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Topic: EXPANDED: KYLE LARSON WINS PERRIS USAC MIDGET TURKEY NIGHT GP Email this topic to a friend | Subscribe to this TopicReport this Topic to Moderator
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ljennings
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November 25, 2012 at 10:39:22 PM
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KYLE LARSON WINS PERRIS USAC MIDGET TURKEY NIGHT GP – By Tim Kennedy

PERRIS, Calif., Nov. 22 – Rising star Kyle Larson, a 20-year old versatile open-wheel and stock car driver from Elk Grove, Calif., dominated the 72nd running of the prestigious“Turkey Night Grand Prix” USAC Mopar National and Western Midgets Series event Thanksgiving evening. He led 77 of the scheduled 98 lap feature. The half-mile, semi-banked clay Perris Auto Speedway, which hosted the event in 1996, and more than 4,000 fans welcomed the classic back to dirt for the first time since the 1998 running at Bakersfield Speedway. The event has been held on the half-mile paved Irwindale Speedway from 1999-2011. Last year Larson finished fourth and received the Don Basile TNGP Rookie of the Race award.

“Young money” Larson, the third fastest qualifier in a 60-car field, started third and became the third and final race leader on lap 22 of 98. He drove the No. 71 Keith Kunz Motorsports-Curb-Agajanian Bullet/Speedway Toyota. He earned $6,000 from the $31,000+ purse posted by Don Kazarian's Oval Entertainment, LLC. Larson recorded seven triumphs in the 23 race 2012 USAC National Midget Series. Eleven drivers won the 23 completed races with three events lost to adverse weather. Larson won four of the last five USAC National Midget features, including the last three since September 22. He became the 14th different USAC Western Midget feature winner in 16 completed races of the 18 race schedule that had two rain-outs.

Darren Hagen, from nearby Riverside, won his first USAC Mopar National Midget Championship in Don Fike's RFMS No. 3 DRC/Esslinger. He won four 2012 features. Kunz won the USAC National Midget car owner title and had all three of his cars in the top ten. Shannon McQueen, from Bakersfield, won the USAC Western Midgets overall dirt/paved track driving championship. She became the fifth female driving champion in 57 years of USAC racing. Fresno's David Prickett won the separate USAC Western dirt track crown for his first USAC driving title. Bryan Clauson won the USAC National Driving Championship (for points accumulated in the three USAC national series) for the third consecutive year. The honor comes with a financial scholarship to advance his racing career that helped him make the 2012 Indianapolis 500 field. The USAC “Night of Champions National Awards Dinner” honoring all 2012 USAC champions will be held Friday, December 7 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom.

Sixty drivers drew qualifying numbers and 57 posted official lap times. Hagen, the ninth qualifier, set a new track record of 17.025 and broke the USAC mark of 17.037 set by Billy Boat for the 1996 TNGP. The 14 fastest qualifiers advanced directly to the feature and started straight-up based on qualifying times. Two 12-lap qualifying races for odd and even number qualifiers 15th and slower transferred the first eight finishers in each qualifying race to main event rows eight through 15. Oklahoman Brady Bacon and Iowan Davey Ray started first and third respectively and led the qualifying races all the way. Four provisional starters (two National and two Western Series) started from the final two rows. The 34-car field had five former TNGP winners and 12 TNGP feature rookies.

Qualifying race # 1 – (22 cars): Damion Gardner (No. 47 Bondio) flipped on lap 2 in the first turn. On the restart, Arizonan Terry Goodwin flipped two and a half times in turn two. Both drivers walked to the pits. From the pole, 15th quickest qualifier Bacon kept the Wilke-Pak No. 11 in front all 12 laps. Jerry Coons, Jr. (from 9th) took second on lap 6 from Nik Faas and trailed by three lengths at the finish. P 4-8 were: Cory Kruseman, Evan Margeson, Richard VanderWeerd, 22nd starter Zach Daum and Jake Swanson. Alex Bowman, the 2008 USAC Ford Focus Midget National Champion and a four-time ARCA stock car 2012 feature winner from Tucson, sub-drove the No. 5. Tres VanDyne entered it for Danny Ebberts, who received second degree burns in a refueling accident during the recent Baja 500 and was hospitalized. Bowman started outside row seven, was up to P. 9 on lap 6 and poised to join the critical top eight transferees to the feature. Then a car veered up into his path at turn two. Bowman bounced off the wall but continued after losing four positions. He made it back to P. 9 in the closing laps but missed the feature by one position.

