Chad came into the Arizona Midget Racing Association’s final race of the year at Tucson’s USA Race Park, running second in points, 52 points behind the leader, Mike Welker. He was also leading the rookie point standing over Darrin Bolton. Since this race was scheduled to be a double points race, Chad had a chance to take over the points lead and win the AMRA championship in his rookie season, as well as clinching the Rookie of the Year title. It wouldn’t be an easy task for Chad, because the AMRA was running in conjunction with the USAC Western States Midgets, with several drivers running for the USAC National points championship participating in the race, including Belleville National’s winner Jerry Coons and National Midget Driver of the Year point leader Brad Kuhn.

The race was run under USAC rules which requires that all cars run qualification laps to determine their starting position in the heat races and main event. Chad had a terrific qualifying lap of 16.951, which was the fifth fastest qualifying lap of the night. Only seven cars qualified in the 16-second bracket out of the 28 midgets that timed in.

USAC lines up the heat races, inverting the field, with the fastest cars starting at the back. Because of his excellent qualifying time, Chad had to start in the last row, with only the top four finishers transferring directly to the main event. The remainder of the field would have to run the semi main to have a chance of making the main event. Chad was running 4th at the end of the first lap, and two laps later he moved into the 3rd position. He finished 3rd behind the winner, Jerry Coons, Jr., and Mike Welker, who had moved into the #1 car, because of mechanical problems with his car during hot laps.

Chad’s fifth place qualifying run, started him on the outside of the front row. USAC inverts the top six qualifiers who finish 4th or better in their heat race. Starting on the pole was USAC regular, Ron Gregory, and as the green flag waved, Gregory got the jump to take the lead, but Chad got an excellent start and was running in the second position He continued to run in the 2nd position, holding off several USAC veterans, until lap 10, when he fell back to the 4th position. On lap 18, the yellow flag came out with Chad running in the 5th position, and 12 laps remaining of the 30-lap main event. Chad ran a terrific race and didn’t look like a rookie, running up front with the USAC competitors and even gaining on the leaders with the laps running out. When the checkered flag waved, Brad Kuhn, of Indiana was the winner, with Jerry Coons, Jr., of Tucson, finishing in the runner-up spot and Chad finishing in the 5th position.

After coming into the race trailing by 52 points it looked like a long shot for Chad to win the championship. With his tremendous drive to 5th place finish, Chad clinched the AMRA Rookie of the Year. He also gave father and car owner Billy Boat the AMRA owners championship, while narrowly missing the drivers title by a mere 2 points. Mike Welker had problems with his #22 car early in the night and moved into the #1 car, and with his 14th place finish it was enough for the title.

“We had a great season, and just to be in contention for the championship and win Rookie of the Year was great. I want to thank my crew and all my sponsors, and I am looking forward to next year running the sprint car and the speedtruck” Chad said after the race.

Chad’s next races will be Friday and Saturday, November 4th and 5th at Manzanita Speedway with the AMSCA Mini Sprints.

 

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