July 13, 2022

USAC MIDGETS RACE FOR TEN GRAND IN NEBRASKA!

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The Mid-America Midget swing concludes with back-to-back events at the 1/5-mile dirt oval of Jefferson County Speedway on Friday and Saturday, July 15-16, for the fifth annual edition of the Riverside Chevrolet Midwest Midget Championship presented by Westin Packaged Meats and Schmidt’s Sanitation, co-sanctioned by USAC and the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association. (Jeff Taylor Photo)

By: Richie Murray – USAC Media

Fairbury, Nebraska (July 12, 2022)………There are few events that capture the sort of local involvement that Fairbury, Nebraska has with Jefferson County Speedway’s USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship event.

It’s a full community celebration and one that has become a marquee event not only in southeastern Nebraska but on the whole for midget racing.

The Mid-America Midget swing concludes with two nights at the 1/5-mile dirt oval of Jefferson County Speedway with back-to-back events on Friday and Saturday, July 15-16, for the fifth annual edition of the Riverside Chevrolet Midwest Midget Championship presented by Westin Packaged Meats and Schmidt’s Sanitation, co-sanctioned by USAC and the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association.

Friday’s race entails 30 laps and $4,000-win while Saturday’s 40-lap finale pays out a sweetened pot highlighted by a $10,000 winner’s share, which annually produces high quality entertainment.

The Midwest Midget Championship officially begins on Thursday night, July 14, with practice from 5-7pm Central followed by a shrimp boil and barbecue to follow, which is open to all race teams, crews and fans at the campground north of the track.

Justin Grant (Ione, California) enters the event as a past Jefferson County USAC Midget victor, taking the win back in 2018 with a wire-to-wire 40-lap performance. He scored a pair of top-fives a year ago in the event with a 4th and a 5th. His 10-lap heat race time of 1:50.36 in 2021 stands as the track record for the distance.

Logan Seavey (Sutter, California) owns the one-lap Jefferson County Speedway USAC National Midget track record of 10.685 seconds, set in 2019. In fact, the 2018 series champ has been fastest qualifier on four occasions at the track, first in 2018, twice in 2019 and again in 2021. He finished a best of second in 2018 and third in 2019, sixth in 2021 and added a seventh in 2019. He led 31 of the 40 laps in the $10K finale in 2021 before an altercation sent him spinning out of the lead and out of victory lane.

Jerry Coons Junior. (Tucson, Arizona) has finished in the top-ten in seven of his eight USAC National Midget starts at Jefferson County since 2017 with a best of fourth and fifth in 2019. The USAC Triple Crown Champion also scored a sixth in 2018, seventh in 2020, eighthh in 2017 & 2021, and 10th in 2020.

Current series point leader Buddy Kofoid (Penngrove, California) has been in contention to win on multiple occasions at Jefferson County. He’s collected multiple second place finishes there opening night 2020 and again on night two of 2021 after starting all the way back in 15th. The reigning USAC National Midget Champion and current point leader also added a fifth on night two in 2020.

Cannon McIntosh (Bixby, Oklahoma) collected a quickest time award in 2020 before snagging fifth and eighth place finishes throughout the weekend. He posted a pair more top-tens in 2021 with a sixth and a 10th. He posted fastest time honours on the second evening of action in 2020.

Ethan Mitchell (Mooresville, North Carolina) collected a solid sixth place result in 2020 and nearly replicated it in 2021 by scoring a seventh. Nebraska’s own, Lincoln’s Trey Gropp, scored a top-ten with an eighth on night one of 2021.

Thomas Meseraull (San Jose, California) slotted into the top-ten of both nights at Jeff. Co. in 2021 with a ninth and a 10th. Meanwhile, Brenham Crouch (Lubbock, Texas) put together similar solid results on the same two nights, garnering a hard-charging 22nd to 11th on the first leg followed by a ninth in the finale.

Bryant Wiedeman (Colby, Kansas) returns after making a single start in 2021 on night one in which he finished 13th as does teammate Kaylee Bryson (Muskogee, Oklahoma), who was 15th in 2020, as well as 2017 USAC Gulf Coast SpeeD2 Midget Champion Kyle Jones (Kennedale, Texas) who was 15th on night two in 2021.

