ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Four Young Gun drivers from three different states will take on TQ Midget Car veterans at the Indoor Auto Racing Series opener during the Ironton Global Indoor Races on January 9-10 inside the PPL Center.
Logan Watt, 17, of nearby Boyertown, will likely be the fan favorite driving as a teammate for Allentown’s own Briggs Danner. Watt, who made a name for himself this year as a dirt Modified rookie, hopes to the same on the Indoor Series driving cars built by Kevin Graver Jr.
Paul Hartwig III of Galloway Township, N.J. proved himself on the Indoor Auto Racing Series the last two years racing in the Slingshot division. This year the soon to be 15-year-old is advancing to the headline TQ Midget division driving for Tolerico Motorsports.
Hartwig was an impressive runner-up finish in the Southern-based SMART asphalt Modified Series in 2025 where he finished second in the point standings.
Mason Hanel, 14 from Clarence Center, N.Y., shot into the spotlight in his rookie season on the Race of Champions Sportsman series this past season after picking up a win at the Spencer Speedway. Hanel has picked up a TQ Midget ride driving for car owner Bill Pippard who had previously enjoyed success on the series with driver Tim Buckwalter.
While not a teenager, 23 year-old Josh Sokolic will make his TQ Midget Series debut in Allentown after posting an impressive first SuperModified victory this past season at N.Y.’s Oswego Speedway driving for Jason Simmons.
For the series the Fulton, N.Y., driver will be a teammate with Frenchtown, N.J. dirt Modified super star Billy Pauch Jr. on Simmons’ proven TQ Midget team.
Tanner VanDoren of nearby Schnecksville, Pa., proved a Young Gun can win in Allentown in their first weekend of TQ Midget Indoor competition. The then 15-year-old pulled off a stunning upset in January of 2024 in a pick-up ride with the Jeff Ulrich / Rick Kluth team.
VanDoren will return to Allentown for a third year looking for redemption. Leading the 2025 series finale in Atlantic City, a mechanical failture forced VanDohren to slow and withdraw from the Gambler’s Classic showcase event.
While the young guns are expected to bring some smoke, the veterans won’t go down easily. Ryan Flores of Huntersville, N.C., will enter the event as a pre-race favorite after wins in Allentown and Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall last year.
The headline TQ Midget division will be joined by Slingshots and Champ Karts, with full programs and main events for all three classes.
As a Friday bonus, the Will Cagle Shootout, sponsored by Ricky Haring, will feature the top 10 qualifiers in a 15-lap race in which drivers choose their starting positions. The pole will pay $240 to win, with prize money increasing by $120 for each spot farther back. A driver taking the tenth starting position and winning will earn $1,320.
Lower-level reserved ticket holders for Saturday night’s event receive access to a special pre-race FanFest, giving attendees the chance to walk the track and meet drivers and teams before the 7 p.m. green flag.
