By: Lucas Halbert - Grassroots Racing News / Mounce/Stout Motorsports
Springfield, Illinois (11/10/2023)... Chase McDermand will return to Mounce/Stout Motorsports in 2023 and is set to chase a pair of National Midget championships with the Owasso, Oklahoma-based team.
McDermand and Mounce/Stout opened eyes at the 2022 Chili Bowl by winning a Qualifier and starting third in his preliminary night feature, then once again on Saturday evening by winning a C-Main. From there, the racing community expected the duo would compete for wins on the national stage.
Those expectations were met as Chase, a Springfield, Illinois, native drove the Mounce/Stout - MPV Express - Rockwell Security #40 to three National Midget wins (1 Xtreme Outlaw, 2 POWRi), and the POWRi National Midget Rookie of the Year in his first full year of competing nationally. The victories were the first national wins for the team and driver.
Competing at the National Midget level is something that McDermand, a three-time Badger Midget champion, had dreamed about. "I got to do something in 2022 that has been a dream of mine for a long time. Competing at the level we did this year is an indescribable feeling. It was definitely a lot of long hours, hard work, blood, sweat, and tears. Picking up mine and Mounce/Stout's first National Midget victory is something that I will remember forever."
Mounce/Stout Motorsports co-owner Jay Mounce saw 2022 as a year where McDermand and crew put themselves on the map, "2022 was a breakout year for us and Chase was a really big part of that. National Midget wins are hard to come by, and to go out and put three wins on the board as a rookie is impressive."
Now that their summer fun has come to a close, not too far past the new year lies the 2023 Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which kicks off with practice on January 8th, 2023. McDermand will once again look to turn heads with team owners Gavin Stout and Jay Mounce.
Mounce is excited for the Chili Bowl and to get fully underway with the new season in February, "Chase, Gavin, and I all feel like we left a few wins out on the table and are anxious to get back to the Chili Bowl and Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Florida in February. We're thrilled to continue our search for more speed and fight for a pair of points championships throughout next year."
Even though McDermand visited victory lane a trio of times in his rookie year, he saw his adventures as a learning experience that he can build on. "My goals are moving towards a championship. Now that I have raced on most of the tracks that we will see in 2023, I have a good baseline for setups and an overall solid foundation moving forward. I am looking forward to competing for a USAC and Xtreme Outlaw Series National Midget championship in 2023. I am not the only one who has their eyes set on that, so do Gavin and Jay. Mounce/Stout as a whole is ready to compete for championships."
With Chase McDermand coming back to Mounce/Stout Motorsports full-time in 2023, the duo is looking to make another jump in their program and fight for championships.
Mounce/Stout and Chase would like to thank MPV Express, Rockwell Security, James Mission, Schure Built Suspensions, Stanton Racing Engines, Car and Fleet Parts, and Smith Titanium for their continued support of the team.
- Lucas Halbert