MARION, Ill. (July 12, 2012)–Jeremy Camp has nine career victories and the 2010 POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series championship on his resume. His next goal is to win its premier race of the season, the 66 Mike Phillips Memorial at Southern Illinois Raceway which runs Thursday through Saturday (July 19-21).
The grand finale feature Saturday pays $10,000 to win, one of the largest purses in Micro races in the United States this year. The total payout of $35,000 includes $5,000 for second and $3,250 for third. Last year’s inaugural 66 Mike Phillips Memorial had 113 entries.
“It’s a lot of money, definitely the biggest race we’ll run this year,” Camp said. “I’ve won POWRi Micro races and a championship and next in line is to win the big race.”
The 25-year-old from Blue Mound, Ill., has started strongly, fourth in the POWRi points eight events into the season. He’s finished third at Belle-Clair Speedway in Belleville, Ill., and Fayette County Speedway in Brownstown, Ill., fourth at Peoria (Ill.) Speedway and fourth and fifth at Macon (Ill.) Speedway.
Camp and car owner Chad Bartosik, who share preparing the car, are in their second season together. They switched from a Pace chassis to an Edge and continue to run Yamaha power built by Hollingsworth Performance.
“The Edge seems to be going pretty good,” Camp said. “It’s definitely a very fast car. It seems good all the time. We’ve got to get it fine tuned when we get to the racetrack and if we keep putting it in the right position, eventually we’ll get a win.”
Camp had single victories in POWRi Micros in 2008 and 2009 and seven in his championship season of 2010. His team disbanded after car owner John Mackling decided to get out of racing.
Camp joined forces with Bartosik, of Decatur, Ill., to run 11 races in 2011. He had four top-fives and six top-10s highlighted by thirds at Belle-Clair and Macon.
Camp drove at SIR’s one-eighth mile track a couple of weeks ago in one of its regular shows to prepare for the 66 Mike Phillips Memorial.
“We tried out some new stuff, used it as a test,” Camp said. “We finished fifth in the feature.”
Camp finished 12th in the Saturday feature in the Phillips Memorial last year. He was second in his heat, won his qualifying race and was leading the Friday feature before encountering a lapped car and crashing.
“We got tangled with a lapped car and got upside down,” Camp said. “It put a damper on the weekend.”
Camp went from being in position for one of the top-six spots on the grid for Saturday’s feature to having to go through the heat and qualifying races. He was third in his heat, second in his qualifier and 12th in the 24-car feature.
The format has been extended to three days in 2012 with the top four cars from each preliminary feature locked into Saturday’s grand finale. Practice for the event begins Wednesday (July 18).
Camp’s team will be fortified by the addition of Edge owner, designer and builder Adam Romig, who is traveling from the company headquarters in Mount Pleasant Mills, Pa., to assist with engineering the car.
“It’s definitely going to be a huge event, maybe 120 cars with half of them capable of winning,” Camp said.
POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series top-10 points standings (after eight of 20 events): 1. Joe B. Miller 1,310, 2. Aaron Andruskevitch 1,130, 3. Jacob Patton 920, 4. Jeremy Camp 915, 5. Cale Thomas 900, 6. Justin Peck 860, 7. Andrew Felker 820, 8. Steven Russell 715, 9. Devin Feger 645, 10. Brad McDaniel 635.
POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series 2012 race winners: Jacksonville, Ill.—Andrew Felker; Macon, Ill.—Alex Harris; Belleville, Ill.—Travis Senter; Peoria, Ill.—Andrew Felker; Brownstown, Ill.—Andrew Felker; Haubstadt, Ind.—Trent Beckinger; Lincoln, Ill.—Justin Peck; Macon—Aaron Andruskevitch.
For more information, go to www.POWRi.com.