From POWRi
Belleville, IL — (October 2, 2012) —ย Andrew Felker can ensure becoming the 2012 champion in the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series by finishing 17th in the feature Saturday (Oct. 6), but the 19-year-old from Carl Junction, Mo., has his sights on a stronger run in the season-ending eighth annual Charlene Meents Memorial at Belle-Clair Speedway.
โThe key will be getting through the heat race and get the best starting position we can for the main,โ Felker said. โThe safest place to be is up front. We want to stay up front, use our head and pick up the championship. The better we run, the better off weโll be.
โLittle Belleville is my favorite track of all the POWRi tracks and I definitely like having Little Belleville as the last place to run for the championsihip.โ
Felker leads Brett Anderson, 2,980-2,790. POWRi awards 200 points for feature wins, decreasing by 10 per position to awarding 10 for 20th place and below. POWRi also requires a driver to drop its lowest two finishes. Felker has raced in all 28 features this season and must drop 20 points–22nd and 20th places– effectively reducing his lead to 170 points.
Anderson of Belleville, Ill., didnโt enter eight events this season, five due to illness, and doesnโt have to eliminate any of his 20 feature results. Heโs the sole driver who can overtake Felker for the points lead and has clinched second place.
โI know we have a good chance to win the race, but itโs going to be tough to win the championship unless Andrew (Felker) has a DNF,โ Anderson said. โWe missed too many races this season and it would be different if we hadnโt. It would definitely be great to win the race. Itโs the last race with my dad and itโs my home track.โ
Keith Anderson, Brettโs team owner and crew chief, will retire from racing to spend more time with their family. Brett Anderson has won the Meents twice, last season and in his POWRi Midget championship season of 2008.
Anderson has finished second and third and Felker has two fourths in the previous features this season at one-fifth mile Belle-Clair. Both drivers have two wins in 2012, Anderson at Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo., and Fayette County Speedway in Brownstown, Ill., and Felker at Peoria (Ill.) Speedway and Wilmot (Wis.) Raceway.
The POWRi Midgets will be televised on SPEEDโs Lucas Oil on the Edge on a date and time to be announced.
POWRiโs Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series will also close out the 2012 season at Belle-Clair. Joe B. Miller of Millersville, Mo., secured the title with three events remaining, but Aaron Andruskevitch with 2,165 points leads 2010 champion Jeremy Campโs 2,085 in a close battle for second.
Trent Beckinger of Evansville, Ind., the 2011 POWRi Micro champion who has run a partial schedule this season, will be trying for this third straight victory and fifth in nine events.
POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series top-10 points standings (after 28 of 29 events); 1. Andrew Felker 2,980, 2. Brett Anderson 2,790, 3.Austin Brown 2,310, 4. Tyler Thomas 2,300, 5. Jake Blackhurst 2,255, 6. Daniel Robinson 2,205, 7. Brad Kuhn 2,190, 8. Chett Gehrke 2,000, 9. Dillon Welch 1,730, 10. Garrett Aitken 1,685.
POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series 2012 race winners: Kennedale, TexasโBrady Bacon; Kennedale, TexasโDave Darland; Jacksonville, Ill.โMario Clouser; Grain Valley, Mo.โBrett Anderson; Wheatland, Mo.โJake Blackhurst; Macon, Ill.โZach Daum; Belleville, Ill.โDanny Stratton; Peoria, Ill.โAndrew Felker; Brownstown, Ill.–Brett Anderson; Haubstadt, Ind.โBrady Bacon; Grain Valley, Mo.โMichael Pickens; Springfield, Mo.โMichael Pickens; Lincoln, Ill.โDanny Stratton; Macon, Ill.โBubba Altig; Wilmot, Wis.โAndrew Felker; Sun Prairie, Wis.โRico Abreu; Beloit, Kan.—Scott Hatton; McCool Junction, Neb.โRico Abreu; Cameron, Mo.โKyle Larson; Belleville, Ill.โRico Abreu; Lincoln, Ill.โBryan Clauson; Macon, Ill.โBryan Clauson; Sun Prairie, Wis.โBrad Kuhn; Du Quoin, Ill.โTyler Thomas; Du Quoin, Ill.โBryan Clauson; Jacksonville, Ill.โDanny Stratton; Canton, Ill.โBrad Kuhn; Macon, Ill.โTyler Thomas.
POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series top-10 points standings (after 18 of 19 events): 1. Joe B. Miller 2,450, 2. Aaron Andruskevitch 2,165, 3. Jeremy Camp 2,085, 4. Cale Thomas 2,020, 5. Jacob Patton 1,980, 6. Justin Peck 1,870, 7. Andrew Felker 1,770, 8. Trent Beckinger 1,450, 9. Spencer Montgomery 1,320, 10. Derek Schuett 1,310.
POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series 2012 race winners: Jacksonville, Ill.โAndrew Felker; Macon, Ill.โAlex Harris; Belleville, Ill.โTravis Senter; Peoria, Ill.โAndrew Felker; Brownstown, Ill.โAndrew Felker; Haubstadt, Ind.โTrent Beckinger; Lincoln, Ill.โJustin Peck; MaconโAaron Andruskevitch; Marion, Ill.โChris Andrews; Marion, Ill.โJustin Peck; Marion, Ill.โChris Andrews; Belleville, Ill.โJeremy Camp; Lincoln, Ill.โTrent Beckinger; Macon, Ill.โJoe B. Miller; Du Quoin, Ill.โAndrew Felker; Du Quoin, Ill.โJake Neuman; Jacksonville, Ill.โTrent Beckinger; Macon, Ill.โTrent Beckinger.
For more information, go to www.POWRi.com.