By: Richie Murray – USAC Media (Josh James Artwork Photo)
Merced, California (November 16, 2022)………All four of Merced (Calif.) Speedway’s past USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship feature winners are entered for the series’ return to the 1/4-mile dirt oval for back-to-back nights on Tuesday and Wednesday night, November 22-23.
RMS Racing teammates Thomas Meseraull (San Jose, Calif.) and Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) have captured the opening night of the doubleheader during both visits to the track in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Series champions Tanner Thorson (Minden, Nev.) and Buddy Kofoid (Penngrove, Calif.) have each scored victories on the second night the Merced trip in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Four is the magic number for Merced with a quintuplet of past USAC National Midget champs with 2018 titlist Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.) and 2017’s top dawg, Spencer Bayston (Lebanon, Ind.).
They’re joined by a slew of USAC National Midget feature winners in this talented and deep field. Among the 17 past series winners are Shane Golobic (Fremont, Calif.), also a USAC Western States Midget feature winner at Merced in April of this year.
Also in the category of National winners are Cannon McIntosh (Bixby, Okla.), Michael Pickens (Auckland, N.Z.), Kevin Thomas Jr. (Cullman, Ala.), Shane Golobic (Fremont, Calif.), Jacob Denney (Galloway, Ohio), Emerson Axsom (Franklin, Ind.), Tanner Carrick (Lincoln, Calif.), Jason McDougal (Broken Arrow, Okla.), Daison Pursley (Locust Grove, Okla.), leading series Rookie Mitchel Moles (Raisin City, Calif.) and Ryan Timms (Oklahoma City, Okla.).
USAC Western States Midget champions Blake Bower (Brentwood, Calif.) and Michael Faccinto (Hanford, Calif.) seek success at Merced as does Carson Macedo (Lemoore, Calif.), the 2016 USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year who led all drivers with 11 victories on the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car victories in 2022.
Both Tuesday and Wednesday’s events pay $4,000-to-win for the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship. Winged 360 Sprint Cars are also on the card both nights.
The pits open at 2pm Pacific and grandstands at 5pm with the drivers meeting set for 5pm and cars on track at 5:30pm.
Adult general admission for ages 13 and up is $25. Kids 6-12 general admission is $10. Senior general admission is $20. Military general admission is $20.
Advance Tuesday tickets can be purchased at: https://www.myracepass.com/events/402690/tickets/
Advance Wednesday tickets can be purchased at: https://www.myracepass.com/events/402693/tickets/
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PROJECTED MERCED ENTRY LIST: (44 CARS)
00 JAKE ANDREOTTI/Castro Valley, CA (Pete Davis)
01 BRYANT WIEDEMAN/Colby, KS (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
08 CANNON McINTOSH/Bixby, OK (Dave Mac Dalby Motorsports)
2J JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (RMS Racing)
4 MICHAEL PICKENS/Auckland, NZ (Dave Mac Dalby Motorsports)
5K BEN WORTH/Coalinga, CA (Dean Alexander)
5T KEVIN THOMAS JR./Cullman, AL (Dean Alexander)
7NZ ®TRAVIS BUCKLEY/Auckland, NZ (BSL Racing)
7x THOMAS MESERAULL/San Jose, CA (RMS Racing)
9 BLAKE BOWER/Brentwood, CA (Tony Boscacci)
9AU SPENCER BAYSTON/Lebanon, IN (Dyson Motorsport)
10 BLAZE BENNETT/Parker, CO (Blaze Bennett)
11K NATHAN BYRD/Goodyear, AZ (Kruseman Motorsports)
14J MICHAEL FACCINTO/Hanford, CA (Graunstadt Enterprises)
14T DYLAN BLOOMFIELD/Oakley, CA (Graunstadt Enterprises)
17B ®AUSTIN BARNHILL/Wilmington, NC (Dave Mac Dalby Motorsports)
17w SHANE GOLOBIC/Fremont, CA (Matt Wood Racing)
19 ALEX BRIGHT/Collegeville, PA (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
19AZ HAYDEN REINBOLD/Gilbert, AZ (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
22G ZACH TELFORD/Middleton, ID (Garland Risner)
25 ®JACOB DENNEY/Galloway, OH (Tom Malloy)
25K TAYLOR REIMER/Bixby, OK (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
26 CHANCE CRUM/Snohomish, WA (Rudeen Racing)
25x EMERSON AXSOM/Franklin, IN (Tom Malloy)
31K KYLE BEILMAN/Los Angeles, CA (Beilman Motorsports)
57 DANIEL WHITLEY/Ferndale, CA (Abacus Racing)
57x STEVE HIX/Ventura, CA (Steve Hix)
58 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Abacus Racing)
67 BUDDY KOFOID/Penngrove, CA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
67K TANNER CARRICK/Lincoln, CA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
68 JASON McDOUGAL/Broken Arrow, OK (Six8 Motorsports)
71 KAYLEE BRYSON/Muskogee, OK (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71E ®MARIAH EDE/Fresno, CA (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71K ®DOMINIC GORDEN/Clovis, CA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71m ®GAVIN MILLER/Allentown, PA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71p DAISON PURSLEY/Locust Grove, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
84 ®JADE AVEDISIAN/Clovis, CA (CB Industries)
88 TANNER THORSON/Minden, NV (Tanner Thorson Racing)
89 ®MITCHEL MOLES/Raisin City, CA (CB Industries)
91 LANCE BENNETT/Aurora, CO (Cappy Mason)
97 BRENHAM CROUCH/Lubbock, TX (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
97K RYAN TIMMS/Oklahoma City, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
99AU CARSON MACEDO/Lemoore, CA (Dyson Motorsport)
101 ®CADE LEWIS/Bakersfield, CA (Dean Alexander)
® Represents a USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship Rookie of the Year Contender
