Clayton News Daily

Photo by Heather Middleton

By Doug Gorman

dgorman@news-daily.com

The 14th season of Thursday Thunder reaches the halfway point tonight as competitors in the Atlanta Motor Speedway summer racing series move into the fifth week of action.

Buzz Car explosion: Michael Karp is putting a little distance between himself and the rest of the field in Thursday Thunder's newest division. Karp has won three of the first four Buzz Car races, and holds a 31 points lead over Allen Nolan. Ten different drivers have competed in the series with Karp, Nolan Scott Kasparek and Josh Ballard racing in all four events.

Perfection: Bandolero Outlaw's competitor Parker Barnes has won all four races so far this season to take control of his division. Barnes (400) owns a 37 point lead over John Curtiss (363) and a 43-point lead against Madeline Crane (357) for the top three spots in the division.

Anyone can win: The Pro Division appears wide open after four weeks of racing. Three different drivers have won races this year. Points leader Sean Rachel has taken the checkered flag twice, and Taylor Hull and Jeff Haynie once each.

Running order: Here is the running order for the fifth week of Thursday Thunder:

Young Lions

Roadsters

Morally Company Outlaws

Pro

Masters

INTERMISSION:

Kid's Candy Scramble

Buzz Cars

Papa John's Bandits

Semipro