Kofoid Captures Top Position in 2020 Midget Power Rankings
(December 15, 2020) – Michael “Buddy” Kofoid of Penngrove, CA, made the most of his first full season of Midget racing action by snaring the number one position in the 2020 edition of the www.midgetmadness.com Midget Power Rankings.
And he did it by the narrowest of margins, edging Keith Kunz Motorsports teammate Cannon McIntosh by just two points for top honors.
After capturing his first career Midget win in local action at Jacksonville in 2019, Kofoid embarked upon the entirety of the 2020 USAC Midget trail as well as a bulk of the POWRi schedule. Kofoid finished fourth in points with both series, earning “Rookie of the Year” honors in USAC action and topping the POWRi win charts with seven triumphs.
Kofoid collected ten overall wins on the season, knocking off a half-dozen POWRi wins before finally landing his first USAC National Midget score at Missouri’s Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex on September 5. Kofoid then finished out strong with another pair of USAC wins in November including a Western World Championship triumph at Arizona Speedway and then by outdueling Kyle Larson at Bakersfield.
That hard-fought victory over Larson at Bakersfield proved to be just enough to give the then 18-year-old Kofoid the top ranking by a nose over Oklahoma’s McIntosh. Also in his first full season among the Keith Kunz Motorsports flock, McIntosh picked up eight wins along the way to rank second. After scoring a Chili Bowl preliminary win, a pair of USAC triumphs were among the McIntosh victory drives.
Also racking up eight overall wins between a pair of rides along the way, California’s Tanner Thorson claimed third. Top-ranked in Midget Power Rankings in both 2015 and 2016, Thorson added seven USAC wins including the Leffler Memorial and Western World to a Chili Bowl preliminary win to kick off the season.
Tyler Courtney finished the season ranked fourth aboard a Clauson-Marshall Racing entry, his third time among the top-five in the past four years, while 2020 USAC Midget champion Chris Windom cracked the top-five for the first time in the Tucker-Boat Motorsports camp focusing solely on USAC action when turning Midget laps.
USAC rookie contender Daison Pursley was sixth aboard another KKM entry with Jake Neuman cracking the top-ten for the first time in seventh after capturing the POWRi National title. After ranking first the previous two years, Logan Seavey was eighth in 2020.
Running a limited slate of Midget events, Kyle Larson ranked ninth with Chili Bowl and Indiana Midget Week titles among his abundant 2020 accolades while Thomas Meseraull cracked the final top-ten for the first time.
Among this year’s top-ten, Thorson has finished in the top-ten five times over the past eight years while five racers (Kofoid, Pursley, Neuman, Larson and Meseraull) broke into the top-ten for this first time since the inception of the Midget Power Rankings in 2013.
Title sponsor of the Midget Power Rankings, www.midgetmadness.com is the leading source of headline news, results and more for Midget racing throughout the world.
The www.midgetmadness.com Midget Power Rankings are a part of the Open Wheel Power Rankings at www.sprintcarmania.com that also includes STIDA Winged 410s, Non-Wing Sprint Cars and Rod End Supply Winged 360s along with the STIDA Super Late Model Power Rankings.
