USAC: Rain halts Kokomo, Midget cars head for Hartford and Chicago
11 July 2000
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
"DIRT-TRACK REGIONAL" SERIES CONTINUES AT LAWRENCEBURG
The USAC MCI WorldCom National Midget Car Series travels to Michigan and Illinois this weekend for races at Hartford Motor Speedway (Mich.) and Chicago Motor Speedway (Ill.). The races will mark USAC's debut at both ovals.
Kasey Kahne of Enumclaw, Wash. will be out to protect his series point lead in the weekend races, extending his lead over Jay Drake to 42 points despite a rainout at Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway Sunday night. He broke the track record during qualifying but rains ended the 30-lap feature after just two laps.
Practice at Hartford Motor Speedway in Hartford, Mich. Friday night starts at 6 pm, with qualifying slated for 7 and racing at 8. A 30-lap feature is on tap at the 1/2-mile dirt oval.
This weekend's event at Chicago Motor Speedway in Chicago, Ill. opens with practice, qualifying and a 10-lap "qualifying race" on Saturday at the 1-mile paved oval. Practice is scheduled at 9:30 am and 11 am, with qualifying set to start at 12:30 pm. The 10-mile "qualifying race" gets the green flag at 1:30 pm. Sunday's timetable at CMS has the 25-mile Midget Car feature starting at 4:30 pm.
Prior to Sunday night's rain, Shane Cottle won an eight-lap "non-qualifiers" race, while eight-lap heats went to Kevin Thomas, Ryan Scott, Rick Vaughn and Tony Elliott. Critter Malone won the 10-lap semi. Matt Westfall and Jason Burgess escaped injury in separate flips.
The Kokomo race served as the debut event of USAC's new Regional Dirt-Track Midget Car Series, which continues this Saturday night with a program of events at the Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway. A 30-lap feature is planned on the 1/4-mile dirt oval. Kokomo Speedway and USAC are currently negotiating to reschedule the remaining 28 laps of Sunday night's rained-out feature.
USAC MCI WORLDCOM NATIONAL MIDGET CAR SERIES STANDINGS
1. Kasey Kahne 381
2. Jay Drake 339
3. Dave Darland 308
4. Michael Lewis 297
5. A.J. Fike 242
6. John Heydenreich 218
7. Jimmy McCune 205
8. Tracy Hines 197
9. Ryan Newman 192
10. Aaron Fike 189
USAC DIRT TRACK REGIONAL MIDGET CAR SERIES STANDINGS
1. Kasey Kahne 10
2. Clay Klepper 8
3. Dave Darland 7
4. Tony Elliott 6
Michael Lewis 6
Critter Malone 6
Rick Vaughn 6
Ryan Scott 6
9. Ed Carpenter 5
Jay Drake 5
Text provided by Dick Jordan
Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot photos
and racing art, please visit The Racing Image
Galleries and The
Visions of Speed Art Gallery .