Tight point battles move to Michigan oval

Kenyon Midgets at Berlin Raceway (Aaron Skillman photo)

By Ken de la Bastide

With rain wiping out the first visit of the Kenyon Midget Series to Salem Speedway, the teams now travel north to Berlin Raceway in Michigan.

The series will return to the Berlin oval in conjunction with the 500 Sprint Car Tour. The Kenyon Midgets have raced four times over the past two years at Berlin Raceway.

Current point leader Dameron Taylor swept both races a year ago holding off Evan Hammond in both events. Hammond set a new track record turning a lap at 17.093-seconds during K&K Marketing qualifying.

Taylor finished fourth and eighth in the top 2023 events at Berlin Raceway, but figured out the D-shaped oval the following year.

Landon Brown scored a podium finish at Berlin last year and Jeff Hill has three top-five finishes at the track.

Kyle Sheard has finished in the top ten in all four races at the Michigan oval setting fast time and winning a KRJ Race Products heat race in 2023.

Entering the sixth racing weekend of the season the point battle for the championship and Redline Ace rookie of the year honors are separated by a thread.

Both the championship and rookie points leader changed following the Don and Mel Kenyon Classic at Anderson Speedway.

For the third time this season Dameron Taylor pulled into the Jeff Hill Trailer Sales victory lane at Anderson and retook the top spot from Isaac Johnson.

Johnson had moved around Taylor in the championship battle with victories at the Indianapolis Speedrome and Paragon Speedway.

Taylor leads Johnson by a slim six points with Evan Hammond sitting in third 47 points behind Taylor.

Johnson has never competed in a Kenyon Midget at Berlin Raceway.

In the rookie of the year battle Andrew Wall moved into the top spot and has a 42-point cushion over Clayton Bohanon. Bohanon made two starts at Berlin at year ago recording an 11th and eighth place finish. Wall has never raced at Berlin.

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The Kenyon Midget Series joins the 500 Sprint Car Tour at Berlin Raceway on Saturday July 19. Pit gates open at 2:00, practce begins at 4:00, and racing begins at 6:30.

This event will be live streamed on DIRTVision.