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Ray Returns to Angell Park Victory Lane
Sun Prairie, Wis., June 17--- Former Badger Midget Series Champion Davey Ray won the 20-lap Zimbrick Chevrolet of Sun Prairie Badger Midget Racing Series feature Sunday Night at Angell Park Speedway. The event was co-sanctioned with the POWRi Lucas Oil Regional Midget Series. The victory for Ray, was his first in a Badger sanctioned event since June 12, 2010.
Zach Boden took the lead at the drop of the green flag, with Ray passing two cars in the opening lap. Boden continued to lead, with Ray advancing through the field. Ray was third at the completion of lap six, and took over the runner-up position, two laps later passing Kevin Olson for the position.
Ray closed to Boden's rear bumper, when the event was stopped one lap short of the halfway point of the race, when Ray Seach flipped. On the restart, Ray passed Boden entering the third turn to take the lead. Ray increased his lead each lap, and began lapping the tail of the field, with five laps remaining.
One lap later a caution appeared for a spun car. On the restart Ray driving the Mark Ray owned DRC/Honda No. 3 went unchallenged for the lead, finishing 2.71 seconds ahead of Boden. The victory was the fifteenth career feature win at Angell Park for Ray. "It's always special to win a feature here my Godfather Mark Ray had the car perfect all night" commented Ray.
Olson finished third, with Scott Hatton claiming the Advance Race Suspensions Passing award improving seven starting positions finishing fourth. Mitchell Davis completed the top five finishers.
Nineteenth place finishing Eric Reibenstein won the Howard Law Cash Draw, a bonus for a randomly selected feature finishing position. Hatton holds an eight-point lead over Olson heading into the Saturday June 30 Badger event at Wilmot (Wis.) Raceway.
20-lap Feature: 1. Davey Ray; 2. Zach Boden; 3. Kevin Olson; 4. Scott Hatton; 5. Mitchell Davis; 6. Andy Baugh; 7. Chase McDermand; 8. Tyler Baran; 9. Ryan Probst; 10. Mike Stroik; 11. Jack Routson; 12. Kurt Mayhew; 13. Kurt Mayhew; 14. Kyle Koch; 15. Dennis Smith; 16. Brad Weber; 17. Shay Sassano; 18. Kyle Brinkman; 19. Eric Reibenstein; 20. Pat Hensen; 21. Marty Saso; 22. Ray Seach; 23. Scott Zane.
8-lap Engler Machine Heat Race Winner: Saso.
8-lap DMI Heat Race Winner: Seach.
8-lap Service Specialists Heat Race Winner: Ray.
Fast Time: Ray, 15.261 seconds.
Cars Present: 27 Feature Lap Leaders: Boden 1-9, Ray 10-20.
Current Badger Midget Series Points: 1. Hatton 386; 2. Olson 378; 3. Baran 364; 4. Probst 303; 5. Boden 279; 6. Jeff Zelinski 223; 7. McDermand 221; 8. Andrew Felker 212; 9. Mayhew 173; 10. D. Smith 164.
RACE NOTES
---The win was Ray's fifteenth at the track, and fifth different feature winning car owner he has driven to victory lane at Angell Park.
---The runner-up finish for Boden was his best at the track in a midget and tied his career best series feature finish. Boden won the Badger 600 Micro Series feature at the track, two weeks ago.
---Veteran driver Brad Weber made his first series start since the 2001 season finale, finishing 16th in the feature.
---Rookie driver Kyle Brinkman made his midget racing debut in the event.
---Mitchell Davis who finished fifth in the feature, also placed sixth in the feature for the Auto Meter Wisconsin wingless Sprint Car Series, which ran after the Badger feature.
Article Credit: Bryan Gapinski
Robbie Ray Becomes Third Ray to Win Badger Midget Championship
11/03/2017 -This weekend, a third Ray will be honored as a Badger Midget Champion. Robbie clinched the 2017 Championship on September 3rd at Angell Park Speedway in his DRC/Honda K24 engine built by his father and car owner, Mark Ray.
The Ray family history with the Badger Midget series dates back to 1973 when Dave Ray earned "Rookie of the Year" honors driving for his father, Ralph in a family owned #33 Edmunds/Chevy II engine built by Ralph. The Father/Son duo finished sixth in points that first season and in 1975, finished second place in season points.
In 1976, Dave became a hired driver for John Heisdorf of The Heisdorf Racing Team half way through the season in a second car. Together, they won the 1977 Badger Championship title over drivers Kevin Olson and Stan Fox. 1978 saw Dave again behind the wheel of a Heisdorf Racing Team midget along with teammate, Ken Biertzer (both sons-in-law to John). Ken claimed the Championship with Dave finishing in second place. The Championship was just as sweet for Dave and the Ray family as Dave designed and built his first midget chassis, the "Brand X," and brother Mark built the Volkswagon engine that claimed the Championship title.
In 2003, Dave and Debbie's son, Davey became the third driver to become a second generation Badger Champion. Ralph Wilke and Joe Vukelich put together a new team they called "RaJo-Wilke" and hired Davey to pilot their #5 Sesco/Mopar. The team stole the Championship in spectacular style winning six races at four different tracks that season.
Between the Ray and Heisdorf families, there is a total of 9 Badger Midget Championships. It is an honor to be listed among some of the best in racing's history for many decades both as drivers and car owners in the popular series.
1973 –John Hartwig driver, John Heisdorf car owner Champions
1974 –Bob Walldan driver, John Heisdorf car owner Champions
1977 –Dave Ray driver, John Heisdorf car owner Champions
1978 –Ken Biertzer driver, John Heisdorf car owner Champions
2003 –Davey Ray driver Champion
2017 –Robbie Ray driver Champion, Mark Ray car owner Champions
Davey Ray Shows Authority at Daugherty; Wins USAC Indiana Midget Feature
9/10/16 -Boswell, Indiana-Davey Ray ran down Tanner Thorson in lapped traffic in the final five laps, battling wheel-to-wheel all the way around the three-eighths-mile dirt oval until Ray's winning move on Thorson
in turn two on lap 22.
Ray, of Davenport, Iowa, had to withstand one final green-white-checkered restart, yet was able to cruise away to his first USAC Indiana Midget Championship victory Saturday night at Daugherty Speedway.
Ray, in his Team RAYPRO/Spike/RAYPRO Mopar no. 33, took the lead from Thorson just four laps from the finish after the two made contact off the exit of the second turn. Thorson got extremely sideways down the
back straightaway, spraying the outside wall with dirt as he tried to maintain control of his car. Thorson straightened his car out by the time he reached the bottom of the racetrack, but, by then, Ray had pulled away to a 15-car-length lead.
On lap 24, an incident involving Spencer Bayston, Justin Dickerson and Kyle Schuett, who got upside down, slowed the action as Ray headed for sure victory. Meanwhile, second-running Thorson left the track with a flat right rear tire, but would return, only managing a 14th place finish at the checkered.
However, the field would be bunched up on the restart with Ray leading, followed by Tyler Courtney and Carson Macedo. Macedo was able to slip by Courtney for second at the end, but up front, Ray was able to distance himself from the two to take the victory over Macedo, Courtney, Austin Prock and Justin Peck.
It was Ray's first USAC-sanctioned win since a D1 Midget victory at Montpelier (Ind.) Motor Speedway in 2011 and the first USAC-sanctioned race at Daugherty Speedway since a 2009 National Sprint Car race won by Dave Darland, back when the track was known as Kamp Motor Speedway.
Although finishing a distant second, Macedo took over the series point lead from Thorson and now holds a 23-point advantage in the USAC Indiana Midget Championship heading into a Saturday, September 17th date at Montpelier.
USAC INDIANA MIDGET CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: September 10, 2016 – Boswell, Indiana – Daugherty Speedway
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Tanner Thorson (#67 Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), 2. Davey Ray (#33 RAYPRO), 3. Austin Prock (#41 Prock/Hayward), 4. Scott Hatton (#1 Hatton), 5. Gage Walker (#7 Walker), 6. Kyle Schuett (#9K Schuett), 7. Justin Dickerson (#21D Dickerson), 8. Don O'Keefe (#0K LOK). NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Anton Julian (#44 Pace), 2. Justin Peck (#5x Peck), 3. Holly Shelton (#67K Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), 4. J.B. Gilbert (#83B Beasley), 5. Rich Drangmeister (#3 Drangmeister), 6. Shane Hollingsworth (#85 Hollingsworth). NT
THIRD HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Tyler Courtney (#5 Baldwin), 2. Ryan Robinson (#71 Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), 3. Carson Macedo (#71K Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), 4. Spencer Bayston (#97 Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), 5. Mark Chisholm (#56x Chisholm), 6. Brayton Lynch (#1K RKR), 7. Ken Drangmeister (#76 Drangmeister). NT
ALSO AT THE TRACK: Daniel Robinson (#56Y Chisholm)
FEATURE: (25 laps) 1. Davey Ray, 2. Carson Macedo, 3. Tyler Courtney, 4. Austin Prock, 5. Justin Peck, 6. Ryan Robinson, 7. Gage Walker, 8. Scott Hatton, 9. J.B. Gilbert, 10. Mark Chisholm, 11. Brayton Lynch, 12. Kyle Schuett, 13. Don O'Keefe, 14. Justin Dickerson, 15. Tanner Thorson, 16. Spencer Bayston, 17. Ken Drangmeister, 18. Anton Julian, 19. Holly Shelton, 20. Rich Drangmeister. NT
**Julian flipped on lap 3 of the feature. Schuett flipped on lap 24 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-21 Thorson, Laps 22-25 Ray.
NEW USAC INDIANA MIDGET CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Macedo-214, 2-Thorson-191, 3-Robinson-189, 4-Bayston-180, 5-Peck-160, 6-Shelton-152, 7-Walker-151, 8-Lynch-146, 9-Ray-137, 10-Dave Darland-118.
NEXT USAC INDIANA MIDGET CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: September 17 – Montpelier, Indiana – Montpelier Motor Speedway
**RICHIE MURRAY – USAC MEDIA
Dirt Track Comes to IMS to Honor Tony Stewart
7/5/2016 -SPEEDWAY, Ind. (WISH) – Race car enthusiasts got to enjoy a special gift meant for soon-to-be retired driver Tony Stewart.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway built a dirt track inside turn three to honor the racing legend. Tuesday night, an exhibition was held to test it out.
"Those back wheels get going and they get sideways and fling dirt and you would swear that they're going to wreck and they don't," said Mary Morgan of Greenfield, one of the lucky few who got to watch around half a dozen United States Auto Club Midget race cars whip around the dirt oval. She's also a huge Stewart fan and couldn't pass up on the chance to watch him race the way he did when he was younger.
"I used to watch him in dirt track racing and I had the opportunity to come out today and was just really excited to do that," Morgan said.
Other dirt track drivers like Davey Ray were equally excited for the chance to take a spin inside IMS. Sure it's not the legendary 2.5 mile oval, but he's still inside the historic venue.
"A lot of us have dreams of racing at the Indy Motor Speedway some day and these cars are some of them that would allow us to do that inside the track here," Ray said. "They're just really kind of hand-to-hand combat type of cars. They produce a lot of excellent racing so if they could produce a more permanent facility here for us to race at, I think you'd see a full pit area."
IMS President Doug Boles said, "There are a lot of guys who are Midget racers or Sprint car racers who have never seen a way that they could actually race at (IMS) someday."
Boles noted that connecting with Stewart's passion for dirt racing was the perfect way to honor him.
"Racing exists because of the grassroots racer, the people that go to their local racetrack every Saturday night, the people that compete at those racetracks," said Boles. "To be able to have an opportunity to bring that to the Speedway is a pretty special thought and pretty special idea."
An idea that the drivers and fans hope will happen more often. If that were to be the case, Boles said the track would have to be bigger and be made of clay instead of dirt. "And even if we did, it wouldn't be something that was an every weekend kind of activity, sort of like having the Rolling Stones at IMS."
That's alright with Ray. All he wants is a chance to race in front of a full crowd and take the checkered flag at his hometown track.
"There would be a definite large gathering of cars and when you build it they will come," Ray said.
"I think IMS has done a great job of bringing other things into the track besides just the (Indy) 500," added Morgan. "And I think if they built a permanent track out here that there would be a lot of people that would be wanting to come out and watch them race."
American driver Davey Ray Chases Fourth Australian Title at Premier Speedway
2/26/15 - By Aidan Fawkes
AMERICAN jet Davey Ray is anticipating a racy track will deliver action aplenty for the 74th Australian Speedcar Championship at Premier Speedway. The Indianapolis-based driver is among 51, and four from the US, chasing success on the Allansford high banks tomorrow and Saturday.
