Taylor kicks off new Kenyon Midget era with win

By Ken de la Bastide

Dameron Taylor celebrates Dick Jordan Classic win (Aaron Skillman photo)

ANDERSON, IN - Dameron Taylor kicked off his quest for a third championship with the Kenyon Midget Series by winning the Dick Jordan Classic. It was the first event for the Kenyon Midget Series under the new ownership of Brad Hayes and attracted 16 drivers at Anderson Speedway on Sunday.

Taylor took the lead at the start and was chased by Jack Macenko for much of the 30-lap feature. Macenko stayed glued to Taylor's tail-tank until lap 26 when Macenko and Clayton Gaines tangled while battling for second. Both drivers were able to continue, but lost two positions in the process. Macenko was able to pass Trey Osborne for the runner-up position on lap 29 with Gaines recovering to finish fourth followed by Ryan Huggler.

“After that first caution on lap 15, I don't know what happened,” Taylor said in the Riley & Sons Victory Lane. “He (Macenko) either found another motor to put in his car; my tires didn't want to turn and my motor didn't want to go.”

Fast qualifier Ayrton Houk, the defending series champion and race winner, started 14th in the feature after changing a tire. By lap 15 Houk was running sixth when he went high coming off the fourth corner while passing a slower car and made contact with the outside retaining wall.

Rookie of the year contender Kyle Ford won the Advanced Racing Suspension Hard Charger award by finishing eighth after starting 10th in the field.

Houk captured the K&K Marketing Fast Qualifier award with the top ten qualifiers all within a half-second of each other.

During practice Houk turned a lap that would have eclipsed the track record, but struggled slightly during his qualification attempt turning a lap at 12.44-seconds. That edged out Macenko by .083-seconds.

Houk led the entire distance to win the first heat race over Osborne and Gaines.

Macenko led from start to finish in the second heat race holding off Taylor and Osborn.

The feature finish: 1) Dameron Taylor; 2) Jack Macenko; 3) Trey Osborne; 4) Clayton Gaines; 5) Ryan Huggler; 6) Dave Osborn; 7) Kent Baledge; 8) Kyle Ford; 9) Logan Prickett; 10) Adam Denny; 11) Taylor Tecco; 12) Ray Jackson; 13) Thomas Schrage; 14) Ayrton Houk

Heat 1 finish: 1) Houk; 2) Osborne; 3) Gaines; 4) Huggler; 5) Schrage; 6) Ford; 7) Denny; 8) Taylor Tecco

Heat 2 finish: 1) Macenko; 2) Taylor; 3) Osborn; 4) Baledge; 5) Prickett; 6) Jackson