April 10, 2001

      The racing season at Memphis is two-thirds done, and at Hallett it has not yet begun. They played at Gateway on an April Fool Sunday, and at Heartland twice on a windy weekend.

      Eleven races remain in the 2001 Mid-Am season – plenty of time for drivers not even among the 110 who so far have signed up for the series to sweep a championship.

      But so far, here’s who the early leaders are:

Production

      SP: Chester Bailey (Wich) took two Heartland wins to start off toward a second straight championship.

      EP: Three KC drivers chased each other around Heartland Park, with Ronald Davis coming out of the weekend two points up on Phillip Leonard.

      FP: David Fox (MidS) won the first Memphis, Bill Van Keppel (KC) won the second Heartland, so they’re tied.

      GP: Rocky Entriken (Sal) scored 12 twice at Heartland Park.

GT

      GT1: Mary Daly (StL) got top scores at the second Memphis and again at Gateway, looking for a fourth clock.

      GT3: Charles Guenther (KC) overcame car problems to run up 24 points at Heartland Park.

      Sports Racing

      S2000: Al Essig (KC), the 1994 champ, returned from a few years away to post a Heartland win.

      SRF: Ron Lentz, the 1999-2000 champ, is after a third with two wins from three finishes so far.

      Formula

      FA: Phil Gumpert (StL) won at the second Memphis.

      FC: Phil Hemes (KC) ran up three wins in two straight weekends when he took all the checkers at Gateway and Heartland Park.

      CC: Don Strathearn (StL) won at his home track.

      FM: Bob Hancock (NeOk) took steps to become the first Mid-Am FM champ with twin wins at Heartland Park.

      FF:  David Livingston Jr. (MidS) won both the Memphis races.

      CF: Making it a family affair, David Livingston Sr. (MidS) also won both Memphis rounds, but Hans Iwand (Neb) matched that at the two Heartland Park races.

      AmSed/Showroom/Touring

      Nobody has registered for any of these classes so far.

      Spec Miata

      MiDiv’s newest racing class is led by Dick Faxon (OzMt), who won the Gateway and both Heartland Park rounds, after Don Wiseman (MidS) took both the Memphis contests.

      Improved Touring

      ITS: David Bryson (StL) has three wins in four finishes in the class that has seen the most action so far.

      ITA: Mitch Johnson (Wich) waited for the Heartland races to score his first two wins.

      ITB: Chris Albin (StL) won the first four races but crashed in the fifth.

      ITC: Phil Harris (MidS) has a 3-point edge from winning both the Memphis races, while Mark Buffon (KC) and D.J. Manis (Kan) traded places at Heartland Park.

      ITE: John Hemmingson (KC) won at Gateway and again at the Saturday Heartland to take a good early lead.

–Rocky Entriken