Sweet Hauls in Podium Finish in 'Hut Hundred'
Team Mopar® driver Brad Sweet continued his fine 2008 season with a third-place finish in one of America's most prestigious Midget events, the 57th running of the "Hut Hundred" at Indiana's Terre Haute Action Track. The 100-lap grind, part of the United States Auto Club (USAC) Mopar Midget National Championship Series, was run on Saturday evening, Oct. 4. Sweet, driving the Kasey Kahne Racing (KKR) Mopar machine, had kicked off the evening by setting fast time in qualifications.
Unfortunately, what had looked like a stellar night for a couple of other Mopar contenders turned sour. Without question, the biggest heartache belonged to Brady Bacon, Sweet's KKR teammate, running second and threatening the leader when his right-front tire blew on lap 92. Bacon rebounded to place 14th, though that was no consolation after his terrific run had been derailed.
Things weren't much better for two-time USAC Midget champion Jerry Coons Jr., who joined both Kahne drivers and others in a thrilling mid-race top-five brawl. It all went for naught after 86 laps, when Coons spun out of third-place in turn one, which all evening had been a tricky spot on the fabled half-mile dirt oval. After restarting last, Coons gunned his Wilke-Pak Mopar back up to eighth at the finish, but, as with Bacon, his result was no reflection of his great effort.
USAC's Mopar Midget National Championship moves next to Pontoon Beach, Ill., and Tri-City Speedway's "Gold Crown Midget Nationals" on Oct. 9–11. Sweet (third) and Bacon (fifth) have both halves of the Kahne team in the top five in the USAC Midget standings, with Coons a bit further back in eighth. For more info on the USAC Mopar Midget National Championship Series, visit http://www.usacracing.com.