By Tim Tuttle
MILLSTADT, Ill. (Oct. 29, 2012)—The POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series has entered into a multi-year agreement to sanction the POWRi Lucas Oil Australian Speedcar Super Series and the POWRi Lucas Oil New Zealand Midget Super Series.
The three series will operate under the same technical regulations and procedures. It establishes a platform for a Midget World Championship, which POWRi expects to organize for the 2013-14 season.
“Our goal is to grow midget racing internationally and increase its prestige, purses and participation across the board,” POWRi co-founder Kenny Brown said. “With our opposite seasons, we can race year round. We hope to foster increased international competition, with American drivers going to New Zealand and Australia and New Zealand and Australian drivers coming to America. We have already seen some of that the past two years with Michael Pickens and Nathan Smee racing in POWRi and other premier events.
“We are working on a plan for a series of races in Australia, New Zealand and the United States that would form a world championship series with the winner becoming world champion.”
Kiwi Pickens, a five-time New Zealand champion, won four straight POWRi National Midget features over the past two years and also has wins in 2005 and 2007. Australian Smee finished seventh at Springfield, Mo., in one of his two events this season. New Zealand’s Leyton Kendall drove in four POWRi National events in 2011 with a top finish of 14th in the feature at Spoon River Speedway in Canton, Ill.
Reigning POWRi National Midget champion Andrew Felker of Carl Junction, Mo.,drove in the opening two events of the POWRi Australian championship. He was a 17th/DNF in the feature at Supercheap Auto Archerfield Speedway in Brisbane on Oct. 20 and 15th/DNF at Charlton Raceway in Toowoomba on Oct. 27.
Alex Bright of Collegeville, Pa., won at Charlton and was 18th/DNF at Archerfield Speedway. He was the only other American in the field.
For further information, visit www.POWRi.com.