THOMPSON PUTS ON STRONG DRIVE IN ROOKIE APPEARANCE AT NATIONALS

FREMONT, CALIFORNIA (November 18, 2010) – USAC Ford Focus Midget rookie Cody Thompson made a big impression with a strong performance in the Ford Focus Midget Nationals at the Las Vegas Bullring, finishing sixth.

The 17 year-old driver is in his rookie season driving pavement Midget cars for Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle driver development team out of Sacramento, Calif.

Thompson was looking to finish well in the Nationals and place himself in the USAC NorCal Ford Focus Midget title fight with one more race remaining on Thanksgiving night at TOYOTA Speedway in Irwindale, Calif.

25 Ford Focus Midgets converged on the 3/8ths mile Las Vegas Bullring for the nationals with Thompson timing in 10^th quick.

Starting positions for the feature were set through 12 lap qualifying races, where Thompson finished second.  The second place finish seeded Thompson 10^th into the 35 lap main event.

Thompson got the feature off to a big start by moving up to fifth by lap nine.  Weaving his way through traffic with three and even four wide battling, Thompson climbed all the way to second place by lap 17.

While running in second, the handling started to go away on the Southern Rock-sponsored Midget.  Thompson began to slip through the running order while fighting a tight condition.

The rookie driver hung on for still a team leading sixth place finish.  Thompson’s sixth place effort led the seven Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle entries for this prestigious race.

With the sixth place run, Thompson is just four points out of second place in the USAC NorCal Ford Focus Midget Series standings.  The series will conclude on Turkey Night on November 25 at TOYOTA Speedway in Irwindale, Calif.

Cody Thompson and Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle thank partners: Southern Rock Granite & Marble, Headblade, Groth Bros. Chevrolet, Inventory Sales Company, K&N Filters, Scribner Plastics, Allstar Performance, Sunoco Race Fuels and Star Racing Supply.

Cody Thompson Racing is online at www.codythompsonracing.com

For more information on Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle, log on to www.winners-circle-racing.com

About Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle:

Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle is an established talent scout and development program, providing long term, comprehensive racing and career development for up and coming drivers focused on NASCAR careers. RSWC drivers are raced, coached, groomed, trained and molded, within a professional racing environment, into what top NASCAR teams look for when hiring drivers. Drivers involved in the program race in a variety of cars, including USAC Young Guns Focus Midgets, USAC Ford Focus Midgets, NASCAR Grand American Modifieds, NASCAR Late Model stock cars and NASCAR Grand National stock cars.