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HEDGE WINS NMRA-TQ MIDGET CHAMPIONSHIP OPENER
by Tim Kennedy

San Bernardino, CA., Apr. 22 - Chris Hedge, a journeyman TQ Midget owner/driver from Oxnard, started the 2006 NMRA-TQ Midget season on a winning note in a 25-lap feature Saturday night. Following two non-point demonstration races with monster trucks at major league stadiums during January,  the championship season-opener took place at the paved quarter-mile Orange Show Speedway. The race was the fifth for NMRA teams at the historic San Bernardino County oval, which hosted four NMRA race dates last season.

    Hedge tallied his second ever TQ Midget feature victory and the first since his 2003 triumph at the  Route 66 Raceway dirt quarter-mile in Victorville. Hedge drove a 1998 Bob Meli-built chassis powered by Honda. The winner co-owns the No. 98 car with Mike Hendrix, son of the late Al Hendrix, a long-time CRA sprint car and TQ Midget owner. Hedge became the series driver point leader for the first time by four points (65-61) and car owner point leader by four points (68-64).

    Retired LAPD police officer Ron Ahrendt enjoyed his career-best second place aboard his No. 87 Ellis/Honda, owned by his wife Judi. Michael Bliffen, in his own Team Dream Catcher Racing Stealth/Honda, finished third. Chuck West took fourth in a new John Godfrey-built Spike chassis owned by his cousin, West Evans. Kenny Wiley, the 2002 NMRA rookie of the year, drove Paul Lopiccolo's Rick Stewart/Honda to fifth place.

    Rounding out the top ten in a 13-car field were 2004 series rookie of the year Bruce Hiroshima, West Evans, Steve Parke, Scott Dobson, who debuted last season in Guy Barber's Stewart/Honda, and rookie Jenna Bliffen, 23 year old daughter of owner/driver Michael Bliffen, in a Stewart/Honda. Rookie Richard Marshall and 2005 rookie of the year Richard Ortega, Jr also finished. Jody Bandfield, the 2005 NMRA champion, did not start in his own championship car, putting him in a hole as he attempts to repeat his first TQ championship.

    The 13 TQ Midget drivers ran time trials and Chuck West, in the Evans 38 Spike, set the fastest qualifying time of 13.814 to edge Wiley's 13.842. The 13th quickest lap, by Jenna Bliffen, was 16.094. The one-lap TQ track record is 13.362 set by Bandfield last September 3. West won the three-lap trophy dash for the four fastest qualifiers. Parke, Wiley and Hiroshima followed in the dash. Parke and Wiley won the pair of eight-lap heat races. The next NMRA race in a current 13-race schedule will be held Saturday, May 13 at the Santa Maria
Speedway third mile clay track.

    The Summary:

    Fast Time: Chuck West, # 38, 13.814.

    Trophy Dash: West, Steve Parke, Kenny Wiley, Bruce Hiroshima.

    Heat 1: Parke, Chris Hedge, West, Ron Ahrendt, Scott Dobson, West Evans,
Jenna Bliffen.

    Heat 2: Wiley, Michael Bliffen, Hiroshima, Richard Marshall, Richard
Ortega, Jr, -DNS-Jody Bandfield.

    Main: Hedge, Ahrendt, M. Bliffen, West, Wiley, Hiroshima, Evans, Parke,
Dobson, J. Bliffen, Marshall, Ortega, Jr.-DNS-Bandfield.

    POINT STANDINGS: (after first of 13 scheduled races)

        Drivers                              Car Owners
 1 Chris Hedge      65      1 Chris Hedge/Mike Hendrix 98   68     
 2 Chuck West       61      2 Judi Ahrendt 87               64
 3 Ron Ahrendt      60      3 Michael Bliffen 3             63
 4 Michael Bliffen  59      4 West Evans 38             62
  4 Kenny Wiley     59      4 Paul Lopiccolo 21             62
  6 Bruce Hiroshima 52      6 Bruce Hiroshima 5             55
  7 Steve Parke     49      7 West Evans 36             52
  8 West Evans      44      8 Steve Parke 59                47
  9 Scott Dobson    36      9 Guy Barber 18             39
10 Richard Marshall 34      10 Michael Bliffen 03               37

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