Chad Finley. Johnny VanDoorn. Two names known well within Midwest racing circles, and two names the rest of the country may be hearing a lot more from in the next few seasons.

Chad Finley burst on to the national scene late in 2009 when NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Brad Keselowski put the then 17 year-old behind the wheel of his ARCA Stock Car. In four starts on the ARCA circuit in ’09, Finley managed a pole at Rockingham, a podium finish (3rd) at Berlin Speedway (near Grand Rapids, Michigan) and two top-10s.

Yesterday (June 5, 2010) the now 18 year-old phenom proved his 2009 success was no fluke. Finley qualified fourth in the Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 200 at Pocono Speedway and finished 3rd in his #29 Auto Value Parts Chevy for Brad Keselowski Racing (BKR). In addition to a full schedule of Outlaw Super Late Model events throughout the Midwest this summer, Finley will make at least seven more starts for BKR – including a June 11th race in front of his hometown fans at Michigan International Speedway.

Twenty-two year old Johnny VanDoorn is another Midwest shoe going far. The 2009 CRA Super Series Champion, VanDoorn also is raising eyebrows among the region’s racing fraternity. His championship run last year included two victories on the CRA circuit. So far in ’10, his title defense has run into mechanical and bad luck demons. An average finish of 14.2 in five events, he has one win (Anderson Speedway) among three DNFs.

The Coopersville, Michigan talent comes home on June 15 to continue his quest for a second consecutive CRA title at Berlin Speedway. With his smooth on-track style, and the fact 13 events remain in the 2010 campaign, we will likely see his name back on the trophy at this year’s awards banquet.

Keep track of Finley and VanDoorn’s success this season by following each at:
www.chadfinleyracing.com and www.johnnyvandoorn.com