LOS ANGELES — The 81st running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix took Nov. 26 at Ventura (Calif.) Raceway across the street from the Pacific Ocean.
The world’s oldest midget race has found a permanent home at Jim Naylor’s seaside fifth-mile track known as “The best little dirt track in America.” It hosted the race in 1996 and each year since 2017 (no race was run in 2020 because of COVID).
This was my 60th consecutive TNGP to attend starting in 1962.
After battling a cold early in the week, I was ready to roll when race day arrived.
Car counts were strong with 105 open-wheel cars in the crowded pits. There were 56 USAC midgets and 49 360 sprint cars. Naylor continued to prepare the track surface as USAC officials conducted the drivers meeting. After midget qualifying and preliminary races for both divisions, Naylor reworked the track prior to both sprint and midget features.
The result was a racy, multi-groove track without the dust of last year.
Naylor hired Scott Daloisio, Perris Auto Speedway announcer/publicist, to handle PA mic duties Saturday. Naylor concentrated on track prep. Daloisio let me know PAS is not in danger of closing, nor is the state fairgrounds.
State officials plan to expand Perris dam capacity but the only thing that will be eliminated is the motocross track used by youngsters well beyond the PAS first and second turns. The PAS billboard “#SavePerris” relates to the fact construction will limit fairgrounds and speedway access to one road. Hence the lawsuit that state officials tried to have thrown out of court. The judge said no to that so it appears PAS racing will continue indefinitely.
The major surprise was the surprise entry of three-time TNGP winner Kyle Larson.
Last year the 2021 NASCAR Cup champion entered his own midgets for himself and Cup teammate Chase Elliott. Larson loves to race midgets at the Tulsa Chili Bowl and in the TNGP. The real racer apparently could not stay away this year. About 36 hours before the race he phoned Chad Boat, one of the midget teams he has won features for in the past. Boat had a midget for at the ready, so Larson flew in and raced.
What is not known widely is the fact that the all black, sponsorless midget with white No. 87 on it was the No. 84 midget entered for rising star Jade Avedisian, 16. She made the 2021 TNGP in Boat’s No. 86 and placed 23rd. She was at the speedway Friday but did not practice because she was ill with the flu. She was feeling even worse Saturday and returned home.
Boat’s crew told me the car Larson raced was entered for Avedisian, who flipped the car Nov. 18 at Placerville (Calif.) Speedway. The car was not heavily damaged according to the crew. Jade started it as a provisional starter the next night in the 100-lap main. On Nov. 22, Avedisian set fast time in the car at Merced (Calif.) Speedway and finished fourth the following night at Merced.
Larson had only brief hot laps Saturday before he was the 40th of 56 drivers to qualify. He spun low at turn two on his first lap; then he bobbled in turn four on his second lap. His 12.986-second lap was 37th fastest of 54 times. Still, Larson transferred through his heat and started 22nd in the 98-lap main event.
Larson worked his way forward carefully and was 16th by lap 35, 10th at the lap-68 red flag, eighth by lap 70, sixth at lap 83 and fifth at lap 90. With three laps to go, Larson rode up the third turn berm and took third spot.
Larson passed Kevin Thomas Jr. for third and chased first-time TNGP winner Justin Grant to the checkered flag.
Onlookers said it was a great race. There were five race leaders and six lead changes. Buddy Kofoid led the first 44 laps. Cannon McIntosh led laps 45-70, WoO star Carson Macedo led laps 71-77, Justin Grant led lap 78 and 84-98. Tanner Thorson led laps 79-83.
The 2022 TNGP had quantity and quality field, abundant passing, six walkaway flips Saturday, and a thrilling, cliffhanger finish.
No wonder why the TNGP event packs the Ventura grandstand each year.