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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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