FF: MidAm: DuQuoin preview

DARLAND SET TO CHALLENGE RAY AT DuQUOIN SATURDAY!

USAC "Triple Crown" Champion Dave Darland of Lincoln, Ind. has thrown his helmet in the ring (so to speak) for this Saturday afternoon's USAC Ford Focus Midget race at the Southern Illinois Center at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds.

The second and final race in the "Pepsi Mid America Ford Focus Midget Nationals" championship is set for Saturday afternoon at the brand-new 1/6-mile indoor dirt racing facility and Darland will be making his second Focus appearance, his first on dirt. Last year Dave finished third on the pavement at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Darland will be driving for legendary car owners Don and Mel Kenyon, who have won nine USAC National Championships. Darland won last month's Valvoline USAC/CRA Sprint Car opener at Phoenix, Ariz.

Robbie Ray of Davenport, Iowa, USAC's inaugural Indiana Ford Focus Midget Champion in 2003, enters Saturday's event as the "Mid-America" point leader, having won the opener at DuQuoin January 16. He will pilot the Ray Racing Calico Coatings Beast.

Brad Loyet of St. Louis, Mo., who finished second to Ray in the DuQuoin debut, also returns for Saturday's race, along with lady driver Stephanie Mockler of Westfield, Ind., who finished third in January.

Saturday's program gets under way with practice at 12:30 pm and racing at 2 pm. Eight-lap heats and 10-lap semis will be followed by the 40-lap championship feature.

PEPSI MID AMERICA FORD FOCUS NATIONALS STANDINGS
1.-Robbie Ray-67
2.-Brad Loyet-65
3.-Stephanie Mockler-62
4.-Ryan Litt-56
5.-Adam Karmer-53
6.-Ronnie Wuerdeman-52
7.-Jim Mills-45
8.-Mark Bush-44
9.-Jasiel Pandolph-43
10.-Kevin Studley-39

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