Saturday’s Alright for Turkey Night! USAC Midget Grand Prix-View
Ventura, California (November 26, 2021)………While running fifth nearing halfway of the 2019 Turkey Night Grand Prix at California’s Ventura Raceway, Kyle Larson almost saw his race end in shambles after biking hard entering turn one.
Somehow, someway, the Elk Grove, Calif. native regained his footing, kept his foot on the throttle and carried on as if it was just part of the game plan.
Obviously, it wasn’t, but Larson welcomes a challenge and responded to it in kind throughout the night, beginning with his qualifying run. After being a favorite to win the pole, Larson uncharacteristically spun on his second qualifying lap, relegating him to 16th fastest and forcing him to carve through the field if he was to reach the pinnacle once again.
Larson seemingly took it all in stride, even on a racing surface that had been deluged by heavy rain over the past three days that made the 1/5-mile oceanside bullring a giddy-up, bucking bronco style ride from the word go.
With all those challenges facing him, and even a lengthy precipitation delay during the night’s qualifying races, it still seemed inevitable that Larson was going to be a factor regardless if he started mid-pack, on the tail or in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with one arm tied behind his back.
None of these things proved to be a hindrance to the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champ who won the prestigious race for a third time, joining Ron Shuman (8), Billy Boat (3) and Christopher Bell (3) as one of the Mt. Rushmore figures to win the event on at least three occasions.
“I’ve always run well at the Turkey Night Grand Prix,” Larson admitted. “To get another one feels great. I had to work hard for that one, everybody did, just to get to the checkered flag. It was extremely rough, but fun too because it was challenging.”
This Saturday night, November 27, at Ventura, Larson begins his quest to become the second driver to win the event at least four times in his career after previous scores in 2012, 2016 and 2019. Beyond that, in nine previous TNGP starts, Larson has finished no worse than 4th. He’s been 2nd three times in 2015, 2017 and 2018. He’s been 3rd twice in 2013 and 2014, and 4th in 2011. Furthermore, he captured the pole for the race in 2017.
Larson and Tanner Thorson (Minden, Nev.) are the two lone past TNGP winners in this year’s field. The 2016 USAC National Midget champion won the 2015 race and was on the pole for the 2014 event. Thorson also possesses a 4th in 2017, a 6th in both 2014 and 2016, and a 10th in 2013 on his Turkey Night resume.
Larson’s largest thorn in the 2019 race was teenage sensation Cannon McIntosh (Bixby, Okla.), who was making his first career Turkey Night Grand Prix appearance and led a race-high 67 laps before finishing 2nd to Larson in the 98-lapper.
Third in World of Outlaws points in 2021 is Carson Macedo (Lemoore, Calif.), one of several drivers who’s converted to midget racing for the month of November after competing in other disciplines throughout the season. The 2016 USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year scored a 3rd in the TNGP in 2016, a 6th in 2018 and a 5th in 2019 and also notched a USAC Western States Midget feature score at Ventura in 2017.
Two-time USAC Western Classic Sprint Car champ Ryan Bernal (Hollister, Calif.) took 3rd in the 2012 TNGP and was 10th in 2019 after starting 23rd. His Matt Wood Racing teammate, Shane Golobic (Fremont, Calif.) snared a 3rd in 2017, a 5th in 2012, a 7th in 2016 and a 9th in 2019 after starting 24th, which earned the 2017 Indiana Midget Week champion hard charger honors for the evening. Fellow MWR teammate Zeb Wise (Angola, Ind.) was 5th in his first TNGP run back in 2017.
Kevin Thomas Jr. (Cullman, Ala.) scored the pole and led the first 20 laps of the 2019 TNGP. His finest result in the event came in a 5th place performance in 2015.
USAC National Midget point leader Buddy Kofoid (Penngrove, Calif.) earned a 6th place finish in his only previous TNGP Midget start in 2019. He leads the standings by 47 points over Chris Windom entering the final race of the 2021 season on Saturday. Chris Windom (Canton, Ill.) is second in the standings and a 7th place finisher at the TNGP on the pavement of Irwindale Speedway in 2011.
