Kyle Larson took the lead on lap 14 and then held off a late charge from Buddy Kofoid to win the USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Series’ nightcap at Merced Speedway’s Sunday double-header.
Kofoid also earned a third-place finish in the day’s opening race and has now finished on the podium in each of his nine USAC starts at Merced. The two-time USAC champion (2021-2022) is coming off a stellar rookie campaign in the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars where he placed fourth overall, registering seven wins for the Toyota-powered Roth Motorsports team.
Logan Seavey paced the race early with Larson moving up to second on lap 11. After a mid-race caution flag, Larson would slide past Seavey in turn one on the lap 14 restart and quickly begin to pull away. Behind him, Kofoid would begin to reel in Seavey for second at the midway point of the 30-lap feature.
Kofoid would eventually claim the second spot on lap 20 and began to close in on Larson for the lead with 10 laps remaining, but Larson would be able to hold on for the win with a margin of victory of 0.791-seconds over Kofoid.
Overall, nine Toyota-powered drivers finished in the top 10 with Tanner Thorson placing fourth, followed by Carson Macedo, Jacob Denney, Daison Pursley, Zach Wigal, Cannon McIntosh, and Ryan Timms.
Pursley continues to lead the USAC point standings. With two races remaining, he holds a 54-point lead over fellow Toyota driver McIntosh.
The USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Series closes out its 2024 season with two races this upcoming week, kicking off with Tuesday night’s event at Bakersfield Speedway and then heading to Ventura Raceway for the 83rd annual Turkey Night Grand Prix on Saturday night.
Toyota-Powered Drivers Merced Speedway Feature #2 Results
Buddy Kofoid – 2nd
Tanner Thorson – 4th
Carson Macedo – 5th
Jacob Denney – 6th
Daison Pursley – 7th
Zach Wigal – 8th
Cannon McIntosh – 9th
Ryan Timms – 10th
Emerson Axsom – 11th
Justin Grant – 12th
Kale Drake – 13th
Gavin Miller – 16th
Tyler Courtney – 17th
Toyota Racing PR
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