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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Honda USAC Western Midget Series
-#56 Darren Hagen & Crew – 2014 Western World Midget Champions. Photo by Rob Hargraves.
DARREN HAGEN WINS CANYON’S 47TH WESTERN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
TRACY HINES AND CHRISTOPHER BELL WIN PRELIMS
by Lance Jennings
PEORIA, AZ – NOVEMBER 24, 2014... Retaking the lead from Tanner Thorson on lap twelve, Riverside, California’s “The Hawk” Darren Hagen won the “47th Annual Sands Chevrolet Western World Championships.” The $7,500 triumph at Canyon Speedway Park marked Hagen’s fourth career Honda USAC Western Midget victory. Thorson, Christopher Bell, Tracy Hines, and Bryan Clauson followed Darren to the checkered flags.
Driving the 5ive-Six Inc. #56 Great Clips / Fatheadz Eyewear entry, Darren Hagen led the opening six circuits before Thorson took command. With changing track conditions, both drivers used different lines to attack the Peoria clay oval. Hagen secured the lead for good on lap twelve to win the co-sanctioned USAC National event. On Thursday, Darren set a new track record in VanLare Steering Repair Time Trials before placing eighth in the main event. On Friday, “The Hawk” scored eleventh in the 30-lap feature.
Despite a valiant effort, Tanner Thorson of Minden, Nevada had to settle for second in the Western World Finale. Piloting the Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian #67 Toyota TRD / Curb Records Bullet, Thorson ran third in the Thursday opener and scored fifth on Friday. Heading to the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Perris, Tanner is sixth in the USAC National point chase.
For the second year in a row, Norman, Oklahoma’s Christopher Bell claimed third in the Western World finale. Racing the Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian #71 Toyota TRD Bullet, the defending USAC National Champion ran second to Tracy Hines in the Thursday opener, before claiming the Friday night trophy. Bell is ranked second in the national standings and will be one of the favorites at Perris Auto Speedway.
Tracy Hines of Wilkinson, Indiana claimed fourth in the Saturday feature after starting seventh. Driving Bob Parker’s #24 Parker Machinery / Toyota Spike, Hines won the Thursday Western World opener and scored fourth in the Friday night main event. The veteran driver will be looking to add the Turkey Night Grand Prix to his win list.
After racing from eighth to fifth in the finale, Noblesville, Indiana’s Bryan Clauson earned the “Rocket Award” for the highest Western World Sprint Car and Midget finishes. Piloting the Rusty Kunz/Curb-Agajanian #63 Fairbury Westin Packaged Meats Spike, Clauson ran fifth on Thursday and ran second to Christopher Bell on Friday. Currently fourth in the national series, Bryan will have his sights in the “Aggie Trophy” at Perris.
The Honda USAC Western Midget Series will travel to Perris Auto Speedway on Thursday, November 27th for the 74th Running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix. Located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds in Perris, California, the Front Gates will open at 3:00pm and for more event information, visit www.perrisautospeedway.com or call (951) 940-0134.
The Honda USAC Western Midget Series thanks Hoosier Tire, Competition Suspension Inc., DJ Safety, Extreme Mufflers, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Rugged Radios, Saldana Racing Products, and VanLare Steering Repair for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series, email PR Director Lance Jennings at [email protected].
For more information on the Honda USAC Western Midget Series, visit www.usacracing.com or follow the series on Facebook (www.facebook.com/usacwsmidgets), or Twitter (www.twitter.com/USAC_WSMIDGET).
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SATURDAY FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Darren Hagen (1st), 2. Tanner Thorson (2nd), 3. Christopher Bell (5th), 4. Tracy Hines (7th), 5. Bryan Clauson (8th), 6. Tyler Thomas (9th), 7. Ronnie Gardner (6th), 8. Brady Bacon (10th), 9. Casey Shuman (12th), 10. Shane Golobic (11th), 11. Mike Spencer (13th), 12. Isaac Chapple (15th), 13. Rico Abreu (3rd), 14. Jarid Blondel (14th), 15. Zach Daum (4th), 16. Nick Foster (16th).
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-6 Hagen, Laps 7-11 Thorson, Laps 12-30 Hagen.
HARD CHARGER: Tracy Hines (7th to 4th)
FRIDAY FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Christopher Bell (1st), 2. Bryan Clauson (4th), 3. Zach Daum (5th), 4. Tracy Hines (3rd), 5. Tanner Thorson (2nd), 6. Rico Abreu (6th), 7. Casey Shuman (14th), 8. Tyler Thomas (7th), 9. Ronnie Gardner (9th), 10. Shane Golobic (13th), 11. Darren Hagen (8th), 12. Mike Spencer (15th), 13. Isaac Chapple (16th), 14. Terry Goodwin (18th), 15. Shannon McQueen (11th), 16. Trey Marcham (10th), 17. Jarid Blondel (17th), 18. Nick Foster Jr. (19th), 19. Brady Bacon (12th). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 Bell.
HARD CHARGER: Casey Shuman (14th to 7th)
THURSDAY FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Tracy Hines (1st), 2. Christopher Bell (7th), 3. Tanner Thorson (3rd), 4. Zach Daum (4th), 5. Bryan Clauson (10th), 6. Brady Bacon (9th), 7. Ronnie Gardner (2nd), 8. Darren Hagen (6th), 9. Rico Abreu (5th), 10. Shane Golobic (13th), 11. Mike Spencer (12th), 12. Isaac Chapple (17th), 13. Trey Marcham (11th), 14. Shannon McQueen (15th), 15. Terry Goodwin (19th), 16. Casey Shuman (14th), 17. Jarid Blondel (18th), 18. Tyler Thomas (8th), 19. R.J. Johnson (16th), 20. Nick Foster Jr. (20th). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-11 Daum, Laps 12-30 Hines.
HARD CHARGER: Christopher Bell (7th to 2nd)
HONDA USAC WESTERN MIDGET POINTS: 1-Ronnie Gardner-761, 2-Trey Marcham-653, 3-Jarid Blondel-632, 4-Alex Schutte-443, 5-Chad Nichols-433, 6-Shannon McQueen-357, 7-Scott Pierovich-327, 8-Christopher Bell-324, 9-Nick Chivello-322, 10-Tanner Thorson-307.
HONDA USAC WESTERN MIDGET DIRT POINTS: 1-Ronnie Gardner-761, 2-Trey Marcham-653, 3-Jarid Blondel-411, 4-Alex Schutte-390, 5-Shannon McQueen-357, 6-Christopher Bell-324, 7-Tanner Thorson-306, 8-Scott Pierovich-288, 9-Sean Dodenhoff-283, 10-Rico Abreu-249.
HONDA USAC NATIONAL MIDGET POINTS: 1-Rico Abreu-996; 2-Christopher Bell-970; 3-Tracy Hines-960; 4-Bryan Clauson-912; 5-Zach Daum-814; 6-Tanner Thorson-741; 7-Chris Windom-594; 8-Michael Pickens-499; 9-Dave Darland-419; 10-Tyler Thomas-395.
2014 HONDA USAC WESTERN DIRT MIDGET SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
November 27: #Perris, CA - Perris Auto Speedway (Turkey Night Grand Prix)
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# = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC National Midgets.
This schedule is subject to change.
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