There are comeback stories.  And then there’s the Tanner Thorson comeback story from last year’s round of Indiana Midget Week at Lincoln Park Speedway, host of two Indiana Midget Week rounds in 2020 on Thursday and Friday, June 18-19.

With the wounds and scars still readily evident on his body after sustaining a broken left arm and right foot, a cracked sternum, broken ribs and a punctured lung following a multi-car incident on Highway 99 in Modesto, Calif. in March of 2019, the Minden, Nevada native delivered a performance that he said was “definitely one I’ll remember forever.”

It was definitely a performance that has still not been forgotten by those who were witnesses as Thorson used the bottom to capture the lead with just four laps remaining, enduring attack after attack from Kevin Thomas Jr. and Kyle Larson during the final laps to earn the victory, a dream scenario for the 2016 USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget champ that arrived in just his third race back since his injuries three months prior.

Thorson’s comeback, you might say, is complete and here to stay as we enter Indiana Midget Week.  He began the 2020 USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget season with two victories in the first three races for Hayward Motorsports at Ocala, Fla. and Du Quoin, Ill., and nearly won the second night out at Ocala when he lost an engine while leading late in the going.

Thorson also won at Lincoln Park in Indiana Midget Week in 2016 during his championship campaign and is one of two drivers in this week’s field who has previously won a USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget feature at the 5/16-mile dirt oval.  Driver of the Dan Harris-owned No. 2^ND, Dave Darland (Lincoln, Ind.) won his 30^th and most recent series race at the Putnamville, Ind. track in 2014, setting a new 30-lap series record in the process.

Chad Boat, a winner at Putnamville as a driver in 2018, is on the other side of the fence now as mechanic and car owner with four entries throughout all of Indiana Midget Week for night two Ocala, Fla. winner Chris Windom (Canton, Ill.), 2019 series Rookie of the Year Andrew Layser (Collegeville, Pa.), five-time IMW feature winner Kyle Larson (Elk Grove, Calif.) and last year’s Placerville Speedway Hangtown 100 opening night winner Gio Scelzi (Fresno, Calif.).

Darland, meanwhile, is also a six-time USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car winner at LPS.  Also entered in Midgets throughout Indiana Midget Week are USAC National champions Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, Okla.) and Tyler Courtney (Indianapolis, Ind.), both one-time USAC Sprint winners at LPS.

The roots of Courtney’s association with Lincoln Park Speedway run deep.  In fact, his grandparents, Mike and Verla Farrar, owned and operated the joint for nearly two decades between 1981 and 1996.

Forty-six cars are entered for each night of Indiana Midget Week 2020 at Lincoln Park Speedway.  Each night, the pit area opens at 3pm Eastern, grandstands open at 4:30pm and hot laps at 6:30pm.

USAC MIDGET WINS AT LINCOLN PARK SPEEDWAY

3-Bryan Clauson

2-Jay Drake

2-Tracy Hines

2-Tanner Thorson

1-Christopher Bell, Chad Boat, Lonnie Caruthers, Dave Darland, Tony Elliott, Kevin Olson, Johnny Parsons, Michael Pickens, Brad Sweet & Rich Vogler

USAC MIDGET WINNERS AT LINCOLN PARK SPEEDWAY

1979: Johnny Parsons (5/5) & Lonnie Caruthers (9/15)

1985: Kevin Olson (6/14)

1988: Rich Vogler (9/11)

1997: Tracy Hines (9/6)

1998: Tony Elliott (9/5)

1999: Jay Drake (9/4)

2000: Jay Drake (9/2)

2001: Tracy Hines (9/1)

2010: Brad Sweet (6/17)

2011: Bryan Clauson (6/9)

2012: Bryan Clauson (6/14)

2013: Christopher Bell (6/13)

2014: Dave Darland (6/12)

2015: Bryan Clauson (6/11)

2016: Tanner Thorson (6/2)

2017: Michael Pickens (6/8)

2018: Chad Boat (5/31)

2019: Tanner Thorson (6/6)