JOHNNY & MARIA COFER SET RARE USAC FEAT
On September 22 at Gas City (Indiana) I-69 Speedway, Maria Cofer (Macdoel, California) became one of the select few drivers to follow in their father’s footsteps in becoming a fastest qualifier with the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship. (Chuck Reed Photo)
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (October 4, 2022)………Like father, like daughter.
On September 22 at Gas City (Indiana) I-69 Speedway, Maria Cofer became one of the select few offspring to follow in their father’s footsteps after becoming a fastest qualifier with the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship.
Maria’s father, Johnny Cofer, accomplished the same feat during the tail-end of the 1995 season when he set fastest time at Ventura (California) Raceway, setting a new track record which still stands to this day.
Next, Maria is set to take on a pair of USAC National Midget events this weekend, starting Friday night, October 7, at Wayne City, Illinois’ Wayne County Speedway and on Saturday night, October 8, at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind.
Now, the Cofers enter the weekend as just one of 17 parent/child duos to record a fastest time with the series since its inception in 1956.
In doing so, they became the second father/daughter to tally fastest times with the USAC National Midget series. Warren Mockler scored a fast qualifying award twice on the Illinois’ dirt bullrings of Godfrey Speedway in 1981 and Belle-Clair Speedway in 1982. Daughter Stephanie Mockler’s turn came in 2007 when she earned P1 in time trials on the pavement of Ohio’s Mansfield Motorsports Park.
Overall, the first father/child pair to achieve the mark was Gene and Ted Hartley in 1961. Most unusual about this case is that Gene, the son, set fast time prior to his father, Ted!
After winning the first ever feature in 1956 at the Fort Wayne (Indiana) Memorial Coliseum, Gene recorded his first USAC National Midget fast time in the third event of the inaugural season at Michigan’s Grand Rapids Stadium, a February event which was halted with 37 laps complete due to snow!
Ted, meanwhile, had to wait until November 1961 when he set quickest time at the slightly more comfortable confines indoors at Ohio’s Cincinnati Gardens.
On four separate occasions, a father and his multiple children were fastest-timers with the series. The first to do so was Tony Bettenhausen followed by his two sons Gary and Merle. Parnelli Jones sons, PJ and Page, followed suit as well in the coming years. Jim Hines and his two boys, Ted and Tracy, all hit the top of the speed chart in qualifying during their careers. All three of these father/sons pairings – Bettenhausen, Jones and Hines – won USAC National Midget features as well.
Pancho Carter and sons Dane and Cole soon added their names to the fast qualifying list in the coming years. Dane and Cole set those marks under the watchful eye of their father, USAC’s first Triple Crown champion driver to capture a USAC National Midget, National Sprintcar and Silver Crown title in his career.
There’s been just one single instance of three generations from a single family emerging as USAC National Midget fastest qualifiers. Gene Gurney notched his first in 1960 at California’s Kearney Bowl. His son, Chuck, tripped the timing light fastest overall on Valentine’s Day 1975 when he turned the quickest lap at the Oklahoma City Sports Arena. Gene’s grandson and Chuck’s son, Chuck Gurney Jr., made his historic mark on the timing charts and in the USAC record books with fast time at Indianapolis Raceway Park in 2010.
UP NEXT:
Next up on the USAC calendar are a pair of National Midget outings this weekend, Friday, October 7, in the 9th running of the Peoples National Bank Jason Leffler Memorial at Wayne County Speedway in Wayne City, Illinois and on Saturday, October 8, in the Harvest Cup at Haubstadt, Indiana’s Tri-State Speedway.
Friday at Wayne City, the grandstands open at 5pm Central with the drivers meeting at 6pm and hot laps at 6:30pm with racing immediately following. Adult general admission tickets are $30. Kids 12 & under are free. Pit passes are $30 for members and $35 for non-members. Non-Wing Outlaw Micros, Restrictors and Junior Sprints will also be on hand.
Saturday at Tri-State, pits open at 3pm Central with grandstands opening at 4pm, the drivers meeting at 4:30pm and hot laps at 5:30pm with qualifying and racing immediately following. Adult general admission tickets are $25, students aged 13-18 are $20 and kids aged 12 & under are free. Pit passes are $30 for members and $35 for non-members. Also racing at the Harvest Cup are the Midwest Sprint Car Series and the Midwest Mini Sprint Association.
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MULTIPLE GENERATIONS OF USAC NATIONAL MIDGET FAST QUALIFIERS:
(As of October 4, 2022)
Father: Don Vogler (6) & Son: Rich Vogler (84)
Father: Bob Wente (72) & Son: Terry Wente (1)
Father: Jim Hines (2) & Sons: Tracy Hines (38) & Ted Hines (3)
Father: Dave Strickland (38) & Son: Dave Strickland Jr. (9)
Father: Johnnie Parsons (3) & Son: Johnny Parsons (36)
Father: Parnelli Jones (27) & Sons: P.J. Jones (3) & Page Jones (2)
Father: Tony Bettenhausen (3) & Sons: Gary Bettenhausen (25) & Merle Bettenhausen (5)
Father: Ted Hartley (2) & Son: Gene Hartley (24)
Father: Pancho Carter (10) & Sons: Dane Carter (4) & Cole Carter (3)
Father: Henry Pens (7) & Son: Danny Pens (2)
Father: Billy Boat (5) & Son: Chad Boat (6)
Father: Bob Gregg (1) & Son: Mike Gregg (6)
Father Danny Frye (4) & Son: Danny Frye Jr. (1)
Father: Gene Gurney (1), Son: Chuck Gurney (4) & Grandson: Chuck Gurney Jr. (1)
Father: Warren Mockler (2) & Daughter: Stephanie Mockler (1)
Father: Johnny Cofer (1) & Daughter: Maria Cofer (1)
Father: Danny Kladis (1) & Son: George Kladis (1)
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2022 USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK NATIONAL MIDGET STAT LEADERS
Driver Point Leader: Buddy Kofoid
Entrant Point Leader: Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #67
Leading Rookie Driver in Points: Mitchel Moles
Most Feature Wins: 10-Buddy Kofoid
Laps Led: 140-Buddy Kofoid
Top-Fives: 19-Buddy Kofoid
Top-Tens: 21-Buddy Kofoid
Fast Qualifying Times: 5-Buddy Kofoid
Heat Race Wins: 7-Buddy Kofoid
Feature Starts: 23-Kaylee Bryson, Justin Grant, Buddy Kofoid, Cannon McIntosh, Mitchel Moles & Bryant Wiedeman
Most Positions Gained in a Feature: Jun 5: Tri-State Speedway – Kaylee Bryson (22nd to 4th)
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2022 USAC MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVER POINT STANDINGS (TOP-10)
POS. PTS. DRIVER, HOMETOWN
1 1,581 Buddy Kofoid, Penngrove, Calif.
2 1,424 Justin Grant, Ione, Calif.
3 1,232 Bryant Wiedeman, Colby, Kan.
4 1,227 Cannon McIntosh, Bixby, Okla.
5 1,219 Thomas Meseraull, San Jose, Calif.
6 1,215 (R) Mitchel Moles, Raisin City, Calif.
7 1,173 Kaylee Bryson, Muskogee, Okla.
8 970 (R) Jacob Denney, Galloway, Ohio
9 967 Taylor Reimer, Bixby, Okla.
10 858 Brenham Crouch, Lubbock, Texas
® = USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Rookie of the Year Contender
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2022 USAC MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP OWNER POINT STANDINGS (TOP-10)
POS. PTS. ENTRANT, TEAM LOCATION
1 1,581 Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, Columbus, Ind. (#67)
2 1,424 RMS Racing, Western Springs, Ill. (#2J)
3 1,247 RMS Racing, Western Springs, Ill. (#7x)
4 1,232 Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, Columbus, Ind. (#01)
5 1,227 Dave Mac Dalby Motorsports, Bixby, Okla. (#08)
6 1,215 CB Industries, Mooresville, N.C. (#89)
7 1,173 Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, Columbus, Ind. (#71)
8 1,134 Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, Columbus, Ind. (#97)
9 1,023 Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, Columbus, Ind. (#25K)
10 1,003 Bundy Built Motorsports, Mooresville, N.C. (#9m)
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2022 USAC MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ROOKIE DRIVER POINT STANDINGS (TOP-10)
POS. PTS. DRIVER, HOMETOWN
1 1,215 Mitchel Moles, Raisin City, Calif.
2 970 Jacob Denney, Galloway, Ohio
3 666 Chase McDermand, Springfield, Ill.
4 653 Jade Avedisian, Clovis, Calif.
5 585 Jace Park, Overland Park, Kan.
6 525 Cade Lewis, Bakersfield, Calif.
7 513 Dominic Gorden, Clovis, Calif.
8 278 Mariah Ede, Fresno, Calif.
9 264 Blake Brannon, Morgan Hill, Calif.
10 96 Travis Buckley, Auckland, N.Z.
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2022 USAC MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP STATISTICS
FEATURE WINS
10-Buddy Kofoid (Apr 23 at Port City Raceway, Jun 2 at Tri-City Speedway, Jun 3 at Bloomington Speedway, Jun 4 at Lawrenceburg Speedway, Jul 8 at Huset’s Speedway, Jul 9 at Huset’s Speedway, Jul 16 at Jefferson County Speedway, Aug 4 at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sep 10 at Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex & Sep 22 at Gas City I-69 Speedway)
3-Justin Grant (Feb 11 at Bubba Raceway Park, Feb 12 at Bubba Raceway Park & Apr 22 at Port City Raceway)
3-Cannon McIntosh (Jun 11 at Kokomo Speedway, Jul 10 at Huset’s Speedway & Sep 9 at Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex)
2-Thomas Meseraull (Jun 5 at Tri-State Speedway & Jul 13 at Solomon Valley Raceway)
2-Mitchel Moles (Jul 15 at Jefferson County Speedway & Sep 23 at Eldora Speedway)
1-Jacob Denney (Jun 9 at Lincoln Park Speedway)
1-Ryan Timms (Jul 12 at Red Dirt Raceway)
1-Chris Windom (Sep 24 at Eldora Speedway)
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ALL-TIME USAC MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FAST QUALIFYING TIMES
1. (93) Mel Kenyon
2. (84) Rich Vogler
3. (77) Jimmy Davies
4. (72) Bob Wente
5. (43) Mike McGreevy
6. (38) Tracy Hines, Dave Strickland & Bob Tattersall
9. (36) Johnny Parsons
10. (33) Chuck Rodee
11. (29) Jimmy Caruthers
12. (28) Tommy Astone & Kevin Olson
14. (27) Parnelli Jones
15. (26) Jason Leffler
16. (25) Gary Bettenhausen
17. (24) Gene Hartley & Tanner Thorson
19. (22) Stan Fox
20. (21) Don Branson, Tony Stewart, Shorty Templeman
23. (20) Bryan Clauson, Dan Drinan, Bobby East & Bobby Grim
27. (19) Jay Drake & Kyle Larson
29. (17) Dave Steele & Mike Streicher
31. (16) Rico Abreu, Billy Engelhart, Darren Hagen, Steve Lotshaw & Bobby Olivero
36. (15) Tom Bigelow, Billy Cantrell, Tyler Courtney, Bob McLean & Les Scott
41. (14) Jerry Coons Jr., Dave Darland, Jeff Gordon & Kenny Irwin Jr.
