POWRi’s Lucas Oil National Midget Series makes its sole journey into Wisconsin this season Saturday, July 16, at Wilmot Raceway and Sunday, July 17 at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie for co-sanctioned events with the Stark Automotive Group/Mid-State Equipment Badger Midget Series.
Season-long leader Nick Knepper has expanded his lead in the POWRi championship over runner-up Brad Loyet to 1,740-1,200, the largest of the season. The Belleville, Ill., driver took a popular hometown victory on July 1 at Belle-Clair Speedway. Knepper’s fifth at Belle-Clair on July 2 was his ninth top-five in 10 features this season. The two-day event was co-sanctioned with Badger. Andrew Felker jumped five positions to third in the points with 1,070 by finishing second on July 1 and fourth on July 2. The 18-year-old from Carl Junction, Mo., has four straight top-fives and six top-fives in nine races. Felker has bounced back from bad weekend in early June when a blown engine left him 23rd in the feature at Brownstown, Ill., and forced him to miss the event the next night at Peoria, Ill. POWRi drivers can drop two events in determining their final points in the championship, but Felker can’t afford any more like those to contend for the championship.
“The blown motor was a really tough break,” Felker said. “We had a stretch there where we struggled just to finish. We’ve been fast all year and hadn’t been able to catch a break. My dad (crew chief Danny Felker) and I have been working hard to get things figured out on the Midget and the season finally turned around.”
This is Felker’s third season driving a Midget. He was seventh in the POWRi championship in 2010.
It will be the fifth event this year co-sanctioned by POWRi and Badger, which is having a 75th Anniversary weekend celebration.
“They’re a great group of guys to run with,” Felker said. “It’s good competition and makes us all better drivers. It makes it harder with that many more good drivers.”
Bubba Altig of Mechanicsburg, Ill., leads the Badger championship over Mike Hess, the POWRi champion in 2005, 466-462. Brad Kuhn of Avon, Ind., has won three of the past four Badger events, including the feature co-sanctioned by POWRi at Belle-Clair on July 2. Kuhn’s other two wins were at Angell Park.
For more information on Wilmot Raceway, visit www.wilmotraceway.com
For more information on POWRi Racing, go to www.POWRi.com.
