OSWEGO, N.Y. – Reigning Budweiser Int’l Classic champion Tyler Thompson and former Oswego Speedway track champion Michael Barnes will drive TQ midgets for Jason Simmons Racing during the upcoming Indoor Auto Racing Championship.

Barnes will join Thompson beginning with the series’ first event inside the PPL Center in Allentown, Pa., on Jan. 3-4, making for a two car TQ Midget effort out of the JSR stable.

“Putting a deal like this together for Michael has been on my radar for a few years,” said team owner Jason Simmons.  “Putting Michael in another Lafler Chassis, alongside Tyler, will only help to improve our program. I am happy we were able to put it together.”

A 13-time supermodified winner at Oswego, Barnes copped the 2016 Oswego Track Championship and won most recently at the Steel Palace in the annual Grand Prix 75 on Fourth of July weekend.

A podium finisher in the last five Oswego Classics, Barnes is excited for the new opportunity.

“I can’t thank Jason enough for the chance to compete this winter,” said Barnes.  “I’m looking forward to running great equipment in one of the most competitive racing series there is.”

Joining Thompson and Barnes on the JSR indoor team for 2020 will be Champ Kart drivers Tyler Brown and Dan Kapuscinski.

Brown has two career Indoor Auto Racing Championship main events wins for JSR (Albany – 2018, Syracuse – 2019) and finished fourth in the series championship last year.

Kapuscinski, a former flat kart winner at the New York State Indoor Championships in Syracuse, will make his first career Indoor Auto Racing Championship start at Allentown January.

The Champ Kart division of the team will see each machine prepared out of the Performance Manufacturing and Slack Karts shop in Middleport, N.Y.