Klaasmeyer Cashes in at OKC
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (June 10, 2017) Tucker Klaasmeyer and his Austin Brown Racing team made a last minute decision to head down Interstate 44 to the I-44 Riverside Speedway yesterday. By the end of the 25-lap A-main presented by HE&M Saw, Klaasmeyer had made his way from his Paola, Kansas home to POWRi West Victory Lane.
Thirty-two POWRi West midgets were on hand for the West’s return to the racetrack where the series cut its teeth back in 2014. In heat race action, the pair of Team JET midgets claimed wins in heats one and two with young guns Cannon McIntosh and Grady Chandler. Heat race three saw Kyle Clark make his way to the lead and pick up a heat win. The fourth and final heat race saw racing veteran Travis Scott race hard with youngster Zane Hendrick until Hendrick lost the battery on his Esslinger powered #27 machine. The midget B-main was action packed from start to finish, with two cars getting upside down. Hannah Adair flipped early in the B, getting clear up to the top of the catch fence. After a lengthy car removal and fence repair, the field went back green until a few laps later when midget newcomer, Holley Hollan made contact with the wall in turns three and four and also ended up upside down. When the B finally got back going, it was Chris Andrews picking up the win with Ace McCarthy, Geo White, and Blake Battles picking up the transfer positions.
This set the field for the evening’s A-main event. Jumping out to the early lead, Grady Chandler set the pace until a flat tire sent him to the work area and the tail of the field. When racing continued, Matt Moore continued to show his strength in his midget this season, while Klaasmeyer continued moving up through the field from his 10th place starting position. Chandler would make his way back up towards the front until a run-in with the outside wall would end his night. As the checkers waved, it was Klaasmeyer picking up his second career POWRi West win, followed by former series champion Alex Sewell and Cannon McIntosh, who rounded out the podium.
The series will now take a couple weekends off, but will return to racing action on Friday, June 30th at RPM Speedway in Crandall, Texas. That Saturday night, the West midgets will then head to Super Bowl Speedway in Greenville, Texas to complete the Texas weekend.
You can learn more about the POWRi West Midget League and its drivers at www.powri.com.
POWRi West Contingency Winners
Smith Titanium Heat Race 1 – Cannon McInstosh
Saldana Racing Products Heat Race 2 – Grady Chandler
Keizer Sprint Wheels Heat Race 3 – Kyle Clark
Rod End Supply Heat Race 4 – Travis Scott
Integrity Customs Tulsa High Points Award – Kevin Bayer
The Engine Heater Hard Charger – Blake Battles
Highest Finishing BOSS Chassis – Tucker Klaasmeyer
HE&M Saw A-main winner – Tucker Klaasmeyer
(Mike Howard photo)
