Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Set to chase the full schedule with the POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro League, Austin Schaeffer has started the season off on the right foot with an eighth place finish in night one and now a victory in night two for the Fifth Annual Turnpike Challenge at I-44 Riverside Speedway. Schaeffer’s Turnpike Challenge victory was his career-first with POWRi.
Starting outside the front row, Schaeffer fell in line behind early race leader Holden Anderson as the field felt around the multiple grooves on the high-banked red clay surface. By lap six, Schaffer took the lead from Anderson and never looked back. Pounding the high side, Schaeffer was never seriously challenged by second place finisher, Frank Flud. Russ Disinger rounded out the podium, while Joe B. Miller took fourth. Jase Randolph finished fifth.
“Honestly, I’m kind of speechless,” said Austin Schaeffer. “This is the second race on this car. I’ve never driven anything like this before with the ladder and I’ve got power steering so it’s a different feel. My dad, flew in from Atlanta, Georgia to watch me race, so I’m glad I got this done for him. Frank Galusha and the whole crew behind us and Joe B. Milller; this power plant is a freaking monster. I’m glad we got it done for them. This is a good one. These are the best guys in the country that race on a weekly basis and to win this tonight against guys like Frank Flud, just to be in the same ballpark as him is a gratifying.”
“When you come to one of these shows with the POWRi national guys, it’s some of the best in the country and I’ve got to congratulate Austin on his first win, that’s huge,” stated Frank Flud. “We had some mechanical failures, but I’m not going to let that say that’s why we ran second. I ran second because that’s where I needed to be and he won that race. Congratulations to him. I can’t thank my crew enough. I’m going to say my team did a good job after what we went through this weekend.”
“Some guys got a little sideways there and I took advantage of it,” commented Russ Disinger. “Competitive Performance had us running good and the D1 Chassis and Advanced Shocks were on point. We’ll see POWRi some more, I’ve got some stuff I need to take care of at home this year, but we’ll be back for more.”
Micros
Speedway Motors Heat Race Winners: Heat 1: 05 - JORDAN HOWELL, Heat 2: 11B - KAYLEE BRYSON, Heat 3: 39 - RUSS DISINGER, Heat 4: 3G - GARET WILLIAMSON, Heat 5: 81 - FRANK FLUD
Toyota Semi Feature Winners: 23C - CHRIS COCHRAN, 14H - HARLEY HOLLAN
Mesilla Valley Transportation Feature Winner: 71S - AUSTIN SCHAEFFER
POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro League Feature Results (20 laps): 1. 71S - AUSTIN SCHAEFFER 2. 81 - FRANK FLUD 3. 39 - RUSS DISINGER 4. 51B - JOE B MILLER 5. 15 - JASE RANDOLPH 6. 34 - KJ SNOW 7. 05 - JORDAN HOWELL 8. 12 - FRANK GALUSHA 9. 73 - JASON MCDOUGAL 10. 47R - TYLER RENNISON 11. 14H - HARLEY HOLLAN 12. 9 - CHASE RANDALL 13. 38 - JACKSON FRISBIE 14. 12G - GAGE ROBB 15. 42 - HANK DAVIS 16. 55B - BRANDON ANDERSON 17. 6A - HOLDEN ANDERSON 18. 44 - TREVIN LITTLETON 19. 3G - GARET WILLIAMSON 20. 23C - CHRIS COCHRAN 21. 11B - KAYLEE BRYSON 22. 33M - RYAN MUELLER 23. 15U - WILLIE URISH
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