LARSON EYES HANGTOWN 100 REPEAT

Kyle Larson (Elk Grove, Calif.) enters this weekend’s Elk Grove Ford Hangtown 100 at California’s Placerville Speedway as the defending event winner. (Rich Forman Photo)

By: Richie Murray – USAC Media

Placerville, California (November 18, 2021)………Placerville Speedway is the home to some of Kyle Larson’s most cherished racing moments.

It’s the place he made his first Sprintcar start. It’s the place he won his first Sprintcar race. It’s the place he describes as his “home track.”

It’s also the place the Elk Grove, California native will be competing at for three-straight nights of USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship racing this coming weekend, Thursday-Friday-Saturday, November 18-19-20, during the second running of the Elk Grove Ford Hangtown 100.

The three-night event will pay $5,000-to-win on each of the two preliminary night features on Thursday and Friday while the 100-lap main event on Saturday will pay $20,000-to-win. In addition, another $12,000 will be awarded to the overall Hangtown 100-point champion throughout the three nights.

Back in 2019, Larson chalked up another memorable moment at the northern California 1/4-mile dirt oval, starting 10^th and laying claim as the winner of the richest event in USAC National Midget history, earning a total of $32,000 in total earnings for the evening.

In fact, Larson also scored wins in a pair of regional Midget events at Placerville earlier that same season as a tune-up to Hangtown, his only aberration being the opening night of the 2019 Hangtown weekend when he was mired in the back, yet still charged from 23^rd to finish 4^th in the feature.

NASCAR’s Chase Elliott (Dawsonville, Ga) will team alongside Larson in a second Kyle Larson Racing machine for the Hangtown 100. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion has competed in three USAC National Midget events in 2021, highlighted by a heat race win in Ocala, Fla. in February.

Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif) opened Hangtown 2019 with a runner-up result after starting 8^th, then followed up with an 11^th on the final night. Teaming up with Seavey in a second Tom Malloy-owned car this weekend is Colby Copeland (Roseville, Calif) who was 22^nd on night one and 14^th in the following night’s closer that year.

Seven Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports cars are entered for the event. Tanner Carrick (Lincoln, Calif) has been a frequent winner at Placerville in a winged Sprintcar this season, capturing a Sprintcar Challenge Tour main event in March, plus three more of the winged 360 variety throughout the summer. He took 8^th and 3^rd on the two nights of the Hangtown 100 in 2019.

USAC National Midget point leader Buddy Kofoid’s first Hangtown 100 start came on night two of the 2019 race, with the Penngrove, Calif driver recording an 18^th. He’s joined on the KKM team by a slew of Hangtown 100 Rookies, including Bryant Wiedeman (Colby, Kan.), Taylor Reimer (Bixby, Okla.), Kaylee Bryson (Muskogee, Okla.), Mariah Ede (Fresno, Calif.) and Brenham Crouch (Lubbock, Texas).

Shane Golobic (Fremont, Calif) has won in both a Midget and Sprintcar at Placerville, wining with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprintcars in late 2019. He also was a victor with the USAC Western States Midgets at Placerville in 2013 and 2017.  At his self-described “favorite racetrack in the world,” the 2017 Indiana Midget Week champ was 5^th on night one of the Hangtown 100 in 2019 and, most recently, scored a 360 Sprintcar win at the track in May.

Hangtown 100 promoter Matt Wood has entered four cars for the event with Golobic joined by Zeb Wise, Ryan Bernal and Mitchel Moles. Wise (Angola, Ind) finished 24^th in his lone Hangtown 100 appearance on night two in 2019. Bernal (Hollister, Calif) was a 16^th place finisher on night one of the event in 2019 and an impressive 4^th on the second of two nights. Moles is a Rookie in the event but was the fastest qualifier with a new track record with the USAC National Midgets at South Dakota’s Huset’s Speedway in September.

Returning 2019 Hangtown feature starters include a myriad of USAC National Midget feature winners, highlighted by the likes of series champion Chris Windom (Canton, Ill) for one, who charged from 23^rd to 13^th on night two.  Thomas Meseraull (San Jose, Calif) notched 14^th and 17^th place finishes, whereas Kevin Thomas Junior (Cullman, Ala.) was 19^th and 21^st, Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) 25^th and 20^th, and Cannon McIntosh (Bixby, Okla.) 26^th on night one.

Maria Cofer (Macdoel, Calif) was a BCRA Midget feature winner at Placerville in 2018 and finished 4^th earlier this year in USAC Western States Midget competition. Chase Johnson (Penngrove, Calif) took 3^rd in the event with Michael Faccinto (Hanford, Calif) 5^th, Blake Bower (Brentwood, Calif.) 7^th and Ben Wiesz (Colfax, Calif.) 9^th.

