(Josh James Artwork Photo)
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Tulare, California (November 12, 2024)………It’s been 14 years since the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship last paid a visit to Tulare, California’s Thunderbowl Raceway.
For the first time since that night in 2010, the series returns for round two of the seven-race California swing on Wednesday, November 20.
Just one driver from that night’s lineup all those years ago is expected to be among this year’s crop of contenders. That’s Zach Daum, a seventh place feature finisher with the series at Tulare in 2010.
However, while a majority of the field possesses minimal to zero racing experience at Tulare’s 1/3-mile dirt oval, several others in this weekend’s field not only have made extensive laps in a sprint car at the track but have also been frequent winners.
One-time USAC National Midget feature winner Corey Day (Clovis, Calif.) enters the event after capturing each of the past two Trophy Cup titles at Tulare in 2023-2024 aboard a winged sprint car. Buddy Kofoid (Penngrove, Calif.), himself a 2021-2022 USAC National Midget titlist, corralled the Trophy Cup crown in 2021.
Tyler Courtney, the 2019 USAC National Midget champ, scored a feature victory during Trophy Cup in 2022 as did Ryan Timms in 2021-2022. Carson Macedo (Lemoore, Calif.) reigned victorious at Tulare in September with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars. Tanner Carrick (Lincoln, Calif.), likewise, was a victor at Tulare as recently as this past October when he captured a Sprint Car Challenge Tour win.
Newly crowned USAC Career Triple Crown champion Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.) nearly had his day in the sun at Tulare in 2023. After winning a Trophy Cup feature, his car was deemed underweight in post-race tech, which erased his short-lived victory. Seavey now eyes a bit of redemption this time around.
Also joining this group is a flock of Tulare experienced wheelman, including three-time USAC national champion Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.), who finished fourth with the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship at the track in 2010. Tanner Thorson (Minden, Nev.), the 2016 USAC National Midget king, ran second during a Trophy Cup feature in 2017.
Furthermore, Jake Andreotti (Castro Valley, Calif.) and Terry Nichols (Delano, Calif.) each have competed in USAC Western States Midget competition at Tulare. Andreotti took 4th with the series in 2021 while Nichols grabbed a top-five result in 2015. Austin Torgerson (Glendale, Ariz.) notched an 11th at Tulare with the Kings of Thunder Sprint Cars in 2023.
The list of Tulare first-timers is also quite extensive, a list that includes the likes of current USAC National Midget point leader Daison Pursley (Locust Grove, Okla.), plus series feature winners Chase McDermand (Springfield, Ill.), Jacob Denney (Galloway, Ohio), Emerson Axsom (Franklin, Ind.), Cannon McIntosh (Bixby, Okla.), Zach Wigal (Belpre, Ohio), Gavin Miller (Allentown, Pa.) and Kale Drake (Collinsville, Okla.).
Also visiting Tulare for the first-time are first-time USAC National Midget winning hopefuls Drake Edwards (Peoria, Ariz.), Hayden Reinbold (Gilbert, Ariz.) and Karter Sarff (Mason City, Ill.).
USAC national racing has made four previous treks to Tulare over the years. USAC National Midgets made its aforementioned only previous trip in 2010 with Tracy Hines as the winner. USAC National Sprint Cars have taken on Tulare on three occasions with Garrett Hansen (2009), Jon Stanbrough (2009) and Bud Kaeding (2010) all taking top honors.
RACE DETAILS
The front gates for the Wednesday night, November 20, event will open at 4pm Pacific with the drivers meeting set for 4:30pm and cars on track at 5pm. The USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship will be joined by the Kings of Thunder Winged 360 Sprint Car Series.
Grandstand tickets for the event are $35 for adults, $33 for seniors, $18 for kids 6-12, and free for kids 6 and under. Bleacher tickets are $30 for adults, $28 for seniors, $15 for kids 6-12, and free for kids 5 and under. Adult pit passes are $45.
The track is located at East Bardsley Avenue, & S K St, Tulare, CA 93274. The track can be reached via phone at (559) 688-0909. For more info, visit https://www.thunderbowlraceway.com/.
If you can’t make it to the track in person, the full event can be watched live on FloRacing at https://www.flosports.link/usac.
EXPECTED TULARE USAC NATIONAL MIDGET ENTRIES:
00 JAKE ANDREOTTI/Castro Valley, CA (Pete Davis)
1p TERRY NICHOLS/Delano, CA (Nichols-Peckfelder Motorsports)
2 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (RMS Racing)
3p DRAKE EDWARDS/Peoria, AZ (Petty Performance Racing)
4 COREY DAY/Clovis, CA (Wille Kahne)
8w CHASE McDERMAND/Springfield, IL (Josh Ford Motorsports)
19AZ HAYDEN REINBOLD/Gilbert, AZ (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
23c TYLER COURTNEY (Silva Motorsports)
25 JACOB DENNEY/Galloway, OH (Tom Malloy)
25m TANNER THORSON/Minden, NV (Tom Malloy)
31 KARTER SARFF/Mason City, IL (Beilman Motorsports)
31B ZACH DAUM/Pocahontas, IL (Beilman Motorsports)
57 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Abacus Racing)
67 RYAN TIMMS/Oklahoma City, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
67K EMERSON AXSOM/Franklin, IN (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71 BUDDY KOFOID/Penngrove, CA (Keith Kunz-Curb/Agajanian Motorsports)
71K CANNON MCINTOSH/Bixby, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
86 DAISON PURSLEY/Locust Grove, OK (CB Industries)
88A AUSTIN TORGERSON/Glendale, AZ (Mounce-Stout Motorsports)
89 ZACH WIGAL/Belpre, OH (CB Industries)
97 GAVIN MILLER/Allentown, PA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
97K KALE DRAKE/Collinsville, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
98 TANNER CARRICK/Lincoln, CA (Keith Kunz-Curb/Agajanian Motorsports)
99AU CARSON MACEDO/Lemoore, CA (Dyson Motorsport)
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Daison Pursley-1244, 2-Cannon McIntosh-1157, 3-Ryan Timms-1066, 4-Logan Seavey-1052, 5-Zach Daum-1036, 6-Jacob Denney-968, 7-Justin Grant-963, 8-Gavin Miller-946, 9-Zach Wigal-862, 10-Kale Drake-853.
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET WINS AT THUNDERBOWL RACEWAY:
1-Tracy Hines
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET WINNERS AT THUNDERBOWL RACEWAY:
2010: Tracy Hines (11/13)
TRACK RECORDS FOR USAC NATIONAL MIDGETS AT THUNDERBOWL RACEWAY:
1 Lap – 11/13/2010 – Bryan Clauson – 15.628
THUNDERBOWL RACEWAY USAC NATIONAL MIDGET FEATURE RESULTS:
2010 FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Tracy Hines, 2. Jerry Coons Jr., 3. Bryan Clauson, 4. Alex Schutte, 5. Brad Kuhn, 6. Bobby East, 7. Zach Daum, 8. Henry Clarke, 9. Levi Roberts, 10. Cody Swanson, 11. Evan Margeson, 12. Matt Streeter, 13. Randi Pankratz, 14. Scott Pierovich, 15. Jake Swanson, 16. Brad Loyet, 17. Chris Ennis, 18. Cory Kruseman, 19. Levi Jones, 20. Robby Josett, 21. Sean Dodenhoff, 22. Troy Rutherford, 23. Danny Faria Jr., 24. Dave Darland, 25. Kody Swanson, 26. Shannon McQueen. NT