Jason McDougal (Broken Arrow, Okla.) has turned in two fine performances in two previous TNGP starts in 2018 and 2019. The 2018 Don Basile Rookie of the Race took 8th in 2018 and a best of 4th in 2019.
Tanner Carrick (Lincoln, Calif.) took the pole for the TNGP in 2018 before finishing a career-best 6th later that evening. He followed that up with an 8th in 2019.
The 2018 USAC National Midget champion, Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.), scored a best of 7th in the 2019 TNGP while Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) has similarly topped out thus far with a 7th place finish in 2017, to go along with a 10th in 2018.
Thomas Meseraull’s Turkey Night Grand Prix career dates back to 2000 at Irwindale. His best result in six previous TNGP starts came with an 11th back in 2004. Meanwhile, Ron Hazelton’s TNGP career dates back the furthest of anybody in this year’s driver lineup, finishing 11th all the way back in 1993.
Returning TNGP veterans include 2019 USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Champion, Greenfield, Indiana’s C.J. Leary (20th in 2018), plus June 2021 Ventura USAC Western States Midget winner, Coalinga, California’s Ben Worth (15th in 2019), Fresno, California’s Tyler Dolacki (21st in 2016), Brea, California’s C.J. Sarna (21st in 2019), Littleton, Colorado’s Carson Garrett (28th in 2018) are in Saturday’s lineup.
Roseville, California’s Colby Copeland (13th in 2018) is back in the saddle for TNGP as are Santa Clarita, California’s Robby Josett (15th in 2011) and a four-time USAC Western States Midget feature winner at Ventura. Penngrove, California’s Chase Johnson (29th in 2019) is also a 2019 Turkey Night USAC West Coast Sprint Car feature winner and was victorious with the USAC Western States Midgets at Ventura in 2019. Yorba Linda, California’s Matt Mitchell (20th in 2003) captured a USAC Western States Midget victory at Ventura in 2009.
Five women, three of whom are Turkey Night Rookies in 2021, are entered for this year’s race: Kaylee Bryson (Muskogee, Okla.), Jade Avedisian (Clovis, Calif.) and Taylor Reimer (Bixby, Okla.). Atascadero, California’s Randi Pankratz (19th in 2015) and Macdoel, California’s Maria Cofer (19th in 2016) look to make their first start in the event since the mid-2010s.
Several contenders will aim to become the first driver since Warren Mockler in 1986 to win in his very first Turkey Night appearance. Among the group are 24 Don Basile Rookie of the Race candidates, including 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott (Dawsonville, Ga.) and 2021 USAC National Midget feature winners Emerson Axsom (Franklin, Ind.) and Ryan Timms (Oklahoma City, Okla.).
All Star Circuit of Champions standout Cory Eliason (Visalia, Calif.) is making his first TNGP appearance after finishing in the top-ten in four of his six starts in recent weeks with the USAC National Midgets.
This year’s USAC Western States champion, Blake Bower (Brentwood, Calif.), will attempt to make his first Turkey Night start as is USAC National Midgets’ top Rookie for 2021, Chase Randall (Waco, Texas) and his Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports teammate, Hayden Reinbold (Gilbert, Ariz.).
Seven-time Turkey Night Grand Prix winning car owner Keith Kunz has three Rookies in his stable on the Kunz/Curb-Agajanian team with USAC National Midget Rookies Reimer, as well as 2021 POWRi Midget champ Bryant Wiedeman (Colby, Kan.) and Brenham Crouch (Lubbock, Texas).
Jake Andreotti (Castro Valley, Calif.) won a USAC Western States Midget feature at Ventura this past October. He joins Mitchel Moles (Raisin City, Calif.), Chance Crum (Snohomish, Wash.) and Caden Sarale (Stockton, Calif.) who are among the experienced Turkey Night Rookies who’ve all made previous USAC National Midget starts this season on the tour.
