4/26 Oklahoma City – Just two weeks after the first of 9 visits from the Lucas Oil POWRi West Midget Series to their home track in Oklahoma City, they returned to yet another wind storm much like the one that greeted them back on April 12th.
Track preparation was key as this time the 1/5th mile, high banked red clay did not take rubber, instead offering two, sometimes three racing grooves, albeit with a little pop.
15 Midgets turned out for the fifth POWRi West event of the season, and also the launch point for three consecutive weekends of competition. Considering forecasters spent the week informing all who would tune in that storms would no doubt hit the OKC metro before 10pm, it was an excellent turnout of Midget teams seeing as all but two of them traveled considerable distances.
Passing points were calculated after heat races won by Bixby, Oklahoma’s Kevin Bayer and Tulsa’s Alex Sewell, and so it was Bayer pacing the pole position of the 25 lap Lucas Oil POWRi West main event with Choctaw, Oklahoma’s Cody Brewer alongside.
Bayer’s Bullet has been no stranger to the front this season, racing up front in each of the opening two standalone POWRi West events coming in to round two at Riverside.
But it was Brewer that snared the early lead with Bayer and Alex Sewell giving very quick chase. Bayer fought off a couple of quick challenges from Sewell and it showed in the gap between he and the leader as Brewer extended his advantage to nearly a dozen car lengths.
Near the 7th round Goldsby’s Travis Scott battled past Sewell for third with Guthrie’s Michelle Decker also joining the fray.
The sole red flag of the race came out when Jenks’ Eric Fenton tangled with Edmond’s Matt Johnson, sending the POWRi West series promoter upside down into a few rolls that ended with a hard landing on the back straight. Medical personnel responded and kept Fenton under observation for several minutes, but the 37 year old Midget veteran regained his footing and headed to the trailer for a few advil.
During the stoppage, Alex Sewell was forced to the work area, relegating the young Tulsa standout from third to the tail of the field.
Cody Brewer led Bayer, Scott, Decker, and Factor One Racing’s Jason McDougal coming out of the restart just one lap shy of the midway point.
The action heated up just a few laps later as a rut developed in the top side of the turn three cushion that nearly all racers were utilizing, with Brewer skipping it several times allowing Bayer to look underneath.
But Brewer was equal to Bayer’s vigorous challenge, adjusted his line and maintaining a 4-6 car length lead to the finish line aboard the Chevy powered, NAPA Auto Parts, Ken’s Automotive, and MudX sponsored no. 96 Spike.
Bayer settled for runner up honors with Travis Scott placing his Chevy powered #10 Stealth in the show position. A multiple track champion at Oklahoma City’s illustrious and legendary State Fair Speedway in the years prior to its’ closing in 2009, Guthrie’s Michelle Decker turned in a hard fought fourth place finish in the Esslinger powered #4m Fontana.
Broken Arrow’s Jason McDougal advanced two spots to complete the top five running order aboard the Esslinger powered #73 BOSS Chassis supported by CTE, Boss Chassis, and Factor One Racing.
The Factor One Hard Charger Award went to Tulsa’s Jonathon Halford. Halford was a POWRi West winner at Riverside aboard his Chevy powered #83 Spike back on April 12th. Starting 11th, “Boots with the Fur” moved up from 11th to claim sixth at the finish line.
Lucas Oil POWRi West Official Results
Saturday, April 26th / Oklahoma City, OK
Heat One (8 laps): 1. 91B Kevin Bayer (4); 2. 96 Cody Brewer (6); 3. 21H Ty Hulsey (1); 4. 10 Travis Scott (5); 5. 83 Jonathan Halford (3); 6. 14E Eric Fenton (7); 7. 23A Hannah Adair (8); 8. 1ou A.J. Burns (2)
Heat Two (8 laps): 1. 8 Alex Sewell (3); 2. 9u Doug McCune (4); 3. 4m Michelle Decker (2); 4. 73 Jason McDougal (5); 5. 85 Matt Johnson (7); 6. 7x Jordan McPherson (6); 7. 1 Bobby Brewer (1)
Lucas Oil POWRi West A Feature (25 laps): 1. 96 Cody Brewer (2); 2. 91B Kevin Bayer (1); 3. 10 Travis Scott (6); 4. 4m Michelle Decker (5); 5. 73 Jason McDougal (7); 6. 83 Jonathan Halford (11); 7. 8 Alex Sewell (3); 8. 23A Hannah Adair (13); 9. 9u Doug McCune (4); 10. 7x Jordan McPherson (12); 11. 1ou AJ Burns (15); 12. 85 Matt Johnson (11); 13. 1 Bobby Brewer (14); 14. 14E Eric Fenton (10); 15. 21H Ty Hulsey (8)
Lap Leaders: Cody Brewer 1-25
Factor One Racing Hard Charger: Jonathan Halford +5
Stoppages: 1 yellow, 1 red
The Lucas Oil POWRi West Midget Series moves to the Show Me State next weekend for a pair of shows with their National brethren, the first coming Friday night at Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Missouri before a much anticipated weekend finale on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri.
The POWRi West Midgets will then head back to Oklahoma City for our third round of action there on Saturday, May 10th and there remains a chunk of Midget teams that competed in our opener that have set out two shows in a row now. If you can’t make the trek to Missouri, we hope to see all of you guys, all regional Midget teams in Oklahoma City on May 10th. Come join us in showing that the Lucas Oil POWRi West Midget Series is the premier wingless open wheel series in the region. I-44 Riverside will be debuting their new stands on May 10th so come race for a packed house!
Stay tuned to POWRi West outlets on Facebook, Twitter, and www.powri.com for a closer look at these upcoming shows, as well as updated series’ points.