45. (13) George Benson, Jimmy Knight & J.J. Yeley
48. (12) Larry Rice & Josh Wise
50. (11) Brady Bacon, Danny Caruthers, Lonnie Caruthers, Russ Congdon, Tommy Copp, Don Meacham, Ryan Newman, Ken Schrader, Len Sutton, Brad Sweet & Sleepy Tripp
61. (10) George Amick, Pancho Carter, Allen Crowe, Logan Seavey, Billy Vukovich & Leroy Warriner
67. (9) A.J. Foyt, Doug Kalitta, Cannon McIntosh, Larry Patton, Stevie Reeves, Dave Strickland Jr. & Jerry Weeks
74. (8) Spencer Bayston, Christopher Bell, Dana Carter, Rex Easton, Russ Gamester, Don Horvath, Kasey Kahne, Sammy Sessions, George Snider & Jack Turner
84. (7) Mike Bliss, Ray Elliott, Allen Heath, Billy Mehner, Andy Michner, Henry Pens, Lowell Sachs, Kody Swanson & Kevin Thomas Jr.
93. (6) Chad Boat, Burt Foland, Brian Gerster, Mike Gregg, Kyle Hamilton, Buddy Kofoid, Lee Kunzman, Jerry McClung, Ron Shuman, Jimmy Sills, Don Vogler, Chris Windom & Billy Wood
106. (5) Merle Bettenhausen, Billy Boat, Steve Cannon, Ray Crawford, Kevin Doty, Ronnie Duman, Aaron Fike, Shane Golobic, Rick Goudy, Justin Grant, Jeff Heywood, Eddie Johnson, Steve Knepper, Brad Kuhn, Andy Linden, Bobby Santos, Chris Shultz, Billy Shuman, Chuck Weyant & Mauri Wilson
126. (4) Johnny Anderson, Caleb Armstrong, Sonny Ates, Gary Byers, Dane Carter,
Joe Corrigan, Zach Daum, Mike Fedorcak, Robby Flock, Danny Frye, Joe Garson, Chuck Gurney, Jim Hettinger, Arnie Knepper, Chuck Marshall, Danny McKnight, Ethan Mitchell, Jeff Nuckles, Danny Oakes, Gary Ponzini, Richard Powell, Porky Rachwitz, Ricky Shelton, Tom Steiner, Bruce Walkup, Rodger Ward, Roger West, & Zeb Wise
154. (3) Bob Cicconi, Cole Carter, Don Anderson, Donnie Beechler, Dwight Brown, Hank Butcher, Harry Beck, Jack Calabrase, Larry Dickson, Mario Clouser, Steve Buckwalter, Tony Bettenhausen, Tony Elliott, Bruce Field, A.J. Fike, Gene Force, Bob Hare, Ted Hines, P.J. Jones, Greg Leffler, Grier Manning, Mack McClellan, Roger McCluskey, Thomas Meseraull, Mitchel Moles, Johnny Moorhouse, Kenneth Nichols, Jerry Nuckles, Tim Pangborn, Forrest Parker, Johnnie Parsons, Taylor Reimer, Johnny Roberts, Randy Roberts, Lloyd Ruby, Eddie Sachs, Don Schilling, Tom Sellberg, Dale Swaim, Johnnie Tolan & Dillon Welch
195. (2) Sherman Armstrong Jr., Jade Avedisian, Jack Bates, Gays Biro, Art Bisch, Dan Boorse, Kaylee Bryson, Tanner Carrick, Bill Chennault, Paul Clark, Bob Cortner, Chris Cumberworth, Bob Davison, Corey Day, Edgar Elder, Todd Forbes, Nick Fornoro Jr., Gene Gennetten, Elmer George, Joe Giba, Ron Gregory, Ted Hartley, Mike Hess, Jim Hines, Shane Hmiel, Eddie Jackson, Bubby Jones, Dick Jones, Page Jones, Ronnie Kaplan, Johnny Kay, Walt Kennedy, Michael Lewis, Brad Loyet, Carson Macedo, Jim Mahoney, Jim McClean, Sarah McCune, Warren Mockler, Earl Motter, Ken Nichols, Hank Nykaza, Steve Paden, Danny Pens, Michael Pickens, Parker Price-Miller, Daison Pursley, Levi Roberts, Johnny Rodriguez, Joe Saldana, Sam Sauer, Ryan Scott, Jigger Sirois, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Danny Stratton, Russ Sweedler, Buddy Taylor, George Tichenor, Bud Tingelstad, Steve Troxell, Bobby Unser, Billy Wease, Ken Weiland, Cole Whitt & Carl Williams
