Buddy Kofoid held the race lead of the 2021 USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget season-opening event throughout the night and throughout day over a span of time totaling nearly 17 hours at Ocala, Florida’s Bubba Raceway Park.
Granted, that was due to rain halting the proceedings 13 laps into the Feb. 5 30-lap event under the lights, pushing the final 17 laps to Feb. 6 during the daylight hours. But even rain and more threatening skies couldn’t stop Kofoid as he fended off a relentless Tanner Thorson down the stretch to snag the victory in his Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports/Mobil 1–Toyota–TRD–IWX/Bullet By Spike/Speedway Toyota.
For Kofoid, the 2020 series Rookie of the Year, it marked a grand opening of his sophomore season with a fourth career series win and aided his hopes of continuing a trend of Winter Dirt Games Midget wins translating to series championships, something that has occurred in each of the past two years with Tyler Courtney (2019) and Chris Windom (2020).
“They give me a really good car during those last 17 laps,” Kofoid said of his team. “I felt like my first six to eight (laps) were really good, and in those last 10, I felt like I needed to move around, or at least I was told to kind of move around. I saw them making ground on me off (Turn) 4, and I struggled off, but I felt like I started hitting it a little bit better. I know Tanner and Chris are really good, and I got to race with them a little bit. I’m glad to hold them off and get the first win of the year.”
On Feb. 5, Kofoid jumped out to the lead from his outside front row starting position, surpassing teammate and pole sitter Daison Pursley for the position on the opening lap. A handful of cautions early on from Cannon McIntosh, Chase Randall, Max McLaughlin and Sam Johnson stopped the action.
A light, nagging drizzle of precipitation fell throughout the event, and during the caution periods, drivers were asked by race control to help aid the racetrack from the clutch of Mother Nature by buzzing the corners with their tires.
The valiant effort came to an abrupt end after the final caution on Lap 14 involving McLaughlin and Johnson in Turn 1. Cars were subsequently ordered back to the pit area, where the race was pushed to the afternoon of Feb. 6 for a Lap 14 restart around a 3:15 p.m.
Feature: (30 laps, final 17 laps completed on Feb. 6) 1. Buddy Kofoid; 2. Tanner Thorson; 3. Chris Windom; 4. Daison Pursley; 5. Emerson Axsom; 6. Thomas Meseraull; 7. Justin Grant; 8. Tanner Carrick; 9. Jake Neuman; 10. Jason McDougal; 11. Steve Buckwalter; 12. Logan Seavey; 13. Bryant Wiedeman; 14. Cannon McIntosh; 15. Brenham Crouch; 16. Kaylee Bryson; 17. Max McLaughlin; 18. Chase Elliott; 19. Ethan Mitchell; 20. Sam Johnson; 21. Kade Morton; 22. Chase Randall.
Circle City Raceway announces schedule
The new Circle City Raceway in Indianapolis has released an ambitious 2021 racing schedule. The first events will feature Tony Stewart’s All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Cars on May 20 and 21.
May 20: All-Star Circuit of Champions Doubleheader Night 1, plus TQ Midgets All Star Circuit of Champions, All Star TQ Midgets
May 21: All-Star Circuit of Champions Doubleheader Night 2, plus All Star Circuit of Champions, Indiana Racesaver Sprints
June 4: World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models, Dirt Super Late Models, Pro Legends
June 9: USAC National Midgets “Indiana Midget Week” John Andretti Memorial “Double” USAC National Midgets
June 25: Marion County Fair — Summit American Modifieds, Speedrome Front Wheel Drives, Legends, Fords, Summit American Modified Series
June 26: Marion County Fair — Summit American Modified Tour, Speedrome Stocks, Fords, All Star TQs, Summit American Modified Series, All Star TQ Midgets
June 27: Marion County Fair — Indiana Late Model Series, plus UMP Modifieds, Legends, Dirt Crate Late Models, UMP Modifieds, Pro Legends
June 28: Marion County Fair — Sprint-o-Rama Night 1! Non Winged 410 Sprint Cars $5,000 to Win, 410 Sprints-Non-Winged
June 29: Marion County Fair — Sprint-o-Rama Night 2! Non-Winged 410 Sprint Cars $7,000 to Win 410 Sprints-Non-Winged
June 30: Marion County Fair — USAC Regional Midgets, USSA Kenyon Midgets, Legends, USAC Indiana Midgets
July 1: Marion County Fair Circle City 410 Winged Sprints, plus Indiana RaceSaver Sprints
July 2: Marion County Fair — Marion County Mayhem Demo Derby Night 1, plus School Bus Racing
July 3: Marion County Fair — Marion County Mayhem Demo Derby Night 2, plus School Bus Racing
July 4: Marion County Fair — Super Late Models, plus Summit American Modified Tour Dirt Super Late Models, UMP Modifieds
July 14: Super Late Models, UMP Modifieds, Dirt Super Late Models, UMP Modifieds
July 18: Indiana Crate Late Model Series, UMP Modifieds, Fords Dirt Crate Late Models, UMP Modifieds
July 22: “Thursday Night Thunder” — Circle City Winged 410 Sprints, USAC Regional Midgets, 410 Sprints-Winged
July 30: Heart of America Super Late Model Series, plus Renegades of Dirt Modifieds, Dirt Super Late Models, UMP Modifieds
Aug. 1: Heart of America Super Late Model Series, plus Renegades of Dirt Modifieds, Dirt Super Late Models, UMP Modifieds
Aug. 5: “Thursday Night Thunder” — Circle City Winged 410 Sprints, plus TBA, 410 Sprints-Winged
Aug. 15: MARS Dirt Late Models, UMP Modifieds, Legends, Dirt Crate Late Models, UMP Modifieds, Pro Legends
Aug. 19: “Thursday Night Thunder” — Circle City Winged 410 Sprints, USAC Regional Midgets, 410 Sprints-Winged
Aug. 20: ASCS National Winged Sprints w/NRA Sprint Invaders, American Vintage Sprints, USAC Speed2 Midget, USAC IMRA D2 MIDGET SERIES, ASCS National, NRA Sprint Invaders
Aug. 21: Lucas Oil ASCS National Winged Sprints w/NRA Sprint Invaders, plus USSA Mel Kenyon Midgets, TBA, ASCS National, NRA Sprint Invaders
Sept. 2: Crate Late Models, UMP Modifieds, Fords, Legends, Dirt Crate Late Models, UMP Modifieds, Pro Legends
Sept. 16: “Thursday Night Thunder” — Circle City Winged 410 Sprints, plus TBA, 410 Sprints-Winged
Sept. 17: USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Cars, USAC SpeeD2 Midwest Thunder Midget Series, USAC IMRA D2 MIDGET SERIES, USAC National Sprint Cars
Sept. 26: Crate Late Models, UMP Modifieds, Fords, Dirt Crate Late Models, UMP Modifieds
Oct. 14: Test and Tune Night for Hoosier Harvest Shootout, 410 Sprints-Winged, Dirt Crate Late Models, UMP Modifieds
Oct. 15: “Hoosier Harvest Shootout” Night 1 — Winged 410 Sprint Cars, UMP/Summit American, Mods Qualifiers, Summit American Modified Series
Oct. 16: “Hoosier Harvest Shootout” Night 2 — Winged 410 Sprints $21,000 To Win, UMP/Summit American Mods, Summit American Modified Series
James Essex writes a motorsports notebook for The Republic. Send comments to [email protected]
