Brett Anderson will be attempting to win his third straight feature at Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo., Friday (June 8) in a combined POWRi Lucas Oil National/West Midget Series event. POWRi’s National/West Midgets focus their attention Saturday (June 9) on Springfield (Mo.) Raceway.
Anderson’s victories at Valley’s fast one-third mile track were on April 29, 2011 and this season on May 4. The 27-year-old from Belleville, Ill., has a second victory in 2012 last Friday (June 1) at Fayette County Speedway in Brownstown, Ill., and has three more top-fives and hasn’t finished worse than ninth in eight events. Anderson has a 1,330-1,130 lead over Andrew Felker of Carl Junction, Mo., for the championship with 10 of 31 events completed.
“It’s early and we can’t get overly excited, but it’s definitely good to be sitting on top,” Anderson, the 2008 POWRi National Midget champion, said.
Felker took his first victory in the National Midgets at Peoria (Ill.) Speedway on May 19 and had back-to-back wins in POWRi West at I-44 Speedway on May 25-26. Felker had a remarkable four-race winning streak including a triumph in the POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series at Peoria.
The 19-year-old Felker has a 640-630 lead over Chris Bell of Norman, Okla., in the inaugural West championship. Chett Gehrke of Broken Arrow, Okla., is third and Tyler Thomas of Collinsville, Okla., is fourth in both National and West points.
Gehrke was a close second to Anderson in this season’s previous race at Valley, followed by Thomas and Bell. Felker was eighth.
Springfield’s quarter-mile is a hometown track for Felker, who lives an hour away and is expected to have a large contingent of family and friends on hand. Felker finished third, Thomas was fourth and Gehrke sixth at Springfield last year. Brad Loyet, who is not racing regularly in POWRi this season, won.
POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series top-10 points standings (after 10 of 31 events); 1. Brett Anderson 1,330, 2. Andrew Felker 1,130, 3. Chett Gehrke 875, 4. Tyler Thomas 820, 5. Jake Blackhurst 800, 6. Chris Bell 710, 7. Austin Brown 700, 8. Garrett Aitken 695, 9. Zach Daum 620, 10. Daniel Robinson 575.
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POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series 2012 race winners: Kennedale, Texas—Brady Bacon; Kennedale, Texas—Dave Darland; Jacksonville, Ill.—Mario Clouser; Grain Valley, Mo.—Brett Anderson; Wheatland, Mo.—Jake Blackhurst; Macon, Ill.—Zach Daum; Belleville, Ill.—Danny Stratton; Peoria, Ill.—Andrew Felker; Brownstown, Ill.–Brett Anderson; Haubstadt, Ind.—Brady Bacon.
POWRi Lucas Oil West Midget Series top-10 points standings (after six of 14 events): 1. Andrew Felker 640, 2. Chris Bell 630, 3. Chett Gehrke 580, 4. Tyler Thomas 520, 5. (tie) Matt Sherrell, Garrett Aitken 355, 7. Cameron Hagin 185, 8. Darren Kingston 65, 9. Cody Ledger, 50, 10. Garrett Hood.
POWRi Lucas Oil West Midget Series 2012 race winners (after six of 14 events completed): Kennedale, Texas—Brady Bacon; Kennedale; Texas—Dave Darland; Grain Valley, Mo.—Brett Anderson; Wheatland, Mo.—Jake Blackhurst; Oklahoma City—Andrew Felker; Oklahoma City—Andrew Felker.
For more information, go to www.POWRi.com.