Posted by UMARA on 3/24/2005, 1:26 pm
Board Administrator

Minooka, IL – Legendary chassis builder and open wheel driver Danny Drinan will return to the cockpit of one of his midget creations for the 2005 season in UMARA National midget competition. His teammate will be 19 year-old Sara Hyslop of Morris, Illinois who is moving from a successful career in go-karts to the National Midget Car ranks. Drinan, who has won at virtually every major Midget Car racetrack in the country throughout his storied career, plans to make the trek from Indy to the 1/3 mile paved Grundy County Speedway for all 12 UMARA National Midget Car events this summer. Drinan will drive a Sesco/Mopar powered Drinan Chassis for Xpress Racing Enterprises owners Sean and Stephen Potter. The car will be sponsored by M & H Electric, DTI Warehouse, Muffler Concrete, Schooners Pub and Kevin Fleming Construction. Drinan also plans to return, in his own car to the prestigious “Night Before The 500” MidgetCar race at Indianapolis Raceway Park in May. Among Drinans’ accomplishments are race wins at such tracks as Winchester Speedway, (IN) Salem Speedway, (IN) Indianapolis Raceway Park, Phoenix International Raceway and his first ever midget feature win on his 21st birthday at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1992 he was awarded USAC’s Most Improved Driver Award following a near-fatal accident at Springfield, Illinois at which time he was leading the USAC National midget points. In 1984 he was lead mechanic and fabricator for the Mario Andretti, Newman/Hass World Championship Indy Car team. In 1986 he was the lead mechanic and fabricator for the Michael Andretti, Kraco Indy Car team. In 1998 and 2000 Drinan attempted to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. He just missed qualifying for the field in 1998 by .002 seconds. Drinans’ 2005 teammate Sara Hyslop moves up from a very successful career in the go-karts. With multiple championships, including the 2004 TAG USA and HPV Route 66 Series Championships, the 2003 125 TAG USA Season Championship and the 2002 Rotax Max Season Championship, Hyslop looks to continue her success in the UMARA National Midget Division. For the 2005 season, Hyslop will run the National 125 TAG USA kart events for Ital Systems and will pilot the M & H Electric Pontiac powered Beast National Midgetcar for Xpress Racing at all UMARA National midget events at the Grundy County Speedway. In addition to fielding cars for Drinan and Hyslop, M & H Electric will sponsor the car of National midget driver Reid Ceponis. Ceponis also with a karting background including a Burris Circle Tour Late Class Championship in 2000, is also a former UMARA Sportsman Midget Rookie of the Year, and winner of the Illinois State Midget Championship in the Sportsman division. Ceponis will drive his own Gaerte powered Hawk chassis sponsored by E. Anthony Inc. and M & H Electric. “We are excited about the addition of these highly talented drivers to our team and look forward to a very exciting season with the United Midget Auto Racing Association” says Sean Potter owner of M & H Electric. Danny, Sara and Reid bring a lot of driving experience to the team and Danny certainly brings a ton of fabrication and race set-up experience to our team. We look forward to working with all of them throughout the 2005 season.”