A look at this year’s Top 50 in www.midgetmadness.com Midget Power Rankings is as follows:
| Rank | Name | Hometown | Wins | Points | 2019 Rank | 2018 Rank | 2017 Rank | 2016 Rank | 2015 Rank | 2014 Rank | 2013 Rank |
| 1 | Buddy Kofoid | Penngrove, CA | 10 | 689 | 39 | 124 | NR | 233 | NR | NR | NR |
| 2 | Cannon McIntosh | Bixby, OK | 8 | 687 | 7 | 34 | 39 | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 3 | Tanner Thorson | Minden, NV | 8 | 559 | 12 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 25 |
| 4 | Tyler Courtney | Indianapolis, IN | 5 | 481 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 80 | 126 | 102 | NR |
| 5 | Chris Windom | Canton, IL | 4 | 457 | 6 | 44 | 44 | 49 | 63 | 15 | 119 |
| 6 | Daison Pursley | Locust Grove, OK | 2 | 390 | 27 | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 7 | Jake Neuman | New Berlin, IL | 2 | 317 | 16 | 17 | 25 | 22 | 41 | 193 | 132 |
| 8 | Logan Seavey | Sutter, CA | 2 | 304 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 164 | NR | NR | NR |
| 9 | Kyle Larson | Elk Grove, CA | 7 | 299 | 11 | 29 | 40 | 25 | 24 | 55 | 14 |
| 10 | Thomas Meseraull | San Jose, CA | 4 | 271 | 35 | 65 | 147 | 44 | 51 | 93 | 65 |
| 11 | Justin Grant | Ione, CA | 2 | 242 | 20 | 10 | 5 | 126 | 90 | 76 | 141 |
| 12 | Emerson Axsom | Franklin, IN | 2 | 236 | 149 | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 13 | Tanner Carrick | Lincoln, CA | 0 | 227 | 5 | 4 | 17 | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 14 | Zach Daum | Pocahontas, IL | 1 | 192 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| 15 | Ace McCarthy | Tahlequah, OK | 2 | 173 | 32 | 67 | 56 | 247 | NR | NR | NR |
| 16 | Andrew Felker | Carl Junction, MO | 1 | 173 | 13 | 32 | 23 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 4 |
| 17 | Kaylee Bryson | Muskogee, OK | 0 | 163 | 96 | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 18 | Trey Gropp | Lincoln, NE | 1 | 146 | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 19 | Kevin Thomas, Jr. | Cullman, AL | 0 | 124 | 10 | 9 | 61 | 112 | 9 | 31 | 97 |
| 20 | Spencer Bayston | Lebanon, IN | 1 | 122 | 44 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 200 |
| 21 | Trey Marcham | Newcastle, OK | 3 | 117 | 30 | 39 | 122 | NR | 44 | 18 | 109 |
| 22 | Jonathan Beason | Broken Arrow, OK | 1 | 112 | 22 | 28 | 32 | 35 | 60 | 49 | 81 |
| 23 | Jerry Coons, Jr. | Tucson, AZ | 0 | 110 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 12 | 45 | 11 |
| 24 | Rico Abreu | St. Helena, CA | 1 | 109 | 21 | 23 | 18 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| 25 | Clinton Boyles | Greenwood, MO | 0 | 107 | 198 | NR | NR | NR | 138 | NR | NR |
| 26 | Christopher Bell | Norman, OK | 1 | 104 | 19 | 5 | 6 | 29 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 27 | Robert Dalby | Anaheim, CA | 0 | 104 | 23 | 33 | 55 | 54 | 148 | NR | NR |
| 28 | Blake Hahn | Sapulpa, OK | 2 | 102 | 60 | 40 | 94 | 84 | 46 | NR | NR |
| 29 | Chase Johnson | Penngrove, CA | 0 | 97 | 121 | 47 | NR | 199 | NR | NR | NR |
| 30 | Andrew Layser | Collegeville, PA | 0 | 97 | 31 | 66 | 159 | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 31 | Noah Gass | Mounds, OK | 0 | 86 | 53 | 206 | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 32 | Shane Golobic | Fremont, CA | 0 | 84 | 28 | 27 | 3 | 17 | 54 | 51 | 29 |
| 33 | Kyle Cummins | Princeton, IN | 0 | 81 | 81 | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 34 | Tyler Thomas | Collinsville, OK | 0 | 79 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 13 |
| 35 | Tristin Thomas | Burlington, WA | 0 | 76 | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 36 | Cole Bodine | Rossville, IN | 0 | 74 | 63 | 48 | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 37 | Ryan Bernal | Hollister, CA | 0 | 73 | 66 | 45 | NR | 138 | 18 | 133 | 91 |
