GRAIN VALLEY, MO. (July 12, 2019) – No matter the story, no matter the driver, no matter the place, rules are rules. Unfortunately, on Friday night at Valley Speedway, 16-year old Cannon McIntosh was disqualified after initially winning his first-career POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League feature. Rolling across the scales on numerous occasions, the No. 08 consistently came across short of the 1,050 lbs. minimum requirement, ultimately giving Jake Neuman of New Berlin, Ill. his fourth-career POWRi National Midget victory.

Before the scene at the scales, the 30-lap “Thunder in the Valley” National / West feature was brought to life by front row starters Chance Morton of Coweta, Okla. and Zach Daum of Pocahontas, Ill. as the green flag flew. Leading the opening circuit, Daum stuck his Bullet/Toyota No. 5D to the low side, but Morton wound his No. 7M up on the high line and drove around to take the lead on lap two.

A lap nine caution jumbled the field back up and sixth-starter Cannon McIntosh came firing with a slider on Daum for the second spot. Another stoppage for top-five running Ace McCarthy halted the action and the ensuing restart saw a three-war war break out between McIntosh, Daum and Hank Davis for the runner-up position. Swapping slider-after-slider, corner-after-corner, McIntosh finally broke free of the battle and set his sights on Morton out front.

Restarting with 12 laps left, McIntosh had a golden opportunity to seize the lead and quickly took a shot at Morton, but the No. 7M prevailed and remained in control. However, on lap 22, the race took a wild turn. Attempting a slider for the lead into turn one, McIntosh’s No. 08 drifted up just as Morton started hopping, and slight contact sent Morton over the cushion and upside down over the banking of turn two.

While Morton’s bid for career-win #1 came to a disappointing end, the field re-fired with eight to go and McIntosh quickly pulled away. As lap traffic became tense and McIntosh’s No. 08 was too tight on the cushion, Daum began to sneak in close and set up for a final lap chance at the win. However, the No. 5D stalled it in turn three going for the win, bringing his machine to a stop and setting up a one-lap dash to checkered.

Driving around Neuman’s slidejob effort in turn one, McIntosh slapped it off the curb and drove away to his first-career POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League victory. A win months-in-the-making, the 16-year old Bixby, Okla. native had finally conquered a POWRi National Midget feature aboard the Dave Mac Motorsports, Drive WFX, Spike/Toyota No. 08. However, even as excited and jubilant the victory lane ceremony was, the emotions were short-lived and soon took a 180.

Rolling across the scales in hopes of meeting the mandatory rulebook weight minimum of 1,050 lbs, McIntosh’s No. 08 came across light. As the mood drastically changed, the crew rolled him off and back on, only to fall short once again. Making a third and final attempt at hitting the minimum limit, McIntosh’s machine missed the mark again, resulting in a heartbreaking disqualification for the young gasser.

Ultimately, Jake Neuman of New Berlin, Ill. was awarded his fourth-career POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League victory. A winner here in July of last year, the triumph marks back-to-back wins at Valley for Neuman aboard his Jim Neuman Racing, Brandt, BOSS/SR-11 No. 3N.

Coming across in second-place and earning Toyota Racing Development Hard Charger honors, Andrew Felker of Carl Junction, Mo. supplied a magnificent 18th-to-second bid in his Chad Shields Racing, MelMark Pipe & Supply, Ripper/Fontana No. 44S. Rounding out the podium was tenth-starter Jesse Colwell of Red Bluff, Calif. aboard the Keith Kunz Motorsports, JBL Audio, Bullet/Toyota No. 71.

Closing out the top ten was Kyle Jones with a 14th-to-fourth effort, Ace McCarthy recovering to fifth, Daniel Robinson moving from 21st-to-sixth, Holley Hollan crossing in seventh, Austin Brown advancing to eighth, Daison Pursley picking up ninth and Trey Marcham managing a tenth-place run.

The POWRi Lucas Oil National / West Midgets return to Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo. on Saturday for the second night of “Thunder in the Valley.” On Sunday, the National superstars and the West regional warriors head for Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt, Kans. to conclude the three-day weekend.

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Auto Meter Heat One (8 Laps):

1.28-Ace McCarthy, Tahlequah, OK (3); 2. 67-Holley Hollan, Tulsa, OK (4); 3. 7S-Pat Schudy, Springfield, MO (1); 4. 56X-Mark Chisholm, Cheyenne, WY (5); 5. 11-Daniel Robinson, Ewing, IL (6); 6. 7MX-Heath Murry, Tonganoxie, KS (7); 7. 9H-Emilio Hoover, Broken Arrow, OK (8); 8. 77W-Joey Wirth, Waterloo, IL (DNS).

