Huggler hits bullseye at Paragon

Ryan Huggler in victory lane at Paragon Speedway.

By Ken de la Bastide

PARAGON – Kenyon Midget Series point leader Ryan Huggler delivered an impressive performance in sweeping the event at Paragon Speedway.

Huggler entered the night with a 48-point lead over Evan Hammond and with two races remaining increased that margin to 88 points. Huggler captured the K&K Marketing fast qualifyier award setting a new track record in the process with a lap of 17.309-seconds to edge out Dameron Taylor. He also won the first KRJ Race Products heat race.

Evan Patton won the second KRJ Race Products heat race in his first time on dirt.

The invert put Jalen Cox and Buddy Hollmeyer on the front row with Huggler rolling off from the fifth starting position for the feature event. The start of the race was delayed when Jett Neal spun in turn four which wiped out an excellent start by Hollmeyer. On the restart Cox went to the lead chased by Hollmeyer, Taylor, Huggler and Landon Brown.

The second caution flag waved when Jason Fuller came to a stop in turn four and at the same time Taylor and Landon Brown tangled in turn two.

Cox remained in control over Hollmeyer and Huggler when the third caution flag waved on lap eight when Fuller spun in turn two.

Huggler moved into the second spot on the restart with an inside pass of Hollmeyer entering turn three and the final caution flag waved on lap 12 for debris.

Huggler took the lead on lap 13 with an inside pass when Cox pushed up the track in turn two.

Huggler went on to win for the second time in 2024 and fifth time in his career followed by Cox, Neal, Evan Hammond and Hollmeyer.

Huggler said he had a strong car all night. By advancing four positions Huggler captured the Advanced Racing Suspensions Hard Charger award.

“I was doing everything I could to find the moisture down on the bottom,” he said. “It was helping me through one and two but in three and four it was a bit all over.”

Huggler said Cox made a mistake when he drifted high in the corner making the pass a little easier.

“I had a good points night going into the last two races,” he said. “Just keep my nose clean.”

Cox said there was a rut in turn one that forced him to lose momentum. “I just made that one mistake,” Cox said. “It made the car tight and that was all she wrote. The rut made it tough through one and two and all you could do was drive through it and hope for the best.”

Neal said on the opening lap he tried an inside pass of Hollmeyer and ended up in the mud at the bottom of the track. “The corners here are fast and you just have to keep a good balance,” he said. “I've run some dirt in the past in a micro (sprint).”

Patton making only his second Kenyon Midget Series start found himself running second in the second heat race when Kyle Sheard, Taylor and Hollmeyer tangled in turn two.

Hammond missed a shift on the restart which allowed Patton to take the lead with three laps remaining and was able to hold off a closing Taylor with Hollmeyer recoveing to finish third.

Huggler led the entire distance in the first KRJ Race Products heat race with Cox and Neal rounding off the top three.