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RAIN HALTS ARDC FEATURE AT GRANDVIEW
Oley, PA - With one lap in the books and Donnie Trent in the lead, rain and time constraints ended the ARDC Midget feature at Grandview on Tuesday night.
Sharing the bill with the World of Outlaw Sprint Cars, the midget feature was scheduled to run before the Outlaw's finale. Thunder on the Hill promoter Bob Miller set up the program in this manner to give the sprint car B-Main qualifiers some time to get ready for their main event.
Just as the midgets were being pushed off, a light mist began to fall. The field took the green to start the ARDC 20-lapper, and one lap was recorded before Steve Craig flipped in turn one. With the rain beginning to intensify, Miller ordered the midgets to the infield so the WoO Sprinters could, hopefully, complete their feature. Since Miller announced that the midgets would have a return engagement at Grandview on June 26, their feature could be completed at that time if the weather would not allow it to conclude on Tuesday.
And that is exactly what happened, as the sprint car headliner was rained out after 22 of the scheduled 35 laps, with Steve Kinser nailing the moisture-plagued victory.
The ARDC Midget feature will pick up where it left off on June 26. The midgets will also compete in another feature or possibly heats and another feature that night. Miller will make that decision in the near future.
A great field of 28 cars signed in for the ARDC portion of the show last Tuesday. Taking heat race victories were Steve Buckwalter and the Kunkletown Kid, Ryan Smith.
Racing without wings, the midgets staged some very entertaining qualifying events. Buckwalter, who won the only ARDC race held so far this season on May 13 at Williams Grove, held off Ray Bull to register the win in heat race number one.
Steve Lenig, Mike and Michele Miller, Frank Polimeda, and Donnie Trent all battled for the third spot, with Lenig eventually racing under the checkered in the third position. Michele Miller wound up fourth, with Polimeda, Mike Miller, and Trent finishing in positions five through seven.
Smith's triumph was notable due to the fact that he was competing with his Ford Focus Midget against the more powerful ARDC engines. Smith, a graduate of the Tobias Slingshots and micro sprints, started tenth in the second heat race. He methodically weaved his way through the pack, taking the lead from two-time ARDC champion Bryan Kobylarz with three laps to go. Kobylarz fought off a late-race challenge from former champion Ed Stimely to finish as the runner-up, with Stimely placing third. Allentown's Mike Krause ran a steady race to finish fourth, with rookie Andy Martin, Carey Becker, and Tracy Miller rounding out the top seven.
The American Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) heads to New York for a race at the Orange County Fair Speedway on Saturday, May 28. Running wingless once again, the midgets will take part in heats and a feature at the Middletown, NY, oval.