2009 News

MIDGETS HEAD FOR IOWA AND THIS WEEKEND’S “KNOXVILLE MIDGET NATIONALS”

GURNEY WINS 64TH “NIGHT BEFORE THE 500” CLASSIC

Bobby East of Brownsburg, Ind. leads the USAC Mopar National Midget Series to this weekend’s “Knoxville Midget Nationals” at the 1/2-mile Iowa dirt oval on “Induction Weekend” at the track which hosts the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. East has a one-point lead over Darren Hagen in the latest standings.

The Pepsi “King Doodlebug Classic” headlines Friday night’s events at Knoxville, while the Pepsi “Knoxville Midget National” finale is Saturday. Brad Sweet of Grass Valley, Calif. is the defending champion of both races, having “swept” last year’s Knoxville program.

East finished third in Saturday night’s 64th TourHendricksCounty.com “Night Before the 500” Classic at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis, Ind. Chuck Gurney Jr. of Livermore, Calif. won at O’Reilly Raceway Park, leading the final 38 laps after passing Cole Whitt on lap 13. Trailing Gurney’s Performance Compsites/Fontana Automotive Beast/Fontana were fast qualifier Bryan Clauson, 2008 race winner East, Alex Bowman and Josh Wise.

The Knoxville races also award USAC/SMRS Great Plains Midget points. Oklahoma’s Matt Sherrell leads a tightly-bunched pack of four drivers in the latest USAC/SMRS series standings.

Past “King Doodlebug” champs Sweet, Hagen, Jerry Coons Jr. and Danny Stratton are already entered at Knoxville, as are past “Knoxville Midget Nationals” champs Sweet, Coons and Mike Hess.

New Zealand’s Michael Pickens and Australia’s Matt Smith are also entered, giving the Knoxville events a truly international flavor.