15 Garden State Quarter Midget Drivers Compete at Grands

The Garden State Quarter Midget Racing Club sent 15 of its member drivers to the 2013 Quarter Midgets of America Eastern Grands July 21-26.  Drivers Maddie and Ryan Boyd, Patrick Gallagher, Brandon and Justin Grosso, Colin Bustard, Louie and Justin Keraitis, Brandon Pavel, Travis and Thomas Schwarz, Ian Gillespie, Chase and Cole Stangle, and Jake Nelke made the 1700+ mile trip, along with their families, to Cumming, GA just outside of Atlanta.

The week opened with a day for the novices on Monday.  Thomas Schwarz represented the club well, coming from last three separate times to be credited with a 4th place win in his first Grands A-main; the Junior Novice race.  

Tuesday found the other 14 drivers taking laps around the 1/20th mile track during two rounds of practice.  Many teams had to take to 'thrashing' with the cars due to various needed adjustments.  Qualifying timing would take place the next day but only after a guest appearance by former NASCAR driver Bill Elliott and his son, Chase who is currently a driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Hendrick Motorsports.  After an opening parade, the drivers and their handlers got down to the serious business of making 3 fast laps on the flat track with the brick start-finish line.

Lower mains began for the 335 registered cars late Wednesday evening and continued into Friday afternoon (with late night breaks for a little sleep in between).  A-mains started in mid-afternoon with several of the GSQMRC drivers competing for the honors.  Justin Keraitis, Louie Keraitis, Maddie Boyd and Brandon Grosso would all compete in the Heavy Honda A.  Cole Stangle would make the A in his Junior Stock while his brother Chase made the Junior Animal A-main.  Justin Grosso took both of his cars to the A's.  Patrick Gallagher, Louie Keraitis and Brandon Grosso went to the Heavy 160 A and Louie and Brandon made the Heavy World Formula A-main along with Colin Bustard and Jake Nelke.  Nelke and Brandon Grosso had their cars in the AA A-main.

While none of the GSQMRC racers came away with a win, each and everyone gave their all for their club and themselves.  Results for each driver follows (some drivers moved up from even lower mains than listed here; these are their final positions for the week):

Thomas Schwarz - Junior Novice A-main - 4th place

Ryan Boyd - Junior Honda F-main - 8th; Junior Animal E-main - 6th; Junior Stock B-main - 6th

Cole Stangle - Junior Animal C-main - 8th; Junior Honda C-main - 8th; Junior Stock A-main - 4th

Chase Stangle - Junior Animal A-main - 9th; Junior Honda H-main - 6th

Justin Grosso - Junior Animal A-main - 6th; Junior Honda B-main - 6th

Branden Pavel - B B-main - 6th; Heavy 160 D-main - 6th; Light World Formula D-main - 5th

Patrick Gallagher - Heavy 160 A-main - 5th; Senior Animal B-main - 10th

Justin Keraitis - Heavy Honda A-main - 5th

Colin Bustard - Heavy Honda C-main - 9th; Heavy 160 F-main - 6th; Heavy World Formula A-main - 3rd

Maddie Boyd - Heavy Honda A-main - 4th; Heavy 160 F-main - 9th; Heavy World Formula D-main - 6th

Ian Gillespie - Heavy Honda C-main - 6th; Heavy 160 D-main - 7th; Heavy World Formula E-main - 8th

Brandon Grosso - Heavy Honda A-main - 2nd; Heavy 160 A-main - 9th;  AA A-main - 6th;  Heavy World Formula A-main - 9th

Jake Nelke - Heavy 160 G-main - 8th; AA A-main - 5th;  B B-main - 9th; Heavy World Formula A-main - 7th

Louie Keraitis - Heavy Honda A-main - 10th; Heavy 160 B-main - 9th; Heavy World Formula A-main - 10th

Travis Schwarz - Heavy Honda D-main - 8th;  Heavy 160 G-main - 9th; Heavy World Formula F-main - 9th

Racing resumes this Friday, August 2nd at 7 PM.  Regular Sundays return on August 11th.  Please check the club website at www.gardenstateqmrc.com for more information.  Admission, as always, is free.  Refreshments available on grounds.