Ray, a three-time Australian champion, got his first glimpse of the track during scrutineering yesterday afternoon and took part in practice last night. His early impressions brought a smile to his face. He is confident he can add a fourth title to a resumé which also includes four Magic Man 34 crowns.
"I thought 'what a facility'," Ray said. "The pits are nice. The grandstands surrounding the entire track is good for the spectators. "That's one thing we need to concentrate on in our sport, making it nice for the crowd to come out. "And then the track itself looks really racy. I'm happy to see that going into the race. I think that's going to produce some really good action."
Ray, who landed in Australia last week and ran third in the Victorian title last weekend, is among the favourites to win the first championship at Premier. The 36-year-old third-generation racer grew up at Davenport, Iowa, and stepped into a go-kart for the first time aged 11. He won more than 200 feature races in the class before trading a go-kart for a midget — the American equivalent of a speedcar — in 1997.
A preliminary feature as part of the 2007 Chili Bowl, nicknamed the "Superbowl of midget racing", is among his career highlights. But his major successes have been Down Under. His Australian title wins were in 2006 (Parramatta), 2008 (Perth) and 2011 (Lismore, NSW). He has also dominated the Magic Man 34, a race which celebrates the life of the late Michael Figliomeni, winning consecutively from 2009-12. But securing drives has never been easy.
As Ray lists his successes in midget racing, he notes many have been for different car owners. "I've earned my way into cars, knocked on the door or made many phone calls to get in those cars," he said. "Coming from where I grew up, that's quite an accomplishment for myself. "Others excel in their careers easier by having a lot of support and backing. "The way things are going, the trend in our series is there are younger and younger drivers, they're fully funded with anything they need. "They're taking up the seats in some of the high-quality cars and that makes things tougher yet."
He describes himself as "one of the younger guys of the old-school generation". "A guy like Jerry Coons is a little bit older than me but he grew up the same as I did, knocking on doors and clawing at anything," Ray said. "There's a lot of pride in what we do.
"Being welcomed back to Australia and demand a high-quality car with the De Rosa family is really satisfying." Ray, who could yet finish the summer racing a sprintcar in New South Wales, encouraged fans to get trackside at Premier this weekend. Fellow Americans Alex Bright, Jerry Coons jnr and Tyler Thomas are also among the title contenders. Defending champion Adam Clarke and two-time Speedcar Pro Series winner Dayne Kingshott are the leading Australian hopes.
"We put on a really good show nearly everywhere we go. It's a lot closer quarters racing with these little cars. It's hand-to-hand combat," Ray said.
Davey is America's Ray of Sunshine in Title
2/19/15 -From Avalon Raceway - American Davey Ray touches down in Melbourne this morning and will join the field for the 70th Victorian speedcar championship at Avalon Raceway on Saturday night.
The outstanding dirt track racer from the mid-west, has been a frequent visitor to Australia and New Zealand, winning big events at Kwinana Motorplex in Perth, Western Springs, Auckland and Avalon.
"He is a professional with a capital P and the Victorian title is a must for him as he needs to compete on Australian soil prior to the Australian championship next month," said Andy Pearce of Speedcars Victoria last night.
"American drivers are eligible to be included in our national title, but they need to qualify for inclusion by driving in another major event here first," he added.
The Victorian championship dates back to 1934 at Olympic Park in Melbourne and has held at 17 different venues in the State.
This year's field is perhaps the strongest on record with drivers from five States
Entered, but undoubtedly all eyes will be on Ray (pictured) and his CRC machine.
Zach Daum (2013) and Bob Tattersall (1960-61-62) are the only Americans to have raised the championship throughout the seven decade history of the race.
The K-Rock Cup for V8 super sedans and a no holds barred Demolition Derby will also be featured on the Avalon card.
Davey Ray wins third "Magic Man 34" title
11/12/11 -Davey clinched his third consecutive "Magic Man 34" title at the Perth Motorplex and it was an exciting one as Ray wasted no time charging to the front at the start of the 34-lap feature event. Before the third lap, Ray was in 2nd place from his 10th place starting position. By lap five he was leading and never looked back. Justin Insley had the Mark De Rosa No. 71 Aggressor/Synergy V-8 hooked up as Ray extended his lead even in lapped traffic. With 3 laps to go he was 2.5 seconds ahead of 2nd place driver, Scott Glazebrook. It was smooth sailing from there and the De Rosa team was again celebrating in victory lane!
Ray earned high points after winning both of his heat races which meant he could pull either the 10th, 12th or 14th starting position. He chose the orange envelope in honor of Michael Figliomeni and his own racing colors back home which ended up to be the 10th spot. Ray then got to chose who would start next to him in the 9th place, and chose American rival, Kevin Swindell who finished 3rd.
Great job to the entire De Rosa team, car owner Mark, crew chief Justin Insley and Simon Longdill, and a special thank you to the Figliomeni family for producing such a great event in honor of Michael. Davey is privileged to have the opportunity to compete in the event and even more thrilled to say he is now a three time winner. Here's to the "Magic Man 34" and many more.
International stars are ready for Magic Man
11/08/11 -From perthmotorplex.com -THE biggest international stars of world Speedcar racing are heading to Perth for the fifth annual Magic man 34 this Saturday night and they are looking for nothing less than a win.
Michael Pickens from New Zealand is looking forward to getting back on the Motorplex track and is desperate to take the prize at the end of the night.
"It's a race I have never won so it's right up there on my wish list and my aim for the race this year is simple: Win it," Pickens said.
Of course Pickens won't have it all his own way as he is joined by the American trio of Steve Buckwalter (who will be driving the Keith McAllan-owned machine), Kevin Swindell (in the Steven Graham owned machine) and of course defending champion Davey Ray (who will once again pilot the De Rosa machine).
The combination of De Rosa and Ray has proven to be a very successful one over the last few years with the team taking some big victories, including the Magic Man race for the last two years. Here Davey tells us how the deal came about:
"I met Mark in New Zealand when I was running the Synergy V8 car for Simon Longdill. Mark had an interest in the car as we won the opening night at Western Springs and he said then and there he would have a car like that. After the internationals in NZ we boxed up the Longdill car and flew it to Perth for the Aussie Title in conjunction with Michael Rinkins Team. We were spread pretty thin on support equipment and the whole DeRosa family lent a hand. We narrowly won the title and Mark's car and team were formed soon after."
Ray loves coming back to our shores year after year and in particular to the high banks of the Motorplex.
"I love coming to Australia, it's an adventure every time I get on the plane. I've met many good people who I enjoy spending time with and a few jokers to have a laugh with. As far as the racing, the schedule fits perfectly as our season is winding down. Mark DeRosa has formed such a great team that I have little to think about when I make the decision to come back for racing. The Motorplex itself is a true first-class facility. The pit area, seating, lighting and big screen vision are all attributes to a modern, professional facility. Also, the track is large enough for a top built and prepared car to open up a bit and blow the cob webs out."
Even in the rough-and-tumble world of Speedcar racing in America, Davey firmly believes that the Magic Man has made its way onto the world stage and is looking forward to competing in the race this year.
"The Magic Man 34 has become a major race in the world of midget car racing in honour of a very successful driver from a great racing family. I had the chance to race against Michael in the 'states in my early career, and now I've become good friends of the family. The race has a top prize, and I love how the cars are on display with a bit of a party after to celebrate alongside your competitors with your guard down a bit. I think this year is going to be a barn-burner. I hear some top Americans are coming, along with WA's Rick Geneve, Glazebrook, and Kingshott, it's going to be a fight to the finish. We have a great team, complete with my crew chief Justin Insley and we are ready for the challenge. The aim is to shoot them all down with the mighty calibre of the Synergy V8 engine. See all of you at the Motorplex."
One of the men that may have an issue with being 'shot down' is Ray's fierce rival Kevin Swindell, who will be making his debut at the Motorplex.
"I've never been to the Motorplex facility but have information from videos, pictures, and my dad's visit," Swindell said. "It seems to be an incredible venue. I'm excited to get there and check it out first hand, and hopefully they are able to give us a great racetrack to put on an awesome show for everyone." Swindell will run the Graham family car.
"I've been associated with the Grahams for a few years now, and really any of the high-profile races in Australia we make an effort to put something together to get me over. "The last couple of years this has been one that seems to have some personal meaning to Steven and finally scheduling worked out to make it happen."
Even though Swindell did not know Michael, he has still found out enough to realise that this race is a big deal. "I only really know what Steven has mentioned, but obviously the race means a good bit to a lot of people. "Steven has really wanted to get me over to make a run at this race for a few years. "Now I look forward to hearing more about Michael and putting on a great show in his honour. "It takes very little time with a Google search for it to become apparent he was a great talent and a great guy."
Make sure you get your backside trackside this weekend because the battle between the international drivers alone will be worth the price of admission. Throw in visiting east coast drivers such as Mark Brown, Sid Whittaker, Nathan Smee and Todd Wanless, not to mention the local talent from guys like Scott Glazebrook, Rick Geneve and Neville lance and you never know what is going to happen. The show will also include the Watsons Express Transport Sprintcars, DiCandilo Steel City Late Models, Southside Engine Centre Super Sedans, Junior Sedans and round one of the WA Demolition Derby Championship.
USA Davey Ray 3-time "Australian Speedcar Champion"
2/19/11 -Davey Ray just added another impressive stat to his resume as he claimed his third "Australian Speedcar Championship" moments ago at Lismore Speedway. Ray is the first USA driver to win three titles; the late great Bob Tattersall earned two. The victory was an upset as Ray came back from 17th place to claim the win on the last lap, last turn in the No. 71 Mark De Rosa machine.
Ray started 6th and quickly moved up to 4th before trying the high line and falling back into 10th place. With 19 laps to go, Ray had fallen even further back to 17th and his chance at the title seemed impossible, but Ray never gave up. On lap 30 he battled his way to 8th and with just 3 laps to go he was in 3rd. He drove a great race with great strategy that earned him the win in the end.
This title is Ray's third Championship, at three different tracks, with three different car owners. His first title came in 2006 at Parramatta City Raceway with Steve Smith/Bill Buckley, the second at Perth Motorplex in 2008 with Simon Longdill/Michael Rinkin, and now his third at Lismore Speedway with Mark De Rosa.
Ray dedicated his win to his good friend and racing historian, the late Bill Lawler.
For more information please visit www.daveyray.com, www.speedcarworld.com.au, www.lismorespeedway.com.au.
Ray Seeks Third Australian Speedcar Championship
2/13/11-Ray will head over to Lismore Speedway for the 70th running of the "Australian Speedcar Championship" where he will drive the Mark DeRosa No. 71 owned midget. Ray currently holds two Championships under his belt, tied with the late great Bob Tattersall.
Ray's first title was won at Parramatta City Raceway in 2006 piloting an Aggressor/Hawk owned by Steve Smith/Bill Buckley. His second title came in 2008 this time at Perth Motorplex driving a Aggressor/v-8 owned by Simon Longdill/Michael Rinkin.
Practice will kick off on the 17th at Lismore Speedway, with two days of the Championship to follow!
Davey Ray NOT given dispensation to race this Saturday
2/09/11 -Davey Ray NOT given dispensation to race this Saturday. He is in NZ as we speak.
Davey Ray now scheduled to arrive in New Zealand Feb. 9th after Midwest winter storm kept him grounded
2/08/11 -Ray planned to compete in the "Barry Butterworth Classic" at Western Springs Speedway on February 5th in the Simon Longdill CRC sponsored No. 88 midget however, Mother Nature had other plans.
Ray's original flight to leave the U.S. on February 2nd got cancelled and the airlines were unable to get him on another flight until a few days later due to the horrific winter storms in the Midwest that also shut down the major highways. Finally, they were able to schedule him on a flight leaving Chicago, IL on the 7th and at 11:30 PM he was on his way to Auckland New Zealand from the Los Angeles airport.
Ray will be at Western Springs Speedway on February 12th race ready with Simon Longdill and his CRC sponsored team and crew to compete in the "New Zealand Midget Championship," however, the team is awaiting confirmation that Ray is eligible to compete after missing the race on February 5th due to the weather.
This trip will be Davey's second tour during the New Zealand race season. He competed in the "International World Series," a four race event, back in December and January before flying to Tulsa for the "Chili Bowl Midget Nationals." Since 2005, it will be his ninth visit Down Under.
After the "New Zealand Midget Championship," Ray will head over to Lismore Speedway for the "Australian Speedcar Championship" where he will drive the Mark DeRosa No. 71 owned midget. Ray currently holds two Championships under his belt, tied with the late great Bob Tattersall.
