By Matt Skipper
PEVELY, MO (June 21, 2025) – No matter what position Jacob Denney starts in for an Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota Feature, he is a threat for victory.
After losing a cylinder in his primary No. 67 JBL Audio Toyota-powered LynK Chassis in Heat racing, the Series points leader climbed back from a 24th-place Feature start for his fourth win of the 2025 season.
At the front, Denney’s Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports (KKM) teammates Cannon McIntosh and Gavin Miller led the field to the green flag at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park, with McIntosh claiming the lead as Miller ran behind in second place.
Denney did not waste time in his climb towards the front as he climbed up to 18th by the end of Lap 2, then into the top 15 on the following circuit.
While McIntosh and Miller spread out to a two-second lead, Xtreme-POWRi Challenge Series points leader Karter Sarff caught the two drivers as they began to face lap traffic. Sarff used the cushion to pass by Miller, then performed a slide job on McIntosh into Turns 1 and 2 to claim the lead.
By Lap 11, Denney crossed into the top-10 as he used multiple lanes of the track to pass as many cars as he could to work up the field towards his KKM teammates in the second half of the 25-lap race.
As the Galloway, OH driver entered the podium on Lap 18, Sarff lost control of his No. 21K in Turn 4, which sent him flipping multiple times. Sarff climbed out of the car under his own power, but his chase towards a fourth I-55 win came to an end.
McIntosh inherited the lead for the dash towards the finish line as Denney drove by Miller on the restart on the high side for second place.
Denney and McIntosh dueled for the lead in the final laps with slide jobs on each other until Denney got clear of the No. 71K with four laps to go as he wheeled towards his fourth win of the 2025 Xtreme Outlaw Midgets season.
“Kaleb (Wyrick) told me before the night started that we were going to win,” Denney said. “So, we kind of threw a Hail Mary at it before we went off for the Feature because we had nothing to lose.
“Once I started getting rolling, I felt like I slid a car a lap because I knew I didn’t have any time to waste. Once I got up there, I was stuck there and had to find the clean air on the straightaway. I ripped off (the top for) a lap, and I was like ‘Alright, we’re gonna be good.’ I had to capitalize on those last seven laps, and we got it done.”
McIntosh finished the night in second place to end his weekend at Pevely, MO, with two consecutive podiums at I-55.
“I felt like we were pretty good most of the race,” McIntosh said. “I don’t know what happened on the last restart. I had good footing, but I couldn’t keep the left rear on the ground. Sucks to lead most of the race and not finish it off.”
Miller ended the night in third for his sixth podium in the last seven Xtreme Outlaw Midget Features of 2025.
“Me and Cannon were pretty similar,” Miller said. “Especially on the long run, I played with my shocks a little bit, stiffen up the right rear so we were better through the holes. Unfortunately, Jacob got by us there, but I gotta thank everyone that makes this possible.”
Chase McDermand finished the night in fourth place, and Series rookie Colton Robinson earned his first career top-five finish to close the St. Louis Firecracker Faceoff weekend.
RECAP NOTES:
Smith Titanium Quick Time Award: Chase McDermand
Toyota Heat 1: Michael Faccinto
CASM Safety Products Heat 2: Zach Daum
TJ Forged Heat 3: Shannon McQueen
High-Point Driver: Michael Faccinto
Summit Racing Equipment Hard Charger: Jacob Denney (+23)
Honest Abe Roofing 16th Place Finisher: Zach Boden
Up Next: The Xtreme Outlaw Midgets get back to racing in July alongside the Midwest Open Wheel Association at Spoon River Speedway for the Midwest Vintage Sprint Car Nationals on Friday-Saturday, July 18-19.
SPOON RIVER TICKETS
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision – either online or by downloading the DIRTVision App.
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 67-Jacob Denney[15]; 2. 71K-Cannon McIntosh[1]; 3. 97-Gavin Miller[2]; 4. 40-Chase McDermand[3]; 5. 67K-Colton Robinson[16]; 6. 9U-Kameron Key[8]; 7. 5U-Michael Faccinto[4]; 8. 97D-Zach Daum[5]; 9. 94-Hayden Wise[11]; 10. 56E-Tyler Edwards[20]; 11. 72-Alex Karpowicz[17]; 12. 7-Shannon McQueen[6]; 13. 98K-Brandon Carr[12]; 14. 33-Branigan Roark[23]; 15. 50-Daniel Adler[19]; 16. 51-Zach Boden[14]; 17. 56X-Mark Chisholm[13]; 18. 19-Jacob McFarlin[22]; 19. 2D-Luke Icke[18]; 20. 22G-Myles Tomlinson[21]; 21. 91-Lance Bennett[9]; 22. 00-Brecken Reese[10]; 23. 21K-Karter Sarff[7]; 24. 5H-Ryan Mueller[24]