Midgets: All Rookie Weekend as Setser Takes NAMARS Berlin Feature
27 July 1998
By LES MESZAROS
MARNE, MI: For the second straight night it was a rookie driver winning the NAMARS Auto Value midget feature as Jason Setser took the 25-lap win at the Berlin Speedway. Setser, of Columbus, IN, was driving the Don Johnson owned Stealth/Gaerte. This was Setser's second win of the season and the third this year by a rookie as A.J. Fike won the night before at South Bend, IN.
Nick Fornoro jumped into the lead as soon as the green flag fell and was closely followed by Larry Gibson. These two looked like they were setting up for a real donnie brook but Jason Setser took advantage of a lap 6 restart to get the jump on Gibson and take over second. Three laps later Setser got inside of Fornoro in turn 4 to take the lead. Setser opened up a lead over Fornoro. Fornoro had to fight off one driver after another as positions 2 to 5 were really mixing it up.
Besides Gibson, Fornoro had pressure from A.J. Fike and then Bob Nock. Fike chased Fornoro for 4 laps before Nock pulled right up along side and swept past on the outside on lap 14. The last caution waved on lap 17 and once the race restarted Nock, Fike and Gibson really battled for every position. Over the last 5 laps Nock moved in on Setser and set up a tremendous run to the checkered flag. Nock was knocking on the door the last 5 laps but Setser said you can't come in as he managed to hang on for the victory.
Because of an afternoon rainstorm, the midget qualifying had to be canceled and heat race starting positions were determined by a drawing. Heat race victories went to Matt Westfall and Jason Setser. During the second heat race Mel Kenyon and Jason Fuller got together in turn 3 with Mel flying through the fence and out of the speedway. Mel was taken to the local hospital to be checked out and returned to the speedway later bruised but otherwise all right. Besides knocking down the fence in turn 3 Mel also managed to chop down a couple of trees outside the speedway.
NAMARS NOTES--25 midgets were in the pits at Berlin in front of a very large crowd--Tom Fedewa was doing double duty as he was driving the #3 midget and also driving a late model--Out for the first time this season was Aaron Fike in the #93. Aaron is the younger brother of A.J. Fike--The next NAMARS race will be Friday, August 14 at the Winchester Speedway in Winchester, IN and Saturday, August 15, at the Louisville Speedway in Louisville, KY.
The summary:
First Heat (8 laps): Matt Westfall, Matt Estep, Tom Fedewa, Wayne Chinn, Aaron Fike, Dave Ray, Jr., Phil Rutledge, Kevin Newton, Jim Sawyer, Mike Schuyler, Astrauskas, Ken Drangmeister.
Second Heat (8 laps): Jason Setser, Nick Fornoro, A.J. Fike, Bob Nock, Larry Gibson, J.D. Turner, Kevin Besecker, Don Moore, Lee King, Jason Fuller, Mel Kenyon.
Feature (25 laps) (Finishing position, starting position, name, hometown): 1. (7) Jason Setser, Columbus, IN; 2. (10) Bob Nock, Jamestown, OH; 3. (1) Larry Gibson, Richwood, OH; 4. (8) A.J. Fike, Galesburg, IL; 5. (13) Phil Rutledge, Troy, MI; 6. (6) Matt Westfall, Ludlow Falls, OH; 7. (2) Nick Fornoro, Stroudsburg, PA; 8. (14) Kevin Besecker, Greenville, OH; 9. (3) Matt Estep, South Holland, IL; 10. (12) J.D. Turner, Cincinnati, OH; 11. (16) Don Moore, Hamilton, OH; 12. (15) Kevin Newton, Terre Haute, IN; 13. (11) Dave Ray, Jr., Davenport, IA; 14. (17) Jim Sawyer, Hamilton, OH; 15. (5) Wayne Chinn, Tipp City, OH; 16. (19) Mike Schuyler, Yorktown, IN; 17. (18) Lee King, Spring Lake, MI; 18. (4) Aaron Fike, Galesburg, IL; 19. (21) Ken Drangmeister, Crown Point, IN; 20. (20) Mike Astrauskas, Howard City, MI; 21. (9) Tom Fedwa, Leslie, MI; 22. (22) Pam Drangmeister, Crown Point, IN.
