By Tim Tuttle
BELLEVILLE, Ill. (March 22, 2012)—Brett Anderson, Nick Knepper and Brad Kuhn won features in the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series at Belle-Clair Speedway last season and they’ll be aiming for their first victory of 2012 at the 1/5th-mile track Saturday (March 24).
The Bullring 30s also has the season-opening event for the POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series and UMP Modifieds. The three series will run 30-lap features.
Anderson won the POWRi Midget season finale at Belle-Clair on Oct. 1. The 27-year-old from Belleville, Ill., will be running a new chassis-and-engine package this season, changing to XXX and Fontana.
“We’ve had a lot to do to get ready and hopefully, Saturday will be a decent night,” Anderson said. “Bringing a new car and motor to the track without a chance to run it is never good, but we shouldn’t have any problems. We got the motor from Brad Kuhn at Fontana and it’s one of the motors he ran last year and has been completely gone through.
“Jeff Davis from Triple X made us a deal that we couldn’t pass up. He wanted to have the Triple X out there running for the POWRi championship and that’s what we’re planning on doing.”
Anderson was the POWRi Midget champion in 2008. He was eighth in 2011 in a season hurt by engine problems. Anderson had six top-fives and nine top-10s in 15 features.
Knepper had one victory, two thirds, a fifth and a ninth in five POWRi features at Belle-Clair last year. The 25-year-old from Belleville, Ill., finished second in the championship. He had 12 top-fives and 20 top-10s in 22 features.
Kuhn of Avon, Ind., had two wins, a third and a 10th in four events at Belle-Clair in 2011. The two-time POWRi Midget champion from Avon, Ind., was third in the championship.
For more information on POWRi Racing, go to www.POWRi.com.
POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series 2012 race winners; Kennedale, Texas—Brady Bacon; Kennedale, Texas—Dave Darland.