5/27/2018
Hunter Fischer
6 of 6 A Features
Day 2 of the 3rd annual Midget Round Up returned to Airport Speedway for another triple header night with Hunter Fischer in the Flying Tee Golf sponsored midget and the Skips Performance Corner 600cc micro. Fortunately, the non-wing micro was locked into the A Feature with the podium finish the previous night. Focus was to return both the #24 midget and the #17F winged micro into the remaining A Features of the evening by going through the normal pill draw process.
The SPC stock 600cc winged micro was the first class up for the evening. Hunter drew a low number in the pill draw and started on the pole for Heat #3. The Honda power and methanol injection system was running at full power, allowing Hunter to easily drive away from the rest of the field. The 1st place finish would secure a 12th place starting position in the night’s A Feature.
The pill draw for the POWRi midgets produced a #39 and placed the Fischer Racing entry again in the 3rd heat race, starting this time from the inside of row 3. Hunter drove the car into 3rd place, but a late restart allowed the 4th place car to get around him in the last corner. Only gaining 1 position overall would put Hunter in the B Feature, but it was good enough to still be on the outside of the front row. This was a good turn of luck since the top of the track was coming in nicely. Given the preferred position, Hunter was able to set sail again in the #24 B&C Custom Woodworks midget. This marked the team’s first B Feature win of the season and secured a P16 starting position in the final A Feature of the night! This also marked the remarkable feat of driving all 3 classes into all 6 A Features of the weekend.
Competition was fierce in the leadoff A Feature for the winged 600cc micros. Starting in the middle of the field, traffic was thick and difficult to pass. The SPC powered chassis was up for the task and moved up another 5 positions to finish in the 7th position. The race went pretty smoothly and quickly, making it easier on the equipment.
With no time to waste, Hunter jumped straight from the micro into the midget. Gassed up and ready to go, the #24 lined up on the track Chili Bowl style (all the cars on the track at the same time). Starting 16th out of 21 cars, Hunter would have a lot of work ahead of him to make it to the front. Confidence was high, coming off the spectacular run in the B Feature. Excitement was tamed by some pop-up showers, delaying the races for a couple of hours (+/-). It was pretty late once racing resumed, but the track was determined to finish the show. Hunter had a great start and buzzed the cushion around those choosing the low line around the tires. Coming out of turn 4, a car spun and collected another car. Rolling towards the wall, Hunter had nowhere to go and hit the car and wall simultaneously. Ramping into the air, the Bolted Spine designed car came down on its front end, demolishing the shocks, axle, and every radius rod associated with the axle. Our driver was unscathed (minus a few bruises) and waved to the crowd that he was okay. Dragging the car into the trailer wasn’t the plan, but there are things a driver can’t avoid and this was one of them.
Keeping his head up and knowing his work wasn’t done, our 20 year old driver grabbed a bottle of water and took the time of the remaining midget race to gather his breath and wits. Loving the non-wing competition and the awesome setups from Skip Wendt, Hunter was excited to start behind his teammate who was sitting on the pole. Expecting to use his knowledge of the top groove from the midget race, the #17F shot to the top of the track in an attempt to gain enough momentum to make it into the lead. Unfortunately, the top wasn’t there for the lighter and less powerful micro sprints. An unforced error pulled Hunter back into the mix with a swarm of competitors who would rather drive through you instead of around you. The first (assisted) spin came in turn 3 after a handful of laps where Hunter was making his way back up through the field. Restarting in the rear and gaining in the next half-dozen laps, another competitor decided to hook the #17F in turn 3, rolling him onto his lid and landing back on the wheels. Micros are pretty durable and nothing seemed to be broken, so a second restart in the back was in the books. Several yellow flags later, the infield started looking like a graveyard. Hunter was able to slice the SPC micro up to a 6th place finish. As a biased observer, I found it quite remarkable given the number of times he restarted in the back and having been on his lid! ?
This event in Garden City, KS is one of our favorites! In spite of being a long drive, TBJ Promotions prepares a great track to race on and the community supports the racing history of this track. Everyone we bring (and know) has a good time, so please consider this event next year. We will be here for sure! After 170 competition laps, against 101 cars, Hunter took advantage of the drive home to catch up on his sleep. We want to thank our sponsoring partners Flying Tee Golf on the Riverwalk in Jenks, B&C Custom Woodworks, Bolted Spine Designs, FabTech, and Skip’s Performance Corner. Appreciation also goes out to the POWRi West crew, the NOW600 crew, and TBJ for putting on a great show!
Our next midget event will be on 6/15 at the Red Dirt Raceway in Meeker, OK and then 6/16 in OKC at I-44 Riverside Speedway. Come out and say “Hello”!
Article Credit: J. Fischer
Submitted By: James Fischer