Qualifying race # 2 – (21 cars): Pole starter Scott Pierovich spun on the first lap low in the second turn. He restarted at the back, but was only able to advance to 12th place by the lap 12 checkers. Third starter Davey Ray, from Davenport, Iowa, moved up to the pole for the complete restart and led all 12 laps. Sixth starter Shane Golobic trailed by ten yards. Rim-rider Johnathon Henry came from P. 8 on lap 8 to third place during the final four laps. Ryan Bernal, Dillon Welch, and Brad Kuhn (from 11th) followed. Mike Spencer, the USAC-CRA 2008-12 sprint car champion, drove R. J. Johnson's backup Spike/Fontana from 12th to a solid P. 7. USAC-CRA sprint veteran Ronnie Gardner completed the top eight. USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year Rico Abreu, from Rutherford, Calif., started ninth and spun on the third lap. He raced from the back to P. 9 and had to use one of the two National Series provisional berths to start the feature. TNGP 2004 winner Bobby East used the other. USAC Western provisionals went to McQueen and Prickett.

FEATURE: Pole-starter Hagen led the opening lap over Larson, NASCAR driver Jason Leffler, Australian Michael Pickens and Chad Boat, son of three-time TNGP winner Billy Boat. Fourth starter Leffler, driving Shane Hmiel's Beast/Esslinger, took second on lap 2. He passed leader Hagen on the outside leaving turn four on lap 4. Two-time TNGP winner Leffler paced the next four laps. Boat took third from Larson on lap 5 as the top three drivers ran in close quarters with Leffler using the low groove and Boat challenging on the outside. Hagen reclaimed first place on lap 8 and Larson took second two laps later. The Hagen-Larson duel captivated the attention of fans from lap 13-22 with Hagen outside against the cushion and Larson using the inside groove. The first car lapping took place on lap 19 and the race remained under the green flag to lap 33 when Boat stopped with a flat tire.

Yellow flag laps counted to lap 75. The green flag flew on lap 41 with Larson pressured by his Kunz teammate Clauson. Current NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Brad Sweet, in a Willie Kahne Stealth/Speedway Toyota, took second from Clauson on the inside entering the third turn on lap 41. Clauson re-passed him a lap later. At the halfway mark, Larson led Clauson by two lengths with Sweet lurking ten yards back in third. Hagen, 12th starter Tracy Hines, Pickens, Bacon, Danny Stratton, 33rd starter Abreu, 17th starter Coons (in his 2012 Belleville (Kan.) Speedway Nationals winning No. 63 Joe Dowling Spike/Esslinger), Faas and 2007 TNGP winner Dave Darland comprised the top 12 drivers.

A caution flag flew from laps 63-69 after Abreu and East tangled and stalled in the second turn. Abreu lost four laps as his Kunz crew replaced a tire at the work area. Laps 70-78 were green with passing throughout the field as the Larson-Clauson battle for the lead thrilled fans. High-running Clauson, the 2009-2010 TNGP winner, tried to take the lead several times, but he bounced off the wall between the first two turns on laps 76 and 78 and lost ground briefly. On lap 79 Clauson's right rear tire slapped the first turn wall hard; he flipped two and a half times and landed overturned near the wall. Oncoming cars veered left and avoided contact. Clauson walked to the pits uninjured, but his No. 67 Bullet went to the pits at the back of a wrecker.

Under the “open red flag” rule teams added fuel to eliminate any fuel concerns during the final 20 laps. Any team that changed tires had to restart at the back of the field. With many of the RR Hoosier tires showing wear from the now black track, two of the lead lap teams (Stratton's No. 25 and Pickens' No. 73x) mounted new tires and restarted at the back. Hines, who had taken third position from Sweet on lap 76, restarted second, followed by Sweet, Bacon and Hagen. Twenty-five of the 34 starters were still racing, with 14 drivers on the lead lap. Hines cut Larson's lead to one length by lap 82 and tried to take the lead each lap. Bacon's RR tire blew at turn two and caused a caution on lap 88. The handful of yellow flag laps did not count and cars ran low in moist clay to cool overheated tires. Tire wear became a major concern by mid-race when the track “took rubber” and became black. At the lap 88 green Darland stalled in turn four with a tire problem. He pitted for another tire and rejoined the field. On the restart, Abreu and Stratton tangled and stalled together in the second turn. Darland piled in quickly. Cars of Abreu and Darland were sidelined. Flat tires caused Troy Rutherford, 2011 TNGP winner Caleb Armstrong and third place Hagen to pit for tires.

The lap 89 restart had Larson, Hines and Sweet nose-to-tail with fourth place Coons and fifth running Bernal behind a lapped car. Hines (No. 24 Bob Parker Spike/Toyota) applied heavy pressure to Larson. On lap 90 Hines shot under Larson on the inside entering the first turn and took the lead briefly. Larson cut to the inside promptly in the second turn and reclaimed the lead. A solo spin by Stratton on lap 91 in the first turn caused a yellow and his car went to the pits. Third place Sweet drove to the pits under caution with an engine problem. The lap 91-95 running order was Larson, pressing Hines, half a length back on the inside. Battling cars of P. 3-5 Bernal, Coons and Faas were a straightaway back. Hines was still challenging for the lead when the white flag waved, but his worn right rear tire blew leaving turn four. He pitted under caution for a tire and returned to the back.

The green, white, checkered flag last lap dash to the lap 98 finish had Larson, Bernal, Coons, USAC-CRA sprint car driver Faas and Shane Golobic in the first five positions with the first four cars nose-to-tail, followed by a lapped car The TNGP 98 lap distance has been used since 2007 in honor of the late TNGP promoter and Indianapolis 500 winning car owner J. C. Agajanian who used No. 98 on his cars. Larson led the final lap by several lengths. Coons took second from USAC-CRA 410 sprint car veteran Bernal with an inside pass leaving the fourth turn. Bernal, 18, placed third and won a $500 bonus and plaque as the 15th Don Basile Rookie of the Race. His Keith Ford Spike/Wirth Fontana teammate and fellow TNGP rookie Faas, 22, finished fourth. Golobic earned fifth with Kuhn, in Mason Cook's BCRA Beast/Fontana, sixth and the last driver on the lead lap. The one hour and 19 minutes race had seven yellow flags and a red flag of 20 minutes.

Seventh finisher Bacon was down a lap after lap 86 tire failure when he was running fourth in the Wilke Spike/Stanton Toyota. Post-lap 75 caution laps were not counted, but cars that stopped at the work area were penalized a lap. Casey Shuman, son of eight-time TNGP winner Ron Shuman, Zach Daum and Dalton Armstrong completed the top ten. Johnathon Henry, 2011 TNGP winner Caleb Armstrong, Hines, 19-year old Welch, Hagen, Pickens, Prickett, McQueen, rookie Jake Swanson, POWRI's Ray and Rutherford were the other finishers in the top 21. All other drivers did not finish. P. 22-34 were: Sweet, Stratton, Darland, Abreu, Clauson, Margeson, TNGP rookie VanderWeerd, East, Spencer (in his first TNGP feature), Gardner, Leffler, Boat and Kruseman.

The feature started at 9:33 and concluded at 10:52 pm. It was broadcast live on the Internet beyond a 100 mile radius from the track. USAC allows Agajanian Promotions to determine where the TNGP is run each year in thanks for J. C. Agajanian reviving the TNGP in 1955 after it was not run from 1951-54. Cary, Jay and Chris Agajanian attended and indicated over the PA system that they were pleased by the TNGP return to dirt and fan response at Perris. They presented a Stetson hat to promoter Kazarian during pre-race ceremonies for his cooperation in making the event successful. Weather conditions were ideal for Thanksgiving evening racing and helped boost attendance with temperature in the high 70s down to low 60s and light wind during the TNGP.

PODIUM: The top three finishers stopped at the finish line and were joined later by the 2012 USAC Western driving champions. Winner Larson said, “ I wasn't sure how much right rear tire I had and tried to save my tires. I knew Tracy (Hines) had to be using up tires. I saw him coming. He's a good driver and it's fun to race with Bryan and Tracy. I didn't expect the track to take rubber, but it did. I was saving my car even when he (Hines) was alongside. I drove it in straight. I won the Gold Cup (at Chico) awhile ago and now “Turkey Night”. All that's left is the Chili Bowl and that's in January.” He also won the NASCAR K & N East Series 2012 stock car championship and rookie of the year title. He made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut with three late 2012 starts and had a pair of top five finishes. During a November appearance on SPEED Channel, host Dave DeSpain stated Larson had 27 victories in 115 features during 2012. Add the tough TNGP and he now has 28 with a racing trip to Australia on tap in December.

Runner-up Coons said, “I started deeper in the pack (17th). I drew a terrible qualifying draw, fifth from the end. I got up there, fifth or sixth, and just rode for awhile and raced at the end when they started dropping out. The track got slick and laid down rubber. Need to keep it straight. I'm excited Turkey Night is back on dirt and hope it's here for a long time to come. Maybe we'll win next year.” He thanked car owner Joe Dooling, Spike chassis and Esslinger engines.

Third place Bernal received his Basile Rookie of the Race plaque and $500 from Bob Basile. He stated, “I'm glad Turkey Night is back on dirt and honored to have this plaque. I'm happy we're on the podium for the Turkey Night Grand Prix. I'm speechless. My parents came down to watch too.” Hagen talked about finalizing his first USAC National Midget championship in front of his hometown fans and family. “I took off and led a bit on a soft tire compound and fell back to save it. Thanks to my lord and savior Jesus Christ. Thanks to all the fans. Come back next year.” He also thanked his car owner, crew and sponsors.

Coons won the 2012 National Midget Driver of the Year (NMDOTY) championship by 130 points over two-time NMDOTY champion Brad Kuhn. Coons won four features, including the prestigious Belleville (Kan.) Nationals in August. He tallied points driving for five different car owners. USAC's Hagen finished third,137 points back. After 178 events for all midget sanctioning associations, 508 drivers earned NMDOTY points. Coons won his first NMDOTY championship five years ago according to NMDOTY coordinator Bryan Gapinski. Kunz/Curb/Agajanian swept the top two positions in the NMDOTY car owner championship. Abreu won the rookie of the year honor. In NMDOTY manufacturers points, Spike won the chassis constructor title and Ford-Esslinger again took the engine builder points championship. All NMDOTY point fund checks and trophies will be presented in Tulsa, Oklahoma at the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl final night—January 12, 2013.




Buzzard-
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November 26, 2012 at 12:17:38 AM
Joined: 01/17/2007
Posts: 723
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From where I was in turn one, Clausen had his bell rung and was pretty slow to make his way to his pit. Glad to see he was out at the go-kart races... that was a nasty flip.



jeremyqueenerracin
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November 26, 2012 at 12:48:26 AM
Joined: 08/26/2008
Posts: 195
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He was ok when I got to Clauson but once he started walking he got a little dazed. Talked to him after the main and he was all good. Glad him and Gardner are ok. Both were nasty flips.


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Buzzard-
MyWebsite
November 26, 2012 at 12:15:28 PM
Joined: 01/17/2007
Posts: 723
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No kidding, Damion's flip was wild...

I had such a good time, im never going to the inlaws again! Unless someone loses their mind and puts the race back on pavement.





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