Carson Macedo placed second, while Buddy Kofoid was third to lead Toyota in the USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Series’ opener at Merced Speedway Sunday.
Macedo, who won the previous USAC race at Tulare Speedway for Dyson Motorsports, appeared to be on the way to a second consecutive win, leading 26 laps before Corey Day was able to overtake him in turn four with three laps to go.
Kofoid, the 2022 and 2023 USAC National Midget champion, earned the third spot on the podium with a strong run that saw him run in the top three throughout the 30-lap event. He’s now finished on the podium in each of his past eight USAC starts at Merced dating back to 2020.
Also earning top-10 finishes in Sunday’s opener were Kyle Larson (fourth), Jacob Denney (seventh), Cannon McIntosh (eighth), Tanner Thorson (ninth) and Ryan Timms in tenth. Series point leader Daison Pursley placed 11th on the night as McIntosh narrowed the gap between the top two to 48 points with three races remaining.
Tonight’s second event is upcoming.
Toyota-Powered Drivers Merced Speedway Feature #1 Results
Buddy Kofoid – 3rd
Kyle Larson – 4th
Jacob Denney – 7th
Cannon McIntosh – 8th
Tanner Thorson – 9th
Ryan Timms – 10th
Daison Pursley – 11th
Zach Wigal – 13th
Kale Drake – 14th
Gavin Miller – 15th
Justin Grant – 16th
Tyler Courtney – 17th
Emerson Axsom – 20th
Toyota USAC PR PR
