LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. – The third time was the charm for Logan Seavey during Indiana Midget Week Saturday night at Lawrenceburg Speedway, as he drove to his first USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Series win of the season in the third race of the annual Hoosier State mini-series.
Seavey ripped the high lane to perfection at the high-banked, three-eighths-mile dirt that he regards as one of his favorite tracks to race at, leading all but one of the 30 laps en route to victory.
In doing so, Seavey became the third winner in as many Indiana Midget Week races, as well as the sixth different driver to reach victory lane in nine USAC national midget events this season.
It marked Seavey’s seventh career USAC national midget score and his first since Aug. 3, 2019 at Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway in Lanco, Pa.
For his part, the Sutter, Calif., native was thrilled to see the winless drought finally come to an end.
“This feels awesome,” Seavey said in victory lane. “With Tom Malloy and Jerome (Rodela), Chris (Tramel) and Krieg Poland working so hard, this definitely wouldn’t even be possible. It’s been a couple years since I’ve won a national midget race and it feels really good. We’ve had so much speed and I just haven’t been getting the job done in the features. Tonight, we got to the lead early and we’re able to set our pace and show the speed this thing has had all year.
“I’m just glad I could get it done for these guys. They work so hard, and they have such a nice race car. I’m just lucky to be the one driving it.”
Though outside polesitter Chris Windom soared to the lead on the opening lap from the outside lane, it was Seavey who moved up to second in the first rotation and was quickly on Windom’s rear bumper.
The next lap was when Seavey made his move, railing the cushion to pass Windom and take control of the main event. From there, Seavey was lights out despite a handful of brief challenges.
A red flag came out with four laps scored, after Thomas Meseraull flipped from third and collected Kevin Thomas Jr. While Thomas was able to return, Meseraull’s night was ended at that point.
Seavey got the measure of the next restart as Grant tried to slide Windom for the runner-up spot, then built up a lead of more than two seconds as Windom, Grant and Buddy Kofoid began slicing and dicing in a three-car war for second.
Traffic just before the halfway point allowed Windom to cut Seavey’s lead in half, but the comfortable margin was erased with 11 to go when Bryant Wiedeman got upside down in turn four. He was OK.
Third-running Kofoid brought the heat to Windom on the ensuing green flag, with Kofoid eventually seizing the second position on lap 21 just before Chase Randall tipped over to stop the action again.
That wasn’t the end of Randall’s misfortune, however, as he returned only to catch huge air two laps after the restart – nearly clearing the fence before coming down hard in turn three.
The second flip ended Randall’s night and set up the final restart of the race, with Seavey leading Kofoid, Windom, Justin Grant and Brenham Crouch.
Though Kofoid dropped a bomb of a slider in turn three, slicing past Seavey for a moment, Seavey drove back past and went on to win by .737 seconds over the Penngrove, Calif., native.
“At this place, you’ve got to throw them,” Kofoid said, referring to the slide job he attempted in the closing laps. “There’s no other lane to run but the top, and the way to get in front of a guy is to slide up right back into his lane. Once it slicked off, we got going well and, I think we were close to even with him, but at a track like this, it’s really tough to be better in open air.
“I would’ve liked to have won this one; obviously would like to win any one.”
Windom filled out the podium, followed by Grant and Crouch. Fast qualifier Corey Day finished sixth.
Though Seavey knew a win was important, he also knew it means getting right back to business Sunday night during round four of Indiana Midget Week at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind.
“Indiana Midget Week is one of those bittersweet weeks,” Seavey admitted. “You win a race and tomorrow it doesn’t matter. You’re showing up to race again and you don’t really have the week to celebrate it. But it is really cool. These are big races to win and I’m glad I could get another one.”
To view complete race results, advance to the next page.