Sporting Scene
Brit on makes it to the D-main stage in oklahoma
Tom Harris had to settle for a midfield position in the D-main feature at the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa in the US after a thrilling five-day event in which Christopher Bell made a wheelbanging last-lap pass on long-time leader Kyle Larson to take the title for the third year in a row.
BRISCA F1 star Harris was bidding to make the A-main feature on Saturday finals night for the second successive year, but had to watch from the sidelines after a set-up change proved costly.
With the track regraded and watered prior to the main feature races of the night, his PPM Racing team made a set-up change believing the car had too much grip for the track conditions. Unfortunately for Harris it proved to be the wrong choice.
Harris needed to finish in the top five to progress into the C-main feature but, while starting fifth on the grid, he dropped back to ninth by the flag.
“They reworked the whole track and put plenty of water on it,” Harris said. “They then wheel-packed it in just like a fresh track but it went slick and blew the dust off after only a couple of laps. We completely misjudged it and the car was way too loose.”
It was a disappointing end to the week for Harris, who had shown impressive pace during Wednesday’s qualifying night session.
Having suffered a flat tyre at the start of his heat, Harris was forced to run a feature race in a mixture of events for the rest of the evening to try and make the evening’s A-main. He needed a top-four finish via the back of the grid in both the C-main and B-main events.
After stunning drives in both races, he succeeded with a second place in the C-main followed by an equally impressive run with a fourth-place finish in the B feature.
Starting plum last of the 24 starters for the big race of Wednesday night, Harris finished 16th in the 25-lap event behind two-time Chili Bowl National winner Rico Abreu.
“It was pretty frustrating at the beginning of the night,” said Harris. “We had fuel problems and the car wouldn’t run right, and then I got a flat in the heat.
“But I got more and more comfortable with the car. And the team got it better and better every time I hit the track.”