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WILEY TAKES NMRA-TQ MIDGET BAKERSFIELD MAIN – By Tim Kennedy
Bakersfield, CA., Jul. 26 – Round seven of the 12 race NMRA-TQ Midget Series season took place at Bakersfield Speedway as part of weekly multi-division Saturday night racing at the Kern County track. Kenny Wiley became the fourth different feature winner of the TQ season in his own Wiley chassis with Honda power. The 2002 TQ rookie of the year and two-time 2013 feature winner started first and led all 20 laps on the third-mile, semi-banked clay. He moved up one position in driver points from fourth to third.
Chuck West started third and finished second. His first cousin West Evans started second and finished third in the Evans Motorsports team car. Anthony Lopiccolo started and finished fourth in the No. 21 owned by his father Paul. Bruce Hiroshima, the point-leader and four-time 2014 TQ winner, started and finished fifth in his own car. He was the 2004 NMRA-TQ rookie of the year and is seeking his first TQ championship. He increased his point lead from 24 to 25 points (434-409) over Lopiccolo.
Don Kiefer started and finished sixth and completed all 20 laps. Britt Grissom started and finished seventh and completed 19 laps. With a season-low seven cars present, only one heat race was run and that went to West, who started fifth. All seven drivers completed eight laps.
Hiroshima's No. 5 Stewart/Clerc Honda now leads in owner points by 25 (455-430) over Lopiccolo's No. 21. The next NMRA race will be Saturday, August 9 at the third-mile, banked clay Santa Maria Speedway as part of regular SMS multi-division action. Two TQ races at Bakersfield on August 23 and September 13 and two more at Santa Maria on September 27 and October 18 will conclude the NMRA-TQ season.
Summary:
Heat – 8 laps: Chuck West, Bruce Hiroshima, Kenny Wiley, West Evans, Anthony Lopiccolo, Don Kiefer, Britt Grissom.
Main – 20 laps: Wiley, West, Evans, Lopiccolo, Hiroshima, Kiefer, Grissom.
POINTS:
Drivers Car Owners
1 Bruce Hiroshima 434 1 No. 5 Bruce Hiroshima 455
2 Anthony Lopiccolo 409 2 No. 21 Paul Lopiccolo 430
3 Kenny Wiley 396 3 No. 38 West Evans 426
4 West Evans 393 4 No. 96 Kenny Wiley 417
5 Chuck West 352 5 No. 36 West Evans 414
6 Don Kiefer 279 6 No. 9 Don Kiefer 297
7 Britt Grissom 273 7 No. 43 Britt Grissom 291
8 Chris Thomas 210 8 No. 55 Dave Lambert 216
9 Dave Lambert 201 9 No. 40 Ed Thomas 180
10 Doyle Mosley 156 10 No. 87 Doyle Mosley 168
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