25th Annual "Chili Bowl Midget Nationals" is in the Books
Davey's Chili Bowl kicked off on Friday night in the Dr. Kenneth Love No. 71x. Ray drew to start on the pole of the eighth heat race where he took the win, but had no chance to earn passing points. He then competed in the first A-Qualifier but dropped out due to a broken coil on the engine.
The team worked hard and got the coil fixed to compete in the B-main only to have the night ended by a crash on the first lap. Davey was then scheduled to compete in the H-main on Saturday where he suffered a flat tire which ended his night.
Another Chili Bowl is in the books, and Ray is set to make another trip Down Under in February to compete in the Australian Speedcar Championship. Stay tuned right here for more details.
Ray gearing up for International Midget World Series in New Zealand
12/01/10 –Fresh off his second consecutive "Magic Man 34" win at Perth Motorplex in Perth, Australia, Ray is gearing up for another trip down under; this time to New Zealand where he will compete at Western Springs Speedway in four rounds for the International Midget World Series event.
"It's kind of become my second home" said Ray on his trips down under. "I've been traveling down under to race since 2005 and since then I've made several great friends, and met some great car builders and engine builders as well. These guys give me top-of-the-line equipment, and when I get the call to run one of their cars, I'm not going to pass it up."
Ray will pilot the CRC sponsored Aggressor chassis by JI Fabrication/Synergy V8 midget owned by Simon Longdill. Round 1 kicks off on December 26th with a 25-lap feature scheduled, Round 2 on the 29th with a 30-lap feature, Round 3 January 1st with a 40-lap feature, and the 2011 International Midget World Series Champion will be named on January 5th after the 50-lap Finale.
Stay tuned right here for updates and results on these events. For more information please visit,www.springsspeedway.com.
Click on this link to listen to an audio broadcast of these events!
Davey Ray Wins Magic Man Tribute Again
11/07/10 –SpeedSport Media -For the second year American Davey Ray has won the Magic Man 34 speedcar event at the Perth Motorplex. After starting from 10th in the 34-lapper Ray executed a calculated drive to work his way forward and claim the emotional win which honors the late, great Michael Figliomeni who sadly passed away at the opening meeting of the Motorplex season in 2006. He won from a determined Rick Geneve and Todd Wanless in a sensational speedcar race that kept the crowd on their feet, especially when Geneve put on a massive charge for the lead late in the contest.
A happy Ray told the crowd after the mighty win "I really want to thanks the De Rosa family for bringing me over," Ray said. "Obviously we have got the horsepower to do it…we have got the best chassis in New Zealand and Australia that's for sure. We got to see what it had here tonight…the format had me a little worried, I was not sure that to expect."
He made the reference of drawing position 10 for the final after being the highest point scorer for the night, but knew it was going to be a good day when he sat at table 34 for breakfast.
Geneve won the award for being the first WA driver home and was emotional on the podium, paying tribute to his late cousin. "I don't mind losing to Davey," Geneve said.
While Wanless was happy with the podium finish he would have liked to have finished higher. "I am sick of running seconds and thirds…congratulations to Davey, I just didn't have enough speed, I think I put the wrong gear in."
New Zealander Michael Pickens had to get a second start before the race started and had to go to the rear. Lance put on a brave move on the first lap to take the lead, but then ran wide a couple of laps later and slipped to third before getting back to second. Waddell took over the lead and held but was soon under pressure from Ray who was in second and then slid underneath the former state champion for the lead with 25 laps to go.
Lance slipped back and then withdrew with a broken steering arm and at the same time Keith Giles was out of the contest with a collapsed front end. On the restart Ray took the inside row over Kingshott from Geneve and Wanless. The first five drivers showed their hand in the restart, ducking and diving. McAllan was one of the big movers and muscled his way into third while Ray again shot away to enjoy the fresh air.
Unfortunately the driver of the silver #56 was unable to hold that spot, going into the pits a couple of laps later, and dropping back a couple of spots. With four laps to go Kingshott was out of the battle with a shredded left rear tire in turn one, causing another restart. McAllan held on for fourth with Pickens fifth in an ill-handling car.
Ray Ready to Take on Magic Man 34
11/02/10 -from motorplex.com.au: Davey Ray is one of a host of international stars who will contest the Magic Man 34 race. Two years ago American Davey Ray promised so much when he competed in the Magic Man 34 Speedcar Race at the Perth Motorplex. Mechanical failure in a heat race saw him struggle to finish fourth in the main event but he made amends when he dominated the non-stop feature race here this time last year. Ray led from pole and was never challenged in the spectacular race, winning from Nathan Smee and Scott Glazebrook.
And the good news is he is back in town to try and win again this weekend. Ray was confident of doing well in the long distance last year.
"Yeah 34 laps I knew we had it in us to go the distance…this car is very strong," Ray said after last year's win. "Thanks to Mark de Rosa and his entire family and crew."
While he accepted the $12,000 winner's cheque Ray was quick to remind everyone what the race was really about – the memory of former champion Michael Figliomeni.
"It feels good…but I just want everyone to keep in mind this race is for him."
Ray will be one of about 25 teams to contest this year's Magic Man. Fellow American Danny Stratton has teamed up with Australian car owner Paul Jordan to make his Motorplex debut. And the third international star is Michael Pickens who is heading over from New Zealand to drive the Polar Ice entry owned by Jack Berry. Watching these three guys in action will be worth the price of admission alone.
Adding some more spice is former national sprintcar champion Todd Wanless who heads over from Queensland in some great form and it is game on. Other visiting drivers include South Australian Brendon Palmer and Graham Knuckey. Throw in local stars such as Neville Lance, Alfonso Guadagnino, Glen Mears, Tom Watson, Paul Robinson, Todd Waddell, Vaughan Manders, Dayne Kingshott, Jason Roser, Dene McAllan, Scott Glazebrook, Rick Geneve, Keith Giles and many more and it's to be a 'magic' night at the Perth Motorplex this Saturday night.
Ray brings home two top 5's in POWRi and lands ride for Belleville Midget Nationals
8/06/10 -The RayPro33 team set off to Nebraska to compete in "Midget Money Week" with the POWRi racing series. The first stop on schedule was Butler County Motorplex in Rising City, NE on Monday August 2nd. Ray won his heat race and finished 5th in the feature.
The next two races were held at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, NE. Rain halted night one after the heat races, but night two was a go. Ray took 2nd place in his heat and another 5th place finish in the feature event. Special thanks to Kenny Love for sponsoring Davey in these events.
Ray got news on Thursday that he will compete in the 2010 Belleville Midget Nationals driving for Keith Kunz Motorsports with Esslinger power. The event kicks off tonight at the high banks with a full night of racing followed by the Nationals finale on Saturday. Stay tuned right here for results!
Ray wins MGD Memorial Day 25 at Angell Park and Holds New 25-Lap Track Record
6/01/10 -Davey Ray took home $1,500 as the winnder of the MGD Memorial Day 25 at Angell Park Speedway this past Sunday night. Ray started fifth in the field and began his charge to the front early.
The first circuit saw Kurt Mayhew lead Jason Dull into turn one, with Ray close behind. By the second lap Ray had dispatched both cars and never looked back as he beat the next closest car by half of a lap. The victory also marked a new 25-lap track record for the speedway. Earlier in the night, Ray set fast time and won his heat race in the FattFro Motorsports No. 14aj midget.
Ray competed Saturday night with the BMARA midget series at Beaver Dam Raceway where he finished 3rd place in the feature event.
Ray now leads the point standings in both the BMARA and APSARA series.
Friday night, Ray competed in the FattFro Motorsports Silver Crown car at the Indiana State Fairgrounds with the USAC Silver Crown series. The team battled handling issues as they adjusted to a new F5 chassis. Their night was ended early when Ray got into the wall in turn 2 of the mile track.
Weekend Results, Ray Wins at Angell Park
5/26/10 -Ray captured the Glenn's Market and Catering 25 event last Sunday night at Angell Park Speedway making his way to Victory Lane for the first time in 2010. It was nearly a flawless night for Ray as he set fast time, won the Dash event, and then went on to win the Feature.
Ray stood proud in Victory Lane with his FattFro Motorsports crew, and explained what it meant to him to win at a track like Angell Park Speedway.
"This is a palace to race at. I thought I heard someone say I was on the wrong side of the fence. I'm exactly right where I belong and I'm pretty sure there are some of you on the wrong side of the fence. I'm here to support Angell Park it's our (midget racing's) Indianapolis Motor Speedway."
Saturday night, Ray competed at Beaver Dam Raceway in the Fiscus Racing machine where he set the pace earning fast time with a 15.822. Ray finished the feature event in 4th place.
Next race for Ray is Friday May 28th at the Indiana State Fairgrounds with the USAC Silver Crown series for the 58thannual "Hoosier Hundred."
Ray wins 2 out of 3 on Down Under Tour
11/21/09 -American midget star Davey Ray once again steered his way to victory lane at Victoria's Avalon Raceway in Australia. Ray commanded the 30-lap Triple X Speedcar Super Series event driving the Brad Dent owned #N11 Aggressor chassis with a Hawk engine by Barry Graham.
Racing was threatened by rain all night forcing the cancellation of qualifying and the pole shuffle, however, competitors were able to complete six heat races and a feature for the patient fans. Ray scored a 2nd and 1st place finish in his heat events, which would line him up to start from the pole position for the feature.
While the feature event was halted several times for crashes, Ray was able to bring home the win and take the checkered flag in front of Nathan Smee and Troy Jenkins who rounded out the top 3.
"I have to thank Brad (Brad Dent, car owner) for the chance to race with these guys," said a jubilant Ray from the winner's circle.
This event concludes Ray's first tour down under with hopes of returning for a second at the beginning of 2010. Out of the three races he competed in, Ray is bringing home two trophies to the U.S.A. including the highest paying midget race in Australia, the prestigious Magic Man 34 at Perth Motorplex.
Ray heads home to the states proudly in time for the holidays and to prepare for the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals coming up in January. Plans are being made for Ray to possibly return down under after the Chili Bowl Nationals for additional events. Stay tuned for more details.
Congratulations to Davey and the teams of Mark DeRosa and Brad Dent on their impressive victories!
Davey Ray Wins Magic Man 34
11/09/09 -From www.speedcarworld.com.au: The "Magic Man 34" at the Perth Motorplex Speedway Saturday was won by American Davey Ray. Ray dominated the non-stop speedcar feature race and picked up a $12,000cheque for his race win; he had a smile on his face as wide as Daytona Beach.
Ray led from the pole and was never challenged in the spectacular race, winning from Nathan Smee and Scott Glazebrook.
Nathan Smee put in a gallant effort to challenge Ray at one stage for the lead. "I probably missed my opportunity in lapped traffic, but Davey is a good racer, we tried had but that's all we had. A restart would have been nice, but it was a pleasure to come over for the Figs race."
Glazebrook was happy to finish third, while Neville Lane was looking for something up high early on and ran side by side Smee for a couple of laps before losing ground after Keith Giles moved into fourth.
With 26 laps remaining Ray and Brown were into lapped traffic. With 17 to go Ray got a momentary break over Brown in traffic. With 14 laps remaining Ray passed Dene McAllan who won the event last year but struggled this time around after a crash in one of the heats. Smee closed in on Ray with 11 laps to go while in traffic but as the laps counted down Ray then pulled away for the convincing win.
Ray was quick to remind everyone what the race was really about – the memory of former champion Michael Figliomeni. "It feels good…but I just want everyone to keep in mind this race is for him."
So what is it that makes this combination good enough to win? The engine is 'home made', using 2 x 1400cc 4 cylinder, in line, stock standard Kawasaki motor cycle cylinder blocks, cylinder heads, cam shafts, pistons and con rods on a 'home made' crankcase and crankshaft to form a 2.8 litre V8…. It sounds bizarre…but it works…and it works well.
And when it's in 'full flight', throttle wide open, powering ¾ track high sideways thru the turns… it looks and sounds just awesome… and with a huge Wow factor ! It sits like it's glued to the track with Davey Ray in full control… brings back memories of those 'Two-Gun' Bob Tattersall days…. Pure 'Methanol Heaven"!
Qualifying times: Davye Ray 16.273, Mark Brown 16.935, Nathan Smee 17.102, Dene McAllan 17.116, Neville Lance 17.686, Steve Doyle 17.778, Scott Glazebrook 17.894, Vaughan Manders 18.233, Rick Geneve 18.262, Paul Robinson 18.268, Jason Roser 18.368, Glen Mears 18.385, Tom Watson 18.466, Keith Giles 18.509, Dayne Kingshott 18.997, Perry Farcich 19.138, Shaun North 20.939.
Heat 1: 1st Tom Watson, 2nd Neville Lance, 3rd Rick Geneve, 4th Davey Ray, 5th Nathan Smee, 6th Jason Roser, 7thScott Glazebrook, 8th Shaun North. DNF: Dayne Kingshott.