260. (1) Bobby Allen, Al Alpern, Chuck Amati, John Andretti, Capp Arnold, Chuck Arnold, Dick Atkins, Tony Ave, Emerson Axsom, Steve Barth, Dave Bartlett, Todd Barton, John Batts, Jim Beckley, Daniel Bedford, Dick Betts, Nick Bohanon, Tony Bonadies, Johnny Boyd, Alex Bright, Bob Burbridge, Larry Cannon, Roy Caruthers, Billy Cassella, Steve Chassey, Bud Clemons, Johnny Cofer, Maria Cofer, Duke Cook, Jay Cornell, Chance Crum, A.J. Davis, Duke DeRosa, Danny Ebberts, Bob Ellingham, Dean Erfurth, Russ Faucett, Sarah Fisher, Dan Ford, Josh Ford, Danny Frye Jr., Jim Gates, Johnny Gavin, Roy Gillhamer, Roy Graham, Bob Gregg, Mike Groff, Chuck Gurney Jr., Gene Gurney, Butch Haisman, Davey Hamilton, Garrett Hansen, Bob Harkey, Alex Harris, Scott Hatton, Jac Haudenschild, Jim Hemmings, Al Henderson, Jordan Hermansader, Mike Hill, Larry Hillerud, Bob Hogle, Shane Hollingsworth, Bill Homeier, Rick Hood, Wally Hostettler, Billy Hughes, Jeff Hunt, Tony Hunt, Gary Irvin, Bob Jesser, Ronnie Johncox, Paul Jones, Jack Jordan, Brent Kaeding, Gary Kanawyer, Jim Keeker, Harry Kern, Jimmy Kirk, Danny Kladis, George Kladis, Clay Klepper, Kevin Koch, Randy Koch, , Bill Kojis, Bill Kollman, Jim Lauri IV, Buddy Lee, Donnie Lehmann, Bob Lithgow, Eddie Loomis, Jim Bob Luebbert, Dave Lundy, Jim Malloy, Bobby Marshman, Larry McCloskey, Jimmy McCune, Lealand McSpadden, Al Miller, J.R. Miller, Stephanie Mockler, Davey Moses, Mike Mosley, Brad Noffsinger, Danny O’Neill,
Jan Opperman, Junior Parkinson, Gary Patterson, Jiggs Peters, Dick Pole, Bill Puterbaugh, Jon Rahe, Bill Randall, Chase Randall, Norm Rapp, Keith Rauch, Dickie Reese, Bill Renshaw, Bob Richards, Bruce Robey, Jack Runyon, John Sarna, Gio Scelzi, Chase Scott, Shane Scully, Roy Seidenstricker, Holly Shelton, Dean Shirley, Tony Simon, C.L. Smith, Bob Spoo, J.P. Standley, Tanner Swanson, Kevin Swindell, Kevin Thomas, Bob Twitty, Al Unser, Don Weaver, Terry Wente, Gene Weyant, Johnny White, Newt White, Bryant Wiedeman, Eric Wilkins & Don Wilson
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ALL-TIME USAC NATIONAL MIDGET DRIVER CHAMPIONS
1956: Shorty Templeman, 1957: Shorty Templeman, 1958: Shorty Templeman, 1959: Gene Hartley, 1960: Jimmy Davies, 1961: Jimmy Davies, 1962: Jimmy Davies, 1963: Bob Wente, 1964: Mel Kenyon, 1965: Mike McGreevy, 1966: Mike McGreevy, 1967: Mel Kenyon, 1968: Mel Kenyon, 1969: Bob Tattersall, 1970: Jimmy Caruthers, 1971: Danny Caruthers, 1972: Pancho Carter, 1973: Larry Rice, 1974: Mel Kenyon, 1975: Sleepy Tripp, 1976: Sleepy Tripp, 1977: Mel Kenyon, 1978: Rich Vogler, 1979: Steve