Turkey Night Midget Race Attracts a Versatile Field

Because it has been a holiday showcase event since it began at Gilmore Stadium in 1934, the annual Turkey Night Midget Grand Prix has always attracted some of the most versatile race drivers in the nation.

The 51st renewal of the race at Saugus Speedway is no exception. In addition to Indy veterans Stan Fox of Janesville, Wis., and Johnny Parsons of Brownsburg, Ind., 1991 entries include a host of open wheel talents from other venues.

Heading that category is Chuck Gurney of Livermore, Calif., who was the Turkey Night champion in 1988 and 1989. Gurney is one of three three drivers who has at least one victory a year in a major racing association since 1976.

His 1990 listing was an unusual double victory at Springfield, Ill. He won the Rex Easton Memorial race in a midget and the next day won the USAC Silver Crown race for dirt championship cars. Gurney has been a United States Auto Club national champion in both Silver Crown and supermodified cars.

Also a sprint car driver of repute, Gurney will find familiar foes from that type of racing at Saugus. They include Jimmy Sills of Placerville, Calif., Brad Noffsinger of Huntington Beach and Brent Kaeding of Campbell, Calif. Sills is also a former Silver Crown champion; Noffsinger is a two-time California Racing Assn. champion and a Winston Cup NASCAR regular in 1988 and Kaeding is the Northern Auto Racing Club and Golden State sprint car champion. Kaeding also was the 1985 Turkey Night winner.

The current USAC sprint car champion, Robbie Stanley of Brownsburg, Ind., is also entered. Stanley has sponsor help from Emily Vogler, widow of five-time national midget champion.

Current contenders for the USAC national midget crown at Saugus include leader Stevie Reeves of Indianapolis and challenger Mike Streicher of Findlay, Ohio. Others in the top 10 national standings are Doug Kalitta of Ypsilanti, Mich, Fox, Bob Cicconi of Prospect Park, Pa. and Tyce Carlson of Indianapolis.

They will be challenged by the local USAC Western States leaders headed by Ron (Sleepy) Tripp, Robbie Flock and the Jones boys, P.J. and Page. Page Jones may be the hottest of the Californians. He tied Tripp’s single season record of eight victories in on season in Western States competition at Ventura on Nov. 16.