-track incidents occurred during the night. Jake Hodges (Camarillo, Calif.) flipped during the first session and was able to walk away under his own power. Later in the evening, Kaylee Bryson (Muskogee, Okla.) spun backwards into the turn three tire barrier at the pit entrance. Moments later, Spencer Bayston (Lebanon, Ind.) tried to avoid the stopped car of Bryson, but clipped Bryson, which knocked out Bayston’s left front.
RACE DETAILS:
The 81st running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix pays $10,000-to-win for the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship event at Ventura on Saturday night, November 26.
Serving as grand marshals for the event are National Midget Hall of Famer Wally Pankratz and Dick Woodland.
Sprint car semi-feature and feature events, plus a full program for the USAC National Midgets, take place on Saturday, November 26 and conclude with a 98-lap feature event.
On Saturday, the pits open at 11am Pacific with the drivers meeting at 2:30pm, the grandstands opening at 3pm and cars on track at 3:15pm.
On Saturday, all tickets that are not reserved are $35. Reserved seats are $45 for ages 13 and older and $25 for ages 12 and under. Pit passes are $45 for members and $50 for non-members.
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USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRACTICE RESULTS: November 25, 2022 – Ventura Raceway – Ventura, California – 1/5-Mile Dirt Oval – 81st ARP Turkey Night Grand Prix
PRACTICE: 1. Jacob Denney, 25m, Malloy-12.307; 2. Taylor Reimer, 25K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.397; 3. Daison Pursley, 67K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.399; 4. Daison Pursley, 71p, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.481; 5. Tyler Courtney, 25, Malloy-12.514; 6. Cannon McIntosh, 08, Dave Mac Dalby-12.516; 7. Hayden Reinbold, 19AZ, Reinbold/Underwood-12.556; 8. Emerson Axsom, 25x, Malloy-12.563; 9. Carson Macedo, 99AU, Dyson-12.578; 10. Spencer Bayston, 9AU, Dyson-12.594; 11. Daniel Whitley, 57, Abacus-12.629; 12. Buddy Kofoid, 67, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.651; 13. Brenham Crouch, 97, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.702; 14. Cade Lewis, 71m, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.703; 15. Ryan Timms, 97K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.705; 16. Logan Seavey, 58, Abacus-12.706; 17. Jake Andreotti, 00, Davis-12.708; 18. Kaylee Bryson, 71, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.716; 19. Bryant Wiedeman, 01, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.721; 20. Alex Bright, 19, Reinbold/Underwood-12.747; 21. Michael Faccinto, 14T, Streeter-12.772; 22. Mitchel Moles, 89, CBI-12.824; 23. Chance Crum, 26, Rudeen-12.827; 24. Caden Sarale, 32, Sarale-12.877; 25. Dominic Gorden, 71K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.903; 26. Jonathan Beason, 89x, CBI-12.903; 27. Troy Rutherford, 8w, Woodland-12.960; 28. C.J. Sarna, 20, Sarna-13.070; 29. Mariah Ede, 71E, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-13.073; 30. Scott Orr, 88s, Orr-13.086; 31. Jake Hodges, 4, Hodges-13.210; 32. Tanner Thorson, 88, Thorson-13.229; 33. Logan Calderwood, 73L, Ford-13.289; 34. Steve Hix, 57x, Hix-13.362; 35. Tuesday Calderwood, 73T, Ford-13.375; 36. Chase Johnson, 73x, Ford-14.046; 37. A.J. Bender, 1x, LKK-14.052; 38. Brody Fuson, 51, Carlile-14.057; 39. Jake Swanson, 73, Ford-14.083; 40. T.J. Smith, 22s, GR-14.087; 41. Jim Vanzant, 3v, Vanzant-14.128; 42. Travis Buckley, A237NZ, BSL-14.158; 43. Steve Paden, 56, Paden-14.322; 44. Lance Bennett, 91, Mason-14.346; 45. Terry Nichols, 1NP, NP-14.467; 46. Nathan Byrd, 11K, Kruseman-14.536; 47. Blaze Bennett, 10, Bennett-14.607; 48. Bryan Drollinger, 71D, Drollinger-14.686; 49. Josh Hodge, 5J, Rose-14.781; 50. Bryon Walters, 6, Rose-15.086; 51. Jade Avedisian, 84, CBI-NT; 52. Jason McDougal, 68, Six8-NT; 53. Joey Bishop, 45, Bishop-NT; 54. Justin Grant, 2J, RMS-NT; 55. Kevin Thomas Jr., 5T, Alexander-NT; 56. Thomas Meseraull, 7x, RMS-NT; 57. Zach Telford, 22G, Risner-NT.
NEXT USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: November 26, 2022 – Ventura Raceway – Ventura, California – 1/5-Mile Dirt Oval – 81st ARP Turkey Night Grand Prix