KNOXVILLE, IOWA (March 10, 2004) - The first
official entry for the June 4-5 Pepsi/Mt. Dew Knoxville Midget Championship
has arrived this week at the Knoxville Raceway. According to office manager
Arleta Voyce, “Andy Mason of Westminster, Colorado, has the distinction
of being this year’s first paid entry, and he has chosen to represent the
Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association. Other teams can find the official
entry form on our web-site, www.knoxvilleraceway.com.”
Mason will pilot the Roger Mason-owned, Fontana/Chevrolet-powered
Ellis chassis midget, which is sponsored by Wagoner Trucking, Western Trucking,
Award Classics, and Raynor Garage Doors. In 2002, the midgets returned to
the historic Marion County Fairgrounds oval, after an absence of over twenty
years, in a show tri-sanctioned by Badger Midget Auto Racing Association
(BMARA), Midwest Auto Racing Association (MARA), and North American Midget
Auto Racing Series (NAMARS). Last season, Rocky Mountain (RMMRA) and American
Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) joined the alliance of equal sanctioning partners.
In 2004, all but NAMARS will return to sanction
the prestigious national championship event. The Friday night, June 4, program
will feature five midget car heats and the fifteen-car, fifteen-lap $1,000-to-win
Pepsi/Mt. Dew “King Doodlebug” invitational feature. The first night of
the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame induction weekend will also feature
the twelfth annual $3,000-to-win Hoosier Tire Midwest Masters Classic 360-cubic-inch
sprint car show for drivers age fifty and over.
The Saturday night, June 5, program will showcase
two midget car consolations, a dash, and the thirty-car, 25-lap $4,000-to-win
Pepsi/Mt. Dew Knoxville Midget Championship feature. Chad DeSelle, fourth
in the 2003 BMARA point standings, is the event’s defending champion. In
addition, a regular show of 410 c.i. sprint car racing will culminate in
the $3,000-to-win Kin Folks Shootout on Saturday night.
The King Doodlebug Invitational will start
the five Friday night heat winners, the top point-getters from each of the
four sanctions in 2003, the top drivers from each of four events (2003 Pepsi/Mt.
Dew Knoxville Midget Championship, 2003 Belleville Midget Nationals, 2003
Sun Prairie Fireman Nationals, 2004 Tulsa Chili Bowl Midget Nationals),
and the top two drivers from the 2003 National Midget Driver of the Year
rankings.
History of the Pepsi/Mt.
Dew Knoxville Midget Championship:
2002 - Mike Hess, Kerry Madsen, Don Droud
(Jr.), Davey Ray, James Chesson, Cory Kruseman, Craig Carey, Ryan Scott,
Brian Gerster, Dave Strickland (Jr.), Steve Knepper, Critter Malone, Ryan
Durst, Teddy Beach, Scott Hatton, Quinn McCabe, Steve Paden, John Jones,
Greg Lueckert, Chad DeSelle, Marc Dailey, Donnie Lehmann, Aaron Fiscus,
Aaron Pierce, John Nervo, A.J. Fike, Ray Bull (Jr.), Jeff Flesher, Brandon
Waelti, Keith Rauch.
2003 - Chad DeSelle, Aaron Fiscus, Mike Hess,
Aaron Fike, Damion Gardner, Craig Carey, Critter Malone, Nick Lundgreen,
Quinn McCabe, Brandon Waelti, Brad Kuhn, Ryan Durst, Kevin Doty, Marc Dailey,
Davey Ray, A.J. Fike, Donnie Lehmann, Dave Camfield (Jr.), Sarah McCune,
Todd Beach, David Gough, Boyd Calvert, Don Droud (Jr.), Ray Bull (Jr.),
Steve Knepper, Rik Forbes, Kerry Madsen, Scott Hatton, Jim Doyle, Brian
Gerster.
Time / Temp. in the Rock
