It’s All Adam Whitney for The Win in USAC Dirt Midget Association Race
Ellington, CT: Adam Whitney, from Warren Vermont, scores his first win of the 2019 race season in the Whitney Tree Service sponsored USAC dirt midget at Bear Ridge Speedway in Bradford Vermont.
Heat race one (8 laps) started with the 5 of Steve Midford on pole and the 23 of Tim West starting outside row one. When the green flagged waived the 26 piloted by TJ Foster moved from third to outside the leaders and by the start of lap two quickly showed the rest of the pack that he was here to win. The yellow came out on lap two for the 23 of Tim West spinning with no one else involved. Back to green with TJ Foster’s 26 taking control of the race followed by the 16 of Justin Phillips now in second and the 9M of David Moniz to third. Dean Christensen, driving the American Muscle USA Cycle Works number 69, moved from sixth to fourth and challenged the leaders lap after lap. The race would stay green to the finish with TJ Foster from West Topsham, VT in the 26 taking the win followed by Justin Phillips of West Suffield, CT driving the Miller Racing 16 for second and rounding out the top three was the 9M of David Moniz from Fairhaven MA.
Heat race 1 finishing order: TJ Foster (26), Justin Phillips (16), David Moniz (9M), Dean Christensen (69), Wayne Kohler (91), Steve Midford (5), Ben Balzer (10), Tim West (23).
Lap leaders: lap 1 Steve Midford (5), laps 2-8 TJ Foster (26)
Time of race: 3 minutes 20 seconds
Fast lap: TJ Foster (#26) 16 seconds
Margin of victory: 8 seconds
Heat race two (7 laps due to score board issues) began having the 17 of Justin Sheridan in the pole position with the 12 of Adam Whitney starting outside in second. When the green was displayed Sheridan’s 17 kept the front spot followed by the 2 of Seth Carlson moving from fourth and now challenging for the point. The 12 of Whitney was now dropping back. On the second lap Jeff Horn in the A1 spun but never stopped and the race stayed green. The 17 of Sheridan held the lead with the 2 of Carlson battling Sheridan for the top position and the 3 of Will Hull now in tow for third. Coming to the green Sheridan’s heat race win was insight with Carlson in the 2 slowing out of turn four and dropping back to third with teammate Hull now moving from third to second. When the race was done the Miller Racing #16 with Justin Sheridan of Suffield, CT behind the wheel taking the win followed by the 3 of Will Hull from Plainfield VT for second and rounding out the top three was Seth Carlson’s #2 of Brimfield MA.
Heat race 2 finishing order: Justin Sheridan (17), Will Hull (3), Seth Carlson (2), Adam Whitney (12), Joe Krawiec (1B), Manny Dias (42), Jeff Horn (A1).
Lap leaders: laps 1-7 Justin Sheridan (17)
Time of race: 1 minute 55 seconds
Fast lap: Will Hull (#3) 16 seconds
Margin of victory: 0.170 seconds
Going into the night the points where tied between Seth Carlson who drives the Seals-it #2 and Will Hull, Carlson’s teammate, in the Seals-it sponsored #3. Carlson had engine issues at the end of his heat race and the car was not able to compete but Carlson’s other teammate in the Seals-it #5, Steve Midford, showed the ultimate sportsmanship move and offered his car to Carlson so the points could be challenged for amongst the two leaders.
The 25 lap feature started with Justin Sheridan in the 17 on pole and the 12 of Adam Whitney in second. Due to the car change, Seth Carlson was moved from eighth to the rear of the starting field. Green flag out and the 12 of Adam Whitney took command by moving to the lead and showed strength over the other racers. For the first several laps Whitney in the 12 held point followed by Sheridan in the 17 for second and Manny Diaz’s in the 42 for third. The yellow flag was displayed on lap six for Tim West in the 23 spinning in turn one. Quick yellow and now back to green with Whitney still leading but the 1B of Joe Krawiec was now in second and Sheridan’s 17 to third. The race fans were treated to watching Carlson in Midford’s car moving up through the field and not missing a beat. Another quick yellow on lap ten for West in the 23 spinning again in turn one and with no one else involved the track was cleared and back to green flag laps. On the restart, the lead stayed the same with Whitney on point and now the A1 of Jeff Horn moving into second and Krawiec’s 1B to third. While Adam Whitney maintained the lead, the A1 of Horn and 1B of Krawiec traded positions for several laps. By lap twenty co-points leader Will Hull in the 3 had worked his way up from thirteenth to third and was not done yet as he needed to stay ahead of Carlson, now fifth, in order to take the points lead. As the race began to whine down it looked like Whitney had the win all to himself until a lap twenty four caution for a spinning racecar in turn two. With only a few laps left it was time for a green-white-checkered flag run to the finish. Cars would line up single file for the restart and when the green flag was displayed it was race on with the pack now tightly running together. Whitney was able to hold off the field and continued dominating the event with Hull’s 3 now in second and Krawiec’s 1B to third. Adam Whitney of Warren VT passed under the checkered flag for the win followed by the 3 of Will Hull from Plainfield VT for second and the 1B of Joe Krawiec of Granby, CT for third.
Feature race finishing order: Adam Whitney (12), Will Hull (3), Joe Krawiec (1B), Jeff Horn (A1), Seth Carlson (2/5), Justin Sheridan (17), Dean Christensen (69), Justin Phillips (16), TJ Foster (26), Wayne Kohler (91), Manny Dias (42), David Moniz (9), Tim West (23), Ben Balzer (10).
Lap leaders: laps 1-26 (extended for green-white-checkered) Adam Whitney (12)
Time of race: 12 minutes 56 seconds
Fast lap: Adam Whitney (#12) 15.9 seconds
Margin of victory: 0.350 seconds
The series will be back in action on June 15th at Bear Ridge Speedway in Bradford, Vermont.
To learn more about the USAC Dirt Midget Association, please visit the series website at www.usacdma.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DirtMidgetAssociation
For additional information regarding this press release please contact Mark J. Hann, USAC DMA Series Director, at usacdma@usacdma.com
Sources: Mark Hann/USAC DMA PR