By Tim Tuttle
POWRi’s Lucas Oil National Midget Series and Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series return to Lincoln Speedway on Friday (Aug. 17) and Macon Speedway on Saturday (Aug. 18) turning for the front stretch for their championships. Both Midget events will be co-sanctioned by Badger.
The POWRi National Midgets race for the second time this season Sunday at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wis. Cornfest 30 is co-sanctioned by Badger and USAC.
Rico Abreu of Rutherford, Calif., is expected to enter all three events. The driver of Keith Kunz Motorsports’ No. 67 Bullet-Toyota has won three of the past four POWRi Midget features, including the previous race at Sun Prairie on July 15.
Abreu has had a spectacular rookie season in Midgets. He has seven top-three finishes in 10 POWRi events.
Friday’s event at Lincoln will be the 21st of 29 for the POWRi Midgets and 13th of 19 for the POWRi Micros.
Andrew Felker of Carl Junction, Mo., has a 210-point lead, 2,210-2,000, over Chett Gehrke of Broken Arrow, Okla. Brett Anderson of Belleville, Ill., is third with 1,830.
Anderson returned from a five-race hiatus due to illness to finish third in the previous feature at Belleville, Ill.
Danny Stratton of Brownsburg, Ind., won the POWRi Midget feature at Lincoln on June 22, with Colten Cottle of Kansas, Ill., second and Bubba Altig of Mechanicsburg, Ill., third.
Joe B. Miller of Millersville, Mo., has expanded his lead in the 600cc Outlaw Micros championship over Aaron Andruskevitch of Riverton, Ill., to 465 points, 1,760-1,295. Felker is third with 1,290.
Thirteen year-old Justin Peck became the youngest winner of a POWRi Micro race at Lincoln on June 22. Miller finished second and Andruskevitch was third.
Saturday’s show at Macon is the ninth annual Dana Godfrey Memorial, which pays tribute to the late wife of venerable Midget chassis builder John Godfrey. The founder and owner of Spike chassis in Brownsburg, Ind., has been active in POWRi since its inception in 2005 and is one of POWRi’s strongest supporters and partners.
Dave Darland won last year’s Dana Godfrey Memorial.Other previous winners of the Godfrey Memorial have been Mike Hess in 2003, Donnie Lehman in 2004, Tracy Hines in 2005, A.J. Fike in 2007, Brad Loyet in 2008-09 and Brad Kuhn in 2010.
POWRi’s National Midgets and Outlaw Micros have raced twice previously this season at Macon.
Zach Daum of Pocahontas, Ill., won his first POWRi Midgets feature on May 12, with Gehrke second and Daniel Robinson of Mt. Vernon, Ill., third. Altig also took his first POWRi Midget win on June 23, with Abreu second and Austin Brown of Millstadt, Ill., third.
In Micros at Macon, Alex Harris of Atwood, Ill., won his first POWRi feature with Miller second and Peck third on May 12 and Andruskevitch won with Miller second and Trent Beckinger of Evansville, Ind., third on June 23.
POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series top-10 points standings (after 20 of 29 events); 1. Andrew Felker 2,210, 2. Chett Gehrke 2,000, 3. Brett Anderson 1,830, 4. Austin Brown 1,610, 5. Daniel Robinson 1,855, 6. Jake Blackhurst 1485, 7. Tyler Thomas 1,410, 8. Garrett Aitken 1,390, 9. Brad Kuhn 1,300, 10. Dillon Welch 1,245.
POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series 2012 race winners: Kennedale, Texas—Brady Bacon; Kennedale, Texas—Dave Darland; Jacksonville, Ill.—Mario Clouser; Grain Valley, Mo.—Brett Anderson; Wheatland, Mo.—Jake Blackhurst; Macon, Ill.—Zach Daum; Belleville, Ill.—Danny Stratton; Peoria, Ill.—Andrew Felker; Brownstown, Ill.–Brett Anderson; Haubstadt, Ind.—Brady Bacon; Grain Valley, Mo.—Michael Pickens; Springfield, Mo.—Michael Pickens; Lincoln, Ill.—Danny Stratton; Macon, Ill.—Bubba Altig; Wilmot, Wis.—Andrew Felker; Sun Prairie, Wis.—Rico Abreu; Beloit, Kan.—Scott Hatton; McCool Junction, Neb.—Rico Abreu; Cameron, Mo.—Kyle Larson; Belleville, Ill.—Rico Abreu.
POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series top-10 points standings (after 12 of 19 events): 1. Joe B. Miller 1,760, 2. Aaron Andruskevitch 1,295, 3. Andrew Felker 1,290, 4. Jeremy Camp 1,270, 5. Justin Peck 1,190, 6. Cale Thomas 1,150, 7. Jacob Patton 1,080, 8. Steven Russell 940, 9.Brad McDaniel 885, 10 Derek Schuett 880..
POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series 2012 race winners: Jacksonville, Ill.—Andrew Felker; Macon, Ill.—Alex Harris; Belleville, Ill.—Travis Senter; Peoria, Ill.—Andrew Felker; Brownstown, Ill.—Andrew Felker; Haubstadt, Ind.—Trent Beckinger; Lincoln, Ill.—Justin Peck; Macon—Aaron Andruskevitch; Marion, Ill.—Chris Andrews; Marion, Ill.—Justin Peck; Marion, Ill.—Chris Andrews; Belleville, Ill.—Jeremy Camp.
For more information, go to www.POWRi.com.