CARLSON BRINGS IT ON HOME TO USAC DMA VICTORY AT BEAR RIDGE

By: John DaDalt

Bradford, Vermont (June 12, 2021)………Seth Carlson (Stafford, CT) capitalized on lapped traffic to pass Will Hull with two laps remaining and take down the feature win in the USAC-DMA midget race at Bear Ridge Speedway Saturday night.

It was the first victory of the 2021 season for the defending series champion and also extended his string of top three finishes to twelve straight.

Mike Chaffee and Kelly Ferrell brought the field to the green flag with Chaffee taking command to lead lap one. The seventh starting Hull loves to ride the high groove and when the cars in front of him went to the bottom in the early laps, Hull took to the top and rode the momentum into the lead on lap two. Hull commented on the move after the race: “I just got lucky as the guys in front of me left the lane open. I had prepped the tires to get a few good laps out of the gate to try to pass as quickly as I could knowing the bottom wasn’t good.”

While Hull was riding along in the lead, teammate Carlson was also charging through the pack, taking over second from Chaffee on lap six. At that point Hull had a 1.4 second lead. Carlson was able to slowly cut into the lead but as the track began to slow it looked like Hull would hold on for the win. Then came the race changing moment.

With two laps to go the leaders approached a lapped car going into turn one. Hull chose the bottom and so did the lapped car. Carlson took advantage of the open high groove to take the lead. Hull tried to chase him down but with only two laps to go Carlson maintained the point for the victory.

Once the dust settled, Carlson spoke of the good fortune. “I think being in second place with a few laps to go was just the right spot to be tonight. Will and I were both running the top groove, a few times I went to the bottom to make a pass but just couldn’t keep enough momentum to get by. When we hit lapped traffic I would see what lane he would pick and just gamble and take the opposite. And with two to go it paid off.”

His disappointed teammate took it in stride. “Yeah, it is racing. Frustrating but it is what it is.”

Josh Sunn inherited third place from Chaffee on lap 16 but by that time the leaders were out of sight. “I’m getting more comfortable in the car every week. I kept getting boxed in with nowhere to go (but) after I got going I feel like I was as fast as the leaders” stated Sunn after the race.

Ray Miller Racing teammates Brandon Piastka and Justin Sheridan both picked up their second top five finishes of the season with a fourth and fifth place, respectively. Manny Dias was shuffled back to eighth in the opening laps but gained back two spots in the end to finish sixth over Joe Krawiec. Last week’s winner Justin Phillips was eighth.

Wayne Koehler and Ferrell rounded out the top ten. Chaffee’s strong run and hopes for a podium finish ended on lap 16 when he dropped out while running in third place.

The two heat races were won by Mike Chaffee and Will Hull.

The USAC-DMA midgets will make their first of two visits to Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Malta, NY on Friday June 18.

======================

USAC DIRT MIDGET ASSOCIATION RACE RESULTS: June 12, 2021 – Bear Ridge Speedway – Bradford, Vermont

FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Mike Chaffee (#18c Miller), 2. Brandon Piastka (#7 Miller), 3. Justin Sheridan (#17 Miller), 4. Wayne Koehler (#91 Koehler), 5. Kelly Ferrell (#2K Ferrell). 6. Adrian Tetreault (#52x Tetreault).

SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Will Hull (#3 Matczak), 2. Seth Carlson (#4 Matczak), 3. Justin Phillips (#16 Miller), 4. Joe Krawiec (#1B Miller), 5. Josh Sunn (#76 Mancini), 6. Manny Dias (#42 Dias). NT

FEATURE: (25 laps) 1. Seth Carlson, 2. Will Hull, 3. Josh Sunn, 4. Brandon Piastka, 5. Justin Sheridan, 6. Manny Dias, 7. Joe Krawiec, 8. Justin Phillips, 9. Wayne Koehler, 10. Kelly Ferrell, 11. Adrian Tetreault, 12. Mike Chaffee. NT

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Lap 1 Mike Chaffee, Laps 2-23 Will Hull, Laps 24-25 Seth Carlson.

NEXT USAC DIRT MIDGET ASSOCIATION RACE: June 18, 2021 – Albany-Saratoga Speedway – Malta, New York