By Tim Kennedy

IRWINDALE, Calif. — In a prelude to the 67th Thanksgiving Night Grand Prix for midgets, Bobby Santos III made history Thursday by winning the first sprint-car feature with Toyota power.
The 22-year old from Franklin, Mass., who is a development driver for Bill Davis Racing, won his first 360 cubic-inch Western Sprint Series feature on Irwindale Speedway’s half-mile asphalt oval, collecting $2,500 from a $16,305 purse.
Toyota entered its first cast iron 360 cubic inch V-8 block engine in the most prestigious USAC Western Series race of the season. The Ed Pink Racing Engines developed engine is a derivative of the eight-cylinder Toyota engine used this year in NASCAR Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series competition.
Minor modifications were made to accommodate alcohol fuel run in USAC races as well as the switch from a carburetor to a mechanical fuel injection system. The aluminum cylinder heads used are similar to those used in the Toyota USAC National Midget Series. The new Toyota sprint car engine is also approved for the USAC Silver Crown Series.
Santos, the third fastest qualifier in a Western Speed Racing/TRD K & N Filters Eagle chassis, started fourth and jumped to second on the first lap and trailed pole-starter Cole Whitt for 31 laps. On lap 32, the two leaders lapped slower cars and Whitt went to the outside. Santos cut to the inside and emerged with the lead.
Whitt, a 16-year old from Alpine, Calif., qualified sixth and finished second, earning $1,500.
Tony Hunt, the 2006 USAC Western Sprint champion and TNGP sprint car feature winner, blew his engine during practice and then qualified a back-up car in 11th spot. He hustled to a third-place finish. Fast-qualifier Nick Green, son of long-time sprint-car driver Tim Green, started sixth and finished fourth on his 21st birthday. Ryan Kaplan was fifth.
The summary:
Qualifications: 1. Nick Green, Green 114, 16.690; 2. Ryan Kaplan, Kaplan 21, 16.910; 3. Bobby Santos III, Western Speed 40, 16.950; 4. Kody Swanson, Swanson 17,16.960; 5. Eric Humphries, Cantrell 16, 16.970; 6. Cole Whitt, Whitt 29w, 16.970; 7. Jim Waters, Ault 24, 17.010; 8. Tanner Swanson, Swanson 75, 17.010; 9. Mike Murgoitio, Western Speed 80, 17.020; 10. Davey Hamilton, Finkenbinder 3f, 17.070; 11. Tony Hunt, Kaiser 1, 17.090; 12. Nick Rescino, Jr., Rescino 11, 17.140; 13. Bradley Galedrige, Waters 22s, 17.150; 14. Kasey Kahne, Zarounain/Kahne 67, 17.180; 15. Jessica Helberg, Helberg 4, 17.190; 16. Tracy Hines, Morales 27, 17.220; 17. Bryan Warf, Warf 91, 17.230; 18. Tim Barber, Pierson 14, 17.290; 19. Ryan Burdett, Burdett 36, 17.300; 20. Rick Hendrix, Hendrix 97, 17.310; 21. Dakoda Armstrong, C & A 7a, 17.340; 22. Chris Windom, Windom 17n, 17.410; 23. JoJo Helberg, Helberg 07, 17.420; 24. John Sarale, Finkenbinder 3r, 17.460; 25. Snake Livernash, Scott 7s, 17.510; 26. Audra Sasselli, Waters 24s, 17.630; 27. Josh Ford, Ford 73, 17.650; 28. Robert Beck, Beck 03, 17.680; 29. Greg Anderson, Anderson 02, 17.750; 30. Shauna Hogg, Hogg 5, 17.780; 31. Brad Noffsinger, Finkenbinder 3a, 17.850; 32. Anthony Simone, Simone 10, 17.970; 33. Chris Schmelzle, Aggressive Motorsports 92r, 18.130; 34. Merv Barcelo, Barcelo 94, 18.130; 35. Randy Hannagan, Rescino 11x, 18.130; 36. Jim Kaiser, Kaiser 12, no time.
Feature (40 laps): Santos, Whitt, Hunt, Green, Kaplan, Murgoitio, Hines, Anderson, Galedrige, Swanson, Warf, Sarale, Kahne, Livernash, Hendrix, Armstrong, Helberg, Windom, Noffsinger, Burdett, Beck, Helberg, Hogg, Simone, Barcelo, Hannagan, Sasselli, Humphries, Swanson, Hamilton, Rescino, Waters, Ford, Schmelzle, Barber.