Rising open-wheel star Brayden Chiaramonte will close the outdoor portion of his 2023 racing schedule this week with races at the Merced Speedway Tuesday and Wednesday, November 21st and 22nd, and Saturday at the Ventura Raceway in the 82nd running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix. All three shows will see the talented driver competing in Matt Streeter’s fast #14 USAC Midget.
The teenage driver enters the final week of USAC competition after competing in the USAC National Midget Series races last Tuesday at the Bakersfield Speedway and Friday in the Hangtown 100 at the Placerville Speedway.
Bakersfield Speedway, November 14th
Thirty-six UASC National Midgets showed up at the Bakersfield for the first of six races in California. Making his first appearance in a midget in 10 months dating back to the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Oklahoma, Chiaramonte came out flying in qualifying. The 16-year-old from El Cajon, California turned in a lap of 12.900. That was good for the 11th fastest time in the 36-car star-laden field.
Chiaramonte found himself outside row two in the third heat race. Running in the top four most of the way, he was clearly one of the fastest cars in the group. However, a late-race stop sent him to the back of the pack for a restart. He fought his way past one car when the race went back to green but time ran out and he finished eighth. That meant he had to contest the 12-lap B main.
In a hard-fought, 16-car, star-filled B, Chiaramonte ended up seventh, missing a transfer to the A main by one position.
PLACERVILLE SPEEDWAY, NOVEMBER 17th
Chiaramonte and his team journeyed 300 miles north from Bakersfield to Placerville for Friday’s opening night of the Hangtown 100. Before they got there, the track had been pounded by rain. The track staff did a stellar job getting the track good enough to race on.
Qualifying was split up by heat race groups and Chiaramonte was third fastest in his group of nine cars with a lap of 12.407. That was good for the 17th-best time of the 36 cars on hand.
While the track crew got the clay surface raceable, the rain made for technical, “cowboy up” conditions. With drizzle hitting the track for his heat, Chiaramonte started sixth. Unfortunately, a car spun to a stop in turn four in front of him on lap one. With nowhere to go, he nearly got past the stopped car, but nicked it with his right rear. The yellow for the spinner necessitated a complete restart. Battling for the fourth and final transfer spot, track conditions saw him bicycle in turn three with two laps to go. He quickly recovered but slipped back to sixth. That is where he finished and it forced him to contest the B main.
Starting on the pole in the B, Chiaramonte tamed the track and led the first two circuits before slipping back to second on lap three. Going into turn one on the fourth go around, the new leader got upside down bringing out a red flag. Simultaneously, the heavens opened up again and saturated the track.
By the time the rain stopped and the track crew had worked the surface back in, the action had been delayed for 45 minutes. When racing resumed, Chiaramonte started first and kept the black #14 in front over the final nine laps for the victory and his ticket into the main event.
He started 20th in the 30-lap main event that went green to checkers without a caution or a red flag. The final rain made the track hard to pass on and the young driver ended up 22nd in the main event.
Chiaramonte will conclude the outdoor portion of his season this Friday and Saturday in the 82nd Running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway. Friday will be practice for the USAC National Midgets with their racing on Saturday. Advance tickets are available and advised at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/82nd-annual-turkey-night-grand-prix-tickets-629591554287?aff=oddtdtcreator. Gates will open at 3:00 p.m. each day. The track is located on the Ventura County Fairgrounds at 10 W. Harbor Boulevard (93001). The website is http://venturaraceway.com/ and the office phone number is (805) 648-RACE.
For fans who cannot make it, both nights will be streamed live on Flo Racing. For more information or to order please visit https://www.floracing.com/.
Chiaramonte would like to thank all his sponsors who have made his racing efforts possible. RTL Traffic Control, AM Ortega, Hyper Racing, Chop Design, Adams Motors, Hacienda Casa Blanca Fine Mexican Dining, Evil Plus Injection, King Racing Products, Tiner-Hirst Enterprises, and Keizer Wheels.
Chiaramonte and his team are in the midst of a busy racing season. If you are interested in becoming a marketing partner with one of the most talented and personable young drivers in the sport, please feel free to call or e-mail Daniel Chiaramonte mailto:[email protected] or (619) 988 7563.
Braden Chiaramonte PR
