NMRA TQ-Midgets Season Update June 4, 2013
By noderel:
Los Angeles – National Midget Racing Association (NMRA) three-quarter midget racers completed two more 25-lap features on clay ovals during May with two new 2013 winners. Scott Niven won at Santa Maria Speedway on May 11 and five-time NMRA champion Chuck West captured the Bakersfield Speedway May 18 event during another SMS multi-division racing evening. With six races of the current 16 NMRA event season completed, there have been six different feature winners. Anthony Lopiccolo, Kenny Wiley, West Evans and Mike Black won the first four main events at Victorville, Bakersfield (twice) and Santa Maria.
SANTA MARIA – (5/11): S. Niven started first and stayed out front all 25 laps in a nine-car field. He drove his own No. 66 Honda-powered TQ. Evans, from sixth, Wiley, from seventh, rookie Chris Thomas, from ninth, and Dave Lambert completed the top five. Lopiccolo and Don Kiefer also completed 25 laps. Black and West did not finish. Niven and Lopiccolo won the eight lap heat races.
BAKERSFIELD – (5/18): C. West started fourth in an eight-car field and won his first main event this season in the Evans Motor-sports No. 38 Stealth/Suzuki. Don Kiefer, the 2012 NMRA rookie of the year, started and finished second for his best result to date. Wiley, from fifth, rookie Britt Grissom and Niven finished in P. 3-5 respectively. Evans, Lambert and Black followed. Laps completed and race leaders were not captured according to the NMRA website. Black and Wiley won the pair of four-car, eight lap heat races.
Evans leads current driver point standings after six events by a mere point (350- 349) over his first cousin and teammate West. Evans has averaged 58.33 points per race date compared to 58.17 for West. Wiley is third in driver points with 300 although he has averaged 60.00 points for his five events. He was not present for the season opener. Thirteen drivers have scored points through six events. Evans No. 36 Spike leads the car owner points table by one point (368-367) over the No. 38 Stealth team car.
The next scheduled NMRA race on June 8 at Santa Maria has been postponed according to the NMRA website. Therefore, NMRA-TQs will race next on Saturday, June 15 at the picturesque Ventura Raceway fifth-mile adjacent to the Pacific Ocean.