Lotshaw, 1980: Rich Vogler, 1981: Mel Kenyon, 1982: Kevin Olson, 1983: Rich Vogler, 1984: Tom Bigelow, 1985: Mel Kenyon, 1986: Rich Vogler, 1987: Kevin Olson, 1988: Rich Vogler, 1989: Russ Gamester, 1990: Jeff Gordon, 1991: Mike Streicher, 1992: Stevie Reeves, 1993: Stevie Reeves, 1994: Tony Stewart, 1995: Tony Stewart, 1996: Kenny Irwin Jr., 1997: Jason Leffler, 1998: Jason Leffler, 1999: Jason Leffler, 2000: Kasey Kahne, 2001: Dave Darland, 2002: Dave Darland, 2003: J.J. Yeley, 2004: Bobby East, 2005: Josh Wise, 2006: Jerry Coons Jr., 2007: Jerry Coons Jr., 2008: Cole Whitt, 2009: Brad Kuhn, 2010: Bryan Clauson, 2011: Bryan Clauson, 2012: Darren Hagen, 2013: Christopher Bell, 2014: Rico Abreu, 2015: Tracy Hines, 2016: Tanner Thorson, 2017: Spencer Bayston, 2018: Logan Seavey, 2019: Tyler Courtney, 2020: Chris Windom, 2021: Buddy Kofoid
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ALL-TIME USAC NATIONAL MIDGET OWNER CHAMPIONS
1956: Ashley Wright, 1957: Lloyd Rahn, 1958: Lloyd Rahn, 1959: Ray Bolander, 1960: Jimmy Davies, 1961: Howard Linne, 1962: Jimmy Davies, 1963: Robert Shadday, 1964: Willard Coil, 1965: Mel & Don Kenyon, 1966: Don Kenyon, 1967: Mel & Don Kenyon, 1968: Mel & Don Kenyon, 1969: Jack Stroud, 1970: Doug Caruthers, 1971: Doug Caruthers, 1972: Shannon Buick Company, 1973: Doug Caruthers, 1974: Don Kenyon, 1975: Ron Tripp, 1976: Ron Tripp, 1977: Sherman Armstrong, 1978: Doug & Dana Caruthers, 1979: 3-K Racing Enterprises, 1980: Don Kenyon, 1981: 3-K Racing Enterprises, 1982: Nick Gojmeric, 1983: Streicher Racing, 1984: Wilke Racing, 1985: 3-K Racing Enterprises, 1986: Jonathan Byrd, 1987: Jonathan Byrd, 1988: Wilke Racers, 1989: George & Gary Gamester, 1990: Streicher Racing, 1991: Streicher Racing, 1992: Ralph Potter, 1993: Steve Lewis, 1994: Ralph Potter, 1995: Steve Lewis, 1996: Steve Lewis, 1997: Pete Willoughby, 1998: Steve Lewis, 1999: Steve Lewis, 2000: Steve Lewis, 2001: Steve Lewis, 2002: Steve Lewis, 2003: Steve Lewis, 2004: Steve Lewis, 2005: Wilke-Pak Racers, 2006: Keith Kunz Motorsports, 2007: Wilke-Pak Racers, 2008: Keith Kunz Motorsports, 2009: RW Motorsports, 2010: Corey Tucker Racing/Keith Kunz Motorsports/BCI, 2011: Corey Tucker Racing/BCI/Curb-Agajanian, 2012: Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, 2013: Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, 2014: Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, 2015: Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, 2016: Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, 2017: Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, 2018: Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, 2019: Clauson-Marshall Racing, 2020: Tucker-Boat Motorsports, 2021: Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports
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DAYNE KINGSHOTT IS AGAIN KING OF WINGS CHAMPION!