FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Audio and story by Managing Editor Jacob Seelman for Speed77 Radio and Race Chaser Online — Chris Seelman photo —

After a weekend characterized by hard luck and self-admitted mistakes, Cooper Clouse finally has a reason to smile at the Rumble in Fort Wayne.

Clouse, from Ohio City, Ohio, set fast time over the National Midget field for the third and final day of racing at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, putting a Munchkin chassis on top for the first time all weekend long and soothing some of the ache of his bad luck the last two days.

“That was a great run. The car was great, I couldn’t have asked for more,” Clouse said following his run. “We were a lot better than yesterday and it was just the right conditions that made it all work.”

The run is Clouse’s second career Rumble Quick Time Award, coming after a top qualifying effort on opening night a year ago. Clouse was also the only driver to break into the seven-second bracket in Sunday qualifying.

2012 Rumble winner Derek Bischak qualified second-fastest with a lap of 8.007 seconds in his quest for a second-career Rumble victory, and behind himChris Neuenschwander put up a stellar lap of 8.075 seconds to slot in third overall.

Mike Fedorcak, driving Russ Belt’s No. 19 Widow Wax Munchkin in relief for the Ohio veteran, put up his fastest lap of the weekend (8.105) to put himself fourth on the time sheets and last night’s feature winner Justin Peck posted his best ever Rumble qualifying effort (8.109) to round out the top five.

David Gough clocked in sixth-fastest, followed by four-time winner Billy Wease and Rumble rookie Ross Rankine in seventh and eighth.

Brandon Knupp’s attempt to sweep qualifying for the weekend came up short – he was only able to muster a lap of 8.214 seconds, leaving him ninth on the qualifying rundown.

Erick Rudolph (8.070) set fast time for the winged 600cc modified midgets and Jason Ormsby (8.183) was quickest of the non-winged 600cc dirt midget qualifiers.

National Midget Qualifying Results

1. Cooper Clouse, 14, Clouse, 7.943 seconds
2. Derek Bischak, 31, Bischak, 8.007
3. Chris Neuenschwander, 8, Neuenschwander, 8.075
4. Mike Fedorcak, 19b, Belt, 8.105
5. Justin Peck, 5x, Clay, 8.109
6. David Gough, 6, Gough, 8.139
7. Billy Wease, 99, Burrow, 8.160
8. Ross Rankine, 9r, 8.197
9. Brandon Knupp, 78, Chambers, 8.214
10. Russ Gamester, 46, Gamester, 8.221
11. Cory Setser, 24, Setser, 8.247
12. Kyle Hamilton, 33, Hamilton, 8.253
13. Rex Norris III, 63, Norris, 8.270
14. Bryan Nuckles, 59x, Nuckles, 8.290
15. Jim Anderson, 99a, Guess, 8.296
16. Patrick Bruns, 22, Grskovic, 8.309
17. Austin Nemire, 19, O’Connell, 8.326
18. Anthony Nocella, 4, Seymour, 8.328
19. Joey Burrow, 49, Burrow, 8.447
20. Nick Hamilton, 1, Steele, 8.526
21. Rich Corson, 15, Corson, 8.540
22. Kyle O’Gara, 27, Lawson, 8.550
23. Joe Liguori, 74, Williams, 8.574
24. Anthony McCune, 45, 3-K, 8.575
25. Jimmy McCune, 61, Kenyon, 8.583
26. Matt Westfall, 9, Ryder, 8.605
27. Alex Watson, 41, Sexton, 8.819
28. Kevin Atkins, 36a, Atkins, 8.874
29. Branson Dils, 15k, Chambers-Knupp, 8.895
30. Shayne Riley, 57r, Riley, NT

Winged 600cc Outlaw Modified Midget Qualifying Results

1. Erick Rudolph, 22, Lafler, 8.070 seconds
2. Brad Lamberson, 19, Dunigan, 8.135
3. Cap Henry, 17, Henry, 8.145
4. Ben Quinones, 20, APS, 8.268
5. Bill Dunham, 84, T&E, 8.276
6. Matt Farnham, 7f, Farnham-Mindeler, 8.321
7. Tyler Fitzpatrick, 57, Fitzpatrick, 8.411
8. Drew Dorsett, 11b, Sager, 8.412
9. Ginny Quinones, 007, APS, 8.438
10. Chase Ridenour, 11r, Ridenour, 8.442
11. A.J. Lesiecki, 14, AJD, 8.529
12. Howard McCormick, 26, Sager, 8.620
13. Mark Zumbrun, 35z, Zumbrun, 8.672
14. Rusty Strausbaugh, 29, Strausbaugh, 8.689

Non-Winged 600cc Dirt Modified Midget Qualifying Results

1. Jason Ormsby, 51, Ormsby, 8.183 seconds
2. Erick Rudolph, 32, Lafler, 8.234
3. Mike Fedorcak, 9, Fedorcak, 8.331
4. Blane Culp, 34, Culp, 8.435
5. Larry Joe Sroufe, 21, Sroufe, 8.453
6. Matt Janisch, 14, Jones, 8.464
7. Clay Sanders, 21c, Sanders, 8.537
8. Russ Gamester, 49, GRP, 8.670
9. Daniel Robinson, 57, Robinson, 8.758
10. Phil Bozell, 83jr, Wolfersberger, 8.765
11. Jonathon Lesiecki, 24, AJD, 8.775
12. Kim Hughes, 6, Hughes, 8.827
13. Richard Smith, 12, Smith, 8.883
14. Shawn Grace, 77, Woods, 8.956
15. Braiden Black, 69b, Black, 8.985
16. Ryan Ball, 10r, Ball, 9.580
17. Jeremy Howe, 48, Howe-Foster, 10.429

Audio with National Midget quick timer Cooper Clouse: