From Adam Mackey
This coming Saturday, April 23, the open wheel stars from POWRi will be setting blistering laps at the Might Macon 1/5-mile, for the second week of the 2016 racing season. On the card are the Lucas Oil POWRi National Midgets, Lucas Oil POWRi Division II Midgets, the Speedway Motors POWRi Winged Micros, and the UMP Street Stocks. Over 100 competitors are expected to compete with a number of favorites set to battle.
Leading the list of stars entered is two-time Chili Bowl champion and current NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver, Rico Abreu. Abreu has the weekend off in the Truck Series so he’s making the weekend double for Keith Kunz Motorsports, which includes the visit to Macon Speedway on Saturday. The Californian has also won the Eldora 4 Crown and has an amazing resume built up in open wheel cars.
The series that Abreu will be racing with, the Lucas Oil POWRi National Midgets, kicked off 2016 in Tulsa, Oklahoma with a duel against the Lucas Oil POWRi West Midget Series at Port City Raceway. Both nights, drivers from the West division cleaned house with Matt Sherrell taking night number one, while Jason McDougal thrilled the crowd with his Saturday night victory. Look for the National drivers to come back with a renewed head of steam at the next round of co-sanctioned events in May. Coming out of the Turnpike Challenge, 2013 and 2014 Lucas Oil POWRi National Midget Series champion Zach Daum sits atop the standings with a 20 point lead over Monrovia, Indiana’s Justin Peck. Spencer Bayston sits in third, trailing Peck by 30 points. Veteran Keith Kunz Motorsports driver Tanner Thorson holds fourth, while rookie Logan Seavey rides in fifth.
After their season opener at Belle-Clair Speedway, Nathan Benson picked back up right where he left off in 2015, claiming victory after battling with Jeremy Camp and fending off Joe B. Miller. Joe B. Miller sits in second for the Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series standings, with Jeremy Camp in third. Matt Howard currently holds fourth, while Slater Helt rounds out the top five.
Heading into this weekend, Patrick Bruns holds the top spot after the Lucas Oil POWRi Division II Illini Midget Series season opener at Lincoln Speedway. Hunter Lane holds down second in the standings, followed by Jake Neuman, Tyler Vantoll, and Max Pozsgai.
In the UMP Street Stock opener at Macon, a large field of 20 cars were pitside with 16 taking the green flag in the feature. Nick Justice, of Decatur, IL came out on top of the strong field, while Aaron Cole, Jeff Watts, Terry Reed, and Luke Force finished off the top five. The Street Stocks have a big weekend planned with the Midwest Big Ten Series season opener at Lincoln Speedway on Friday night.
Pit gates open at 3:00, grandstands at 5:00, and racing will take the green at 7:00. Grandstand admission will be $15 for adults and kids 11 and under are free.
For more information, follow Macon Speedway online at www.maconracing.com, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/maconracing) and Twitter (@maconspeedway). It’s easy to join the Macon Speedway text service. Fans can text MSFANS to 74574 to receive fan information. Drivers text MSDRIVERS to 74574 to receive driver information. Message and date rates apply. Updates are also available by calling Macon Speedway at 217-764-3000.
Macon Speedway is located nine miles south of Decatur on U.S. 51, then 0.6 miles west on Andrews Street and south to 205 N. Wiles. Macon Speedway hosts racing every Saturday night, plus many weeknight specials.