OCALA, Fla. — Mother Nature didn’t cooperate with the USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Series during Friday night’s season-opening feature at Bubba Raceway Park.
Rain halted the 30-lap feature after 13 revolutions of the three-eighths-mile, D-shaped dirt oval, forcing the balance of the race to be postponed until Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET.
When the action can continue, outside polesitter Buddy Kofoid will lead the field over his Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports teammate, Daison Pursley.
Kofoid took the lead off the initial start and led all 13 laps before the weather stoppage.
An aborted attempt at the first green flag was followed by an impressive outside sweep by Kofoid to pass Pursley off turn two, while Meseraull shuffled Pursley back to third by the end of the second lap.
Cannon McIntosh slowed to a stop in turn three with four laps completed to bring out the first yellow, with rain forcing an extended slowdown before racing was finally able to resume.
A Kade Morton spin before another lap was put in the books was followed by two laps of green-flag racing, with Kofoid continuing to build a big lead before Chase Randall lost a right-rear tire and necessitated the third caution of the event.
Randall’s flat tire was caused by contact with the outside wall in turns three and four.
Pursley retook second on the ensuing restart, while Meseraull drifted back behind Tanner Thorson and Chris Windom after contact with Jason McDougal in a battle for position inside the top five.
The spinning car of Max McLaughlin, making his USAC midget debut, drew the fourth caution of the race on lap 13 and eventually led to the suspension of the feature after the rain picked up in strength again.
Behind Kofoid and Pursley, Thorson, Windom, Meseraull and Justin Grant will restart inside the top six.
NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott, who raced his way into the feature out of the B Main in his USAC midget debut Friday night, was running 18th after 13 laps of action at Bubba Raceway Park.
Kevin Thomas Jr. was the fast qualifier with a lap of 14.037 seconds, while Johnson, Pursley, McLaughlin and Windom won their respective heat races.
To view results from preliminary action, advance to the next page.