Carson Macedo (Lemoore, Calif), the 2016 USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Rookie of the Year and 11-time 2020 World of Outlaws winner, led a race-high 23 laps in the 2019 WoO feature at Placerville before finishing 2nd behind Golobic.

More than half of the entries will be trying to crack into their first Hangtown 100 feature starting lineup. Jake Morgan (Elk Grove, Calif) won a 360 non-wing Sprintcar race at Placerville in April of this year. Ryan Robinson (Foresthill, Calif) captured a winged 360 sprint main event victory in May of 2021.

USAC National Midget feature winners in 2021 looking to make their first Hangtown 100 start this weekend include 2016 series champion Tanner Thorson (Minden, Nev.), plus series winners Emerson Axsom (Franklin, Ind.) and Zach Daum (Pocahontas, Ill), along with series veteran Ethan Mitchell (Mooresville, N.C.) and series Rookies Chase Randall (Waco, Texas), Hayden Reinbold (Gilbert, Ariz.) and Austin Barnhill (Wilmington, NC)

All Star Circuit of Champions runner-up Cory Eliason was a three-time Placerville winged 360 Sprintcar feature winner in 2017. His Rudeen Racing teammate, Chance Crum (Snohomish, Wash), is a three-time USAC Midwest Regional Midget winner this season.

Jade Avedisian (Clovis, Calif) will pilot a car from the same team (CB Industries), with the same car number (#84), that won the first ever Hangtown 100 feature with driver Gio Scelzi in 2019. Looking to become a first-time USAC winner is CBI teammate Ryan Timms (Oklahoma City, Okla), who recently captured victory on the final night of Trophy Cup in Tulare, Calif.

Recently crowned USAC Western States Midget champ Blake Bower (Brentwood, Calif) is in the Hangtown field for the first time while series winner Ben Worth (Coalinga, Calif) seeks his first feature event start. They’ll be joined by familiar western competitors, including Max Adams (Loomis, Calif), both a past Gas City (Ind) Speedway track champ and a multi-time USAC CRA Sprintcar feature winner.

Carson Sousa (Red Bluff, Calif) makes his first Hangtown appearance and first USAC Midget appearance since 2019, along with fellow Californians, 2021 BCRA titlist Colby Johnson (Penngrove, Calif), Tony Gomes (Modesto, Calif), Randi Parnkratz (Atascadero, Calif), Jake Andreotti (Castro Valley, Calif.), Lonny Alton (Cordova, Calif.), Beau Lemire (Placerville, Calif) and 2019 BCRA champ, Robert Carson (Concord, Calif).

Also sharing the card will be the BCRA/California Lightning Sprints, who are set to run without wings each night.

The expanded three-night event will utilize a modified Trophy Cup style format, featuring larger than normal inverts.

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2021 HANGTOWN 100 ENTRY LIST: (49 ENTRIES)

CAR # | DRIVER | HOMETOWN | ENTRANT

00 CARSON SOUSA/Red Bluff, CA (Mounce-Stout Motorsports)

00A JAKE ANDREOTTI/Castro Valley, CA (Pete Davis)

01 BRYANT WIEDEMAN/Colby, KS (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)

07w MITCHEL MOLES/Raisin City, CA (Matt Wood Racing)

08 CANNON McINTOSH/Bixby, OK (Dave Mac Motorsports)

1K KYLE LARSON/Elk Grove, CA (Kyle Larson Racing)

1x MAX ADAMS/Loomis, CA (LKK Motorsports)

2J JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (RMS Racing)

5 KEVIN THOMAS JR./Cullman, AL (Petry Motorsports)

5A LONNY ALTON/Rancho Cordova, CA (Lonny Alton)

5K BEN WORTH/Coalinga, CA (Dean Alexander)

7NZ CHASE JOHNSON/Penngrove, CA (BSL Racing)

7x THOMAS MESERAULL/San Jose, CA (RMS Racing)

8 RANDI PANKRATZ/Atascadero, CA (Wally Pankratz)

9 BLAKE BOWER/Brentwood, CA (Tony Boscacci)

9E CHASE ELLIOTT/Dawsonville, GA (Kyle Larson Racing)

9m ZACH DAUM/Pocahontas, IL (Bundy Built Motorsports)

14 BEAU LEMIRE/Placerville, CA (Lemire Racing)

14s MICHAEL FACCINTO/Hanford, CA (Matt Streeter)

15 EMERSON AXSOM/Franklin, IN (Petry Motorsports)

17B AUSTIN BARNHILL/Wilmington, NC (Dave Mac Motorsports)

17K COLBY JOHNSON/Penngrove, CA (Del Morris)

