Tyler Courtney, Chris Windom, Buddy Cofoid, Cannon McIntosh… all of the big names were fighting for position during the USAC Midget Tuesday Night Thunder event at Red Dirt Raceway.
In front of them, though, was Tanner Thorson – basically there all night long – ahead by over five seconds before late-race cautions set up multiple three-lap shootouts for Thorson to earn his keep.
Thorson did, running the inside line around the corner and exploding out of turn two like clockwork on each of the three restarts to earn the victory.
“I knew Courtney was going to the bottom or slide me or do something,” Thorson said. “I tried to screw my starts up a little bit and kind of get the guys off their feet a little bit to get the advantage that I had before, and it worked.”
The win was Thorson’s fourth of the season – the most for any USAC Midget full-time driver – which ties Kyle Larson for most wins on the schedule.
Courtney was able to separate himself from his competitors, finishing in the runner up spot to wrap up a a successful stretch for the 7BC.
“The way this season has gone, this has been a really good week for us,” Courtney said. “I wish I would have gotten a little bit better of restarts there to just have a chance at Tanner, but he drove a heck of a race. You put a guy like him up front, it’s going to be tough to beat him on a curve like that.”
Rounding out the podium was Jerry Coons Jr. – who made up a majority of his ground in the race with 10 laps to go. Kofoid got a little hung up on the cushion and a slide job from Windom forced contact between the two drivers.
McIntosh was collected shortly after when both of the cars came down on the track, while Courtney and Coons Jr. got by untouched.
The USAC Midgets will return to the track for a stretch of five races in five days, starting August 4 at Grandview Speedway. As always the action can be seen on FloRacing and we’ll have coverage here at ARD.
USAC Midget Feature Results
1. Tanner Thorson
2. Tyler Courtney
3. Jerry Coons Jr.
4. Buddy Kofoid
5. Chris Windom
6. Emerson Axsom
7. Cannon McIntosh
8. Jonathan Beason
9. Tyler Thomas
10. Andrew Layser
11. Robert Dalby
12. Dalson Pursley
13. Ethan Mitchell
14. Sam Johnson
15. Cole Bodine
16. Tanner Carrick
17. Trey Gropp
18. Steven Shebester
19. Shannon McQueen
20. Chance Morton
21. Kaylee Bryson
22. Ace McCarthy
| USAC Midget Points Standings | ||||
| Position | Driver | Points | Behind | |
| 1 | Chris Windom | 1035 | -0 | |
| 2 | Tyler Courtney | 928 | -107 | |
| 3 | Buddy Kofoid ® | 919 | -116 | |
| 4 | Tanner Thorson | 906 | -129 | |
| 5 | Cannon McIntosh | 809 | -226 | |