They’ll be joined by two-time 2021 USAC Western States Midget feature winner Brody Fuson (Bakersfield, Calif.), west coast winged sprint car standout Kaleb Montgomery (Templeton, Calif.), USAC Western States Midget regulars Dylan Ito (Ventura, Calif.) and Terry Nichols (Delano, Calif.), plus versatile wheelman Jarrett Soares (Discovery Bay, Calif.), Joey Bishop (Camarillo, Calif.) and Anadarko, Oklahoma’s Ryan Padgett.
Automotive Racing Products, the title sponsor of the 80th running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix, has added $15,000 to the event purse from top-to-bottom for the $10,000-to-win USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship event at Ventura on Saturday night, November 27.
USAC Western States Midget champions Robby Flock (1986-1989-1993-2002) and Johnny Cofer (1994) will serve as co-grand marshals for Saturday’s race.
Midget practice, plus USAC West Coast Sprint Car heat races, qualifiers and dash will take place on Friday, November 26 with the sprint car semi-feature and feature events, and the 98-lap USAC Midget season finale taking place on Saturday, November 27.
On both Friday and Saturday, pits open at 11am Pacific, with the drivers meeting at 2:30pm, the grandstands opening at 3pm and cars on track at 3:30pm.
On Friday, adult general admission tickets are $22, with Senior/Military/Students $18 and children 11 and under free. Pit passes are $45 for members & $50 for non-members.
On Saturday, all tickets that are not reserved are $35. Reserved seats are $45 for ages 13 and older and $25 for ages 12 and under. Pit passes are $45 for members & $50 for non-members.
Race tickets are available now at www.venturaraceway.net.
Both nights of the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Ventura will be streamed live on FloRacing at https://bit.ly/2ZpafUr.
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2021 TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX ENTRY LIST: (51 PRE-ENTRIES)
00 ®JAKE ANDREOTTI/Castro Valley, CA (Pete Davis)
01 ®BRYANT WIEDEMAN/Colby, KS (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
07w ®MITCHEL MOLES/Raisin City, CA (Matt Wood Racing)
08 CANNON McINTOSH/Bixby, OK (Dave Mac Motorsports)
1EM TBA
1K KYLE LARSON/Elk Grove, CA (Kyle Larson Racing)
1N ®RYAN PADGETT/Anadarko, OK (NP Motorsports)
1p ®TERRY NICHOLS/Delano, CA (NP Motorsports)
2J JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (RMS Racing)
5 KEVIN THOMAS JR./Cullman, AL (Petry Motorsports)
5K BEN WORTH/Coalinga, CA (Dean Alexander)
5T JASON McDOUGAL/Broken Arrow, OK (Dean Alexander)
7NZ CHASE JOHNSON/Penngrove, CA (BSL Racing)
7x THOMAS MESERAULL/San Jose, CA (RMS Racing)
8 RANDI PANKRATZ/Atascadero, CA (Wally Pankratz)
8w ®KALEB MONTGOMERY/Templeton, CA (Woodland Autosports)
9 ®BLAKE BOWER/Brentwood, CA (Tony Boscacci)
9E ®CHASE ELLIOTT/Dawsonville, GA (Kyle Larson Racing)
12 ®JARRETT SOARES/Discovery Bay, CA (Steven Soares)
15 ®EMERSON AXSOM/Franklin, IN (Petry Motorsports)
15ws RON HAZELTON/Chatsworth, CA (Ron Hazelton)
