Inside Line Promotions - SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (Sept. 2, 2013) - Andrew Felker put together another standout weekend with a trio of top-eight finishes. In fact, if it wasn't for a couple bouts of bad luck, Felker had a shot at three podiums.
"Story of the last couple of months," he said. "If it wasn't for bad luck we'd have been in contention for some wins."
It started last Wednesday at Wayne County Speedway in Wayne County, Ill., for the inaugural Jason Leffler Memorial with the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series. Felker finished second in both his heat race and qualifier to start the 30-lap feature on the outside of the third row.
He was competing for a top five when he got a little crossed up entering turn three on the second lap.
"Another car tagged us and spun us out," he said. "I raced our way up to fourth with four to go and then it started to run out of fuel and I held on to finish eighth. You could feel it stumbling down the straightaways."
After restarting at the back of the field, Felker was a rocket for the remainder of the feature and was in contention for a podium when fuel became an issue and he had to settle for the eighth-place result.
"The track took a lot of finesse," he said. "It was real sandy dirt. It was about keeping the car hooked-up straight. We had a fast car from the beginning of the night to the finish. We needed a little more luck on our side."
Felker then attacked the 33rd annual Pepsi Nationals, which was co-santioned by POWRi and the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association, on Saturday and Sunday at Angell Park Speedway.
After qualifying seventh quickest and charging from sixth to second place in his heat race on Saturday, Felker started on the pole for the 30-lap main event.
"I got the jump on (Darren) Hagen entering turn one," he said. "I went up top and set sail. I led the first 15 laps before we had a long red flag. We had about a 20-minute delay to fix the fence. Once we got back green I led the next five laps and Zach Daum got by us on the bottom. I was a sitting duck. The bottom just came in and he got by us before we could get down there."
Felker chased Daum for the final 10 laps, but finished in the runner-up position by 0.751 seconds.
Sunday was similar with Felker qualifying sixth quickest, advancing from sixth to third place in a unique dash and then from sixth to win his heat race. That started Felker sixth in the 50-lap feature, which he almost didn't make.
The steel heim on the left rear torsion arm broke going down the backstretch as the cars were pushed off.
"It set the whole left side on the track, the left side frame rails were dragging," he said.
Felker went to the work area and with help from several crews, he was able to return at the last moment and tag the back of the field.
"I started picking them off as much as I could," he said. "Attrition set in and we got a few. A lot of guys were getting too tight or biking on the cushion. We were pretty good up top and could get down low to pass a few cars."
Felker again rallied for a fifth-place finish, which was his 15th top five of the season.
He ended up finishing second in the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association points to veteran Brad Kuhn.
"To get beat in points by Brad Kuhn, he's someone I look up to and have learned a lot over the years running midgets," Felker said.
Felker is planning to take this weekend off before a pair of POWRi events in Illinois the following weekend. He remains second in the POWRi championship standings - 190 points out of the lead.
QUICK RESULTS -
Aug. 28 - Wayne County Speedway in Wayne City, Ill. - Heat race: 2 (2); Qualifier: 2 (2); Feature: 8 (6).
Aug. 31 - Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wis. - Qualifying: 7; Heat race: 2 (6); Feature: 2 (1).
Sept. 1 - Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wis. - Qualifying: 6; Dash: 3 (6); Heat race: 1 (6); Feature: 5 (6).
SEASON STATS -
39 races, 1 win, 15 top fives, 28 top 10s, 34 top 15s, 37 top 20s
UP NEXT -
Friday, Sept. 13, at Jacksonville Speedway in Jacksonville, Ill., for the Herb Barlow Memorial and Saturday, Sept. 14, at Spoon River Speedway in Lewistown, Ill., for the Tom Knowles Memorial with the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series
MEDIA LINKS -
Website: http://www.AndrewFelkerRacing.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndrewFelker11a
VIDEO -
Here is a link to XSANTV's in-car footage of Felker finishing second at Jacksonville Speedway in Jacksonville, Ill., on April 26: http://youtu.be/tSwLTs5L1Zk
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT - Auto Xpress
Located in Joplin, Mo., Auto Xpress is an oil and tire shop that specializes in being a preventative maintenance headquarter. For more information, visit http://www.AutoXpressJoplin.com.
"Auto Xpress offers a very reliable and efficient service," Felker said. "They are also partners of the race cars and have supported our racing for most of my career now."
Felker would also like to thank 66 Truck & Foreign Salvage, Fontana Automotive, MelMark Pipe & Supply, CSI Shocks, Schluckebier Farms, Momo's Racing Engines, Pro Powder Coating, All-Pro Auto Interiors, Aggressive Graphics, KBR Performance, Weld Wheels, KMK Enterprises, Heath II, Wilwood, Maxim Racewear and Leading Edge Composites for their continued support.