For the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association contingent, both nights are considered non-points special events toward their season long championship. Among the representatives are Lance Bennett (Aurora, Colorado) who finished a best of 14th in 2016.

First-time starting hopefuls at the Midwest Midget Championship bring USAC National Midget leading Rookie Mitchel Moles (Raisin City, California), USAC National Midget winner Zach Daum (Pocahontas, Illinois), Taylor Reimer (Bixby, Oklahoma), Lincoln Park Speedway Indiana Midget Week winner Jacob Denney (Galloway, Ohio) and Jace Park (Overland Park, Kan.) while Hayden Reinbold (Gilbert, Arizona) aims for his first start in the event.

Badger Midget champ Chase McDermand (Springfield, Illinois) also will arrive for his first taste of Jefferson County Speedway on Friday and Saturday as will Jade Avedisian (Clovis, California), plus Great Plains racers Corey Joyner (Concordia, Kansas), JR Ewing (Phillipsburg, Kansas) and Blake Spicer (Phillipsburg, Kansas) whose father, Curtis, made four starts in the event between 2018 and 2020.

Thirty previous USAC National Midget races have been held in the state of Nebraska. USAC Triple Crown Champion Tracy Hines has the most victories of any driver in the state with three. Wilke-Pak Racers has won the most of any team in the state with five.

THE DETAILS:

On both nights, the gates will open at 5pm Central with qualifying at 6:30pm. and racing at 7:00 p.m. with a free concert after the races.

Unlimited general admission tickets will be sold day of show beginning at 5pm with reserved seating only presale as described above. All-access pit passes will be unlimited and available at the pit gate on day of show only.

All Access pit passes are $35 (kids 5 and under are only $10) and will be available at the pit gate and front gate on the day of show only.

Campground spots at the track with hookups are sold-out but there is a few “dry camping” spots available on the southside of the track and they are first come, first serve or there are full hook-up camping spots at Crystal Springs just a mile away. Camping and area info can be found at www.visitoregontrail.org or at the Fairbury, Nebraska Chamber of Commerce.

The NOW 600/Jay-Husker Non-Wing and Restricted “A” Class Micro Sprints will also be in action each night.

General admission tickets to the event are just $20 for adults on Friday night and $30 on Saturday with High School students and younger just $5 each night. Reserved seating is $50 (available in two-day packages only) and are available online at www.jeffersoncountyspeedway.com under the “Buy Tickets” tab.

Both nights of the Midwest Midget Championship from Jefferson County Speedway will be streamed live on FloRacing at https://bit.ly/3u7ID2N.

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USAC NATIONAL MIDGET WINS IN NEBRASKA:

3-Tracy Hines

2-Steve Cannon, Tyler Courtney, Kasey Kahne & Tanner Thorson

1-Emerson Axsom, Dean Billings, Chad Boat, Dave Darland, Tony Elliott, Robby Flock, Jeff Gordon, Justin Grant, Page Jones, Jason Leffler, Jason McDougal, Bobby Olivero, Davey Ray, Ricky Shelton, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Danny Stratton, Dave Strickland Jr., Sleepy Tripp & Chris Windom

JEFFERSON COUNTY SPEEDWAY USAC NATIONAL MIDGET WINS:

2-Tyler Courtney & Tanner Thorson

1-Emerson Axsom, Chad Boat, Justin Grant, Jason McDougal & Chris Windom

JEFFERSON COUNTY SPEEDWAY USAC NATIONAL MIDGET WINNERS:

2016: Chad Boat (8/2)

2017: Tanner Thorson (8/1)

2018: Justin Grant (7/14)

2019: Jason McDougal (7/12)

2019: Tyler Courtney (7/13)

2020: Chris Windom (7/17) & Tyler Courtney (7/18)

2021: Tanner Thorson (7/16) & Emerson Axsom (7/17)

TRACK RECORDS FOR USAC NATIONAL MIDGETS AT JEFFERSON COUNTY SPEEDWAY: