[Sandy Lowe]

Cody & Larry Kiewitt Honored as 2014 MTQRL Champions


GREENSBURG, Ind. – The Midwest TQ Racing League presented by Jenmarco.com celebrated its sixth season on December 6th at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Greensburg, Ind. where over eighty guests were on hand to honor Cody and Larry Kiewitt as the 2014 MTQRL Driver and Owner Champions.

Along with champions cups, acrylic awards, plaques, gift certificates and cash prizes over $6,000 was presented at the banquet bringing the season total to over $41,000.




2014 MTQRL Driver Champion Cody Kiewitt


Cody Kiewitt, driving his grandfather Larry’s #60 Don’s Log & Farms, Steve Stuckwisch Motorsports, Joe Kleber Concrete, All Star Paving, Maschino Industries Honda powered three-quarter midget had a strong, consistent season en route to his first MTQRL Championship at just eighteen years of age and a senior in high school.

Kiewitt was never ranked lower than second in the season standings, or more than 20-points out of the lead. He was the point leader after eleven of fourteen races, posting his largest lead of 72-points after the season finale on September 20th at the Shelby County Fairgrounds.

With his father Chad spinning the wrenches, the 2011 Tony Stewart Racing Rookie of the Year was fast all season. Chad did his homework before the year began and was able to prepare a car that bridged the fine line between speed and durability.





The speed was evident as Kiewitt set quick time at the Shelby County Fair race on July 3rd and had the fastest cumulative qualifying times over the course of the season winning the inaugural Watson Racing Quick Time Champion Award and a cash prize of $250.

Kiewitt was one of only two drivers to start all twelve features and was still running at the finish of ten of those races, finishing no worse than ninth. He ended the season with seven top five finishes and a season best runner-up finish on May 10th at the Montpelier Motor Speedway.

His average feature finish of 6.75 was quite an improvement over the previous season’s 12.54 average and best showing of fourth place. In recognition of his enhanced race craft, the Doyle Family presented him the SSG Jeremy W. Doyle Memorial Most Improved Driver Award.

Kiewitt was also recognized as the Jackson Oil & Solvents Duel for Fuel Champion after amassing the most points in the trophy dash held for the fastest four qualifiers. Kiewitt recorded one Duel win and four Perfect North Slopes heat wins capping off his championship season.




2nd Place Driver Matt Arrington with car owner Terry Minor & Family


Matt Arrington made a return to racing after a nearly ten-year absence and clinched second place in the season standings driving Terry Minor’s #76X Claas Lubricants, Columbus Hose & Fittings, X-tream Clean Products, Drain Master Plumbing, Miller Trucking, Renegade Custom Suspensions, Lynch Motorsports Precision Honda.

While trying to re-acclimate himself with TQ racing, Arrington started the season slowly but surged to within 18-points of Kiewitt on the strength of consecutive feature wins at the Montpelier Motor Speedway on July 19th and August 9th. DNF’s at the final two races of the season, while running in second and fourth place, would doom his title hopes.

League officials and members of the Executive Committee recognized Arrington’s poise, sportsmanship and positive mental attitude while suffering adversity as he battled for a championship and awarded him the esteemed MTQRL Spirit Award.

Arrington scored six top five feature finishes and closed the season with three straight Perfect North Slopes heat wins.


Defending MTQRL Champion Nick Speidel was unable to duplicate his 2013 dream season and finished in third place driving his father Joe’s #1 three-quarter midget. Speidel’s three feature wins on June 26th at the Rush County Fair and June 14th and September 13th at the Montpelier Motor Speedway, gave him eighteen for his career, just one shy of the all-time lead.

Speidel ended the year with six top five feature finishes, four Perfect North Slopes heat wins, and the first Watson Racing Quick Time of his career.


Another driver with an up-and-down season was Ronnie Combs driving Tony Stewart’s #14S Tony Stewart Racing, Acro Racing, Creative Finishing, Jerry Wright Auto Body, Adams Performance Engines Beast Kawasaki. Combs’ scored feature wins on May 24th at the Montpelier Motor Speedway, the Rushville Nationals on July 4th, and the July 9th Bartholomew County Fair race. His three feature wins tied Speidel for most on the season, but a string of five DNF’s, which included a violent flip at Montpelier on July 19th, prevented him from battling for a championship.

Combs received the Tony Stewart Foundation Leader of the Pack Award for leading a league high seventy-seven feature laps. He also won seven heat races and was recognized as the Perfect North Slopes Heat Race Champion.


For the second year in a row, Logan Arnold was the fifth place driver. Arnold, driving his parents Kevin and Angie Arnold’s #43 Lynch Motorsports, Earls Indy, Psy-Med Services Precision Honda, scored his first feature win in front of an enormous crowd when he won the MTQRL’s Indiana Sprint Week Race at the Kokomo Speedway on July 12th.

Arnold had five top three feature finishes in eleven starts, won two Perfect North Slopes heat races, and a Jackson Oil & Solvents Duel for Fuel. After suffering engine woes in his parents’ car at the penultimate race he hopped in his uncle Steve’s car at the season finale and promptly recorded his first Watson Racing Quick Time.