15x CARSON GARRETT/Littleton, CO (Broc Garrett)
17w SHANE GOLOBIC/Fremont, CA (Matt Wood Racing)
19A ®CHASE RANDALL/Waco, TX (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
19AZ ®HAYDEN REINBOLD/Gilbert, AZ (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
19T TANNER THORSON/Minden, NV (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
20 C.J. SARNA/Brea, CA (C.J. Sarna)
21 CARSON MACEDO/Lemoore, CA (Tarlton Motorsports)
25 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Tom Malloy)
25K ®TAYLOR REIMER/Bixby, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
25m COLBY COPELAND/Roseville, CA (Tom Malloy)
26 ®CORY ELIASON/Visalia, CA (Rudeen Racing)
26R ®CHANCE CRUM/Snohomish, WA (Rudeen Racing)
32 ®CADEN SARALE/Stockton, CA (Caden Sarale)
35F TYLER DOLACKI/Fresno, CA (MF Motorsports)
37 MATT MITCHELL/Yorba Linda, CA (J.W. Mitchell Motorsports)
37w ZEB WISE/Angola, IN (Matt Wood Racing)
45 ®JOEY BISHOP/Camarillo, CA (Joey Bishop)
51 ®BRODY FUSON/Bakersfield, CA (Rusty Carlile)
57 MARIA COFER/Macdoel, CA (Abacus Racing)
67 BUDDY KOFOID/Penngrove, CA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71 ®KAYLEE BRYSON/Muskogee, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71K TANNER CARRICK/Lincoln, CA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
73 ®DYLAN ITO/Ventura, CA (Josh Ford Motorsports)
73B ROBBY JOSETT/Santa Clarita, CA (Josh Ford Motorsports)
73x C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (Josh Ford Motorsports)
85T ®RYAN TIMMS/Oklahoma City, OK (CB Industries)
86 ®JADE AVEDISIAN/Clovis, CA (CB Industries)
87w RYAN BERNAL/Hollister, CA (Matt Wood Racing)
89 CHRIS WINDOM/Canton, IL (CB Industries)
97 ®BRENHAM CROUCH/Lubbock, TX (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
® represents a Don Basile Rookie of the Race candidate
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Buddy Kofoid-2515, 2-Chris Windom-2468, 3-Justin Grant-2317, 4-Emerson Axsom-2299, 5-Tanner Thorson-2247, 6-Logan Seavey-2141, 7-Thomas Meseraull-1959, 8-Kevin Thomas Jr.-1937, 9-Daison Pursley-1892, 10-Cannon McIntosh-1826.
TRACK RECORDS FOR USAC NATIONAL MIDGETS AT VENTURA RACEWAY:
1 Lap – 11/18/1995 – Johnny Cofer – 11.675 – 61.670 mph
8 Laps – 11/18/1995 – J.R. Lawson – 1:40.28 – 57.439 mph
10 Laps – 11/12/1988 – Stan Fox – 2:17.22 – 52.471 mph
12 Laps – 11/12/1988 – Wally Pankratz – 2:24.67 – 59.722 mph
VENTURA RACEWAY USAC NATIONAL MIDGET WINNERS:
1986: Stan Fox (11/21)
1987: Mike Appio (11/14)
1988: P.J. Jones (11/12)
1989: Kevin Doty (11/11)
1990: P.J. Jones (11/10)
1991: Page Jones (11/16)
1992: Chuck Gurney (11/21)
1993: Jimmy Sills (11/20) & Page Jones (11/27)
1994: Johnny Cofer (11/19)
1995: Billy Boat (11/15)
1997: Billy Boat (11/27)
2016: Kyle Larson (11/24)
2017: Christopher Bell (11/23)
2018: Christopher Bell (11/22)
2019: Kyle Larson (11/28)
VENTURA RACEWAY USAC NATIONAL MIDGET WINS:
2-Christopher Bell, Billy Boat, P.J. Jones, Page Jones & Kyle Larson
1-Mike Appio, Johnny Cofer, Kevin Doty, Stan Fox, Chuck Gurney & Jimmy Sills
TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX MIDGET WINNERS:
1934: Bob Swanson | Gilmore Stadium
1935: Ted Sizemore | Gilmore Stadium
1936: Ronney Householder | Gilmore Stadium
1937: Ronney Householder | Gilmore Stadium
1938: Bob Swanson | Gilmore Stadium
1939: Mel Hansen | Gilmore Stadium
1940: Roy Russing | Gilmore Stadium
1941: Roy Russing | Gilmore Stadium
1942: No Race
1943: No Race
1944: No Race
1945: Danny Oakes | Gilmore Stadium
1946: Perry Grimm | Gilmore Stadium
1947: Johnny McDowell | Gilmore Stadium
1948: Bill Vukovich | Gilmore Stadium
1949: Perry Grimm | Gilmore Stadium
1950: Bill Zaring | Gilmore Stadium
1951: No Race
1952: No Race
1953: No Race
1954: No Race
1955: Johnnie Parsons | Gardena Stadium
1956: Edgar Elder | Gardena Stadium
1957: George Amick | Gardena Stadium
1958: Joe Garson | Gardena Stadium
1959: Tony Bettenhausen | Gardena Stadium
1960: A.J. Foyt | Ascot Park
1961: A.J. Foyt | Ascot Park
1962: Billy Cantrell | Ascot Park
1963: Mel Kenyon | Ascot Park
1964: Parnelli Jones | Ascot Park
1965: Dick Atkins | Ascot Park
1966: Parnelli Jones | Ascot Park
1967: Gary Bettenhausen | Ascot Park
1968: Sammy Sessions | Ascot Park
1969: George Benson | Ascot Park
1970: Gary Bettenhausen | Ascot Park
1971: Billy Engelhart | Ascot Park
1972: Tony Simon | Ascot Park
1973: Billy Engelhart | Ascot Park
1974: Danny McKnight | Ascot Park
1975: Mel Kenyon | Speedway 605
1976: Bubby Jones | Ascot Park
1977: Gary Patterson | Ascot Park
1978: Rick Goudy | Ascot Park
1979: Ron Shuman | Ascot Park
1980: Ron Shuman | Ascot Park
1981: Ron Shuman | Ascot Park
1982: Ron Shuman | Ascot Park
1983: Kevin Olson | Ascot Park
1984: Ron Shuman | Ascot Park
1985: Brent Kaeding | Ascot Park
1986: Warren Mockler | Ascot Park
1987: Ron Shuman | Ascot Park
1988: Chuck Gurney | Ascot Park
1989: Chuck Gurney | Ascot Park
1990: Stan Fox | Ascot Park
1991: Stan Fox | Saugus Speedway
1992: Ron Shuman | Bakersfield Speedway
1993: Ron Shuman | Bakersfield Speedway
1994: Jordan Hermansader | Bakersfield Speedway
1995: Billy Boat | Bakersfield Speedway
1996: Billy Boat | Perris Auto Speedway
1997: Billy Boat | Ventura Raceway
1998: Jay Drake | Bakersfield Speedway
1999: Jason Leffler | Irwindale Speedway
2000: Tony Stewart | Irwindale Speedway
2001: Dave Steele | Irwindale Speedway
2002: Michael Lewis | Irwindale Speedway
2003: Dave Steele | Irwindale Speedway
2004: Bobby East | Irwindale Speedway
2005: Jason Leffler | Irwindale Speedway
2006: Billy Wease | Irwindale Speedway
2007: Dave Darland | Irwindale Speedway
2008: Bobby Santos | Irwindale Speedway
2009: Bryan Clauson | Irwindale Speedway
2010: Bryan Clauson | Irwindale Speedway
2011: Caleb Armstrong | Irwindale Speedway
2012: Kyle Larson | Perris Auto Speedway
2013: Dave Darland | Perris Auto Speedway
2014: Christopher Bell | Perris Auto Speedway
2015: Tanner Thorson | Perris Auto Speedway
2016: Kyle Larson | Ventura Raceway
2017: Christopher Bell | Ventura Raceway
2018: Christopher Bell | Ventura Raceway
2019: Kyle Larson | Ventura Raceway
2020: Not Held
Sources: Richie Murray – USAC Media
(Eric Myers Photo)