Story By: DAN KAPUSCINSKI / JASON SIMMONS RACING – OSWEGO, NY – Just a couple years ago, Tyler Thompson was a weekly warrior on the karting circuit, winning dirt and concrete races up and down the east coast; today the 17-year old high school student can be found racing any night of the week, anywhere in the northeast, driving anything from a DIRTcar Sportsman Modified, to an Oswego or ISMA Supermodified and for the second winter in a row, an ultra-quick TQ Midget.
The 2018 season was a breakout campaign for Thompson, who once again won the DIRTcar All-Star Invitational Sportsman Championship at the DIRT Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway, while also claiming both the Oswego and ISMA Supermodified Rookie of the Year titles; the first driver since 1992 to accomplish that feat.
Raising memories of former teenaged Supermodified hot shoe, Doug Heveron, Thompson drove to two Top 5 and ten Top 10 finishes in his first season behind the wheel of a Supermodified, with credit given to his experience behind the wheel of a TQ Midget earlier this season as part of the Indoor Auto Racing Championship.
“Driving the TQ for the full Indoor Auto Racing Championship schedule last season was great experience for driving the Supermodified,” said Thompson. “The TQ is extremely quick and it is tight racing with some of the best drivers in the country. I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel this winter.”
Thompson qualified for three of five Indoor Auto Racing Championship TQ main events in his rookie season, including both mains to end the 2018 tour at the Times Union Center in downtown Albany, NY.
Returning in 2019 with his No. 98T Lafler Chassis, Thompson is ready to improve and move up the overall standings, which saw him ranked 22nd in 2018.
“Last year there was such a learning curve,” said Thompson. “We ran strong at each race, but by Albany we were really hitting our stride and then the season was done. Now, we have the experience and notes to work from and we can hit the ground running in Allentown and be more than ready for Atlantic City and Syracuse.”
The Indoor Auto Racing TQ Midget Championship presented by VP Racing Fuels gets underway with the Allentown Indoor Race inside the PPL Center in Allentown, PA with two separate racing programs on January 4-5.
Just three weeks later the tour moves to the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ for the prestigious Atlantic City Indoor Midget Car Race on January 24-26, before finishing the season in Syracuse, NY at the all-new New York State Fairgrounds Expo Center.F