| 38 | Sam Johnson | St. Peters, MO | 0 | 70 | 87 | 35 | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 39 | Chance Morton | Coweta, OK | 0 | 67 | 41 | 164 | 223 | 117 | 147 | NR | NR |
| 40 | Carson Macedo | Lemoore, CA | 1 | 61 | 58 | NR | 53 | 3 | NR | NR | NR |
| 41 | Tucker Klaasmeyer | Paola, KS | 0 | 60 | 9 | 2 | 13 | 12 | 28 | NR | NR |
| 42 | Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. | Olive Branch, MS | 0 | 57 | 47 | 80 | 84 | 77 | 82 | 160 | NR |
| 43 | Jason McDougal | Broken Arrow, OK | 0 | 54 | 14 | 16 | 156 | 24 | 136 | 95 | NR |
| 44 | Hank Davis | Sand Springs, OK | 0 | 43 | 29 | 26 | 232 | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 45 | Frankie Guerrini | San Rafael, CA | 1 | 38 | NR | 82 | 34 | 34 | 17 | 104 | 115 |
| 46 | Kyle Jones | Kennedale, TX | 0 | 36 | 76 | 70 | NR | 58 | 65 | NR | NR |
| 47 | Jesse Love | Menlo Park, CA | 0 | 36 | 48 | 106 | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 48 | Joe B. Miller | Millersville, MO | 0 | 36 | 94 | 24 | 69 | 118 | 261 | NR | NR |
| 49-tie | Colby Copeland | Roseville, CA | 0 | 35 | 65 | 90 | 67 | NR | 162 | NR | NR |
| 49-tie | Sammy Swindell | Germantown, TN | 0 | 35 | 198 | 87 | 147 | 186 | 73 | 73 | 52 |
Features Completed: 87 (124 in 2019, 116 in 2018, 131 in 2017, 158 in 2016, 141 in 2015, 126 in 2014, 154 in 2013)
Number of Different Winners: 37 (51 in 2019, 56 in 2018, 60 in 2017, 62 in 2016, 65 in 2015, 57 in 2014, 66 in 2013)
Number of Drivers to Earn Points: 167 (214 in 2019, 226 in 2018, 236 in 2017, 278 in 2016, 274 in 2015, 241 in 2014, 248 in 2013)
Past Top Tens in www.midgetmadness.com Midget Power Rankings:
2019 – 1. Logan Seavey (16) 891, 2. Tyler Courtney (9) 605, 3. Zeb Wise (5) 490, 4. Jesse Colwell (2) 467, 5. Tanner Carrick (2) 435, 6. Chris Windom (2) 404, 7. Cannon McIntosh (1) 382, 8. Zach Daum 375, 9. Tucker Klaasmeyer 363, 10. Kevin Thomas, Jr. (2) 326.
2018 – 1. Logan Seavey (9) 734, 2. Tucker Klaasmeyer (6) 483, 3. Ryan Robinson (1) 457, 4. Tanner Carrick (2) 442, 5. Christopher Bell (9) 345, 6. Chad Boat (2) 321, 7. Tyler Courtney (3) 312, 8. Zach Daum (1) 295, 9. Kevin Thomas, Jr. (5) 294, 10. Justin Grant (2) 281.
2017 – 1. Spencer Bayston (8) 668, 2. Tanner Thorson (7) 608, 3. Shane Golobic (1) 444, 4. Tyler Courtney (5) 408, 5. Justin Grant (3) 359, 6. Christopher Bell (10) 346, 7. Brady Bacon (4) 342, 8. Zach Daum (1) 325, 9. Ryan Robinson 289, 10. Tyler Thomas (6) 277.
2016 – 1. Tanner Thorson (16) 795, 2. Spencer Bayston (3) 666, 3. Carson Macedo (3) 551, 4. Zach Daum (4) 469, 5. Brady Bacon (1) 356, 6. Bryan Clauson (5) 317, 7. Chad Boat (3) 310, 8. Tyler Thomas 294, 9. Ryan Robinson 282, 10. Justin Peck (1) 273.
2015 – 1. Tanner Thorson (7) 548, 2. Darren Hagen (5) 522, 3. Spencer Bayston (5) 500, 4. Rico Abreu (9) 488, 5. Christopher Bell (8) 438, 6. Bryan Clauson (6) 422, 7. Andrew Felker (3) 383, 8. Zach Daum (3) 379, 9. Kevin Thomas, Jr. (3) 373, 10. Tyler Thomas (2) 276.
2014 – 1. Christopher Bell (16) 659, 2. Zach Daum (4) 589, 3. Bryan Clauson (10) 555, 4. Rico Abreu (5) 449, 5. Darren Hagen (6) 421, 6. Tanner Thorson (2) 411, 7. Andrew Felker (3) 313, 8. Tracy Hines (2) 304, 9. Tyler Thomas (1) 283, 10. Alex Bright (5) 244.
2013 – 1. Christopher Bell (10) 543, 2. Zach Daum (8) 504, 3. Darren Hagen (8) 415, 4. Andrew Felker (2) 406, 5. Rico Abreu (7) 402, 6. Bryan Clauson (8) 397, 7. Brad Kuhn (1) 325, 8. Tracy Hines (2) 322, 9. Ronnie Gardner (13) 280, 10. Alex Bright (3) 231.
The Open Wheel Power Rankings are determined by cumulative points based on a sliding scale dependent upon car count at Sprint Car and Midget events across all sanctions and non-sanctions throughout North America.
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Sources: Lonnie Wheatley,