KSE Racing Products Heat Two (8 Laps):

1.5D-Zach Daum, Pocahontas, IL (4); 2. 42-Hank Davis, Sand Springs, OK (6); 3. 71-Jesse Colwell, Red Bluff, CA (5); 4. 9-Daison Pursley, Locust Grove, OK (7); 5. 20G-Noah Gass, Mounds, OK (1);6. 15L-Merril Lamb, Iola, KS (2);7. 60E-Mark Billings, Columbia, MO (3).

Advanced Racing Suspensions Heat Three (8 Laps):

1.08-Cannon McIntosh, Bixby, OK (3); 2. 2H-Luke Howard, Overland Park, KS (4); 3. 7X-Blake Edwards, Claremore, OK (5); 4. 3B-Shelby Bosie, Sherman, IL (1); 5. 3-Dustin Gilbert, Tonganoxie, KS (7); 6. 6-Rick Horn, Colony, KS (2);7. 8M-Kade Morton, Coweta, OK (6).

Schoenfeld Headers Heat Four (8 Laps):

1. 19S-Trey Gropp, Lincoln, NE (2); 2. 7M-Chance Morton, Coweta, OK (7); 3. 3H-Wesley Smith, Nixa, MO (3); 4. 321-Chad Winfrey, Gladstone, MO (6); 5. 5H-Casey Hicks, Platte City, MO (5); 6. 926-Morgan Frewaldt, Kansas City, KS (DNS); 7. 84S-Shaun Shapel, Wichita, KS (DNS).

Racing Electronics Heat Five (8 Laps):

1.3N-Jake Neuman, New Berlin, IL (4); 2. 7U-Kyle Jones, Kennedale, TX (2); 3. 17-Austin Brown, Millstadt, IL (3); 4. 32-Trey Marcham, Oklahoma City, OK (7); 5. 2-AJ Gilbert, Tonganoxie, KS (1); 6. 44S-Andrew Felker, Carl Junction, MO (5); 7. 9X-Garet Williamson, Columbia, MO (6).

Rod End Supply B-Main (12 Laps):

1. 17-Austin Brown (1); 2. 44S-Andrew Felker (11); 3. 3B-Shelby Bosie (6); 4. 20G-Noah Gass (9); 5. 11-Daniel Robinson (5); 6. 8M-Kade Morton (15); 7. 7S-Pat Schudy (3); 8. 3-Dustin Gilbert (4); 9. 7MX-Heath Murry (8); 10. 2-A.J. Gilbert (10); 11. 77W-Joey Wirth (18); 12. 56X-Mark Chisholm (2); 13. 60E-Mark Billings (17); 14. 5H-Casey Hicks (7); 15. 6-Rick Horn (13); 16. 15L-Merril Lamb (12); 17. 9H-Emilio Hoover (14); 18. 9X-Garet Williamson (16); 19. 84S-Shaun Shapel (19).

POWRi Lucas Oil National / West Midget League Main Event (30 Laps):

1. 3N-Jake Neuman (3); 2. 44S-Andrew Felker (18); 3. 71-Jesse Colwell (10); 4. 7U-Kyle Jones (14); 5. 28-Ace McCarthy (5); 6. 11-Daniel Robinson (21); 7. 67-Holley Hollan (8); 8. 17-Austin Brown (17); 9. 9-Daison Pursley (12); 10. 32-Trey Marcham (13); 11. 8M-Kade Morton (22); 12. 5D-Zach Daum (2); 13. 42-Hank Davis (4); 14. 7M-Chance Morton (1); 15. 20G-Noah Gass (20); 16. 321-Chad Winfrey (15); 17. 2H-Luke Howard (9); 18. 2-A.J. Gilbert (23); 19. 3H-Wesley Smith (16); 20. 19S-Trey Gropp (7); 21.7X-Blake Edwards (11); 22. 3B-Shelby Bosie (19); 23. 15L-Merril Lamb (24); 24. 08-Cannon McIntosh (6) [DQ-Weight].

Lap Leader(s); Daum 1; C. Morton 2-21; McIntosh 22-30.

Hard Charger(s): Felker +16.