Midgets: "Three Grand Dan" Grabs NAMARS Loot
5 July 1998
By LES MESZAROSWINCHESTER, IN -- Friday night at the Winchester Speedway before a full grand stand Dan Drinan decided to take a special challenge and start at the back of the NAMARS Auto Value midget feature and see if he could come to the front and take home an extra $1,000. Well that's exactly what he did as he put on a fan pleasing show making magnificent passes to come all the way from last spot to the win in 25-lap feature and take $2000 first place money plus the extra $1000 for a three grand pay day. Drinan was driving his own chassis with a Brayton power plant. Drinan Racing Products, makers of racing chassis, is also a NAMARS sponsor.
At the drop of the green, it was Clay Klepper jumping into the lead followed by Matt Westfall and Larry Gibson. Gibson was quick on the move as he got by Westfall on lap 3 and charged to the inside of turn 4 to take the lead away from Klepper. Gibson pulled away and opened up a good lead. But fast timer Jay Drake was on the move and took over second on lap 8. No sooner did he take over second then he slowed and pitted with mechanical problems.
When the race resumed Jason Lynch was now in second, the battle was on as Lynch, and Gibson ran side by side. Two laps later it was Ricky Shelton joining Gibson and Lynch as these three were hammering each other in a real dog fight at times running 3 wide. Gibson had to fight hard to hold on to the lead but Shelton finally wrestled the lead away from Gibson on the back stretch on lap 15. At the same time Drinan pulled around Lynch for third. The next time around Drinan was in second ahead of Gibson and on lap 17 it was Drinan diving to the inside of turn 3 and charging past Shelton as the huge crowd jumped to its feet.
Shelton did not give up and stayed with Drinan trying to recapture the lead. Drinan was not to be denied and roared home first as Gibson snuck by Shelton on the last lap to finish second. Fourth went to steady Kevin Besecker and fifth was Clay Klepper. The big crowd gave Drinan a thunderous ovation in victory lane as they had really seen something very special.
Jay Drake set fast time blistering the track in 15.262 seconds. Heat race victories went to Jay Drake, Ricky Shelton and Dan Drinan. The semi-feature winner was Jimmy Kite.
The NAMARS Rally trucks put on and exciting show as James McDaniel took the 15- lap victory. Although he led every lap McDaniel did not have an easy time as Butch Widermuth, Ronnie Perrine and David Bleke heavily pressured him.
NAMARS NOTES: 25 midgets were in the pits at Winchester--After the race Jack Calabrase stated that Larry Gibson did a tremendous job and drove his best race in 5 years. Gibson was driving the Dick Myers owned Munchkin chassis with an Autocraft engine. All of the Autocraft engines did very well at Winchester--Stan Hansen was in an accident in the semi-feature and had his bell rung pretty good. Fortunately this great competitor was OK but is probably pretty sore right now--No repeat winners yet this year for NAMARS as Dan Drinan was the tenth winner in ten races this season. This certainly is a record for this national sanctioning body NAMARS, and may also be a record for any open wheel division--Next it is on to the Wolverine Nationals at Kokomo, IN July 8, 9 and 10. Looks like another field of 70 midgets will be on hand for this big show down.
The summary:
Qualifications: 1. Jay Drake, Pete Willoughby, 97, 15.262; 2. Ricky Shelton, Pete Willoughby, 71, 15.481; 3. Dan Drinan, Drinan, 33, 15.618; 4. Jason Lynch, John Lynch, 15, 15.668; 5. Jimmy Kite, Jerry Covington, 95, 15.736; 6. Dick St. John, Gary Mullins, 12, 15.976; 7. A.J. Davis, Margaret Owen, 28, 16.024; 8. A.J.Fike, Fike Motorsports, 69, 16.049; 9. Kevin Besecker, McClellan Motorsports, 3, 16.088; 10. Matt Westfall, Jack Hammons, 54, 16.197; 11. Larry Gibson, Dick Myers, 5, 16.248; 12. Clay Klepper, Klepper, 69, 16.381; 13. Nick Fornoro, Jr., McCLellan Motorsports, 2, 16.461; 14. Kevin Newton, Steve Newton, 14, 16.475; 15. Jim Sawyer, Sawyer, 59, 16.617; 16. J.D. Turner, Bruce Turner, 53, 16.705; 17. Randy Dailey, Dailey, 78, 16.762; 18. Dave Baumgartner, J.B. Motorsports, 98, 16.888; 19. Stan Hansen, Stan Hansen Racing, 99, 17.154; 20. Wayne Chinn, Chinn Motorsports, 71, 17.310; 21. Nick Lundgreen, Dean Lundgreen, 49, 17.298; 22. Jeff Titus, Titus, 40, 17.392; 23. Kevin Blue, Blue, 51, NT; 24. Don Moore, Moore Family, 55, NT; 25. Jason Setser, Don Johnson, 16, NT.
First Heat (8 laps): Drake, Fornoro, Westfall, Lynch, Davis, Titus, Turner, Hansen.
Second Heat (8 laps): Shelton, Newton, Dailey, Gibson, Chinn, Setser, Fike, Kite.
Third Heat (8 laps): Drinan, Klepper, St. John, Besecker, Baumgartner, Sawyer, Blue, Lundgreen.
Semi-feature (12 laps): Kite, Davis, Fike, Setser, Chinn, Turner, Baumgartner, Titus, Blue, Sawyer, Lundgreen, Hansen.
Feature (25 laps) (Finishing position, starting position, name, hometown): 1. (20) Dan Drinan, Indianapolis, IN; 2. (3) Larry Gibson, Richwood, OH; 3. (11) Ricky Shelton, Huntington Beach, CA; 4. (5) Kevin Besecker, Greenville, OH; 5. (2) Clay Klepper, Kokomo, IN; 6. (18) Jason Setser, Columbus, IN; 7. (4) Matt Westfall, Ludlow Falls, OH; 8. (10) Jason Lynch, Terre Haute, IN; 9. (9) Jimmy Kite, Stockbridge, GA; 10. (8) Dick St. John, Milwaukee, WI; 11. (7) A.J Davis, Spartanburg, SC; 12. (1) Nick Fornoro, Stroudsburg, PA; 13. (17) Wayne Chinn, Tipp City, OH; 14. (19) Jeff Titus, Cicero, IN; 15. (15) Randy Dailey, Kalamazoo, MI; 16. (6) A.J. Fike, Galesburg, IL; 17. (13) Kevin Newton; Terre Haute, IN; 18. (16) Dave Baumgartner, Ottawa Lake, MI; 19. (12) Jay Drake, Canon Country, CA; 20. (14) J.D. Turner, Cincinnati, OH.
