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Photo Micael jaworecki/Myracenews
Atlantic City, NJ – After finishing first and second in the January 7 Indoor Auto Racing Series feature in Allentown, PA, Anthony Sesely and Ryan Flores head to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ ten points apart.
With a NAPA AUTO PARTS ‘Double Down” weekend featuring full-point Gambler’s Classic’s both Friday and Saturday night, January 27 and 28, the 2023 BELFOR Property Restoration TQ Midget title could be decided among anyone of 15 different drivers after two hard fought battles.
Sesely, a three-time Gambler’s Classic winner, enters this year’s event as the pre-race favorite, but it’s not odds a gambler would want to take. Flores will be seeking to win the prestigious TC Cup for a second time, but 15 other drivers have a legitimate chance on the championship as well.
The winner of each 40-lap feature in Atlantic City will collect 100 points with a five-point bonus given to the driver who sets the fast time. The winner gets 10 points more than the runner-up. The last place finisher in each race receives just 15.
Sesely starts the weekend with 125 points. In Allentown he won Saturday’s main event a Friday’s Triple 20 qualifier worth 25 extra points. Flores is second with 115, 90 for second and 25 for his Friday night win.
Other top point drivers heading to the NAPA Atlantic weekend include Tommy Catalano (107), Tyler Thompson (105) Andy Jankowiak and Scott Kreutter (tied with 94) and Erick Rudolph (92) who are still very much in the point title chase.
Tim Buckwalter, last year’s Gambler’s Classic winner, is currently 13th in the standings. After struggles in Allentown, Buckwalter has 59 points, but with bad luck to those in front of him he could still stag his first ever champions.
The situation is somewhat different with the Slingshot and Champ Kart points, those divisions ran their two features in Allentown. They’ll run one on Saturday night in Boardwalk Hall.
The top drivers in the Slingshot standings Scott Neary (190) leads Cody Kline (165), John Redner and Michael Lapicki (tied with 155), Brian Smith (133) and Matt Mertz (130) are the top drivers.
Tyler Brown leads the Champ Kart standings, amassing 190 points as Neary did in Allentown. Missy Bootes, Chase Keister, Mike Perry are in a three-way tie (155) for second; Brandon Ruczek (140) is fifth.
The Atlantic City races will be run for the 20th year under Len Sammons Productions and past winners will be celebrated. The first event held on January 18, 2003, was won by Andy Mackereth of Toronto, ONT. Fellow Canadian Stewart Friesen was second and Watertown, N.Y.’s Tim McCreadie was third.
Prior to Saturday’s event Fan Fest will be held on the racing surface for those with lower-level reserved tickets from 5 to 6:15. Drivers from the event as well as NHRA Funny Car champion Ron Capps will be signing autographs.
The 600cc Dirt Micro Sprints will be making a return to Boardwalk. All four divisions will be running a feature on Saturday night. In 2013, Erick Rudolph and Kyle Lick were the winners.
Good seats for both nights remain available at Ticketmaster, a direct link is available from the series website, indoorautoracing.com, or daily at the Boardwalk Hall Box Office where the price is increased by $5 the day of the event.
For those who cannot attend, the event will be available on DTD Pay-Per-View for $64.99 for the weekend or $34.99 for Friday and $39.99 for Saturday.