Heat 2: 1st Keith Giles, 2nd Mark Brown, 3rd Steve Doyle, 4th Dene McAllan, 5th Paul Robinson, 6th Vaughan Manders, 7th Glen Mears, 8th Perry Farcich.
Heat 3: 1st Keith Giles, 2nd Nathan Smee, 3rd Mark Brown, 4th Paul Robinson, 5th Scott Glazebrook, 6th Vaughan Manders, 7th Shaun North. DNF: Steve Doyle, Dayne Kingshott.
Heat 4: 1st Davey Ray, 2nd Tom Watson, 3rd Rick Geneve, 4th Neville Lance. DNF: Perry Farcich, Vaughan Manders, Dene McAllan.
Feature race: 1st Davey Ray, 2nd Nathan Smee, 3rd Scott Glazebrook, 4th Mark Brown, 5th Rick Geneve, 6th Steve Doyle, 7th Paul Robinson, 8th Vaughan Manders, 9th Dayne Kingshott. DNF: Jason Roser, Keith Giles, Shaun North, Dene McAllan, Neville Lane, Tom Watson, Perry Farcich.
Ray set to make comeback after injury
8/19/09 -Davey Ray has been released to race after almost 12 weeks of recovery from a broken knee cap suffered in an accident at Knoxville Raceway back in May. Ray was expected to be out for at least 6 weeks for the initial break to heal, but it took an additional 6 weeks of physical therapy exercises for the muscles around the knee cap to heal. Daily biking, stretching, and climbing in the cockpit of his racecar were some of the activities Ray performed in order to get his knee at the 90 degree angle needed to safely return to racing.
Ray is set to make his return on Sunday August 23rd at Angell Park Speedway for the "Corn Fest 50" event. Ray is a two-time winner of the "Corn Fest" event claiming the 2008 50-lapper driving for John Jones and the 2004 event driving for RaJo/Wilke. Ray will pilot the Mecum Racing No. 33 this weekend, and couldn't be happier to make his return.
Davey would like to send out a special thank you to Mike Guglielmicci Sr. Racer Benevolent Fund www.mikegracefest.com, USAC Racing, Ken and Shirley Warren, Mick and Carl Lamb, and everyone else for all their help during his recovery, especially all the fans, friends, and family members who called and left messages after the accident. Many of you have been very supportive and helpful that words cannot express the deep appreciation. Ray hopes to see you all at a racetrack soon, so he can thank you all in person.
Ray Heads to Home State for Weekend's "Knoxville Midget Nationals" Event
5/28/09 –Indianapolis, IN
Davey Ray of Davenport, IA will be traveling to his home state this weekend to compete with the USAC National midget series co-sanctioned with the BMARA and POWRi midget series. Ray will pilot the Kenny Love Spike/Mopar No. 71x machine on the ½ -mile dirt oval for "Induction Weekend" at Knoxville Raceway.
The Pepsi "King Doodlebug Classic" kicks off Friday night's events at Knoxville, with the Pepsi "Knoxville Midget Nationals" finale scheduled on Saturday. Ray has finished in the top 5 at this event three different times, with three different car owners. Driving for Harlin Kittleson in 2002 with a Beast/Stanton Mopar, Ray finished 4th. In 2004, Ray drove the Wilke-PAK No. 11 Stealth/Stanton Mopar to a 2nd place finish, and in 2007 he took 3rd place driving the Nine Racing Spike/Toyota entry. Ray posted 2nd quick time last year at Knoxville Raceway before blowing an engine in the Mecum Racing No. 33 entry, ending his efforts to compete for the win in 2008.
With a little racing luck, and the help of his team and crew, Ray hopes to finish on top this weekend, and continue his success at the Knoxville Raceway. For more information, please visit, www.knoxvilleraceway.com,www.usacracing.com
Defending Champ Can't Cut a Break at Riverview Speedway
1/26/09 -Davey Ray was haunted by mechanical issues at Riverview Speedway while trying to defend his title as the 2008 Australian Speedcar Champion. Night one at Riverview Speedway was a prelim night of heat races to earn points for a starting position in the main event on Saturday.
Ray pushed off for his first heat but was forced to pull into the infield as his car came to a stop. The team worked feverishly to get Ray ready for his second heat, but Ray would again retire from the event. Ray pushed off for his third and final heat race only to be sidelined again which ended his night.
As he sat in the infield watching the remaining laps of his 3rd heat race, Ray stated in sheer frustration, "I came here to win. I never go anywhere to make up numbers. I expected success.".
Ray was guaranteed a position in the Championship race as last year's Champion, but would have to start at the rear of the field. Ray would have his work cut out for him with his USA teammates all starting in the front rows of the 40 lap event. Ray ran the high side and found himself in 7th place with just 4 laps to go. With only two laps to go, Ray's car again suffered problems causing him to drop out of the race.
The entire team was disappointed but did all they could to stay competitive. They are now looking forward to the next events scheduled in New Zealand.
Oklahoma to Overseas, Ray is a Traveling Man
1.22.09 -Another Chili Bowl Midget Nationals has come and gone. Ray was off to a good start on his preliminary night, Tuesday January 13th, finishing second in his heat from the sixth starting position. That finish placed him fifth overall in passing point standings and transferred him to the A-Main qualifying race where he would acquire additional points.
Ray, however, was forced to run the B-main event in order to transfer to the feature. He was on his way there, running in third place, when the battery came loose forcing the No. 75r Cruz Pedregon Toyota Spike to drop out of the event. Ray's preliminary night had come to an end, but he would have one more chance on Saturday to make it into the 50 lap main event.
Ray was placed into a G-main event on Saturday where he started in the 8th position and battled his way to a transfer spot into the F-main. Ray started the event from the 16th position and to much delight of race fans, Ray climbed to 2nd by the end of the 10 lap race. Ray moved himself into the next race in true Ray fashion and had the fans on their feet.
In the E-main event, the competition was tougher and Ray ran out of laps as he crossed the finish line just two positions short of transferring to the next race. It was a great effort for both Ray and the entire team.
Ray headed back home to Rockford, IL for just one day, and then was off to the airport to head overseas for his next racing adventure. He will compete for the Australian Title on Saturday and Sunday January 24th-25th (Friday and Saturday January 23rd-24th U.S.A.) at Riverview Speedway in Murray Bridge, Australia driving for Mark DeRosa.
After that, Ray will travel over to New Zealand to compete in the International World Series starting on Wednesday January 28th (Tuesday January 27th U.S.A.) at Springs Speedway in Auckland, New Zealand for Round 1 driving for Simon Longdill. Round 2 will be held on Saturday January 31st (Friday January 30th U.S.A.), Round 3 on Thursday February 5th (Wednesday February 4th U.S.A.), with the Finale on Saturday February 7th (Friday February 6thU.S.A.). Stay tuned to www.daveyray.com for race results!
V8 Aggessor Chassis Video
1/22/09 -Check out this link!
http://macgor.proboards.com/thread/8425/kawasaki-v8-midget?page=2car-2446077/video
This is the chassis/motor combo that Davey has driven overseas for the last couple of years. Simon Longdill (Motor Engineer and Developer), Justin Insley (Aggressor Chassis Designer and Builder), and Davey Ray (USA Driver) are currently in Australia to defend their title from last year. Ray will then head back to New Zealand to compete. He will driv efor Mark DeRosa in New Zealand with an identical Aggressor chassis and V8 engine.
Davey Ray Enters Chili Bowl Nationals for Cruz Pedregon Racing
Jan. 5th, 2009 - Davey Ray of Davenport, Iowa will drive for newly crowned NHRA Funny Car Champion, Cruz Pedregon, in the 23rd Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals. Ray will be behind the wheel of the No. 75r entry equipped with a Spike chassis and Toyota engine.
Ray triumphed in 2007 at the nationals, claiming the Creek Nation's Casino preliminary night feature event at the nationals. He has been a consistent threat for the title as he battled over 200 entries in past years. Ray has qualified for the event four times and has placed as high as 8th in the Saturday night finale and earned the "Rookie of the Race" award in 2002. Currently there are over 260 cars entered for the race being held January 13th-17th in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Ray will be joined by teammate, Josh Wise, along with Cruz himself, who is entered in another car for the event. Each and every driver will bring their best game to the Tulsa Expo Center with the same goal in mind. This week of action packed racing is stacked with enough excitement to get every open wheel die hard fan through the slow winter months of the off season.
Ray is also eligible to be voted in by the fans to compete in Tuesday night's special attraction, the Race of Champions. Already included in the prestigious race are past event winners Jay Drake, Damion Gardner, Scott Hatton, Tracy Hines, Cory Kruseman, Tim McCreadie and Sammy Swindell along with Kasey Kahne, J.J. Yeley, Jason Leffler and Dave Darland. Fans can vote for Ray on www.chilibowl.com from January 1st through January 9th. The pair of drivers accumulating the most votes in the final round will be extended invitations to compete in the Chili Bowl Race of Champions.
Live audio of the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals presented by General Tire will be broadcast onwww.RacinBoys.com from inside the QuikTrip Center's Tulsa Expo Raceway. Every race over the entire five-day event, including Saturday night's main event, will be heard flag-to-flag. Highlights will also be shown on the Speed Channel at a later date.
For more information, please visit, www.daveyray.com, www.pedregonracing.com, www.chilibowl.com
Ray Finishes Fourth in First Run Down Under
11/11/08 by Ray Productions -Davey Ray completed his first race down under this past weekend claiming a 4th place finish in the Magic Man 34 at Perth Motorplex in Australia. The Mark DeRosa owned Team Aggressor/V8 Synergy entry ran flawlessly on the preliminary night which included qualifying and 2 heat races per car.
Ray and the team were strong from the start as they set fast time in qualifying with a time of 15.840, missing the track record by only .02 seconds. The success continued into the heats where they claimed victories in both events. Ray started 7th in the first heat and 8th in his second heat holding nothing back as he soared to the front of both fields. At the end of the night, the team was leading the point standings over Mark Brown and Dene McAllen.
For Saturday night's finale, the team was scheduled to complete in a final heat race and then the Pole Shuffle which would determine the starting line up for the feature event. Ray started the final heat race from the 9th position and once again put on a charge to the front. Ray's heat was described as "sensational" by spectators after they watched him pass five cars going into turn one when the green flag flew and take the lead before the end of the second lap. Just before the checkered flag flew in the heat race, Ray slowed on the track with mechanical problems. The team quickly diagnosed the problem as a broken driveline which also damaged the crank triggers. Knowing they had acquired enough points to make the feature event, the team went to work repairing the severe damage but were unable to start the Pole Shuffle race. This would force them to start the 34 lap feature event from the 7th position.
The team worked feverishly and finished the repairs just in time to push off for the feature but because of time, were unable to make any set up adjustments to the chassis. Ray battled the field and found out quickly that the track had turned dry slick on the surface. He managed to save enough tire to get to the checkered flag and take the 4th place finish.
The team was satisfied with the top 5 finish but are looking to improve as they now prepare for two events in New Zealand. Please stay tuned to www.daveyray.com for updates!.
Ray heads down under for Nation's highest paying Speedcar event
11/05/08 by Ray Productions -Davey Ray, of Davenport, IA, got the call late last week that plans were confirmed for him to make an early trip down under to race this year. Tuesday afternoon, Ray packed up his race suit and helmet and boarded the plane headed over seas to compete in both Australia and New Zealand.
Ray will reunite with the Team Aggressor/V8 Synergy team with the focus being set on winning the Magic Man 34 in vie for the $12,000 to win at Perth Motorplex in Western Australia this Friday night. Last time the team competed at the track they claimed the 2008 Australian Speedcar Championship held earlier this year in January. Normally, Ray leaves for his trip down under after the ChiliBowl Nationals in January, but he is very excited to get the extra seat time while racing is slow in the U.S.
"I'm always happy to have the opportunity to go race with my good friends down under whenever the opportunity is possible. Those guys are all true racers, and they give me some of the best equipment and crew there is," said Ray.
Ray will again use the combination of an Aggressor chassis and the V8 engine designed by Simon Longdill for the #71usa entry. The team proved to be lethal already as they claimed two victories earlier this year on both Australian and New Zealand turf. As always, they will be holding nothing back for Friday night.
The Magic Man 34 on Friday night is a tribute race for the late great Michael Figliomeni, who was a multi time national Speedcar Champion. Michael passed away at the opening event of the 2006/2007 season after dominating the Speedcar races that evening. As a tribute to Figliomeni an annual race was inaugurated to celebrate not only Figliomeni's life - but also to showcase the division he was so passionate about - the wild and wingless Speedcars. The feature race will be held over a torrid 34 laps in recognition of the famous number 34 Figliomeni carried.
