Ohio’s Jacob Denney was the fastest overall in Friday night’s practice at California’s Ventura Raceway in preparation for Saturday’s 83rd ARP Turkey Night Grand Prix Presented by the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame. (Jacob Avila Photo)
By Richie Murray | November 29, 2024
Ventura, California (November 29, 2024)………Jacob Denney laid down the fastest lap during Friday night’s USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship practice at California’s Ventura Raceway.
The four practice sessions were held in preparation for the series’ season finale on Saturday night, November 30 – the $15,000-to-win 83rd running of the ARP Turkey Night Grand Prix Presented by the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Denney (Galloway, Ohio) paced the 50 cars that took time with a lap of 12.016 seconds around the 1/5-mile dirt oval in his Tom Malloy/Trench Shoring – Rodela Specialty Fabrication – Race for Chase/LynK/Ed Pink Toyota.
Following Denney was the 2023 Don Basile Rookie of the Race, Corey Day (Clovis, Calif.), in second with a 12.039. USAC National Midget point leader Daison Pursley (Locust Grove, Okla.) was third at 12.118, just ahead of his primary championship challenger, Cannon McIntosh (Bixby, Okla.), in fourth at 12.190. Buddy Kofoid (Penngrove, Calif.) rounded out the top-five at 12.355.
Other notables include four past Turkey Night winners. Four-time victor Kyle Larson (Elk Grove, Calif.) was ninth overall in practice while Logan Seavey was 11th and Tanner Thorson (Minden, Nev.) was 23rd. Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) did not participate in practice.
Two Turkey Night Rookies and NASCAR Cup Series regulars took their first laps at Ventura on Friday. Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch (Las Vegas, Nev.) was 31st in practice while NASCAR Xfinity titlist Ty Gibbs (Charlotte, N.C.) was 32nd.
Two drivers flipped during the night in very similar fashion. Tyler Edwards (Salina, Okla.) clipped the turn three cushion and flipped several times before landing on all four wheels in the pit exit ramp. Later on, Dalten Gabbard (Peoria, Ariz.) clipped the wall and flipped several times before he too landed in the exit ramp. Both drivers walked away.
RACE DETAILS:
On Saturday, November 30, the grandstands open at 3pm Pacific with cars on track at 3:30pm featuring the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship and the Ultimate Sprint Car Series.
The Turkey Night Grand Prix will be streamed live on FloRacing at https://flosports.link/usac
Richie Murray | USAC Media | Jacob Avila Photo