"Story of the last couple of months," he said. "If it wasn't for bad luck we'd have been in contention for some wins."
It started last Wednesday at Wayne County Speedway in Wayne County, Ill., for the inaugural Jason Leffler Memorial with the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series. Felker finished second in both his heat race and qualifier to start the 30-lap feature on the outside of the third row.
He was competing for a top five when he got a little crossed up entering turn three on the second lap.
"Another car tagged us and spun us out," he said. "I raced our way up to fourth with four to go and then it started to run out of fuel and I held on to finish eighth. You could feel it stumbling down the straightaways."
After restarting at the back of the field, Felker was a rocket for the remainder of the feature and was in contention for a podium when fuel became an issue and he had to settle for the eighth-place result.
"The track took a lot of finesse," he said. "It was real sandy dirt. It was about keeping the car hooked-up straight. We had a fast car from the beginning of the night to the finish. We needed a little more luck on our side."
Felker then attacked the 33rd annual Pepsi Nationals, which was co-santioned by POWRi and the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association, on Saturday and Sunday at Angell Park Speedway.
After qualifying seventh quickest and charging from sixth to second place in his heat race on Saturday, Felker started on the pole for the 30-lap main event.
"I got the jump on (Darren) Hagen entering turn one," he said. "I went up top and set sail. I led the first 15 laps before we had a long red flag. We had about a 20-minute delay to fix the fence. Once we got back green I led the next five laps and Zach Daum got by us on the bottom. I was a sitting duck. The bottom just came in and he got by us before we could get down there."
Felker chased Daum for the final 10 laps, but finished in the runner-up position by 0.751 seconds.
Sunday was similar with Felker qualifying sixth quickest, advancing from sixth to third place in a unique dash and then from sixth to win his heat race. That started Felker sixth in the 50-lap feature, which he almost didn't make.
The steel heim on the left rear torsion arm broke going down the backstretch as the cars were pushed off.
"It set the whole left side on the track, the left side frame rails were dragging," he said.
Felker went to the work area and with help from several crews, he was able to return at the last moment and tag the back of the field.
"I started picking them off as much as I could," he said. "Attrition set in and we got a few. A lot of guys were getting too tight or biking on the cushion. We were pretty good up top and could get down low to pass a few cars."
Felker again rallied for a fifth-place finish, which was his 15th top five of the season.
He ended up finishing second in the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association points to veteran Brad Kuhn.
"To get beat in points by Brad Kuhn, he's someone I look up to and have learned a lot over the years running midgets," Felker said.
Felker is planning to take this weekend off before a pair of POWRi events in Illinois the following weekend. He remains second in the POWRi championship standings - 190 points out of the lead.
QUICK RESULTS -
Aug. 28 - Wayne County Speedway in Wayne City, Ill. - Heat race: 2 (2); Qualifier: 2 (2); Feature: 8 (6).
Aug. 31 - Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wis. - Qualifying: 7; Heat race: 2 (6); Feature: 2 (1).
Sept. 1 - Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wis. - Qualifying: 6; Dash: 3 (6); Heat race: 1 (6); Feature: 5 (6).
SEASON STATS -
39 races, 1 win, 15 top fives, 28 top 10s, 34 top 15s, 37 top 20s
UP NEXT -
Friday, Sept. 13, at Jacksonville Speedway in Jacksonville, Ill., for the Herb Barlow Memorial and Saturday, Sept. 14, at Spoon River Speedway in Lewistown, Ill., for the Tom Knowles Memorial with the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series
MEDIA LINKS -
Website: http://www.AndrewFelkerRacing.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndrewFelker11a
VIDEO -
Here is a link to XSANTV's in-car footage of Felker finishing second at Jacksonville Speedway in Jacksonville, Ill., on April 26: http://youtu.be/tSwLTs5L1Zk
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT - Auto Xpress
Located in Joplin, Mo., Auto Xpress is an oil and tire shop that specializes in being a preventative maintenance headquarter. For more information, visit http://www.AutoXpressJoplin.com.
"Auto Xpress offers a very reliable and efficient service," Felker said. "They are also partners of the race cars and have supported our racing for most of my career now."
Felker would also like to thank 66 Truck & Foreign Salvage, Fontana Automotive, MelMark Pipe & Supply, CSI Shocks, Schluckebier Farms, Momo's Racing Engines, Pro Powder Coating, All-Pro Auto Interiors, Aggressive Graphics, KBR Performance, Weld Wheels, KMK Enterprises, Heath II, Wilwood, Maxim Racewear and Leading Edge Composites for their continued support.