After the Magic Man 34, Ray and the team will travel to New Zealand where they will compete in two events before Ray will return home to the states hopefully in time for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Please check with Davey's website for all the latest results.
For more information, please visit, www.daveyray.com, www.speedway.net.au, www.motorplex.com.au
Ray Takes Corn Fest 50
8/18/08 -Davey Ray continued his success Sunday night at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, WI where he won the Corn Fest 50 event driving for John Jones in the No. 41 entry. The win was the first victory for John Jones and his team, and their excitement showed in victory lane.
The victory was hard fought as the feature was stalled by a total of four yellows halting tough battles between Ray, Jerry Coons Jr. and Tracy Hines. Ray, however, never fell out of the top 4 throughout the entire 50 laps and lead laps 3-7 and then 36-50. Ray stayed strong to take the victory with Mike Hess finishing in 2nd and Brad Kuhn in third.
Earlier in the night, with 24 cars in the pits, Ray turned in a 9th quick qualifying time and finished 2nd in his heat.
Next race for Davey Ray will be Saturday and Sunday August 23rd-24th at Angell Park Speedway for the USAC/BMARA Hall of Fame Midget Classic events where he will once again be driving for the RFMS midget team. Ray would like to thank John Jones and his crew for the great opportunity to drive their car. Congratulations to Davey and the John Jones team on their victory!
For more information, please visit, www.angellpark.com, www.bmara.com.
Ray Takes Bloomington's Indiana Midget Week Feature
8/08/08 USACracing.com -Bloomington, IN…….Davey Ray of Davenport, Iowa led the final 26 laps of Friday night's 30-lap "Indiana Midget Week" feature to win round two of the 2008 "Indiana Midget Week" championship.
Ray passed Brad Sweet on lap five in his Liberty Village/McGladrey & Pullen Spike/Esslinger Ford and was trailed at the checkered flag by Sweet, Cole Whitt, Tracy Hines and Gary Altig.
Ray leads the "Indiana Midget Week" points by four over Whitt entering round three Saturday night at Lawrenceburg Speedway. Sweet flipped during qualifying but was able to repair the car and continue in the program.
Davey Ray Wins 2nd Australian Speedcar Title
February 23, 2008 Perth, Australia -Davey Ray of Davenport, Iowa, won the Australian SpeedCar Championship in an exciting 40-lap duel that saw Ray start from the 7th row and battled to the front for the win. Ray took the lead on the last lap and sailed to the checkered flag to become a two-time winner of the event.
"The most important lap to lead is the last one," said an excited Ray. "I want to thank all the people that have helped put this team together for me to race down here. I'm just so excited to get my second win here."
The event started with practice on Thursday night where Ray timed in as second quick among competitors. Driving the No. 68 Aggressor chassis powered by a newly designed V-8 engine by Simon Longdill, Ray was ready for battle.
In Friday's preliminary events, Ray won his first heat before suffering driveline problems in the next heat which forced him to miss the third heat. This put Ray 24th in overall points going into Saturday night's race. Ray ran the final preliminary heat on Saturday finishing 2nd which advanced him into the main event.
From the 15th starting position, Ray began making his way through traffic before getting tangled in a mid race accident. Ray would restart the event from the tail of the 26 car field. Ray made haste through the fleet before positioning himself for the win on the last lap overtaking Jerry Coons Jr.
Ray's last lap moves, made famous in his carting days, never fail to amaze fans. His first Australian title came in 2006 when he also made the pass for the win on the lap in what was called the most exciting title event ever.
Ray's journey down under has turned out to be very successful as the team has scored two victories thus far. Ray won the opening race for the International Midget World Series event on January 30th at Western Springs Speedway in New Zealand driving the same unique power plant. As development driver for the new V-8 engine, Ray is very pleased with its performance stating that the machine "is doing all I want it to." He is likewise satisfied with the swift Aggressor chassis built by Justin Insley. The combination is proving to be a great achievement.
Ray and the team will compete again on March 22nd and 23rd for the United Metals World SpeedCar Spectacular at Murray Bridge Speedway in Australia.
More information and pictures can be found at:
www.daveyray.com, www.speedcarworld.com.au, www.speedsportmedia.com.au
Davey Ray takes Western Springs 30-lap International Event
Auckland, New Zealand - February 20, 2008 By Doug Watson -A small piece of history was made on January 30th at New Zealand's Western Springs Speedway when the #88 Aggressor Midget driven by US ace Davey Ray won the night's 30 Lap International Midget Feature race.
What is most interesting is that the car is powered by a New Zealand designed and built engine. The design work of Mechanical Engineer Simon Longdill, the engine uses Kawasaki ZX12R 1200 cylinder heads and cylinder blocks to form an 80 degree V8 displacing 2400cc (147C.I.)
Remarkably, perhaps reflecting the degree of development already achieved by Kawasaki, the cylinder heads, camshafts and cam chain drives are stock standard. The same goes for the pistons, running the standard 12:1 compression in the standard nickasil iron liners.
First departure from stock is the con rods, custom made with smaller width larger diameter journals. A custom made 5 bearing crankshaft configured as "flat" with 180 degree throws, with pairs of con rods on four journals spins in plain copper lead bearings in a custom made crankcase machined from billet T6 aluminum. As a concession to rules the engine is fed a methanol diet via a mechanical injection system, the by now customary electronic ignition taking care of ignition chores firing stock plug top coils. Initial in car testing showed up that the lube oil was having a larger role in cooling than envisaged and an oil/air oil cooler was fitted, solving that particular problem.
Longdill displays the traditional designers' coyness when questioned about power outputs, admitting only that he sees dyno pulls "in excess of 360HP at around 12,000rpm". Similarly, questioned re future plans for the engine, all that was forthcoming was the intention to move towards a production engine, "and not just as a Midget power plant". Development driver Davey Ray is similarly reserved, allowing only that the engine "is doing all I want it to".
While justifiably proud of "his" baby, Longdill freely credits assistance he has received from Neil Gray and Kerry Jones Engineering in performing the extensive machine work, the technical assistance of the entire team at Lynn Rogers Automotive and also the long term support of Ian Mc Callum and Transitainer as tireless sponsors for his project, in particular making it possible for Davey Ray to drive the car here as part of the development program.
Ray Cashes in on Chili Bowl Nationals Creek Nation Casino Qualifying Night
TULSA, Okla. (January 10, 2007) – It was a pair of Badgers atop Wednesday night's Creek Nation Casino Qualifying event at Tulsa Expo Raceway's 21st Annual O'Reilly Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, with Davey Ray cashing in the biggest stack of chips after outdueling Brad Kuhn in the 25-lap "A" Main event.
Ray, a former Badger Midget Auto Racing Association (BMARA), and reigning BMARA king Kuhn diced in such heated fashion over the middle portion of the race that third-generation teenage shoe Donnie Ray Crawford snuck into the mix and nearly posted a monumental upset in his Midget racing debut.
But in the end, it was Ray slipping away after the race's final caution with five laps to go to snare the win in front of Kuhn, with Casey Shuman making a late move around Crawford to claim the show position. Moving up from the Micro ranks, Crawford netted the fourth and final lock-in position to Saturday night's 50-lap Chili Bowl championship main event.
Of the epic mid-race slide job battle with Kuhn, Ray commented, "It's fun when you can race with a guy that you know is not aiming to take you out. Yeah, we rubbed there a little bit but that's pretty hard racing so I know nothing's intentional between Brad and I. It's fun and it comes down to getting hairy like that."
While Ray took the limelight in the finale, 2006 National Midget Driver of the Year Kuhn was without question the star of the evening much of the way. Kuhn charged from eighth to finish second in his heat race, ranking number one in passing points among 69 entries after heat race action.
Kuhn backed it up in his qualifying race, advancing from sixth to take the win and put the clamps on the pole position for the feature in the process.
But Ray was nearly matching him step for step. Ray raced from fifth to win his heat race, then picked off four more positions by advancing from sixth to second in his qualifier to earn the front row outside starting slot for the feature.
Ray broke into the feature lead at the drop of Roger Slack's green flag and paced the early rounds in front of Kuhn, Thomas Meseraull, Shuman and Danny Lasoski. Ray and Kuhn slipped away from the rest of the field and were encountering lapped traffic when the race's first caution flew after eleven laps for Turkey Night winner Billy Wease's turn four spin.
Following a tangle involving Damion Gardner and Mike Hess two laps later, the battle for the point intensified as Kuhn executed a bold slide job entering turn one to take command. Ray rallied right back, recapturing the lead with a similar slide a lap later.
Kuhn tried to return the favor a half lap later and got crossed up, allowing a low riding Crawford to race by and suddenly enter the mix for the win. Crawford had cracked the top five by disposing of Lasoski moments after the lap eleven interruption. The young gun had then climbed to fourth by the time the Gardner-Hess tangle occurred.
With Ray riding the rim and Crawford on the low side, the young gun began challenging Ray for the lead when his pace was interrupted by a lap 18 stoppage for Russ Harper, who came to a stop in turn one.
With Ray leading the way, Kuhn battled past Crawford to reclaim second before the final caution appeared for Evan Sewell's turn one trouble with just five laps remaining.
Ray raced the cushion to perfection over the final laps to secure the win, popping a crowd-pleasing wheelie as he took the checkered flag in the Mecum Racing Chevy-powered No. 33x Mecum Auctions/DMI No. 33x Spike.
Kuhn, who raced from 15th to fourth in last year's Chili Bowl championship feature event, settled for second aboard Dr. Kenneth Love's Stanton Mopar-powered No. 71x Spike.
"I kinda felt bad for the guys, I thought we had a better car and I plowed into the cushion and bent the Jacobs ladder pretty bad," Kuhn explained afterward. "We were just kinda hangin' on and tried to make a go at Davey there, but he's a class act and I just got outdrove, almost spun out trying to get back by him. We'll just take our second and move on and try to get that trophy on Saturday."
Shuman's late move aboard the Thornell Racing Sesco Mopar-powered No. 52s James Development General Contractors Stealth netted third.
Of his last gasp pass of Crawford, Shuman explained that, "I was really just trying to be a little more aggressive on the cushion to make sure I didn't get passed by somebody on the bottom. I'm tickled to death with third, but fourth would have had us locked us in. I was more trying to protect my position and it worked out, we got it at the end.
Ray to Drive for Steve Lewis/Toyota Race Team
5/16/06 -Davenport, Iowa's Davey Ray will team up once again with Steve Lewis and the Toyota-powered Nine Racing team for the 2006 United States Auto Club (USAC) season. Ray has been chosen to compete at four of the series' biggest races of the year starting with the Pepsi/Mountain Dew Nationals at Knoxville Raceway on June 2nd and 3rd.
Ray, who campaigned for the Lewis team three times last year, completes the driver roster that includes USAC triple-crown champion, Dave Darland and USAC Silver Crown champion, Dave Steele. The trio will all contribute to the Nine Racing midget team at various tracks throughout the season.
Ray is slated to pilot the No. 91 Beast Toyota at the Belleville Midget Nationals, the Hut 100 at Terre Haute Action Track, and the 4-Crown Nationals at Tony Stewart's Eldora Speedway, along with the Knoxville event.
Ray has earned impressive finishes at those specific events in the past, posting second place finishes in three of the four events scheduled to compete. Ray plans to improve that score in 2006 to claim victories for the infamous Nine Racing team, joining a long list of talented drivers.
Several of today's biggest NASCAR stars got their start driving the famed Nine Midgets on the USAC level. Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, J.J. Yeley, Jason Leffler, Kenny Irwin, and Mike Bliss all turned laps in the cars earning victories for the team. Steve Lewis and the Nine Racing team has won 10 USAC National Midget Championships throughout its years of competition.
Lewis hopes to continue the winning tradition this year as he brings his team into partnership with Toyota Motorsports and Ed Pink Racing Engines. Toyota Motorsports and Toyota Racing Development (TRD) have developed a new, four-cylinder race engine for USAC Midget competition that has already claimed the Copper World Classic season-opening race held in January. The new Toyota Midget engine package consists of the V-8 cylinder head used by Toyota truck teams competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series.
In addition to driving the Steve Lewis owned machine, Ray has also been behind the wheel of distinguished car owners including Keith Kunz Motorsports and Wilke/PAK Motorsports earning victories for both teams in USAC competition.
Ray has twenty career feature victories to his credit in the midget division as well as two Championship titles. In 2003, Ray claimed the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association (BMARA) Championship, becoming the third father/son champion combination in the series' history. His father Dave, won the BMARA championship in 1977. Ray's most recent title is the 2006 Australian Speedcar Championship where he was chosen to represent the USA in seven rounds of competition. Ray showcased his hard charging driving style to earn two victories, including the final challenge held in Parramatta City, Australia.
