Championship comes down to final race

Championship points leader Dameron Taylor (Aaron Skillman photo)

By Ken de la Bastide

As is only fitting the battle for the Kenyon Midget championship is coming down to the final race of the year at US24 Speedway.

Dameron Taylor, a two-time champion, extended his point lead at the last event at Anderson Speedway when Jack Macenko retired after a racing incident early in the feature. Macenko led the championship point standings for most of the season but enters the final race 67 points behind Taylor.

Last year Macenko finished seventh at US24 while Taylor didn't compete on the dirt tracks in 2022.

This year Macenko has a win at at Gas City Speedway and a fourth place finish at Montpelier Motor Speedway. Taylor scored a fifth at Montpelier and came home in 8th at Gas City.

Following his victory at Anderson Speedway, Taylor remarked that he was able to build a cushion in the point standings. “I'm just looking for a good finish,” he said of the final race of the season.

Title contender Jackson Macenko

Macenko can only hope that he sets fast time, wins a heat race and feature. If the Ohio driver accomplishes that feat, depending on where Taylor qualifies and finishes in a heat race, Taylor can't finish any lower than fourth in the feature to claim the title.

The competition has been closely matched between the two front-runners all season. Both Taylor and Macenko have three feature wins, with Macenko claiming three K&K Marketing qualifying honors to one for Taylor. Macenko has recorded eight heat race wins as compared to four for Taylor.

But the fight for the championship is not the only tight battle heading to US24 Speedway.

Rookie Kyle Ford holds a 15-point lead over Clayton Gaines for third in the point standings.

Veteran competitor Ryan Huggler leads rookie driver Tanner Tecco by eight points for the fifth spot in the overall standings.

Entering the final weekend there are six rookie competitors in the top ten standings.

The season has produced five different winners with Trey Osborne, Colin Grissom and rookie Thomas Schrage scoring victories, along with Taylor and Macenko.

Schrage also has been awarded the Advanced Racing Suspensions Hard Charger award three times followed by Gaines with two.

Macenko tops qualifying honors with three quick times followed by Ford with two.

Taylor Tecco is the top competing woman in the point standings over Ashton Thompson.