POWRi Midget Racing

Last updated
POWRi Logo NEW.png

POWRi (Performance Open Wheeled Racing, inc.) is a dirt track racing sanctioning body based in the United States, founded by promoter Kenny Brown. [1] [2]

Contents

It organizes the POWRi National Midget Series, a midget car racing series rival to the USAC National Midget Series, as well as the POWRi West Midget Series and POWRi Outlaw Midget Series feeder series. Also it organizes sprint car racing series such as the POWRi WAR Sprints (wingless), Bandit Outlaw Sprint Series and Desert Wing Sprint League (winged), plus the POWRi 600cc Outlaw Micro Sprints.

Drivers that have competed in POWRi events include Tony Stewart, Kyle Larson, Bryan Clauson, Brady Bacon, Christopher Bell, Dave Darland, Rico Abreu and Andrew Felker.

Cars

Sprint cars weight 1,475 pounds and have 410 cu in engines that produce 900 horsepower.

A typical Midget weighs about 1,000 pounds and produces up to 350 horsepower from its four-cylinder engine. [3] They are intended to be driven for races of relatively short distances, usually 2.5 to 25 miles (4 to 40 km).

History

The Gateway Racing Midget Series debuted in 2005, and was rebranded the POWRi National Midget Series in 2006 after a lawsuit by Gateway International Raceway owner Dover Motorsports. [2]

The POWRi West Midget Series was launched in 2012. [1]

POWRi is the only current midget series to compete at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri. [1]

POWRi has expanded to other countries in order to grow midget racing on an international level. It entered into a multi-year agreement to sanction the POWRi Lucas Oil Australian Speedcar Super Series and the POWRi Lucas Oil New Zealand Midget Super Series. The three series operate under the same technical regulations and procedures. It establishes a platform for a Midget World Championship, which POWRi organized for the 2013/14 season. [4] The 16-race series began in Australia and New Zealand in December 2013 and it ended in June 2014 with four events in Illinois, United States. [3]

In November 2016, POWRi announced that they would begin to sanction the POWRi WAR Sprint Car Series for the 2017 season. The organization sanctioned the Elite Sprint Car Series for the 2018 season, but the partnership was dissolved in 2019.

POWRi National Midget League

The National Midgets are 900 pound cars putting out up to 370 horsepower racing on dirt tracks from 1/5-mile bullrings to high banked half miles.

Drivers such as Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Ken Schrader, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell and Rico Abreu plus many others have used these cars as stepping-stones to Nascar and the IRL.

Champions

POWRi National Midget League

Zack Daum's midget in 2014 Zack Daum in POWRi midget 2014 Angell Park.jpg
Zack Daum's midget in 2014
Brad Kuhn, 2006/2009 champion Brad Kuhn 2012 USAC Midget Podium Angell Park Speedway.jpg
Brad Kuhn, 2006/2009 champion

POWRi West Midget League

POWRi WAR Sprint Car League

POWRi 410 Bandit Outlaw Sprint League

POWRi 305 Wing Sprint Series

POWRi 600cc Outlaw Micro Sprint League

POWRi WAR East / Wildcard Sprints

POWRi Elite Sprints

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Auto Club</span> Auto racing sanctioning body in the United States

The United States Auto Club (USAC) is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, USAC sanctioned the United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned the Indianapolis 500. Today, USAC serves as the sanctioning body for a number of racing series, including the Silver Crown Series, National Sprint Cars, National Midgets, Speed2 Midget Series, .25 Midget Series, Stadium Super Trucks, and Pirelli World Challenge. Seven-time USAC champion Levi Jones is USAC's Competition Director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sprint car racing</span> Auto racing with small, open-wheel, high-power vehicles

Sprint cars are high-powered open-wheel race cars, designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Historically known simply as "big cars," distinguishing them from "midget cars," sprint car racing is popular primarily in the United States and Canada, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midget car racing</span> Type of racing using midget cars

Midget cars, also speedcars in Australia, is a class of racing cars. The cars are very small with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four cylinder engines. They originated in the United States in the 1930s and are raced on most continents. There is a worldwide tour and national midget tours in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.

Dirt track racing is a form of motorsport held on clay or dirt surfaced oval race tracks often used for thoroughbred horse racing. Dirt track racing started in the United States before World War I and became widespread during the 1920s and 1930s using both automobiles and motorcycles. Two different types of race cars dominate — open wheel racers in the Northeast and West and stock cars in the Midwest and South. While open wheel race cars are purpose-built racing vehicles, stock cars can be either purpose-built race cars or street vehicles that have been modified to varying degrees. There are hundreds of local and regional racetracks throughout the nation. The sport is also popular in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indy NXT</span> American automobile racing series

Indy NXT, previously Indy Lights, is an American developmental automobile racing series sanctioned by IndyCar, currently known as INDY NXT by Firestone for sponsorship reasons. Indy NXT is the highest step on the Road to Indy, a program of racing series leading up to the IndyCar Series.

