After being disqualified in an Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions sprint car race Saturday night at the Dirt Oval at Route 66, Kyle Larson came back to win the USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Series “Summer Slash” feature.
In the All Star Circuit of Champions race, Larson started from the pole and led the first 13 laps. He was disqualified during a red flag break on Lap 14 for a work area violation when one of his crew members left the designated work area to speak with Larson under the caution. Aaron Reutzel went on to win the race.
In the USAC National Midget race, Larson set a track record in his first visit to the 3/8-mile dirt oval and started the feature sixth. He was contending for the lead by the first lap and took the lead on the third circuit. His lead grew until Lap 10 when JJ Yeley flipped down the frontstretch. He was uninjured.
Larson and Logan Seavey then dueled for the lead after the race resumed.
“I felt like I was running good laps,” Larson told usacracing.com. “Then, Logan threw a slider on me. I guess I was running 90 percent. I was like, ‘crap, I got to step it up,’ and that’s when I started making mistakes.”
Larson withstood the challenge and went on to win. Tyler Courtney was second. Tanner Carrick placed third.
The victory was the first this year for Larson and the 16th of his career in the National Midget Series.
California’s @KyleLarsonRacin picks up the @NosEnergyDrink USAC National Midget Series victory @dirtoval66 tonight!
— USAC Racing (@USACNation) June 30, 2019
Watch full event replay on https://t.co/W4c0WlKa1I pic.twitter.com/tcwRM5ScR7