Zach Daum has surged into the championship lead in the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series, overtaking Andrew Felker with an impressive midseason run that includes two victories and three second place finishes in the past nine races heading into events Friday (Aug. 16) at Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway, Saturday’s Dana Godfrey Memorial at Macon (Ill.) Speedway and Sunday’s Miller Lite Cornfest at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wis.
Daum leads Felker, 2,420-2,320. He trailed Felker by 360 points prior to POWRi’s June 28 event at Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway. The 22-year-old from Pocahontas, Ill., won at Bloomington and Felker was fourth. The 20-year-old from Carl Junction, Mo., followed with four straight top-eight finishes to lead by 340 points, but Daum has out-scored the 2012 POWRi National Midget champion by 440 points in the past four races.
Daum has driven his Toyota-powered Eagle to a victory, two seconds and a ninth in the last four races. Felker has qualified for the feature in the same four, but mechanical problems have prevented him from starting in three. He was second to Daum at Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo., on July 27 in the fourth.
Tyler Thomas of Collinsville, Okla., has climbed back into third with 1,805 points by finishing second, fifth and third in the last three features. Jake Blackhurst of Mapleton, Ill., has five top-eights in the past six features and is fourth with 1,785 points and Austin Brown of Millstadt, Ill., has a victory included in five top-eights in the past six races to hold fifth in the points with 1,645.
Terry Babb of Decatur, Ill., has moved into ninth in the points with 980 with a victory, fourth- and sixth-place finishes in his last three POWRi events.
The events at Lincoln, Macon and Angell Park will be co-sanctioned by Stark Automotive Group/Mid-State Equipment Badger Midget Series. Sunday’s event at Angell Park will also be sanctioned by the Honda USAC National Dirt Midget championship, bringing together three of the nation’s most competitive midget series.
POWRi’s Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series brings its narrowing championship battle between Cale Thomas of Fairland, Ind., and Nathan Benson of Concordia, Mo., to Lincoln and Macon.
The 15-year-old Thomas leads the 29-year-old Benson, 1,780-1,640, with eight events remaining. Benson sliced 60 points off Thomas’ lead with his victory at Belle-Clair Speedway in Belleville, Ill., last Sunday. It was Benson’s third POWRi win of the season. He won at Lincoln on June 7. Thomas also has three wins in 2013, including at Macon on June 8.
Jeremy Camp of Blue Mound, Ill., finished a season-high second to Benson at Belle-Clair and climbed into third in the championship with 1,375 points. The 2010 POWRi Micro champion has five top-fives in 11 events this season.
POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series top-10 points standings (after 17 of 30 events): 1. Zach Daum 2,420, 2. Andrew Felker 2,320, 3. Tyler Thomas 1,805, 4. Jake Blackhurst 1,785, 5. Austin Brown 1,645, 6. Brad Kuhn 1,430, 7. Parker Price-Miller 1,235, 8. Garrett Aitken 1,200, 9. Terry Babb 980, 10. Colten Cottle 835.
POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series feature winners: Jacksonville, Ill.—Shane Cockrum; Belleville, Ill.—Chris Bell; Macon, Ill.—Brady Bacon; Sun Prairie, Wis.—Michael Pickens; Jacksonville, Ill.—Kyle Larson; Lincoln, Ill.—Michael Pickens; Macon, Ill.—Andrew Felker; Sun Prairie, Wis.—Rico Abreu; Bloomington, Ind.—Zach Daum; Belleville, Ill.—Darren Hagen; Belleville, Ill.—Bryan Clauson; Wilmot, Wis.—Brad Kuhn; Sun Prairie, Wis.—Darren Hagen; Pontoon Beach Ill.—Terry Babb; Cameron, Mo.—Austin Brown; Grain Valley, Mo.—Zach Daum; Belleville, Ill.—Bryan Clauson.
POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series top-10 points standings (after 11 of 19 events): 1. Cale Thomas 1,780, 2. Nathan Benson 1,640, 3. Jeremy Camp 1,375, 4. Jake Neuman 1,225, 5. Joe B. Miller 1,210, 6. Aaron Andruskevitch 1,095, 7. Dereck King 1,055, 8. Jason Harms 980, 9. Kyle Schuett 795, 10. Max Pozsgai 755.
POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series feature winners: Jacksonville, Ill.—Dereck King; Belleville, Ill.—Joe B. Miller; Macon, Ill.—Dereck King; Jacksonville, Ill.—Mike Dicely; Lincoln, Ill.—Nathan Benson; Macon, Ill.—Cale Thomas; Bloomington, Ind.—Nathan Benson; Belleville, Ill.—Joe B. Miller; Belleville, Ill.—Cale Thomas; Belleville, Ill.—Cale Thomas; Belleville, Ill.—Nathan Benson.
For more information, go to www.POWRi.com.