MAVTV is an American cable and satellite television channel owned by the automotive lubricant company Lucas Oil, a ubiquitous presence in the motorsports world, which mainly airs programming focused around motorsports and programming for automotive enthusiasts. CJ Olivares serves as the network's president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World of Outlaws</span> Car racing organization

The World of Outlaws is an American motorsports sanctioning body. The body sanctions two major national touring series. It is best known for sanctioning the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. These dirt track racing series are owned and operated by World Racing Group. The Sprint Car Series has been sponsored by Monster Beverage's NOS Energy Drink since 2020 and the Late Model Series has been sponsored by Case Construction Equipment since 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryan Clauson</span> American racing driver

Bryan Timothy Clauson was an American professional auto racing driver, best known for his achievements in dirt track open-wheel racing, such as USAC Silver Crown, Midget and Sprint cars. Clauson was increasingly seen competing with the World of Outlaws (WoO) sprint cars in his last couple of years. Clauson also competed in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Indy Lights, and IndyCar Series and was a development driver for Chip Ganassi Racing.

Cowtown Speedway was a 0.25-mile-long (0.40 km) high bank clay track automobile raceway in Kennedale, Texas, that hosted weekend races for classes such as Dwarf cars, Sprint cars, stock cars and go-karts.

Selinsgrove Speedway is a 0.5 mi (0.80 km) high-banked clay dirt oval south of Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.

Website
Speedway History

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angell Park Speedway</span> Racing track in Sun Prairie, WI

Angell Park Speedway has a 1/3 mile (0.54 km) dirt racetrack located in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. The track has been run by the city's fire department since 1903. Racing occurs every Sunday approximately Memorial Day until Labor Day. Special racing events and the weather may alter the schedule. The races were sanctioned by the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association (BMARA), the oldest midget organization in the world. Some events are co-sanctioned by the United States Automobile Club (USAC). BMARA sanctions several midget car events at other nearby tracks. The World of Outlaws held their first sprint car races at the track in August 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macon Speedway</span>

Macon Speedway, located in Macon, Illinois is one of Illinois's premier dirt ovals. It is also one of the longest continuously-operating racetracks in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beaver Dam Raceway</span> American clay oval track

Beaver Dam Raceway is a one-third mile banked clay oval track located in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, U.S.A. The track holds weekly races over the Northern American summer months. It hosts an annual World of Outlaws sprint car races. The 2013 U.S. Dirt Legends Nationals event was held at the track. The World of Outlaws Late Model Series added an event in 2020. It has held midget car events on the POWRi Midget Racing and USAC National Midgets national tours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Windom</span> American auto racing driver

Christopher R. Windom is an American professional racing driver. Windom was the seventh driver to complete a United States Auto Club (USAC) Triple Crown by winning titles in sprint cars, midget cars, and Silver Crown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logan Seavey</span> American auto racing driver

Logan Norman Seavey is an American professional stock car racing driver. He currently competes part-time in the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, driving the No. 5B for Chase Briscoe Racing and full-time in the USAC P1 Insurance National Midget Championship for Keith Kunz Motorsports driving the No. 67 with support from Toyota Racing Development.

Tri-State Speedway is a high-banked 14 mile (0.40 km) dirt oval track located in Haubstadt, Indiana, approximately 16 miles (26 km) north of Evansville, Indiana. The track currently hosts World of Outlaws sprint cars, USAC sprints, POWRi Lucas Oil WAR sprints, MSCS Sprints, and UMP modifieds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hagerstown Speedway</span> Auto-racing track in Maryland, US

Hagerstown Speedway is a 0.5-mile-long (0.80 km) red clay oval auto-racing track, 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Hagerstown, Maryland, situated on US Route 40. It hosts weekly local racing of Late Model Sportsman, Pure Stock, and Hobby Stock divisions, and throughout the season hosts regional and national touring series such as the Lucas Oil Late Model Series, International Motor Contest Association, and FASTRAK. Along with the car-racing schedule during the year, Monster Jam has used the track for events for several decades, along with various concerts and special events. The speedway has also hosted World of Outlaws, ARCA, and NASCAR races in the past.

Shane M. Golobic is an American professional dirt track racing driver. He competes in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and United States Auto Club (USAC) National Midget Series for Matt Wood Racing. Prior to racing nationally, much of his dirt racing participation came in his home state of California, which included winning track championships and the California Sprint Car Civil War Series in 2014.

Holley Hollan is an American professional stock car racing driver. She last competed part-time in the ARCA Menards Series West and ARCA Menards Series East, driving the No. 50 Toyota Camry for Bill McAnally Racing.

Michael "Buddy" Kofoid is an American professional dirt track and stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the USAC National Midget Series and POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series, driving for Keith Kunz Motorsports. He is the 2021 and 2022 USAC National Midget Series champion. He also competed part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, driving the No. 51 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports, and part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 15 Toyota Camry for Venturini Motorsports. He also has competed with the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Sprint car Series. He collected his first Win at Husets Speedway on June 23, 2022.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Martin, Sam. "A Close Look At The Lucas Oil POWRi National Midget Series" . Retrieved Nov 12, 2013.
  2. 1 2 Seelman, Jacob (April 30, 2020). "The growing power of POWRi". Speed Sport.
  3. 1 2 Eighinger, Steve (June 6, 2014). "U.S. drivers sweep at Bullring". Quincy Herald Whig. Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  4. Tuttle, Tim. "POWRi sanctions Australian, New Zealand series with ambition to grow Midget racing in worldwide prominence". Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2013-11-29.
  5. http://www.powri.com/news/?i=120824
  6. 1 2 3 4 Schuett, Derek. "Daum and Benson Repeat, Go Two in a Row for POWRi Championships". POWRi Racing. Archived from the original on February 17, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  7. "Clauson Wins, Daum Is POWRi Champion". National Speed Sport News . Retrieved May 18, 2015.