Motorsport: American champion too fast for classy midget field

Bryan Clauson salutes the crowd. Photo / James Selwyn

American Bryan Clauson won the 25-lap midget feature race in front of a large crowd at Western Springs stadium.

The 21-year-old, a Nascar prospect fresh from securing the 2010 American USAC Midget championship and their driver of the year title, led almost from start to finish.

New Zealand champion Michael Pickens managed to stay close but couldn't pass. Last year's winner and overall series champion Jerry Coons jnr was third.

Clauson now leads the Auckland International Series with three rounds to go, the second night tomorrow.

Australian Peter Murphy, now an American resident, won the 30-lap sprintcar feature which doubled as the first round of three for the International Sprintcar Series.

Second was local youngster Ryan O'Connor, who drove a great race in a damaged car to hold out American legend Sammy Swindell, 55, all the way to the flag.

A big crash on lap one took out two of the front runners, Tauranga's Rodney Wood and Graeme "Skinny" Colson from Taranaki. The sprintcars' second round is also tomorrow.