Ray got his start in racing at the age of eleven driving go-carts at the local track as well as regional events throughout the Midwest. After claiming 8 championships on the go-cart level, Ray advanced to the family-owned midget where his talent was quickly recognized earning him the stats on his racing resume.
Ray looks forward to representing his home state of Iowa again at Knoxville Raceway this June.
For more information, please visit www.daveyray.com, www.knoxvilleraceway.com, or www.usacracing.com.
Davey Ray Wins Nail-biting Australian Speedcar Championship
PCR PR - Rod Britton posted Sunday February 12, 2006.
"I reckon they both deserve first place trophies," commented Grand Marshall Rod Bowen, referring to the unbelievable race between Davey Ray, who snatched victory with only two laps remaining in heavy lapped traffic from Jerry Coons Jnr, with Australia's Adam Clarke a car length back in third.
The Championship Final was conducted over 40-laps with Adam Clarke, Jerry Coons and Davey Ray each sharing the lead at various stages, but it all came alive with five to run when a blanket could have been thrown over the leading trio.
The racing between the leading trio and deeper throughout the field was simply sublime!
"This feels great – this feels real great," said a jubilant Davey Ray, absolutely ecstatic with his Australian Championship victory.
"Jerry (Coons Jnr) got caught up a bit in lapped traffic there, and I could size him up and all the lapped cars, and I knew when he went high, I needed to get to the bottom," said Davey Ray about the race winning move with two to go.
Much of the fanfare leading up to the Championship final was displaced when concerns went out to reigning champion Steven Graham and the entire Graham family.
Defending Australian Speedcar Champion Steven Graham suffered a horrific accident during the B-Main.
Steven Graham was extricated in a conscious condition from the car after receiving intensive treatment from attending emergency personnel and transported to Westmead Hospital for further treatment and observation.
Full Report To Follow
2006 Rod Bowen Prestige Smash Repairs
Australian Speedcar Championship
1 2Z DAVEY RAY (USA)
2 7N JERRY COONS JNR (USA)
3 9Z ADAM CLARKE (NSW)
4 18N DANNY STRATTON (USA)
5 42N MARK BROWN (NSW)
6 4Z MICHAEL PICKENS (NZ)
7 6N CRAIG BRADY (NSW)
8 1U TONY ELLIOTT (USA)
9 14W NEVILLE LANCE (WA)
10 77Z SHAUN INSLEY (NZ)
11 81N NATHAN SMEE (NSW)
12 85N STEPHEN BROWN (NSW)
13 70N JASON GATES (NSW)
14 21W DENE McALLAN (WA)
15 22N CHRIS STEEP (NSW)
16 6W TODD WADDELL (WA)
17 2Q GRANT DRANEY (QLD)
18 99N GREG HILL (NSW)
19 75Q CLAYTON WALKER (QLD)
20 67N GLEN SAVILLE (NSW)
21 21N DARREN JENKINS (NSW)
22 2N TROY JENKINS (NSW)
23 34W MICHAEL FIGLIOMENI (WA)
24 15W JAMIE OLDFIELD (WA)
Ray Gets Best of Both Worlds
February 2, 2006 by Ray Productions -As Davey Ray leaves New Zealand and heads across the way to Australia, he anticipates another exciting round of racing Down Under with the Buckley/Hawk team.
So far, Ray's trip was highlighted by his impressive win in round three of the International Midget World Series at Powerbuilt Speedway in Christchurch, New Zealand. The team flexed its muscle as they led from start to finish in the 30-lap event taking home the silver cup trophy.
Ray not only pleased fans with his on-track performance, but also had fans on their feet before he even strapped into his racecar. He thrilled the crowd as he skydived from 12,000 feet for the series' opening ceremonies at Western Springs Speedway!
"We had fun in New Zealand! It was great to get a win for my car owners, Bill Buckley and Steve Smith," said Ray. "I am getting the best equipment from both of them. Now, we have to focus on Australia."
Ray will pilot the same red, white and blue #2 entry he ran in New Zealand for the Australia portion of the trip. Ray is getting the best of both worlds with the teams' combination of two great forces from around the globe.
Respected car owner, Bill Buckley, of New Zealand is providing the team with the ultimate Aggressor Chassis for the 11-race endeavor, while Steve Smith, of Australia, brought the Hawk Engine Development power to the team with the help of Joe Kaal.
The first race in Australia will be Saturday night at Parramatta City Raceway, where Ray will be joined by four other American drivers. The event will consist of qualifying, two heat races, and a 30-lap feature packed with the best drivers from the United States, New Zealand, and Australia. The Speedcar Super Series has already seen three different drivers win in the first three rounds on competition.
Ray is looking forward to bringing the Buckley/Hawk entry to victory lane again throughout the next couple months. They will race four times at Parramatta City Raceway, as well as tracks in Melbourne, Mildura, and the Speedcar Super Series Finals at Speedway City Adelaide on March 11th.
"I'm excited about the tracks coming up in Australia. I think we have a great chance to get another win for the team," said Ray. "I want to thank everyone over here for all their help. We're having a great time!"
For updates and more information, please visit www.daveyray.com or www.speedcarsuperseries.com.
Ray, Kunz team for Gas City Midget Triumph
GAS CITY, Ind. – Different driver, same result for the Keith Kunz Motorsports squad Friday at Gas City I-69 Speedway.
Davey Ray of Davenport, Iowa, replacing Thursday's Lawrenceburg Speedway winner Jay Drake who is competing in Saturday's IRL Menards Infiniti Pro Series race at Pikes Peak International Raceway, led all but the first two laps in an entertaining 30-lap feature at the quarter-mile, the second night of "Indiana Midget Week."
Ray held off Shane Cottle over the final five laps to win his third USAC National Midget Car Series feature of his career, running the bottom of the track over the entire distance.
"I knew it was going to be there on the bottom, because the moisture kept the track tacky," said Ray, who drove the No. 67 Keith Kunz Motorsports Vital Express/Fontana Automotive Bullet/Fontana. "I knew it was the short way around the track, and everyone would have to go to the top to get by me, so all I had to do was close the door."
The race, the first for the USAC National Midget Car Series in its 50-year existence, started with a bang as three drivers shared the point over the first three laps. The first of that trio was Ray's Kunz teammate and polesitter Darren Hagen, who topped the field by beating Michael Pickens through the second turn and taking the point for Lap 1.
Pickens struck back on Lap 2, diving low for the lead in Turn 2 and taking possession. But the two-time New Zealand Midget champion didn't hold his new position long.
Ray, who started third as a result of the six-car inversion formed after the Top 16 points getters transferred from the heats to the feature, wrestled the advantage away on Lap 3 and began following the short way around the Grant County dirt oval.
However, he didn't increase his lead right away. Hagen and Critter Malone, battling for Top 5 positions, flipped simultaneously in the second turn on Lap 4, bringing out the first of two red flags. Both drivers escaped serious injury, and Malone returned to the track, moving to 11th by race's end.
Ray defended his spot on the restart, keeping the low line, and built a pair of short leads before a yellow involving John Wolfe on Lap 5 and a red flag on Lap 8 halted his prowess. The red was displayed after series points leader Josh Wise and Matt Westfall tangled, sending both into duel somersaults down the backstretch, eventually stopping in Turn 3. Both drivers exited their cars under their own power.
Ray, Hines and Brad Kuhn kept charge on the restart, while Pickens dealt with a hard-charging Shane Cottle, who started 12th but had made his way to fifth. He bolted around Pickens for the fourth spot on Lap 15 only to have his pass negated by Jeremy Warren's stalled machine in Turn 4.
Cottle finally took fourth on Lap 17, and set his sights on the lead trio. Hines and Kuhn fought for second, both vying for the low line, before the two tangled going through Turn 4. Hines spun and brought out the yellow flag, while Kuhn soldiered on into second.
But that second-place move wasn't enough to overhaul the early leader. On Lap 23, he slipped up the track and nearly stalled his engine in the process. The slip cost him three spots, sending him to fifth, while Ray increased his margin over Cottle. He took the win with over a second to spare, and was trailed by Cottle, Pickens, Kuhn and Coons.
Despite an agile machine prepared by the Kunz stable, Ray said he was a moving target on every restart.
"They had a shot at me every time we restarted, as they could stick their noses under me," Ray said. "But with the great car that Pete (Willoughby) and Keith gave me, I knew I just had to keep the car out front."
The win was especially a boost for Ray, who goes into Saturday's Clabber Girl "Hut Hundred" at the Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track as one of the favorites. Ray finished second last year to Bobby East and the No. 9 machine, the same one he'll try to best the rest of the 33-car starting field in Saturday.
"We've got a lot of momentum going into Saturday, even though I'll be in a different car." Ray said. "But it was the best car last year, and with last year's car winner and tonight's driving winner, it should be a tough competition, hopefully one that we can take to Victory Lane. The 'Hut Hundred' is differently one of the top races on the charts for me to win, and I look forward to the challenge."
Kunz, who now has provided the cars for the last two USAC National Midget Car Series feature winners, said the chips are starting to fall in place.
"We've been good all year," said Kunz, who said he expects to run three cars Saturday despite a pair of bruised cars from Friday's events. "We've been near the top in just about every race, and something's come and bit us. We've just needed some breaks, and we're finally getting them."
Pickens, Hines, Ray and Kuhn won 10-lap heats, while Coons and Jason Yount scored 10-lap semifeature victories.
Despite his flip, Wise continues to hold captive the series points lead over Coons. Back-to-back Top 5 feature performances have landed Kuhn the points lead in the three-race "Indiana Midget Week" swing heading into Saturday's finale at Terre Haute.
Ray Teams Up with Kaltt Enterprises
7/12/05 by Ray Productions -Davey Ray of Davenport, Iowa will team up with Klatt Enterprises for the 2005 Belleville Midget Nationals coming up this July 29th-30th. Plans between Ray and car owner Terry Klatt were made early this week to make a run for the $12,500 at the famous highbanks, along with the July 26th event at Eagle Raceway in Lincoln, NE.
Ray is confident going into the two events after strong runs at both tracks just a year ago. Ray was victorious at both Eagle Raceway and Junction Motor Speedway in 2004 but suffered a blown right rear while running second at the swift Belleville Highbanks. The first three years of competition, Ray recorded a fifth and sixth place finish along with an engine failure in 2003. Ray looks forward to getting another chance at the high-speed track in the No. 4 Klatt Enterprises Beast, powered by an Ed Pink Ford.
"I'm excited to be in one of Terry Klatt's potent machines," said Ray. "His quality of car definitely gives me the opportunity to try to win these races."
Klatt's car entrants have also done very well at the Belleville Midget Nationals winning two preliminary events with Bobby East in recent years but have yet to take home the trophy for Saturday night's main event.
Ray currently has one feature win and ten top five finishes in 2005. He sits fourth in National Midget Driver of the Year point standings. For more information, including team owner or sponsorship opportunities, please visitwww.daveyray.com.
Win number seven for Davey Ray
8/22/04 -The "Flying Five" was back and alive this weekend at Angell Park Speedway after suffering engine problems during last Sunday's events. Davey Ray scored his seventh win of his 2004 racing season at Angell Park Speedway piloting the RaJo/Wilke Stealth Sesco Mopar.
Ray qualified eighth quick with a 14.980, and won his 10-lap heat race transferring himself into the feature event. Ray set the pace taking the lead on the first lap from the pole starting position. The first of three cautions came on lap 20 with lapped cars separating second place, Aaron Fiscus and third place, Aaron Fike from Ray on the restart. No one could stop Ray as he claimed the Governor's Cup "Corn Fest" 50-lap feature sponsored by Johnsonville Brats and Miller Lite. Ray has said the 50-lap events are his favorite, and he has proved they are his specialty.
Only three events remain for the BMARA midget series with Scott Hatton leading the point standings, and Ray in second. For more information, please visit:
www.bmara.com, www.angellpark.com
Ray Hustles to Hump Day Payday at Junction
7/28/04 by Jeff Nun, WhoWon.com McCOOL JUNCTION, Neb. -- So far, the "Road to Belleville" for Davey Ray has been paved with gold. Ray, who captured Tuesday night's Midget feature at Eagle (Neb.) Raceway, completed an undefeated tour through the Cornhusker State with a thrilling victory Wednesday at the Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb.
The 25-year-old pilot from Davenport, IA started on the pole for Wednesday's 25-lap Gateway Open Wheel Racing Series nightcap, but had to survive multiple challenges and a late-race caution to secure the $2,000 victory for the no. 11 Wilke-PAK Mopar team.
