Belleville, IL. (10/24/2020) Winning a season championship is no small task, winning a second is even more difficult. Winning a pair of POWRi series championships in the same season is unheard of, until now as open-wheel journeyman Chris Crowder of Colorado Springs Colorado can now claim such accolades. Having already been crowned champion of the 2020 POWRi Lucas Oil Rocky Mountain Lightning Sprints, Crowder has doubled down as titleholder by earning the POWRi Lucas Oil Southwest Lightning Sprint season championship as well.
Succumbing to the unpredictable nature of the 2020 racing season, the POWRi Lucas Oil Southwest Lightning Sprints would compete in two features early in the year before being shut down half the year due to Covid-19 precautionary measures. Early racing action would see David Cardey and Dalton Sexton win the first pair of POWRi SWLS feature events. Back at Barona Speedway for their season finale’s, no driver would repeat this season as a feature winner proving how close the racing competition truly is. Grant Sexton, Brent Sexton, and David Bezio all claim feature victories this premier season.
Always respectful the POWRi SWLS champion Chris Crowder stated, “The Southwest Lightning Sprints are a great group, with some really fast cars. Brent Sexton and his broad members are growing their series the right way by acknowledging many racers after every race with personal awards and even special prizes for lap leaders, highest finishing rookie, and Hard Charger Awards to just name a few ways they are giving back. They are truly a class act, and I’m honored that I was able to be part of their 2020 season. As for 2021, we are going to focus on more out of town events. Don’t be surprised if you see us at POWRi Lightning Sprint events in Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, Minnesota, and California.”
Using every lap of competition to determine the season champion, Chris Crowder would not go untested in the initial season for the POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprinters. Hounded the entire year by a close points battle, Crowder would ultimately earn the edge by a mere forty-five points over second-place finisher Grant Sexton. Grant Sexton, the 2019 Night One POWRi Lightning Sprint Nationals Feature Winner, would be in the hunt all season coming up one spot shy of his goal of the championship. Series director Brent Sexton would finish third in the season standings with Dalton Sexton fourth and David Bezio rounding out the top-five in the POWRi Lucas Oil Southwest Lightning Sprint championship chase.
Celebrating in his own humble and reserved style Crowder would say about an extremely successful 2020 Lightning Sprint season, “I have been very blessed with the opportunities, memories, and friendships that I’ve been able to have over the years. I can’t say enough thank you’s to everyone who has been part of what it takes to make our team go lap after lap.” Chris would go on to add “Everyone from Jason Duncan, Alexandra Frick, Joseph Monger, Kenna Monger, Deanna Duncan, Kyler Duncan, Joel and Joyce Mellon; You guys are what made this season happen. Michael Wagner, thank you for building us one bad-fast race car, Diablo chassis have a very bright future ahead of them, CSC Products, KH Suspension, R&B Auto and Diesel, Ewen Rees, Mike's Frame & Alignment, R&S Powder Coating, Sprocket Specialists, Spring Back Colorado, Keizer Sprint Wheels, thank you for ALL of your support.”
POWRi Lucas Oil Southwest Lightning Sprints would also like to thank their 2020 sponsors Sexton Fire Protection, Victory Graphix, United Cleaning Company, Express Pipe & Supply Santee, BK Wings.
Visit www.raceswls.com or follow along and “Like” POWRi SWLS on Facebook for updates, driver profiles, full-payouts, and bonus offered for the POWRi Lucas Oil Southwest Lightning Sprints racing event on October 17th at Barona Speedway.
For more information on the POWRi Lightning Sprint League and all POWRi related leagues, visit online at www.powri.com, like POWRi Racing on Facebook, and follow @POWRi_Racing on Twitter.