Belleville, IL. (3/25/22) Continuing the winning streak to start the 2022 racing season, Christopher Bell would lead every loop of the twenty-lap POWRi 600cc Outlaw Micro feature at I-44 Riverside Speedway for Night Two of the Turnpike Challenge to claim his second-straight League win.
Finding speed to top the twenty-three field of competitors for top-time in hot-laps with an 11.192 lap time would see Frank Flud establish himself as the front-runner early as Christopher Bell, Greyson Springer, and Willie Urish each claiming their heat race victory. Flud would notch the high-point award and earn the pole starting position for the twenty-lap feature event.
Going green flap feature racing would witness the fast Flud grab the lead on the initial lap only to suffer mechanical failure while leading through turn four taking him from racing competition and restacking the field for a complete double-file restart.
Restarting the field, Christopher Bell would establish his dominance to lead all revolutions around I-44 Riverside to claim his third career POWRi Micro victory. “Man this thing was on rails let me tell you, it’s been so much fun working to get this Micro program to where it is today and we have great partners that help to make all of this run so smoothly, I really couldn't do anything without them.”
Breaking into a battle for runner-up positioning would see Braxton Wilson drive from the fifth starting to race his way to finish second as Willie Urish would stay close all event placing third. Laydon Pearson would advance three positions to finish fourth with Ethan Ayars rounding out the top-five feature finishers.
I-44 Riverside Speedway | Turnpike Challenge Night 2 | 3/25/22:
Hoosier Racing Tire Top Hot Lap Time: 81-Frank Flud (11.192)
Advanced Racing Suspensions Heat Race 1 Winner: 21-Christopher Bell
MVT Services Heat Race 2 Winner: 24G-Greyson Springer
Auto Meter Heat Race 3 Winner: 15U-Willie Urish
Max Papis Innovations High Point Qualifier: 81-Frank Flud
Toyota Racing Development Hard Charger: B8-John Barnard (+10)
Engler Machine Feature Winner: 21-Christopher Bell
Engler Machine Tool A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 21-Christopher Bell[2]; 2. 14X-Braxston Wilson[5]; 3. 15U-Willie Urish[4]; 4. 11-Laydon Pearson[7]; 5. 56-Ethan Ayars[8]; 6. 27MK-Kyler Keeler[10]; 7. 44-Branigan Roark[11]; 8. 10T-Talin Turner[13]; 9. 8K-Tyler Kuykendall[12]; 10. 122-Lane Warner[16]; 11. 77-Cooper Sullivan[15]; 12. 14G-Madelyn Gjerness[9]; 13. 1F-Jason Friesen[17]; 14. B8-John Barnard[24]; 15. 2F-Jadyn Friesen[14]; 16. 23-mike Dibart[21]; 17. 2B-Garrett Benson[6]; 18. 20Q-Brecken Reese[18]; 19. 88R-Ryder Laplante[22]; 20. 24G-Greyson Springer[3]; 21. 81-Frank Flud[1]; 22. 14D-Chris DiBart[20]; 23. 11B-Kaylee Bryson[23]; 24. 39-Russ Disinger[19].
Advanced Racing Suspensions Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 21-Christopher Bell[2]; 2. 81-Frank Flud[7]; 3. 8K-Tyler Kuykendall[3]; 4. 14X-Braxston Wilson[8]; 5. 77-Cooper Sullivan[5]; 6. 1F-Jason Friesen[6]; 7. 23-mike Dibart[4]; 8. B8-John Barnard[1].
MVT Services Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 24G-Greyson Springer[1]; 2. 2B-Garrett Benson[3]; 3. 11-Laydon Pearson[5]; 4. 27MK-Kyler Keeler[6]; 5. 10T-Talin Turner[7]; 6. 39-Russ Disinger[4]; 7. 20Q-Brecken Reese[8]; 8. 11B-Kaylee Bryson[2].
Auto Meter Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 15U-Willie Urish[1]; 2. 14G-Madelyn Gjerness[2]; 3. 56-Ethan Ayars[5]; 4. 2F-Jadyn Friesen[3]; 5. 44-Branigan Roark[8]; 6. 122-Lane Warner[7]; 7. 14D-Chris DiBart[6]; 8. 88R-Ryder Laplante[4].
Up next for the POWRi 600cc Outlaw Micro League presented by Engler Machine & Tool will be the final night of the Ninth Annual Turnpike Challenge presented by Super Clean at I-44 Riverside Speedway in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on March 26.
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Photo Credit: Danny Clum