BELLEVILLE, ILL. (October 24, 2019) – With the cancellation of this weekend’s Sooner Fall Nationals at Creek County Speedway, the 2019 Performance Open Wheel Racing, Inc. (POWRi) Racing season has officially come to an end. A trio of new champions forged their way to the front in their respective divisions, while one driver locked down back-to-back titles.
With the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League, 19-year old Jesse Colwell of Red Bluff, Calif. secured his first career championship in his first full season of competition. The winner of the 2018 KKM Giveback Classic, Colwell claimed his ride with Keith Kunz-Curb Agajanian Motorsports and immediately capitalized on the opportunity. Driving the IWX Motor Freight, JBL Audio, Bullet/Toyota No. 71, Colwell competed in 29 features this season while winning twice at Humboldt (Kans.) Speedway on July 14 and at I-30 (Ark.) Speedway on October 19. He also recorded 15 top-five finishes and 26 top-ten runs while outlasting Zach Daum (-350), Jake Neuman (-980), Daison Pursley (-1,060), and Holley Hollan (-1,230) in the points.
In the POWRi Engler Machine & Tool Outlaw Micro League, it was 17-year old Gunner Ramey of Sedalia, Mo. earning his first career POWRi championship. Driving the Driven Midwest No. 14G, Ramey used an impressive model of consistency to win back-to-back titles for D1 Chassis. Although victory lane eluded him in 2019, the Missouri teenager was a nightly threat for the win and proved that with countless podium appearances. In all, Ramey ran 17 POWRi Micro races this season and finished top-five in 12 of those and ran top-ten in 14 features. Trailing the up-and-coming champ in points was Joe B. Miller (-370), Harley Hollan (-460), Trevin Littleton (-860), and Luke Veradi (1,600).
The POWRi Lucas Oil West Midget League championship was a championship dominated from start-to-finish, as Andrew Felker of Carl Junction, Mo. controlled the top spot all season long. Already the 2012 POWRi National Midget League champion, Felker’s feat of winning the West this year makes him the first driver in POWRi history to take both titles. Piloting the Chad Shields Racing, MelMark Pipe & Supply, Ripper/Fontana No. 44S, Felker was the man to beat each night, finding victory lane on five occasions, finishing top-five 15 times, and recording 20 top-ten results in 26 races. Behind Felker in the West standings was Hank Davis (-1,340), Noah Gass (-3,450), Kade Morton (-3,660), and Blake Edwards (-3,800).
Concluding their 2019 season over a month ago at the Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial, the POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League crowned 19-year old Riley Kreisel of Warsaw, Mo. the champion for the second-straight year. Winning back-to-back titles, Kreisel became the first-ever multi-time champion in WAR’s eight-year history. Aboard the Rick Smith owned No. 90, Kreisel drove to three victories at Valley (Mo.) Speedway in June and back-to-back wins at Belle-Clair (Ill.) Speedway and St. Francois County (Mo.) Speedway in July. A collection of nine top-five finishes and 13 top-ten runs in 18 features led Kreisel to the top spot in a historically tight points race. Chasing him in the points standings was Kory Schudy (-11), Wesley Smith (-192), Korey Weyant (-337) and Slater Helt (-402).
For now, the focus turns to preparing for the 2019 POWRi Champions Banquet. More details such as date and venue will be announced in the near future.
Schedules are already coming together for the 2020 campaign and will be released as finalized.
For more information on POWRi Racing, visit www.powri.com online, like POWRi on Facebook, or follow @POWRi_Racing on Twitter and Instagram.