As the USAC Midget tour went west for a November swing, it was no secret that the previously tight points would heat things up in the last stretch of the season.
Now, 1/3rd of the way through the homestretch, we’ve seen a bonfire with Buddy Kofoid being the latest to throw some fuel on top of it.
The young gun was able to get by Emerson Axsom on lap 17 of the 30-lap A-main to secure the lead and speed away with his fifth win of the 2021 season.
“I was just kind of biding my time, waiting for traffic, and I feel like I can contend with people or snooker them a little bit in traffic if I’m there, and I was able to do that,” Kofoid said after the race. “Then, after that point, I just needed to move back to the top of one and two and just start running laps.”
The win propels Kofoid to the lead in the USAC Midget points battle by four markers (3 points per position in the top 10) with six events left to run in the season.
Following the race, Kofoid dedicated his win to competitor Daison Pursley, who was injured in an accident over the weekend and remains hospitalized, as well as team member Shane Marquez.
A plethora of cautions took out the likes of Carson Macedo and Jade Avedisian and gave the field a few extra opportunities to clip Kofoid off a restart, however the California native kept steady and brought home another victory.
The series returns to the track on Thursday for three consecutive nights of racing with the Elk Grove Ford Hangtown 100 at Placerville Speedway. There, they will be joined by both Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott – the last two NASCAR Cup Series champions – as well as other big names. For fans unable to attend, they can stream all of the USAC Midget action throughout the season on FloRacing.
2021 USAC Midget Top 5 Points
1. Buddy Kofoid – 2202
2. Chris Windom – 2198
3. Tanner Thorson – 2010
4. Justin Grant – 1996
5. Emerson Axsom -1991
6. Daison Pursley* – 1893
* – Daison Pursley remains sixth in the points standings despite not racing on Tuesday evening due to an injury he suffered to his spine in the race before. Our thoughts remain with Daison and his family.
Remaining USAC Midget Schedule
Thurs. Nov. 18 | Placerville Speedway
Fri. Nov. 19 | Placerville Speedway
Sat. Nov. 20 | Placerville Speedway
Tues. Nov. 23 | Merced Speedway
Wed. Nov. 24 | Merced Speedway
Sat. Nov. 27 | Season finale at Ventura
