USAC: Ebberts, Davis notch firsts with Bakersfield wins
Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
March 13, 2001Danny Ebberts of Canyon Lake, Calif. has something no other driver in this weekend's Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200 at Phoenix, Ariz. has - a 2001 USAC feature victory!
Ebberts and Steve Davis of Bakersfield, Calif. scored their initial USAC feature wins in Saturday night's opening events of the 2001 USAC WorldCom Western Midget Car and TQ Midget Car series at Bakersfield Speedway. Neither driver had ever finished in the "top-two" before!
Ebberts passed Matt Streeter on the seventh lap and led the rest of the 30-lap Midget Car feature in his Esslinger/Edmunds to beat fast qualifier Alex Harris, Streeter, Ronnie Day and defending series champion Wally Pankratz. Harris emerged from the race with a one-point lead over Ebberts in the series standings going into this weekend's Phoenix event. The WorldCom Midget Cars practice on Thursday, qualify on Friday and race on Saturday, with a 25-mile feature on the 1-mile paved oval.
Davis, whose best previous WorldCom TQ Midget Car finish had been a sixth, led all 20 laps in his Tudor's Performance/MP Environmental TCR Honda to beat fast qualifier James Styer, Walt Johnson, Steve Lambert and Ron Ahrendt. Styer, though, came away with a two-point lead over Davis in the series standings with the next series event April 28 at Bakersfield.
Midget car heat winners Saturday were Bud Kaeding, Josh Wise and Tatsu Iino and Day won the semi. Todd Hunsaker and Lambert won the TQ Midget Car heat races.
Scott Nail escaped injury in a flip after the checkered flag in the Midget Car feature.
The Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200 Midget Car race has drawn 60 entries. The record for USAC Midget car entries at Phoenix came in 1987 when 55 cars were on hand for the "Copper World."
USAC WORLDCOM WESTERN MIDGET CAR SERIES STANDINGS
1. Alex Harris 66
2. Danny Ebberts 65
3. Matt Streeter 58
4. Wally Pankratz 52
5. Thomas Meseraull 42
6. Shane Scully 42
7. Robby Flock 40
8. Scott Nail 35
9. Rick Hendrix 34
10. Nick Geranio 31
USAC WORLDCOM TQ MIDGET CAR SERIES STANDINGS
1. James Styer 66
2. Steve Davis 64
3. Walt Johnson 63
4. Steve Lambert 60
5. Ron Ahrendt 58
6. Gene Godepski 49
7. Todd Hunsaker 48
8. Deborah Paull 42
9. Jim Adams 37
10. West Evans 37
Text provided by Dick Jordan
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