Earl's Fast Qualifier 2004-06-14

Earl's National Midget Qual. Points Extremely Tight!

Three drivers are locked in a tight battle for the 2004 Earl's Plumbing Fast Qualifier Championship in USAC's National Midget Series, separated by just two points!

Dave Steele, Bobby East and Josh Wise will remain close this week as qualifying is not part of the four-race "Buckeye Nationals" Midget format. East was Saturday night's fastest qualifier at the Anderson (Ind.) Speedway in a race won by Teddy Beach.

Tony Hunt posted the fastest qualifying time for Saturday night's Western Sprint Car race at Tucson, Ariz. and leads that series' FQ standings.

Events awarding Earl's points this week include all four "Buckeye Nationals" Valvoline National Sprint Car races at Attica, Fremont, Lima and Rossburg, Ohio, plus Saturday night's Western Midget and Ford Focus race at Ventura, Calif. and Sunday night's Midwest Ford Focus race at Sun Prairie, Wisc.

Points are traditionally awarded at each USAC event based on an international system awarding the top-six qualifiers with points in the following scale: 1st-9. 2nd-6, 3rd-4, 4th-3, 5th-2, 6th-1.

Each USAC National, Western and Ford Focus Midget Car Earl's Plumbing FQ Champion will be honored at USAC's Champions Night ceremony in Indianapolis in December. The National and Western FQ champs will receive $5,000 each, while the Ford Focus FQ champs will each receive $1,500.

2004 Standings:

Weld Racing Silver Crown:
1-Dave Steele-27
2-Dane Carter-12
3-Levi Jones-11
4-Jon Stanbrough-10
5-Tyler Walker & Dave Darland-7.

Valvoline National Sprint Car:
1-Cory Kruseman-16
2-Jay Drake-14
3-Jason McCord, Bobby East & Aaron Pierce-13.

National Midget Car:
1-Dave Steele-26
2-Bobby East-25
3-Josh Wise-24
4-Ron Gregory-18
5-Jerry Coons, Jr., J.J. Yeley & Billy Wease-9.

Valvoline Western Sprint Car:
1-Tony Hunt-30
2-Michael Lewis-21
3-Brian McClish-12
4-Chad Nichols-11
5-Greg Taylor-9.

Western Midget Car:
1-Jerome Rodela-39
2-Garrett Hansen-27
3-Steve Paden-25
4-Michael Lewis-16
5-Josh Wise-13.

California Ford Focus:
1-Chris Rahe-47
2-Bradley Galedrige-38
3-Josh Lakatos-37
4-Nick Morago-21
5-Bobby McGowan-17.

Carolina/Virginia Ford Focus:
1-Chase Scott-34
2-Sam Beam-25
3-Kevin Conway-16
4-Mike Ward-12
5-Danny Bopp-11.

Midwest Ford Focus:
1-Tate Martz-27
2-Ryan Litt-25
3-Rex Norris III-23
4-Trenton Darland-17
5-Jordan Noblitt-11.

--USAC--