MARION, ILL. (October 12, 2019) – For the fourth consecutive race, a first-time winner emerged in victory lane with the POWRi Engler Machine & Tool Outlaw Micro League. Leading all 20 laps at Southern Illinois Raceway, BJ Gatewood of Caruthersville, Mo. had it far from easy on Saturday night as he was forced to fend off a series of attacks from Gunner Ramey, Luke Veradi and Jordan Howell to park his No. 88 on the front stretch.
Leading from start-to-finish in Saturday’s 20-lapper, Gatewood saw his most fierce challenge for the lead arise in the early running through the middle stages as lap traffic complicated his run. Held up by lappers on the bottom and committed to his line, Gatewood actually lost the lead to Gunner Ramey in the midst of a heated war at halfway.
However, the caution fell just right, and Gatewood was slotted back in the lead, forcing Ramey to make another move if he wanted command. On the ensuing restart, contact between Gatewood and Ramey halted the battle up front and sent Ramey, who currently leads the championship standings, around and to a stop.
After that, Gatewood was able to survive challenges from Luke Veradi and Jordan Howell as he held on for his first career POWRi Engler Machine & Tool Outlaw Micro League victory. Jordan Howell of Columbia, Mo. in second and Andy Bishop of Harrisburg, Ill. completed the podium from 17th-to-third.
Finishing inside the top ten at Southern Illinois Raceway was Austin Brown in fourth, Harley Hollan in fifth, Bryant Wiedeman in sixth, Michael Brummitt in seventh, Trevin Littleton in eighth, Darrell Moser Jr. in ninth and Lane Warner in tenth.
BJ Gatewood (Advanced Racing Suspensions Heat 1), Dusty Young (Lightning Wings Heat 2), Chad Elliott (Schure Built Suspensions Heat 3) and Bryant Wiedeman (Driven Midwest Heat 4) picked up heat race wins over the 32-car field. Andy Bishop took the MPI Wheels B-Main.
The POWRi Engler Machine & Tool Outlaw Micro League visits Belle-Clair Speedway in Belleville, Ill. tomorrow Sunday, October 13 for the Charlene Meents Memorial. If you can’t make it, watch LIVE on www.speedshifttv.com.
For more information on POWRi Racing, you can visit www.powri.com online, follow @POWRi_Racing on Twitter and Instagram, or like POWRi on Facebook.
Advanced Racing Suspensions Heat One (8 Laps):
- 88-BJ Gatewood, Caruthersville, MO (6); 2. 6-Nick McFarland, Harvest, AL (5); 3. 49K-Austin Brown, Millstadt, IL (8); 4. 0-Connor Wolf, Lafayette, IN (1); 5. 97-Scotty Milan, Fort Collins, CO (2); 6. 14P-Jake Palmisano, Marion, IL (7); 7. 20-Tayler Hungate, Benton, IL (4); DNS, 11B-Colton Booten, Marion, IL.
Lightning Wings Heat Two (8 Laps):
- 131-Dusty Young, Benton, AR (2); 2. 14G-Gunner Ramey, Sedalia, MO (7); 3. 122-Lane Warner, Bloomfield, MO (6); 4. 7-Daniel Robinson, Ewing, IL (3); 5. 75-Travis Arnold, Pilot Grove, MO (8); 6. 13X-Marty Allison, Paris, TN (1); 7. 18-Michael Brummitt, Mount Zion, IL (4); DNS, 51B-Joe B. Miller, Millersville, MO.
Schure Built Suspensions Heat Three (8 Laps):
- 65E-Chad Elliott, Cottage Hills, IL (1); 2. 3J-Jordan Howell, Columbia, MO (7); 3. 28-Luke Veradi, Taylorville, IL (8); 4. 44T-Trevin Littleton, Jacksonville, IL (3); 5. 37-Ayden Gatewood, Caruthersville, MO (5); 6. 17-James Scott, Jackson, MO (2); DNS, 8-Gabe Veradi, Taylorville, IL; DNS, 99-Alec Long, Mount Vernon, IL.
Driven Midwest Heat Four (8 Laps):
- 1-Bryant Wiedeman, Colby, KS (1); 2. 2-Jaxon Bishop, Toney, AL (2); 3. 14H-Harley Hollan, Broken Arrow, OK (6); 4. 22-Darrell Moser Jr. (8); 5. 45-Lucas Pejakovich, Godfrey, IL (3); 6. 42B-Andy Bishop, Harrisburg, IL (5); 7. 27-Devin Feger, East Peoria, IL (4); DNS, 14-Kurt Westerfield.
POWRi Engler Machine & Tool Outlaw Micro League Main Event (20 Laps):
- 88-BJ Gatewood (1); 2. 3J-Jordan Howell (3); 3. 42B-Andy Bishop (17); 4. 49K-Austin Brown (4); 5. 14H-Harley Hollan (9); 6. 1-Bryant Weideman (11); 7. 18-Michael Brummitt; 8. 44T-Trevin Littleton (16); 9. 22-Darrell Moser Jr. (12); 10. 122-Lane Warner (8); 11. 37-Ayden Gatewood; 12. 14P-Jake Palmisano; 13. 75-Travis Arnold (14); 14. 2-Jaxon Bishop (13); 15. 65E-Chad Elliott (10); 16. 28-Luke Veradi (5); 17. 6-Nick McFarland (6); 18. 14G-Gunner Ramey (2); 19. 20-Tayler Hungate; 20. 0-Connor Wolf; 21. 131-Dusty Young (7); 22. 7-Daniel Robinson (15).