Four-time MTQRL Champion Tate Martz won the season opener, a league leading 19th of his career, driving Roger Ramsey’s #22 Beast Honda sponsored by Graphic Creations and Duane & Sonja Alexander. Although he was unable to return to victory lane, he did score top five feature finishes in eight of nine starts. The lone time he was unable to crack the top five he still recorded a very respectable eighth place finish.

Martz was the Watson Racing Quick Qualifier twice, won a Jackson Oil & Solvents Duel for Fuel, scored two Perfect North Slopes heat wins, and a semi-feature win.

Martz finished the year as the sixth place driver with Ramsey tying Speidel for third place in the car owner standings. Martz was unable to make a mid-June race when he had other commitments and his replacement, RJ Perkins, earned Ramsey enough owner points to keep his streak of never finishing worse than third place in the MTQRL season standings alive.




Sam Hankins accepts his son Brett's Hard Luck Award from Duane & Sonja Alexander & MTQRL Chief Steward Tom Wilson


Seventh place in the season standings went to Brett Hankins driving his father Sam’s Zatkoff, SpeedPartz.com #14. Hankins scored dominating feature wins at both Shelbyville races, ran second at the Rushville Nationals and third at the Bartholomew County Fair race.

Hankins recorded DNF’s at the other six races he competed at, including four at the Montpelier Motor Speedway, and was named the 2014 Duane & Sonja Alexander Hard Luck Driver receiving a cash prize of $500.

In addition to his two feature wins Hankins won a pair of Jackson Oil & Solvents Duel for Fuels, and four Perfect North Slopes heat races.


Matthew Hedrick was the eighth place driver competing in his mother Emily’s Hedrick Mowing & Landscaping, Intat Precision, Rush Memorial Hospital, Unlimited Electric, POC Industries #33 Beast Honda.

Hedrick started eleven features and finished in the top ten eight times. He recorded his best finishes, fourth place, on May 10th and July 19th at Montpelier. Hedrick was the first driver to see the checkered flag this season when he won his Perfect North Slopes heat race at the season opener.


Capturing ninth in the season standings was Jon Steed driving the Steed Motorsports #7 Dusty Flannery State Farm Insurance, Gwinnups Restoration, John Shewbrooks Racing, Lee’s Garage, Ashes to Vapor McClure Honda.

Steed was the only driver besides champion Kiewitt that started all twelve features. He started the season slowly, took a hard tumble at the Rushville Fair race, and then finished strong with a third and second place finish at the final two races. If Steed can hang on to that momentum he should be looking for his first feature win when the 2015 MTQRL season begins.


Rounding out the top ten was third year driver Tristan Maggart in his father Glen’s Crossroad Carriers, ASC Graphics, Simpson, Wayne Xpress, Indiana Insurance Solutions #08 Beast Honda.

Maggart finished in the top ten in eight of his nine feature starts. His best race of the season was at the Rush County Fair on June 26th when he ran second in the feature and scored his first Perfect North Slopes heat race win.





Drivers presented awards for their eleventh through fifteenth finish in the season standings included Aaron Percell, Kyle May, Kevin Blue, Tyler Wooten and Chris Mann. Eleventh through fifteenth owners were Steed Motorsports, Mike Kline & Jay Souviner, Percell Racing, Wayne May and Kevin Blue.




2014 Tony Stewart Racing Rookie of the Year Tyler Wooten & Family


The Tony Stewart Racing Rookie of the Year Award along with a $500 cash prize was presented to Tyler Wooten. Wooten was the highest finishing rookie driver in nine of his ten feature starts. He scored three top ten finishes with a best showing of sixth place in front of his hometown crowd at the Rushville Fair race. He continued to do his best driving at Rushville, winning a Perfect North Slopes heat race at the Rushville Nationals.

Brad Coleman finished second in the rookie of the year standings and received a cash prize of $250.


The Indy Race Parts Hard Charger Award went to last season’s Rookie of the Year Aaron Percell. Percell made forty-four feature passes in eleven starts with his best improvement, nine positions, coming on July 12th at Kokomo and July 19th at Montpelier.


Photographer Bill Miller received the MTQRL Appreciation Award to thank him for providing picture CD’s of all of the Montpelier races. The league was able to use those photos on its website, Facebook page and for other promotional purposes.





Title sponsor Jenmarco.com furnished the champion cups, acrylic awards and plaques that were presented to the drivers, owners and sponsors. They also gave the car owners and drivers with perfect attendance complimentary car registration, driver license and supplemental insurance for the 2015 MTQRL season. Those who participated at every race over the course of the 2014 season were Matt Arrington, Cody Kiewitt, Larry Kiewitt, Terry Minor, Aaron Percell and Percell Racing.


The Midwest TQ Racing League would like to thank the car owners, drivers, officials, promoters, sponsors, photographers and fans for a successful season and a promising future of three-quarter midget racing in Indiana.



For more information on the MTQRL please Like Us on Facebook at “Midwest TQ Racing League” or visit our website www.mtqrl.com.




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