7/22/2018
Badger Midget Auto Racing Association
"Hatton scores win#2 at Sycamore" "Four-time Badger Champion regains points lead"
Sycamore, Ill., July 21---Scott Hatton won the 25-lap Zimbrick Chevrolet of Sun Prairie Badger Midget Racing Series feature Saturday Night at Sycamore Speedway. The event was co-sanctioned with the POWRi Lucas Oil Regional Midget Series.
Hatton jumped into the lead at the start. With one lap complete, a multi-car accident occurred with Kurt Mayhew flipping. Mayhew was uninjured. As the race was about to restart, a brief rain shower at the track, forced a delay.
When the feature restarted, the moisture had create a much “faster” track condition.Hatton held a three-car length lead over Tyler Baron, on the fifth lap, when Baron spun causing a caution. Two more separate incidents caused cautions before the fifth lap could be completed.
Hatton quickly pulled away from the field on the restart, while Ryan Probst, and Chase McDermond waged an intense battle for second position. Hatton held a 3.2 second lead at the race’s midway-point, increasing his lead further with ten laps remaining. Hatton’s lead was a quarter-lap advantage when began lapping the tail of the field, two laps later. Probst increased his advantage over McDermond.
Hatton spent the final three laps in “heavy lapped traffic”, Hatton driving his Stealth/Honda No. 1 finished 2.84 seconds ahead of Probst, McDermond, Jack Routson, and Baran. “The track was fast and in great condition, the track officials did a great job getting this event in despite the weather, lapped traffic at the end was challenging” commented Hatton who collected a $500 bonus from All-Star Heating & Air Conditioning. Greg Freeman from All-Star also presented bonus checks to podium finishers Probst ($300), and McDermond ($100).
Earlier in the evening McDermond broke the one-lap midget track record in qualifying, set by Hatton earlier this season. Ken Hanson claimed the Advance Race Suspensions Hard Charger Award improving from his seventeenth place starting position to finish in sixth place. Fifteenth place finishing Zach Boden won the Howard Law Cash Draw, a bonus for a randomly selected feature finishing position.
Hatton now holds a nineteen-point lead over Kevin Olson entering the “Sprint Car Spectacular” Thursday July 26 at Angell Park Speedway (Sun Prairie, Wis.).
SUMMARY
25-lap All-Star Heating & Air Conditioning Feature: 1. Scott Hatton; 2. Ryan Probst; 3. Chase McDermand; 4. Jack Routson; 5. Tyler Baran; 6. Ken Hanson; 7. Ray Seach; 8. Kevin Olson; 9. John Smith; 10. Jacob Allen; 11. Marty Saso; 12. Eric Reibenstein; 13. Mike Stroik; 14. Shay Sassano; 15. Zach Boden; 16. Harrison Kleven; 14. Jake Goeglein; 15. Michael Klein; 17. Tristan Koenings; 18. Kurt Mayhew; 19. Kyle Koch.
8-lap Engler Machine Heat Race Winner: Allen.
8-lap DMI Heat Race Winner: Hatton.
8-lap Supershox Heat Race Winner: Gage Walker.
Fast Time: McDermond, 15.197seconds.
Cars Present: 21 Feature Lap Leaders: Hatton 1-25.
Current Badger Midget Series Points: 1. Scott Hatton 680; 2. Kevin Olson 661; 3. Tyler Baran 598; 4. Ryan Probst 574; 5. Chase McDermond 555; 6. Zach Boden 526; 7. Andrew Felker 506; 8. Kurt Mayhew 381; 9. Mike Stroik 298; 10. Jack Routson 298.
RACE NOTES
---Tristan Koenings, a graduate of go-kart racing made his midget debut at the event.He is the great-great grandson of two-time Badger Midget Champion Billy Johnson (1948 and ’53).
---Jack Calabrase winner of one of midget racing’s great events the 1988 “Night Before the 500” was in attendance watching the race from the grandstands. Calabrase was also founder of the former midget series NAMARS, which co-sanctioned, twenty-eight races with Badger between 1995-2003.
---Three drivers in the top ten of the feature, scored their career best Badger feature finish: Ryan Probst (second), Jack Routson (fourth), and Jacob Allen (tenth).
---Badger returns to Sycamore Speedway for three more events during the season August 4, August 18, and September 1.
Article Credit: Bryan Gapinski