This message was edited on
November 16, 2006 at
06:57:44 PM by ljennings
NMRA-TQ SEASON FINALE
- By Tim Kennedy
Hanford, CA., Nov. 11 - Chuck West won his second NMRA-TQ Midget Series 25-lap main event of 2006 here Saturday night at the three-eighths mile, clay Kings Speedway. It brought the 2002 NMRA-TQ champion from Clovis his second NMRA driving championship by 71-points. He drove the West Evans 2006 John Godfrey-built Spike chassis with a Suzuki power-plant. The No. 38 Evans car won the 2006
car owner championship by 67-points. West and his car owner Evans are cousins.
West swept the program Saturday in a ten-car field. He set the fastest qualifying time of 20.706 during time trials. He also won his heat race and led the final 14 laps of the 25-lap feature. It was his sixth main event triumph in the 58 NMRA main events run since the long-time TQ Midget racing sanctioning body reformed in 2002. USAC sanctioned TQ Midget competition from 1987 through 2001 and stopped sanctioning TQ Midgets in favor of the new Ford Focus Midget Series from 2002 to the present time.
Chris Hedge, a three-time 2006 NMRA feature winner, led the first 11 laps at Hanford and finished second in his Meli/Honda. Bruce Hiroshima, also a three-time feature winner this year, placed third in his own Rick Stewart/Honda. Kenny Wiley and West Evans completed the top five. Richard Ortega, Jr., leading rookie Scott Dobson, Michael Bliffen, Ron Ahrendt and rookie Jenna Bliffen rounded out the top ten. West and Ahrendt won the eight-lap heat races. Wiley's 20.735 was second fastest qualifying time.
Four drivers and three car owners won the nine NMRA features during 2006. Car counts averaged 12.5 and ranged from a low of 10 to high of 15 cars. Racing took place at five tracks-four dirt (Bakersfield Speedway, Santa Maria Speedway, Ventura Raceway and Kings Speedway) plus one paved track (Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino). Seventeen cars competed and 18 drivers earned 2006 NMRA points.
Race Summary:
Fast Time: Chuck West, 20.706.
Heat 1: Chuck West, West Evans, Kenny Wiley, Scott Dobson.
Heat 2: Ron Ahrendt, Bruce Hiroshima, Chris Hedge, Michael Bliffen, Jenna Bliffen, Richard Ortega, Jr.
Main: West, Hedge, Hiroshima, Wiley, Evans, Ortega, Dobson, M. Bliffen, Ahrendt, J. Bliffen.
FINAL 2006 NMRA TQ-MIDGET POINT STANDINGS
Drivers Car Owners
1 Chuck West (2 wins) 566 1 # 38 West Evans 586
2 Bruce Hiroshima (3 wins) 495 2 # 5 Bruce Hiroshima 519
3 Kenny Wiley 481 3 # 21 Paul Lopiccolo 502
4 Chris Hedge (3 wins) 474 4 # 98 Chris Hedge 498
5 Ron Ahrendt 468 5 # 87 Judi Ahrendt 491
6 West Evans (1 win) 452 6 # 36 West Evans 476
7 Michael Bliffen 433 7 # 3 Michael Bliffen 457
8 Scott Dobson (Rkie) 385 8 # 18 Guy Barber 409
9 Steve Parke 357 9 # 8 Richard Ortega, Jr 372
10 Richard Ortega, Jr. 348 10 # 03 Michael Bliffen 252
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