Indiana Midget Week racap, Iowa previw

KUHN LEADS MIDGETS TO IOWA SPEEDWAY FRIDAY CLAUSON TAKES 2 & INDIANA MIDGET WEEK TITLE, COONS, KUHN ALSO VICTORIOUS IN INDIANA

Brad Kuhn of Avon, Ind. is the new point leader in the USAC Mopar National Midget Series, which heads for Iowa Speedway for this Friday's race, part of the track's "Iowa Corn Indy 250" Indy Racing League weekend.

Kuhn scored a first, second and third in four "Indiana Midget Week" appearances last week and has a 21-point lead over two-time series titlist Jerry Coons Jr. entering Friday's race at the 7/8-mile paved oval. Friday's feature is 30 laps.

Drivers at Iowa Speedway will be trying to eclipse Bobby Santos III.'s all-time USAC Midget qualifying record of 139.553 mph, established in 2006.

Bryan Clauson of Noblesville, Ind. is the 2009 "Indiana Midget Week" Champion after winning Sunday night's 30-lap series finale at the Kokomo Speedway. Clauson passed Dave Darland on lap 27 and led the final four laps to win an exciting 30-lap USAC Mopar National Midget race at the quarter-mile dirt oval in his All Star Performance/Bryan Clauson Racing Spike/Esslinger Ford. Clauson ended up with an eight point margin over Kuhn in the final "Indiana Midget Week" standings. Darland took second in Sunday night's feature, ahead of Kuhn, Cole Whitt and Kevin Swindell. Ricky Ehrgott flipped during qualifying and was treated and released from St. Joseph's Hospital.

Clauson caught Steve Buckwalter on lap 25 and led the rest of the way to win Saturday night's 30-lap "Indiana Midget Week" feature at the Lawrenceburg Speedway. Clauson drove the All Star Performance/Bryan Clauson Racing Spike/Esslinger Ford to the win. Brad Sweet finished second ahead of Buckwalter, Darren Hagen and Tracy Hines.

Kuhn passed Sweet on the final lap to win Friday night's 30-lap "Indiana Midget Week" feature at Bloomington Speedway in the Rotondo Weirich Beast/Fontana. Sweet led 27 of the first 29 laps before Kuhn's last-lap pass. Josh Wise also led two feature laps and finished third, ahead of Hines and Clauson. Buckwalter posted a new track qualifying record and was the fastest qualifier for the second straight race.

Coons, of Tucson, Ariz., won Wednesday night's "Indiana Midget Week" opener for the USAC Mopar National Midgets at Gas City I-69 Speedway, leading all 30 laps in his Speedway Motors/Toyota Spike/Stanton Toyota to beat Kuhn, Hagen, Clauson and Ryan Kaplan.

Heavy rains forced postponement of Thursday night's scheduled race at Twin Cities Raceway Park in North Vernon, Ind. to August 14.

Winners of performance cash awards from Prosource Management Solutions of Grand Saline, Texas during "Indiana Midget Week" included Zach Daum (Series Hard Work), Dene McAllan, Buckwalter, Chad Boat and Sweet (Fast Qualifiers), Hines, Kuhn, Kody Swanson and Jones (Hard Chargers), and Bobby East, Brent Beauchamp and McAllan (Race Hard Work Awards).

-credit: usac