PLACERVILLE, Calif. – At 15 years, 3 months and 12 days old, Ryan Timms made history Thursday on night one of the Elk Grove Ford Hangtown 100 at California’s Placerville Speedway by becoming the youngest feature winner in the history of the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship.
The Oklahoma City, Okla., native rewrote the record books a mere five months after Corey Day’s triumph during Indiana Midget Week at Circle City Raceway, which he accomplished at 15 years, 6 months and 12 days old.
Although the victorious occasion marked Timms’ first series win, his performance also produced a déjà vu moment that harkened back to the opening night of the most recent Hangtown 100 in 2019.
It was then and there two years ago that Gio Scelzi, aboard a Chad Boat-owned car, started on the outside of the front row, took the lead at the start, and led all 30 laps en route to his first USAC National Midget feature victory.
One day shy of exactly two years later, Timms, aboard a Chad Boat-owned car, started on the outside of the front row, took the lead at the start, and led all 30 laps en route to his first USAC National Midget feature victory.
In his 12th career USAC National Midget feature start, Timms earned not only his first win, but also his first top-five finish after a previous best result of sixth in August’s BC39 at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Timms’ has earned 16 sprint car and midget victories this season, including his first with USAC that arrived sooner than he would’ve even thought.
“It’s just really unexpected,” Timms admitted. “I got a really good start and I figured if I could just keep my momentum up on the top, they wouldn’t have anything for me.”
Timms ran roughshod through the field, never wavering from the high line in a non-stop feature that went green to checkered in a mere six minutes and 7.97 seconds.
By lap seven, Timms had constructed a full-straightaway lead and was already on the cusp of sailing through the tail end of the field. Shortly thereafter, fifth starting Cannon McIntosh slid his way into the third position in turn three past Justin Grant, then a half a lap later, made the same maneuver on the opposite end of the racetrack to streak by Zeb Wise for second.
With the combination of Timms’ fight through traffic and McIntosh now being in the clear and possessing a full head of steam, the naked eye could undoubtedly tell that Timms’ advantage was sheared in half from a full-straightaway to just a half.
Timms made his escape through the jungle of machinery, clearing Colby Copeland in turn four on lap 24 to put him a lap down, then promptly stretching his lead to a full straightaway without a bit of traffic in his view and six laps remaining. McIntosh quickly disposed of Copeland as well and quickly carved into Timms’ lead in half once again, from a half-straightaway to a quarter-straightaway and closing.
McIntosh stood a single car length back of Timms’ coming to the white flag. Timms stayed tried and true to the high line while McIntosh, who shadowed him up on the cushion, was forced to hatch a plan for an alternate path in order to get by.
In the final set of corners in turns three and four, Timms worked to the outside of 19th running Chase Randall, who occupied the bottom. McIntosh dove toward the infield berm but ran out of room in which to toss a possible slide job with Randall occupying the groove. Meanwhile, up top, Timms maintained the momentum and, subsequently, earned the victory.
McIntosh took second, three car lengths and .347 seconds behind Timms at the finish line, with Justin Grant third, Shane Golobic fourth and Emerson Axsom fifth. Kyle Larson, weeks removed from winning the NASCAR Cup Series championship, made his return to USAC competition and finished sixth after starting 12th.
“There was a bunch of lapped traffic and I figured he’d be right there, but I never saw his nose,” Timms recalled of his battle to the finish with McIntosh. “It’s been a pretty humbling trip. We’ll have a great run then run dang near last the next night. So, to get this one is just awesome.”
Four track records were set on Thursday night at Placerville with Tanner Thorson recording the 23rd Fatheadz Fast Qualifying time of his career in USAC National Midget competition, moving him past Stan Fox for sole possession of 17th on the all-time list. Thorson’s time of 11.397 broke the former one-lap track record of 11.979 seconds, set by Dillon Welch in 2019.
Thomas Meseraull’s time of 1:57.13 in Simpson Race Products broke his own track record by more than 11 seconds during Simpson Racing heat one, completely demolishing his former mark of 2:08.68, set in 2019.
Thorson posted a second new track record of the evening for himself in the second of two Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi-Features. His time of 2:25.95 set the new standard for the 12-lap distance at the 1/4-mile dirt oval.
Timms’ winning time of 6:07.97 signaled the fifth green-to-checker USAC National Midget feature this season and, by far, the fastest. Preceding non-stop races this season occurred on Aug. 3 at Pennsylvania’s Grandview Speedway; Sept. 11 at South Dakota’s Huset’s Speedway; and Sept. 24 and Sept. 25 at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway.
With his seventh-place feature finish, Chris Windom reclaimed the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship point lead by a 13-point margin over Buddy Kofoid, who scored a 14th place result. Five races now remain this season.
For complete results, click below.