By: Ron Burt
Seventeen year old Zack Wigal scored the biggest win of his career September 1st at Angell Park Speedway in the NOS Energy Drink USAC Racing National Midget championship series. It was night 1 of the 2 night Firemen’s Nationals. He started the night quickest in the hot laps. He qualified 4th in qualifying. He started 3rd in the feature and took the lead on lap 5 and never looked back for his 1st USAC National win in his 14th start in the series. One time in the feature the cars went 6 wide in turn one. That’s unheard of. Zack gave all the praise to his sponsor the CB Industry and the crew. They’ve worked all year to help develop his driving skills and helped him adjust to driving a USAC National Midget. Last year in the tri-state he won the USAC Thunder Midget series. He’s come a long way in a very short time. Finishing a close 2nd was Cannon McIntosh, and Logan Seavey made the podium for 3rd.
Night number 2 at the Firemen’s National back at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin was won by Cannon McIntosh. After getting the win McIntosh said, “Last night, we were so close,”. “I was running it with everything I had, and I felt like I got to (Wigal) there in traffic. He just got through a little bit better than me. But I was hungry for it tonight. Everyone I talked to before the race today, I told them I was going for it tonight, and that’s what we did. In qualifying, you want to be quick time but when you can qualify around the fifth or sixth spot, it’s huge because you get to start on the front row, and we just went all out from there. It feels better to be back on the top step. Podiums are always great, but wins are amazing.” Rounding out the podium was Daison Pursley 2nd, and Zach Wigal 3rd.
The USAC Silver Crown cars recently competed in the Ted Horn 100 at Du Quin State Fairgrounds August 31. Justin Grant swept both one mile dirt ovals in Illinois this summer. His first win this summer was in Springfield. This is only the second time someone has done this in the last 15 years. Kody Swanson was 2nd at the Ted Horn 100 and Briggs Danner was 3rd.
Oakshade Raceway finished their season point races for 2024. The track will race several more weeks for special events. It will also let Oakshade drivers visit other speedways. Unofficially earning 2024 Oakshade Raceway track championships were Carter Murday in the Late Models, Ryan Davis in the DCR Graphics Sportsman, Jarrett Rendel in the Dominator Super Stocks and Jason Deshler in the Compacts.
Steve Kester became the only four-time DIRTcar UMP Late Model feature winner of the year at Oakshade Raceway after picking up the checkers in the Season Championship night main event last Saturday. Kester, started on the pole of the 25-lap feature event and led all but one lap. Kyle Moore took advantage of a lap 14 caution and challenged Kester for the lead on the ensuing restart. The two drivers battled side by side for the lead with Moore edging out Kester at the line on lap 15. Kester edged back ahead the following lap and was able to finally get back in front of Moore.
A late caution would give Moore another shot with just two laps remaining. Moore was able to hang with Kester when the green flag dropped, but Kester held on to pick up the win. Moore was 2nd, and Rusty Schlenk 3rd. Your nights other feature winners were Sportsmen Ryan Davis, Dominator Stocks Jarrett Rendel. and Sport Compacts Ryan Okuley. Until next week, keep your wheels down. Ron out!
