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San Bernardino, CA., Oct. 22 -
First-time champion Jody Bandfield capped his greatest racing season
Saturday at the quarter-mile paved Orange Show Speedway by winning
his fourth NMRA-TQ Midget 25-lap feature of the 11-race season. He
led laps 3-11 and 24-25 after he repassed Chuck West, the laps 12-23
leader. It was Bandfield's third victory in his own No. 4
Honda-powered TQ. Prior to this season the TQ veteran had never won
a TQ main event. Bandfield, who had one fast qualifying time, nine
top fives and ten top tens this season, won by 43-points over 2002
series driving champion West, a two-time winner this year.
Robert and Cynthia Welcomer won the car owner
championship by 53 points over West Evans, the owner of the No. 38
Stealth/Kawasaki driven by C. West. It was the first championship
for the Welcomer team. They used two drivers this season, including
Bandfield, who subbed for car builder Walt Johnson May 28 and won
his first feature in the Welcomer No. 15. The championship car won
four 2005 main events, three races by Johnson.
Chase Barber, a 17-year old USAC Ford Focus
Midget driver, finished second in his first TQ Midget start of the
year. He also set the fastest qualifying time in a 14-car field. He
drove the 2002 series championship car for his uncle, Guy Barber.
Scott Hansen, a veteran USAC TQ, Midget, 360 Sprint Car and Silver
Crown Series driver, drove the Dave Lambert 2003-04 championship car
to third place. Kenny Wiley and Michael Bliffen were fourth and
fifth respectively. West Evans, Johnson, Bruce Hiroshima, Richard
Ortega, Jr and West completed the top ten in the 14 car field.
Bandfield and Hansen won the two, seven-car,
eight-lap heat races. Pole starter Johnson won the trophy dash for
the four fastest qualifiers. Barber's 13.390 was the quickest
qualifying time and fell just short of the series one-lap track
record of 13.362 set by Bandfield on September 3. Four of the series
11 races were held on Orange Show Speedway, a first-time host track
this year for the traveling NMRA TQ series. The four main events
produced four different winning cars and drivers--Johnson, Hansen,
West and Bandfield.
Upcoming dates for NMRA members are a November 6
general membership meeting and the January 28 annual championship
awards banquet. For more information and a complete listing of
driver and car owner final 2005 points go to www.wstqmidgets.com.
To contact NMRA use NMRAWest @aol.com.
Summary: (pickup agate)
Fast Time: Chase Barber, 13.390.
Trophy Dash: Walt Johnson, Scott Hansen, Jody
Bandfield, Barber.
Heat 1: Bandfield, Michael Bliffen, Barber, Chuck
West, Bruce Hiroshima, West Evans, Ron Ahrendt.
Heat 2: Hansen, Johnson, Kenny Wiley, Steve Parke,
Richard Ortega, Jr., Jenna Bliffen, Richard Marshall.
Main: Bandfield, Barber, Hansen, Wiley, M.
Bliffen, Evans, Johnson, Hiroshima, Ortega, West, Marshall, J.
Bliffen, Parke, Ahrendt.
FINAL 2005 NMRA TQ MIDGET POINT STANDINGS:
Drivers
No. Car Owners
1 Jody Bandfield 651
1 15 Robert/Cynthia Welcomer 697
2 Chuck West 608
2 38 West Evans
644
3 Walt Johnson 596
3 4 Jody Bandfield
619
4 Bruce Hiroshima 578
4 70 Bruce Hiroshima
614
5 West Evans 526
5 36 West Evans
562
6 Michael Bliffen 518
6 3 Michael Bliffen
554
7 Ron Ahrendt 362
7 55 Dave Lambert
537
8 Kenny Wiley 338
8 59 Steve Parke
407
9 Steve Parke 335
9 87 Judi Ahrendt
398
10 Steve Lambert 298
10 21 Paul Lopiccolo
362
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