9/12/2017
RacinBoys
Sprint and Midget double this Saturday at Valley
RACINBOYS EXCLUSIVE By Ray Cunningham (Grain Valley, MO) -- The Lucas Oil Allstar POWRi Midget Series, and the Lucas Oil POWRi WAR Sprint Series take to Valley Speedway this Saturday night for a double header as the 2017 season heads to a close. Both Series have 4 races to decide a champion, and this Saturday's show case looms as a must see event for open wheel fans residing around KC.
PHOTO CREDIT: John Lee of High-Fly'n Photos --http://www.highfly-nphotos.com
For the Allstar POWRi Midgets, led by founder Ray Boyles, it's race number 12 of the 2017 campaign, and the 11th race to be conducted at Valley this year. Tonganoxie, Kansas, driver Dustin Gilbert has been the point leader for most of the season, as he fought off first two-time Champ Pat Schudy, and now Luke Howard, and Chad Winfrey for the top spot. Gilbert has been a model of consistency finishing 9 times in the top 5, while taking his first victory in the series July 2nd at CMS Speedway. Dustin is a veteran of the fender wars, driving both stock cars and modifieds before switching to Midgets in 2016.. Luke Howard, the youngest winner in series history has 7 top 5 finishes, and 2 wins, for 2017 driving for his father Trevor. Howard, fought his way past Gilbert, as well as Morgan and Chad Frewaldt to win last Saturday's race at Valley. "Cool Hand Luke" has been mentored by Richard Kreisel over the last two years in the series, and armed with a new Boss Chassis this season, has upped his game considerably. Chad Winfrey, a veteran of quad, and micro midget racing started running the full size version at the end of 2016. The veteran of 30 years of racing competition has 7 top 5 finishes, and a trifecta of 2nd place finishes this year. The Liberty driver who recovered from severe burns as a toddler to become a champion in both quads and motorcycles is overdue to get his first W in the series. Others scheduled to compete include Morgan Frewaldt, who has finished as high as second place this season, and has been consistently in the top 5 points from the start, Merril Lamb, runner up in points in 2016, Pat Schudy, champion of the Allstar Series in 2014-15, and Lee Lengel, another driver who has been very consistent in 2016.
For the POWRi WAR Series led by racing veteran Casey Shuman, its race number 17 for the 2017 season, and will be the 7th race at Valley this year for the Midwest non wing sprint series. Korey Weyant from Springfield, Illinois, has been the top point producer and winner so far in 2017 with 5 wins, with 1 at Valley this summer. In 16 Feature starts, Korey has finished in the top 5 on 11 occasions, with 13 top 10's. Former WAR Champ, and Gladstone, Missouri, resident Chris Parkinson currently holds down the second position in WAR points. Parkinson a third generation racer has 9 top 5 finishes in 2017, with 14 top 10's. Though Parkinson hasn't won in POWRi WAR for this year, he has won the last two Valley Sprint races, coming from 15th to 1st to beat Riley Kreisel in August, and besting Wyatt Burks after a race long battle Labor Day weekend. Burks meanwhile has spent most of the season near the top in the WAR Series, with 3 wins tying him with Clinton Boyles, 2016 series champ for 2nd place for wins in 2017 in WAR. Wyatt, driving the 11W out of Topeka, KS. Won at Valley on July 15th after he bested POWRi Midget Champ Zach Daum for the win. Other drivers expected race at Valley include Quinton Benson, 4th place in WAR points behind Weyant, Parkinson, and Burks. Benson, picked up a win earlier this year at Valley in POWRi WAR, along with Warren Johnson, 5th in points, and Slater Helt, the high school senior from Harrisonville who is looking for his first win in the series after impressing all summer long..
Submitted By: Kirk Elliott