By Brian Walker
PEVELY, MO – August 3, 2022 – After a month off, the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by TOYOTA roars back to life in a big way this weekend.
Set for two nights at Pevely, MO’s Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, the inaugural campaign links up with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series to participate in the always-thrilling Ironman 55 presented by Festus Tourism Commission.
A $4,000-to-win program on Friday and $5,000-to-win show on Saturday, held in conjunction with the POWRi National Midget League, marks the fourth and fifth races in Series history. With three different winners through the opening three races, a loaded field of contenders will be stepping up the plate in hopes of keeping the parity streak alive this weekend.
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Let’s take a quick preview of this weekend’s action on DIRTVision.com:
GIRL POWER: For the first time in the long and storied history of National Midget racing, a pair of females have won back-to-back sanctioned races. Taylor Reimer, of Bixby, OK, got the ball rolling when her Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, BUZZBALLZ #25K was awarded the May 25 victory at Millbridge (NC) Speedway, and one month later came along Clovis, CA’s Jade Avedisian with a dominant wire-to-wire win at Jacksonville (IL) Speedway in her CB Industries #84.
Reimer (-107 PTS) currently sits seventh in Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series points with Avedisian (-174 PTS) holding onto ninth through three nights. It’s not only those two, though, Kaylee Bryson, of Muskogee, OK, is waiting in the wings to join the club. She became the first female to qualify for the Chili Bowl A-Main earlier this year and has proven she’s on the cusp of Victory Lane in the Yahoo! #71.
SLAYING THE TITANS: It’s not the Toyota powerhouses of Keith Kunz or Chad Boat leading the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series standings, but none other than North Carolina’s own family run operation, Bundy Built Motorsports. The Honda-powered duo of Zach Daum (Pocahontas, IL) and Ethan Mitchell (Mooresville, NC) have thrived since joining forces and this week they unveiled a sleek new sponsorship from White Racing Products, one they hope to take to Victory Lane.
Daum, a three-time POWRi National Midget champion himself, has been widely consistent to start the 2022 campaign with back-to-back runner-up results at Millbridge followed by a sixth at Jacksonville. The current Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series points leader (+44 PTS) has plenty of Pevely experience, including a 2016 victory at the 1/3-mile.
Sitting fourth in the points (-74 PTS) is Daum’s young, but trusty sidekick in Ethan Mitchell. The 20-year-old finished seventh and third at Millbridge before bad luck resulted in a 17th-place bid at Jacksonville. He’ll look to get back on track and chase down his teammate in the $10,000 points chase this weekend.
DOUBLE DUTY: With the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series also on the docket this weekend, a pair of racers are expected for double duty status for the Ironman 55 this weekend. Michael Pickens plus Jake Neuman, and potentially Joe B. Miller (Millersville, MO), will be plenty busy with four Features across two nights at the bullring.
Michael Pickens, of Auckland, NZ, will be making his debut with both the World of Outlaws and Xtreme Outlaw, driving for Shophouse Racing. The 39-year-old international icon has dominated down under and shined in his limited USA appearances with four USAC Midget wins and 10 POWRi National Midget League scores to his credit.
Jake Neuman, of New Berlin, IL, has thrived in the past at I-55 Raceway and enters as a legitimate threat for his first-career Xtreme Outlaw Series win. He was fifth in his Series debut in June at Jacksonville and last month made his maiden Feature with the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars at Wilmot (WI). He’ll be trying to top his I-55 career-best of third with the POWRi National Midgets.
WHO’S NEXT: Through three races, we’ve seen three different winners with the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by TOYOTA. That streak is put to the test this weekend with back-to-back nights at I-55, and there’s plenty of eligible contenders to keep it going.
Chase McDermand, of Springfield, IL, won his first-career POWRi National Midget Feature at I-55 in the spring and looks to do it again this weekend with a little extra cash on the line for his Mounce/Stout #40.
As far as points go, the leading duo for Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports is Bryant Wiedeman (-44 PTS), of Colby, KS, and Brenham Crouch (-53 PTS), of Lubbock, TX. Wiedeman has been consistent with 13 POWRi top-10s through 14 races, while Crouch has peaked in second-place during Xtreme Outlaw’s last outing at Jacksonville.
Other notables to watch for this weekend include Kyle Jones, of Kennedale, TX, in the Trifecta Motorsports #7U, Chance Crum, of Snohomish, WA, in the Rudeen Racing #26, Andrew Felker, of Carl Junction, MO, in the AFD Graphix #11A, and Sam Johnson, of St. Peters, MO, in his own #72J, among others.
HALFWAY HOME: Following a pair of Features at I-55 this weekend, the inaugural campaign for the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by TOYOTA will officially hit the midway point with five of 10 nights completed. Remaining on the calendar is:
Friday & Saturday, August 26-27 at Davenport (IA) Speedway
Thursday, October 13 at Port City (OK) Raceway
Friday & Saturday, October 14-15 at I-44 Riverside (OK) Speedway
THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE
Friday & Saturday, August 5-6 at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, MO
ON THE INTERNET
Xtreme Outlaw Series
Twitter – @Xtreme_Outlaw
Instagram – @XtremeOutlaw
Facebook – Facebook.com/XtremeOutlawSeries.WRG
YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws
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CURRENT STANDINGS (3/10 Nights):
1. 9M-Zach Daum (641 PTS); 2. 01-Bryant Wiedeman (-44 PTS); 3. 97-Brenham Crouch (-53 PTS); 4. 19M-Ethan Mitchell (-74 PTS); 5. 5-Gavan Boschele (-95 PTS); 6. 7U-Kyle Jones (-104 PTS); 7. 25K-Taylor Reimer (-107 PTS); 8. 72J-Sam Johnson (-125 PTS); 9. 84-Jade Avedisian (-174 PTS); 10. 26-Chance Crum (-176 PTS).