17w SHANE GOLOBIC/Fremont, CA (Matt Wood Racing)

19A CHASE RANDALL/Waco, TX (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)

19AZ HAYDEN REINBOLD/Gilbert, AZ (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)

19m ETHAN MITCHELL/Mooresville, NC (Bundy Built Motorsports)

19T TANNER THORSON/Minden, NV (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)

21 CARSON MACEDO/Lemoore, CA (Tarlton Motorsports)

21w BEN WIESZ/Colfax, CA (Ben Wiesz)

25 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Tom Malloy)

25K TAYLOR REIMER/Bixby, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)

25x COLBY COPELAND/Roseville, CA (Tom Malloy)

26 CORY ELIASON/Visalia, CA (Rudeen Racing)

26R CHANCE CRUM/Snohomish, WA (Rudeen Racing)

37w ZEB WISE/Angola, IN (Matt Wood Racing)

45 JAKE MORGAN/Elk Grove, CA (Luke OB Racing)

57 MARIA COFER/Macdoel, CA (Abacus Racing)

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)

71K TANNER CARRICK/Lincoln, CA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)

71R RYAN ROBINSON/Foresthill, CA (Del Morris)

73 TONY GOMES/Modesto, CA (Josh Ford Motorsports)

84 JADE AVEDISIAN/Clovis, CA (CB Industries)

85T RYAN TIMMS/Oklahoma City, OK (CB Industries)

87w RYAN BERNAL/Hollister, CA (Matt Wood Racing)

89 CHRIS WINDOM/Canton, IL (CB Industries)

97 BRENHAM CROUCH/Lubbock, TX (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)

99 ROBERT CARSON/Concord, CA (Karen & Howard Segur)

USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Buddy Kofoid-2202, 2-Chris Windom-2198, 3-Tanner Thorson-2010, 4-Justin Grant-1996, 5-Emerson Axsom-1991, 6-Daison Pursley-1893, 7-Logan Seavey-1864, 8-Thomas Meseraull-1788, 9-Kevin Thomas Jr.-1753, 10-Cannon McIntosh-1604.

USAC NATIONAL MIDGET WINS AT PLACERVILLE SPEEDWAY:

1-Kyle Larson & Gio Scelzi

USAC NATIONAL MIDGET WINNERS AT PLACERVILLE SPEEDWAY:

2019: Gio Scelzi (11/19) & Kyle Larson (11/20)

TRACK RECORDS FOR USAC NATIONAL MIDGETS AT PLACERVILLE SPEEDWAY:

1 Lap – 11/19/2019 – Dillon Welch – 11.979 – 75.132 mph

10 Laps – 11/19/2019 – Thomas Meseraull – 2:08.680 – 69.941 mph

PLACERVILLE USAC NATIONAL MIDGET FEATURE RESULTS:

2019 NIGHT #1 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. Gio Scelzi (2), 2. Logan Seavey (8), 3. Jesse Colwell (1), 4. Kyle Larson (23), 5. Shane Golobic (3), 6. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (5), 7. Spencer Bayston (11), 8. Tanner Carrick (6), 9. Jason McDougal (7), 10. Aaron Reutzel (17), 11. Dillon Welch (12), 12. Jerry Coons, Jr. (18), 13. Brady Bacon (10), 14. Thomas Meseraull (13), 15. Christopher Bell (15), 16. Ryan Bernal (24), 17. Rico Abreu (16), 18. Dave Darland (25), 19. Kevin Thomas, Jr. (9), 20. Jake Swanson (19), 21. Robert Dalby (14), 22. Colby Copeland (20), 23. Brad Sweet (21), 24. Michael Pickens (4), 25. Justin Grant (26), 26. Cannon McIntosh (22). NT

2019 NIGHT #2 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. Kyle Larson (10), 2. Christopher Bell (13), 3. Tanner Carrick (6), 4. Ryan Bernal (19), 5. Jerry Coons, Jr. (14), 6. Dillon Welch (2), 7. Gio Scelzi (11), 8. Tyler Courtney (24), 9. Spencer Bayston (9), 10. Michael Pickens (16), 11. Logan Seavey (12), 12. Aaron Reutzel (4), 13. Chris Windom (23), 14. Colby Copeland (20), 15. Jason McDougal (3), 16. Brady Bacon (1), 17. Thomas Meseraull (17), 18. Buddy Kofoid (28), 19. Jake Swanson (22), 20. Justin Grant (27), 21. Kevin Thomas, Jr. (15), 22. Jesse Colwell (8), 23. Shane Golobic (7), 24. Zeb Wise (25), 25. Brad Sweet (21), 26. Rico Abreu (18), 27. Tucker Klaasmeyer (26), 28. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (5). NT