Ray's first hurdle came just a few laps into the 24-car main event when Australian phenom Adam Clarke shot past Ray for the lead. Clarke proceeded to stretch his advantage to 10 car-lengths as he paced the field through lap 16 when a caution flag waved for a tangle in turn 2 involving fifth- and sixth-place running Craig Carey and Brad Kuhn.
On the restart, Ray squeezed by Clarke for the top spot with Jerry Coons Jr. in tow. Ray's lead was again short-lived as Coons, who started 12th, captured the lead on lap 18. However, a timely caution flag reset the field from the previously scored lap and Ray would again pace the restart.
This time Ray protected the bottom groove and maintained his lead as the field regained momentum. Two laps later, Coons dropped from the fight with mechanical trouble, propelling Jay Drake into second place.
While Ray maintained a two car-length advantage, Clarke re-entered the fray with a wheel-to-wheel pass of Drake as the leaders entered turn 1 with two laps remaining.
Clarke's pass was negated as a caution flag slowed the field once again. That didn't seem to bother the "Down Under Wonder" as he flashed ahead of Drake on the restart, then set his sights on Ray as hey raced down the front stretch with one lap to go.
Ray continued to run the low side, but Clarke was able to sneak a nose under Ray as they entered the final turn. As the two crossed the finish line, Ray beat Clarke by a nose to maintain his perfect record for the week.
Drake steered the Ventura Racing machine to a third-place finish, with 19th-starting Jerry Hammock taking fourth while local favorite Don Droud Jr. rounded out the top 5 finishers.
Clarke, Drake and Ray won the three heat races.
Rain began to fall minutes after the completion of the Midget feature, forcing cancellation of the Stock Car and Modified features. Prior to the Midget feature, Ryan Gilland bested Jason Koch to capture the Hobby Stock main event.
Next up on the state-of-the-art Junction Motor Speedway 3/8-mile oval will be Cornerstone Bank Day on Saturday, Aug. 7, featuring the MLRA/NCRA Late Model Shootout. Start time is 7:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale at 6 p.m. Ticket prices are $15 for adults, $5 or kids ages 6-12, and children 5 and under are admitted free. Pit passes are $25 and the pit gate opens at 5 p.m.
Ray Wins Mid Summer Classic
7/27/04 Lincoln, Neb. -Davey Ray of Davenport, Iowa held off a hard-charging Josh Wise for his second career USAC National Midget Car Series victory Tuesday, picking up the win in the "Mid-Summer Midget Classic" at Eagle Raceway in Lincoln, Neb.
Ray, who led the 40-lap race from start-to-finish, gave Wilke-Pak Motorsports its second straight victory at the 1/3-mile track, as he drove the Team Mopar – Kenny's Carbon/Stealth Stanton Mopar to the win from the pole.
"I started on the front row, and I don't think in the past I was as savvy as I am now," said Ray, whose first victory came last month at Limaland Motorsports Park. "Even though the track was good tonight, it's tough to know where to go to stay ahead of these guys. At the end, I went down to the lane I had been running and just held on."
Starting from the pole, Ray checked out from the field and held a large gap over Greg Lueckert and Josh Wise after the first 10 laps. The caution flag came out for the first of two times on lap 11, and on the restart lap, a three-car tangle slowed the field again.
As Ray pulled away again on the restart, Lueckert and Wise staged an exciting battle for second. The two ran within three car lengths for the next 11 laps before Wise made the pass on lap 22.
The caution flag flew for the final time on lap 34 for a stalled car. On the start, Wise shadowed Ray's every move, and during the ensuing laps, caught Ray when the No. 11 bobbled.
But Wise slid too high in the second turn of lap 38 to make any attempt for the lead. He held on to second ahead of Lueckert, Brad Kuhn and Dave Darland.
Darland was on the move after starting far in the back. The Lincoln, Ind. native sliced through the field from the 21st starting spot and pulled into the "top ten" by the halfway point. He continued to battle Kuhn and Lueckert over the final five laps as the three cars raced through the turns side-by-side.
National Midget Car Series point leader Bobby East finished ninth after starting in the back, and continues to hold the lead in the standings over Wise. Western Midget Car Series point leader Johnny Rodriguez failed to make the feature after qualifying second quick. Rodriguez encountered problems during the second heat race.
It was a good tune-up for Ray, as he and fellow competitors warmed their motors before heading southwest to compete in the Bud Racing "Belleville Midget Nationals" Friday and Saturday in Belleville, Kans.
"This definitely brings the whole team's confidence up because we know we're working well together," Ray said. "We have a pretty decent setup at the tracks that we've been at so far, and getting this win here tonight leads us into this week as the contenders for the win.
"We're definitely looking forward to going to Belleville together, and with Mopar engines and Wilke-Pak supporting me, we'll have 'em tuned up for this weekend and have something to work with."
Rik Forbes won the six-lap qualifying race, while eight-lap heats went to Don Droud Jr., Wally Pankratz, Darland, and Cole Carter. Garrett Hansen, who set the fast time in qualifying at 14.304 seconds, won the 12-lap semifeature.
The National/Western Midget Car Series continues with the "Belleville Midget Nationals" Friday and Saturday. The USAC Ford Focus Midget Car Series divisions open the three-day program Thursday with heats and a 100-lap feature event.
Ray Races Home to Davenport, Iowa
7/01/04 -Davenport, Iowa is the hometown of race car driver, Davey Ray who will be making a special trip back home to race at Davenport Speedway on Saturday, July 3, 2004 for the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association midget event.
Last year, Ray and his BMARA car owner's, Ralph Wilke and Joe Vukelich of RAJO/Wilke, won the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association Championship scoring six wins at four different tracks. Two of the tracks that the team won at last year, Hales Corners Speedway, and Pecatonica Motor Speedway, are no longer on this year's schedule. However, Davey was happy to see the series add Davenport Speedway to the list. Maybe because he remembers watching the BMARA midgets race at Davenport Speedway in 1994 when his father, Dave Ray, won the feature event in front of his hometown fans. It would mean a lot to Davey to win the same race his father won exactly ten years ago.
"I remember my dad winning that race at Davenport Speedway. It was an exciting win for him with all our friends and family there." says Davey. I can't wait for the midgets to race at Davenport Speedway. It would definitely mean a whole lot to me to win in front of my hometown fans."
Davey was named after his father, but that's not all he inherited from his dad. Davey's passion for racing and winning races shows in him much like it does in his father. Just ask the lady who knows them both the best.
"Davey and his dad are very similar in their passion for racing." explains Davey's mother, Debbie Ray. "They both have the desire to be the best in the sport, and they both feel they were given the skills and they want to use them to the fullest. I believe that is why Davey has so much confidence in himself. There isn't a time that he ever straps into a race car without thinking he can win it."
Dave Ray started racing midgets in 1973 and earned the BMARA "Rookie of the Year" award. He then went on to win the 1977 BMARA Championship with John Heisdorf (Davey's maternal Grandfather) as the car owner. Twenty-six years later, Davey won the same Championship title. Dave's last year racing midgets was in 1996 even though he didn't exactly plan on retiring from racing that year. It just kind of happened that way after he gave his son a chance to race the family owned midget in 1997.
"I believe Dave now feels like his real destiny is to help Davey because he is even more passionate than he was." says Debbie. "Davey reminds me of Dave in that they both have so much knowledge for all the fine details of the sport. The way they think about the handling of the car and the changes to make. I can always tell when there's something that is really on their minds at the track or in the garage. They get that same "intense" look in their face of deep contemplation." With a grin, Debbie adds, "And don't try to talk to them when they're in that zone because they won't hear you!"
July 3rd will be Davey's first time racing on Davenport Speedway's 1/2 mile, but he's no rookie when it comes to the big tracks. Earlier this year in March, Ray competed at Phoenix International Raceway for his first pavement race on a mile, where he earned a top 10 finish taking home 9th place. Last season he won on Pecatonica Motor Speedway's 1/2 mile in Pecatonica, IL, he scored a 2nd place finish at Terre Haute Action Track for the "Hut 100," took home a 3rd place finish at Eldora Speedway's 1/2 mile on June 19th, and is always tough competition at the Belleville Highbanks for the "Belleville Midget Nationals." When it comes to driving, Davey can steer a race car around the bottom when he needs to, but running the high side fits his driving style a little better. Especially with the power he gets from the Mopar racing engines.
"Davey reminds me of Dave when he runs the cushion at Sun Prairie!" Debbie recalls. "A lot of fans don't know, but Dave used to run the cushion a lot. I can remember several times in my dad's car when Dave started back in the field and had the lead coming out of turn 2 passing everyone on the outside. Although my dad always said he liked it best when the track was dry slick, because that "separated the men from the boys," and that's when Dave would really shine!"
There's no doubt Davey would like to shine on July 3rd at Davenport Speedway, and he can count on his hometown fans for support. Davey currently resides in Loves Park, Illinois after living in Brownsburg, Indiana for two years to scope out the racing world in Indianapolis. He decided to make the move to Illinois where it was an easier drive each way to help out both of his car owners; RAJO/Wilke out of Milwaukee, WI, and to his father's garage in Davenport, IA.
****However, the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association recently postponed the Davenport event, and is looking to reschedule for another date. Check back soon for updates on the event. It will be an exciting show for the midgets.
Ray Captures Badger Thriller
6/20/04 -Defending Badger Midget Series Champion Davey Ray scored a thrilling victory using lapped traffic to capture the 25-lap feature Sunday Night at Angell Park Speedway.
Kevin Doty jumped into the lead at the start closely followed by Jerry Coons Jr.. On the third lap Ray moved into third place. Two laps later the events only caution appeared for a stalled car.
On the restart Doty led Coons, and Ray. On the sixth lap series point leader Scott Hatton moved into fourth. The four drivers pulled away from the field. On the tenth lap Coons passed Doty entering turn two but as they exited the corner Doty re-took the lead. The leaders began lapping the tail of the field on the one lap later, and at the midway point four car lengths separated the top four. The leaders continued to work heavy lapped traffic with Ray moving into second on the 15th lap.
On the 20th lap Doty was squeezed between two lap cars allowing Ray to take the lead. The final five laps Ray led the trio through heavy lapped traffic. At the finish Ray led Doty by 1.24 seconds driving the Rajo-Wilke-PAK/Stealth-Seco Mopar entry. Hatton, Coons, and Chad DeSelle completed the top five. Eleven cars finished on the lead lap, with all but one of the starting field of 22 cars finishing the event.
Davey Ray's cousin Robbie Ray,captured the 30-lap USAC Midwest Ford Focus Midget Car Series Feature. In the first ever appearance at the facility for series. Ray traded the lead several times with runner-up Trenton Darland over the final half of the race. Brandon Hartsell, Brice Kenyon, and Jordan Noblitt completed the top five.
Ray Wins Wild Feature at Lima
6/18/04 USACracing.com -Davey Ray of Davenport, Iowa ended Dave Darland's five-race winning streak in the USAC National Midget Car Series edition of the "Buckeye Nationals", scoring his first series victory Friday at Limaland Motorsports Park in Lima, OH.
Ray passed Scott Hatton on lap 25 of the caution plagued 30-lap feature and led the final six laps in the Wilke-PAK Racing/Team Mopar -Auto Meter Stealth/Mopar.
"We had excellent track conditions tonight," Ray said in victory lane. "It was really tacky and just the way I like it. Hopefully the fans are proud."
The race featured nearly a dozen yellow or red flag periods. Hatton, who sat on the pole position, led the field three times on a start or restart before finally completing the first two laps. In one of the incidents, series point leader Bobby East was involved in a multi-car incident. He would later climb through the field.
On lap three, Josh Wise passed Hatton for the point, but dropped out of the lead pack a lap later during a caution when he had to change a tire.
Hatton regained the lead and pulled away several time on the restarts. He held on when Travis Miniea and Brian Gerster made the battle threefold in turn three on lap four, but Gerster hit the wall, ending his bid at the top spot.
Miniea, who passed Ray for second on lap four, fell out during another caution on lap eight. The field went another four laps of green-flag racing and during that time, East surged through the field. East jumped to fourth after 12 laps before another delay.
On the restart, Hatton pulled away while Ray and Brandon Waelti battled for second. Meanwhile East ran the high groove and on lap 17, maneuvered past Ray on the backstretch. The yellow flag again flew on lap 20, and on the restart, Ray regained third from East, then a lap later got around Waelti for second. Finally, on lap 25, Ray drive around Hatton on the outside as the two exited turn four and led the rest of the way.
East finished third after staging a sensational battle with Waelti, Gerster and Brad Kuhn. The four battled in rows of two over the final five laps of the feature before East edged Waelti at the flag stand. Gerster inched by Kuhn for fifth.
