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BANDFIELD WINS NMRA-TQ MIDGET SEASON FINALE
by Tim Kennedy

San Bernardino, CA., Oct. 22 - First-time champion Jody Bandfield capped his greatest racing season Saturday at the quarter-mile paved Orange Show Speedway by winning his fourth NMRA-TQ Midget 25-lap feature of the 11-race season. He led laps 3-11 and 24-25 after he repassed Chuck West, the laps 12-23 leader. It was Bandfield's third victory in his own No. 4 Honda-powered TQ. Prior to this season the TQ veteran had never won a TQ main event. Bandfield, who had one fast qualifying time, nine top fives and ten top tens this season, won by 43-points over 2002 series driving champion West, a two-time winner this year.

    Robert and Cynthia Welcomer won the car owner championship by 53 points over West Evans, the owner of the No. 38 Stealth/Kawasaki driven by C. West. It was the first championship for the Welcomer team. They used two drivers this season, including Bandfield, who subbed for car builder Walt Johnson May 28 and won his first feature in the Welcomer No. 15. The championship car won four 2005 main events, three races by Johnson.

    Chase Barber, a 17-year old USAC Ford Focus Midget driver, finished second in his first TQ Midget start of the year. He also set the fastest qualifying time in a 14-car field. He drove the 2002 series championship car for his uncle, Guy Barber. Scott Hansen, a veteran USAC TQ, Midget, 360 Sprint Car and Silver Crown Series driver, drove the Dave Lambert 2003-04 championship car to third place. Kenny Wiley and Michael Bliffen were fourth and fifth respectively. West Evans, Johnson, Bruce Hiroshima, Richard Ortega, Jr and West completed the top ten in the 14 car field.

    Bandfield and Hansen won the two, seven-car, eight-lap heat races. Pole starter Johnson won the trophy dash for the four fastest qualifiers. Barber's 13.390 was the quickest qualifying time and fell just short of the series one-lap track record of 13.362 set by Bandfield on September 3. Four of the series 11 races were held on Orange Show Speedway, a first-time host track this year for the traveling NMRA TQ series. The four main events produced four different winning cars and drivers--Johnson, Hansen, West and Bandfield.

    Upcoming dates for NMRA members are a November 6 general membership meeting and the January 28 annual championship awards banquet. For more information and a complete listing of driver and car owner final 2005 points go to www.wstqmidgets.com. To contact NMRA use NMRAWest @aol.com.

    Summary: (pickup agate)

    Fast Time: Chase Barber, 13.390.

    Trophy Dash: Walt Johnson, Scott Hansen, Jody Bandfield, Barber.

    Heat 1: Bandfield, Michael Bliffen, Barber, Chuck West, Bruce Hiroshima, West Evans, Ron Ahrendt.

    Heat 2: Hansen, Johnson, Kenny Wiley, Steve Parke, Richard Ortega, Jr., Jenna Bliffen, Richard Marshall.

    Main: Bandfield, Barber, Hansen, Wiley, M. Bliffen, Evans, Johnson, Hiroshima, Ortega, West, Marshall, J. Bliffen, Parke, Ahrendt.


    FINAL 2005 NMRA TQ MIDGET POINT STANDINGS:

          Drivers                      No.  Car Owners
 
 1 Jody Bandfield   651         1 15 Robert/Cynthia Welcomer    697
 2 Chuck West       608         2 38 West Evans             644
 3 Walt Johnson 596         3  4 Jody Bandfield             619
 4 Bruce Hiroshima  578         4 70 Bruce Hiroshima            614
 5 West Evans       526         5 36 West Evans             562
 6 Michael Bliffen  518         6  3 Michael Bliffen                554
 7 Ron Ahrendt      362         7 55 Dave Lambert               537
 8 Kenny Wiley      338         8 59 Steve Parke                407
 9 Steve Parke      335         9 87 Judi Ahrendt               398
10 Steve Lambert    298          10 21 Paul Lopiccolo           362

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