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CHUCK WEST CONTINUES NMRA-TQ WINNING STREAK – By Tim Kennedy
Aug. 22 & 29 – NMRA-TQ Midget Series teams raced events 12 and 13 of the 2015 season at speedways in Bakersfield and Santa Maria during August. Chuck West, of Clovis, won both main events in the West Evans Motor-sports No. 38 Stealth/Kawasaki. The twin victories gave him five feature victories in a row. West now has won eight of the 13 TQ midget main events this season. Seven triumphs came in the No. 38 Stealth owned by his first cousin, West Evans. Four drivers have won the 13 features.
West, a former USAC Western States midget feature winner decades ago, won his first 2015 feature on April 11 aboard Bruce Hiroshima's No. 20 back-up car. His usual No. 38 ride was having a major engine overhaul by Bob Wirth at that time. It has been strong ever since the overhaul. West increased his point lead from five to seven points over his boss Evans. West has averaged 61.46 points per race to 60.92 point for Evans.
Bakersfield Speedway (Aug. 22) had seven TQ midgets racing in one 8-lap heat (won by fifth starter Evans) and seven cars in a 20-lap main during a multi-division program. West started fourth and beat runner-up/fifth starter Bruce Hiroshima. Evans started and finished third. Rookie Kevin Kale started on pole and finished fourth on the lead lap. Dave Lambert and rookie Ace Kale, father of Kevin, finished fifth and sixth with 19 laps. Second starter Scott Dobson dropped out on lap 4.
Santa Maria Speedway (Aug. 29) had seven cars and ran time trials with Evans' No. 36 Spike/Kawasaki fastest at 15.979. He also won the 8-lap heat race over Hiroshima and West. All seven drivers completed eight laps. West started sixth and beat fifth starter Hiroshima to the lap 20 checkers. Evans, from fourth, took third. Kevin Kale again finished fourth on the lead lap. The next three finishers—Ace Kale, Dave Lambert and Scott Buckley, in Steve Parke's No. 59, finished fifth through seventh and completed 19 laps.
The final two races of the season will be on third-mile clay tracks Saturday nights September 12 at Bakersfield Speedway and October 17 at Santa Maria Speedway.
POINT STANDINGS: (as of September 1)
Drivers Car Owners
1 Chuck West 799 1 No. 36 West Evans 831
2 West Evans 792 2 No. 18 Scott Dobson 720
3 Scott Dobson 684 3 No. 5 Bruce Hiroshima 715
4 Bruce Hiroshima 682 4 No. 77 Ace Kale 650
5 Ace Kale ® 611 5 No. 38 West Evans 644
6 Kevin Kale ® 578 6 No. 07 Ace Kale 617
7 Dave Lambert 467 7 No. 55 Dave Lambert 497
8 Chris Thomas 326 8 No. 40 Chris Thomas 347
9 Ted Dann ® 311 9 No. 87 Doyle Mosley 235
10 Doyle Mosley 217 10 No. 7 Ace Kale 194
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