Heat winners were Cole Carter, Ray, Wise and Waelti. Ray Bull won the 12-lap semi feature.
The "Buckeye Nationals" continue Saturday at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.
MOPAR boasts new faces and new goals in 2004
4/06/04 by Misha Geisert, J.R. Thompson Company
Center Line, Mich. - The 2004 Team Mopar members are ready to tackle a season of firsts as the USAC racing season opens this weekend with the Copper World Classic at Phoenix International Raceway. Looking to better the stellar effort of their predecessors, they will be writing a new chapter in their racing careers. New teams, new faces and new goals will set the tone for 2004.
Last season, the team combined for an outstanding record in the USAC National Midget Series, combining for 11 series wins, 34 Top-five finishes and 49 Top-10 finishes. For Dave Steele, Josh Wise, Davey Ray and Tracy Hines, this season will become an opportunity to put a one-up on the old team standard.
Veteran driver Dave Steele will debut his new USAC Midget Series team at the Copper World Classic, as he and fellow Floridian Bruce Nicholas have joined forces to form Nicholas Racing. Known as a constant threat and fierce competitor, Steele is looking forward to getting the season underway.
"We plan to pick up right where we left off last season," Steele said. "I am excited about the idea of starting the season with a new team. I like the challenge of building a new team from the ground up, and we have taken the steps to ensure that we'll be ready when the green flag drops this weekend."
Steele will also defend his Copper World Silver Crown title, while fellow Team Mopar member Jay Drake looks to add that trophy to his own mantle.
"For the most part, if you win races, you'll win the championship," Drake said. "The guy that wins races is almost always the guy that gets the title. Not always, but for the most part. Starting with Copper World, we're going after the wins and the title. It's going to be a good year."
Drake will compete for Stewart-Snider Racing in 2004, piloting the No. 11 USAC Silver Crown Series machine. The team will be looking for a series championship, after finishing in the top-10 in series points last season.
Tracy Hines, who will return to his open wheel roots during a break from his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule, will return to the cockpit of his familiar No. 11 Mopar from Wilke-PAK Motorsports. The NCTS rookie will compete in a full USAC National Midget Series pavement schedule under the Mopar banner this season. Hines will be looking to add to his already impressive open wheel record, starting with the Copper World Classic in Phoenix.
The Copper World Classic will also mark a debut for another Wilke-PAK race driver, as Davey Ray will begin his tenure with the highly respected team. Ray brings another personality to Team Mopar, and he is looking forward to getting his shot at the brass ring this season.
"We're certainly excited about being a part of Team Mopar," Ray said. "We're also excited about the effort that Mopar has put behind their program, from the driver development to the engine program. This weekend will be the start of a great season for us."
The final debut for Team Mopar will come with the addition of Josh Wise to the racing stable. The 2003 Belleville Nationals Champion will compete for Tony Stewart Racing Enterprises this season in the No. 20 Mopar. As the youngest addition to Mopar's open wheel arsenal, Wise, 21 years old, expects to fit right into the program.
"We're really excited about the start of this season, and I'm especially excited to be a part of Team Mopar and Tony Stewart Racing," Wise said. "Everyone has worked so hard to prepare for this weekend; a lot of effort has gone into this race. We tested in Florida last week, and we're really focused on running well. It's been a lot of work and a lot of effort to get ready for Copper World, and we're confident that we've done our part to prepare."
With all eyes on them as the 2004 racing season gets underway, Team Mopar is ready to embark on the challenge of staying in their position as some of the best in the business.
For more information regarding Team Mopar or its drivers, log on to www.moparspeed.com, www.davesteele.com, www.jaydrake.com, www.tracyhines.com or www.daveyray.com.
Mopar is based in Center Line, Mich., and is the exclusive original equipment supplier of parts and accessories for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep® vehicles.
Wilke/PAK Motorsports' Ray is No Rookie
Team Mopar Adds to Program Depth with New Addition Center Line, Mich. - Wilke-PAK Motorsports had a big decision to make at the beginning of the 2004 racing season. The team had a vacant seat, and with the reputation as a formidable force in the USAC Midget Series, they had to pick a driver that could continue the team's progress and add to the further development of Mopar's open-wheel stable. For co-owners Greg Wilke, Mark Wilke and Kevin Schedule, there was only one driver who met those criteria, and they named Davey Ray their new hot shoe.
The 2004 racing season won't be the first venture for Ray and Wilke-PAK Motorsports, as Ray competed for the Ra-Jo/Wilke-PAK team throughout 2003. Co-owned by Joe Vukelich and team patriarch Ralph Wilke, the Wilke-PAK satellite team took the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association (BMARA) Series by storm. Under the watchful eye of the elder Wilke, Ray honed his dirt track prowess and earned the 2003 BMARA Series title outright. The maturity and professionalism Ray demonstrated earned the young driver the nod for the seat vacated by fellow Team Mopar driver Tracy Hines.
"Shortly after the Chili Bowl in January, Hines announced his plans to run the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, leaving a seat open on the Wilke-PAK team. I talked with the team owners and let them know I was interested in driving for them," Ray said. "I was thrilled when Greg [Wilke] told me their plans for 2004. They have afforded me the opportunity to run the complete USAC dirt schedule and some pavement events. I'm looking forward to getting the season started."
Ray's determination to succeed, as well as his ability to communicate with the team, didn't escape team co-owner Mark Wilke. They expect him to adapt to his new role quite easily.
"Davey is determined, confident and very skilled, and these characteristics, combined with his youth, offer Wilke-PAK Motorsports and Team Mopar a very promising future," Mark Wilke said. "We worked with Davey in 2003, as he drove for our satellite team Ra-Jo/Wilke-PAK. He hasn't shown any problems in dealing with pressure, as he won six BMARA feature events and the series championship. We believe that the 2004 season will be a promising one for our team."
By taking over the No. 11 seat, Ray will compete as a part of Team Mopar in 2004. The 25-year-old is no stranger to the Mopar powerplant, as he has several years of experience with the brand. In May of 2001, Ray won the Angell Park Speedway "Memorial 50" event, the first midget car race ever won with a Mopar powerplant. As the engine program has continued to evolve, Ray and the Wilke-PAK team are looking forward to building on their already successful racing program.
"We're certainly excited about being a part of Team Mopar," Ray said. "The Mopar engines are the most powerful in the midget division, and the broad power that they produce will most definitely be an advantage for us this season. We're also excited about the effort that Mopar has put behind their program, from driver development to the engine program. It's great to be a part of such a well-organized program."
Ray's enthusiasm for the Mopar racing program is shared by his team owners.
"Wilke-PAK Motorsports is very fortunate to be a part of the Mopar engine program," Mark Wilke said. "We've been racing midgets for over 25 years and have found that the Mopar powerplant is second to none. The Mopar engine has the horsepower, torque and reliability that car owners look for when choosing an engine. Mopar's success is due to hard work and strong commitments to open wheel racing, as well as working with teams that are just as committed to success."
The Copper World Classic, to be held at the Phoenix International Raceway March 19-20, will mark Ray's official debut with Wilke-PAK and Team Mopar. In addition to running the full USAC National Midget Series dirt schedule, Ray will compete in approximately six pavement events in the series. Though the young race driver has limited pavement experience, both driver and owners are confident that their strong team communication skills will contribute to a successful transition.
"Davey is a quick learner, and we believe that he will have little trouble adapting to pavement racing," Mark Wilke said.
Ray will be relying on the guidance of his team owners, as well as the advice of teammate Hines in his transition to pavement racing. Though Hines will be running a full NCTS schedule, he will wear Mopar colors in selected pavement events for Wilke-PAK's USAC Midget team.
"I will have to adapt their [Wilke-PAK] knowledge to my driving style to help me get a feel for pavement racing," Ray said. "I will certainly benefit from Tracy's [Hines] experience on the pavement, and as a teammate I'm going to have to listen to his advice."
Make no mistake, though, as Ray is no stranger to tough competition. While he will have to incorporate pavement racing into his arsenal of skills, Ray has high expectations of himself and his team for the 2004 season.
"We have a great combination for this season, especially on the dirt. Greg [Wilke] and I work well together, and we look at every race as an opportunity to win," Ray said. "I would like to make a good showing on the pavement this year for the team, and we hope to win at least one pavement race."
As Ray pushes off for the start of the Copper World Classic, he'll have years of experience on his side. A Mopar power plant under his right foot, an experienced race team, and his own skill and determination to succeed will be with him as he circles the one-mile track. With that combination, the Wilke-PAK/Mopar team will continue to build on its first-class reputation.
For more information regarding Mopar or Davey Ray, log on to www.mopar.com, www.moparspeed.com or www.daveyray.com.
Hines and Ray 2004 Wilke/PAK Drivers
2/18/04 Milwaukee, WI -Tracy Hines, and Davey Ray were announced today as drivers for the Mopar sponsored Wilke-Pak Motorsports team for the upcoming 2004 USAC National Midget Series seasons. The announcement was made by the team owners, Kevin Schuele, Greg and Mark Wilke. Hines the 2003 series runner-up driving for the team, will run in eleven pavement events, while Ray will run all the dirt track events along with selected pavement events.
Hines winner of twenty career USAC National Midget features, and six last season, is driving full-time for the Menards sponsored Rhonda Thorson team in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Hines has been the Wilke-PAK driver for the past three seasons.
Ray won the 2003 Badger Midget Series Championship driving for their satellite team RAJO-Wilke-PAK. Ray led the series in feature wins, fast times, passing points, feature laps led, and top five feature finishes. Ray has eight career midget feature victories.
Wilke-PAK will continue to be an intricate part of Mopar's short track program for 2004, with its Mopar Powerplants coming from engine builder Gary Stanton.
Davey Ray won the 25-lap Badger Midget Series Feature
SUN PRAIRIE, WIS, June 22---Davey Ray won the 25-lap Badger Midget Series Feature, Sunday Night at Angell Park Speedway. The win moved Ray back atop the series point standings.
Quinn McCabe moved into the lead at the start, with Ray taking over second place on the second lap. Ray passed McCabe as the pair exited the fourth turn, on the fourth lap. Once in front Ray began pulling away from the field. Defending series champ Aaron Fike moved into second on the eighth lap. At the midway point Ray enjoyed a quarter lap lead, as he began lapping the tail of the field.
Ray continued to maintain his lead over Fike as the pair pulled away from the field. Great position battles were taking place all around the track, as all twenty two starters finished the event. Ray driving the Ralph Wilke/Rajo-Wilke Pak Stealth-Sesco-Mopar held a 6.13 second advantage at the finish over Fike, Tracy Hines, Cory Kruseman, and Nick Lundgreen.
Ray now holds a 35 point lead over Chad DeSelle heading into the next series event the June 27, 6th annual Milwaukee Cup Midget Classic at the Hales Corners Speedway (Franklin, WI).
Ray Wins Exciting Milwaukee Cup Midget Race
FRANKLIN, WI, June 29---Davey Ray scored an exciting victory, Friday Night winning the fourth annual Milwaukee Cup Midget Classic, 25-lap Badger/NAMARS Feature at the Hales Corners Speedway.
Dan Boorse jumped into the lead at the start closely followed by Rob Keelan. With Boorse increasing his lead, Mike Hess, and Chad DeSelle began battling for second, the pair made contact, with DeSelle retiring with a flat tire on the seventh lap.
On the restart Boorse, and Hess ran wheel to wheel for the lead, the pair made contact exiting turn four on the thirteenth lap, causing both to slow, allowing Ray to take the lead. Boorse continued to run second, on Ray's rear bumper. Two cautions during the final three laps kept the field bunched up. Boorse made a last lap effort at Ray, and slid high exiting turn four, allowing Keelan to take runner-up honors, for his career best finish. Rounding out the top five were: Kevin Olson, and Hess.
Fans contributed over $500 extra to the winner, as the winners trophy was on display at the track entrance prior to the nights feature, allowing fans to place money into the Milwaukee Cup.
RESULTS 25-lap Feature: 1. Davey Ray 2. Rob Keelan 3. Dan Boorse 4. Kevin Olson 5. Mike Hess 6. Dean Erfurth 7. Randy Fiscus 8. Roger Miller 9. Travis Miniea 10. Scott Hatton 11. Matt Westfall 12. Aaron Fiscus 13. John Jones 14. A.J. Fike 15. Boyd Calvert 16. Matt Estep 17. Brian Terry 18. Brad Weber 19. Rick Mueller 20. Kevin Eggert 21. Craig Carey 22. Chad DeSelle
15-lap "B" Feature: Miller
10-lap Heat Race winners: Fike, Hatton, Westfall, R. Fiscus
6-lap Trophy Dash: A. Fiscus Fast Time: Waelti, 18.339 seconds
CAR COUNT: 37