By Mark Kielblock, ARDC Public Relations


Every form of racing has it's feeder "pipeline" where drivers train in a certain type of equipment to get to the next level. In NASCAR it's traditionally been short track late model racing, and more recently, USAC Midgets and Sprints. In IndyCar racing it's various small rear-engine formula car series. For ARDC the recent trend has been for rookie drivers to come from the Micro Sprint ranks, most commonly 270's to 600's to ARDC, all on dirt.

The road to the 2007 Most Improved Driver award for Chris Zrinski was a little bit different -- paved to be exact -- in a winged TQ Midget. Zrinski's first time in an ARDC Midget in 2006 was also his first race on dirt without a wing. Nothing like jumping into the deep end of the pool.

"I ran TQ Midgets at Wall Township Speedway in N.J. for four years," Zrinski explained. "I also ran at Mahoning Valley and I ran at Mountain Speedway a few months ago." One of Zrinski's high points in TQ racing came at the Gamblers Classic Indoor race at Atlantic City in 2005. "I qualified for the A-main (no easy feat, considering the huge entry list with drivers from all forms of short-track racing) and finished 13th. I got spun near the end, so I think I would've had a top-ten," Zrinski remembered.

"This year has been a pretty good learning curve for me," Zrinski shared. After some early season struggles, Zrinski hit his high note for the season during ARDC's "Southern Swing" in North Carolina. Early in the race he slid past Bruce Buckwalter into third spot and appeared on his way to a podium finish. "I got into a rythym and something just clicked. I really was hoping for a top 3 that night, but toward the end of the race I lost the left rear and the car got loose on me," Zrinski said. Despite that disappointment, Zrinski held on for a top five finish, just behind ARDC Champion Andy Martin and ahead of two time ARDC Champ Bryan Kobylarz who was making a return to the cockpit on the Swing.

Following the high point at the Southern Swing, Zrinski's fortunes took a little bit of a dip. "We were having some handling problems and I think I was over driving the car," Zrinski summed honestly.

From here Zrinski shared his feelings on the level of difficulty in getting started in a wingless midget on dirt. "Not just anybody can jump into a midget and do it. You even see sprint car drivers struggle when they get in a midget, because they are so different, things come at you so fast," Zrinski shared. "I told my dad (car owner and ARDC Vice-President Lou Zrinski) when I first started, I can do this (learn midget racing) in 5 races. He told me no. He was right."