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Sewell Shines in Midget Action | Three Repeat Winners and Two Texans Earn Career Firsts at I-44 Riverside!

All Photo Credits: Special Thanks to Kristy McDougal

Just a week after shattering records for attendance in turnout on both sides of the fence in the 15th Annual Mini Sprint Nationals, I-44 Riverside Speedway hosted the Lucas Oil POWRi West Midget Series for the 7th time this season along with Round 16 of the 2014 Champions Cup for the five weekly micro sprint divisions. For the 12th time this season, I-44 Riverside pits boasted over 100 entries as approximately 105 arrived to wheel it around another fast, very well prepped racing surface.

Despite a return to seasonal temperatures in the upper 90’s, speedway promoter Mark Banister continued his own streak of 7 high quality racing surfaces in a row.

And this Saturday’s race marked the beginning of a new phase of paying back the support in what has been one of the best season in the 16 year history of southwest Oklahoma City’s high banked, 1/5th mile red clay oval.

The two headlining weekly classes, the A Class and Non Wing divisions (same cars, A Class just dons a top wing while the latter obviously runs without the hat) will each have their purses upped from 225 to win and 20 to start, to $250 to win and $25 to start each week, a one way increase as car entry remains just $20.

Both of those classes will also have their purses boosted from the current $1,000 A Feature payouts to nearly $1,500 when their fields feature 25 entries or more, with a payout approaching a $2,000 feature total if those two divisions get 30 competitors or more.

And they came kind of close as the Non Wing division had 18 racers with several weekly regulars sidelined and the A Class division really knocked on the door with 23 contestants.

However, it’s most pivotal to note that we have already increased those purses for the rest of the season, no matter the size of the field, with 250 to win and 25 to start. With nearly 75 stock 600 teams that in the local west side network alone, we will aim to get these field back up into firm B Feature territory and at figures that show both out thanks to our highly valued racers, as well as our commitment to provide the best open wheel racing every Saturday night. And while we build up the effort to boost the participation in those two headlining divisions, we each of our racers will also do the same in spreading the word and challenging their friends and fellow racers to do the same in these final half six weekly events before the season concludes with the 2nd Annual Twister Nationals on October 10th and 11th.

Our commitment to recognizing an unprecedented era of growth among the “West Siders” goes far beyond our two fastest classes. We have made the same commitment to the other three divisions as well: our Turf Tire, Junior Sprint, and Restricted divisions.

When any of those classes get 15 cars or more, we will put a 40% increase in the purse. And if they get 20 entries or more - an 80% increase.

And this is exactly where the boost first came into play this past Saturday night, as both the Turf Tire and Junior Sprint divisions featured a season best 16 entries. So both classes had their purses increased considerably to payouts that are inarguably the best in the entire southern plains for any weekly micro sprint program.

These increases were felt all throughout the field, with the winners earning a 10 year best in their respective divisions, but the gains are not just to the podium finishers. In fact, by percentage the gains are largely put to the back half of the field. The Turf and Juniors both pay $20 car entries, and both walked away with a minimum of $30 to start their main event.

This is a plan that has been a year in the making. I-44 Riverside promoter Mark Banister shares to quote “We are averaging the best car counts the speedway has seen in at least the last ten years, and at the same time have won more fan support than many dared to dream in before the season (that began without any grandstand seating).”

“The on going growth in every facet of the speedway has been remarkable, and we will make every effort to continue that growth and feature many of the best race car drivers in the area, while continuing to rally these communities on both sides of the fence, a fence that more are peering through all the time. We don’t just have great racers in this community. We have the very best people. Our every effort of the promoting team is to continue to win the support of so many in the local and racing communities, to continue to grow fans of our great racers and our efforts to showcase them, and to consistently win the support of the many racing teams because they are the engine that drives this rapidly growing community. This is a step to thank our racers for their support, and also and especially to invite them out next week for another great crowd of race fans.”

Again we have raised the Non Wing and A Class pay to $250 to win the A Feature, with $25 to start, while car entry fees remain at $20.

The A Class and Non Wing Main Event purses will be boosted by 40% when we have 25 competitors and by 80% when 30 or more check in to race on a track surface that is really starting to hit its’ stride, despite this being the hottest period of the year.

The Restricted, Junior Sprint, and Turf Tire divisions will be boosted by 40% when they have 15 race teams or more, and by 80% when they feature 20 teams or higher.

In a direct message to ALL micro sprint teams of this region, this is an unprecedented step in recent years and one we have taken to encourage participation and long term growth. The fan count has grown phenomenally because racer participation has as well. And with this in mind, we invite all A Class, Non Wing, Turf Tire, Junior Sprint, and Restricted teams in the area to compete in these next two weeks before we take our last break over the Labor Day Holiday Weekend. With your support, this final phase of the season can set a new bar, a new high mark for what these communities can accomplish when they participate and work together to feature some of the very best dirt track racing in the southern plains.

I-44 Riverside would like to formally

And to review another thrilling night of open wheel action - The Rundown is launched for the 20th time this season.

Lucas Oil POWRi West

Broken Arrow’s Alex Sewell earned his third win in the last four West starts, wiring the field aboard the Action Auto Collision, Esslinger powered #8 Spike.
He was chased by Choctaw’s Cody Brewer and Tyler Nelson, who made a 13 hour round trip for the third time to support the POWRi West Midget effort centralized in OKC this year.

Sixteen midgets checked in for the 12th POWRi West race of the season, with a 17th sidelined with towing issues en route from West Texas. Seventeen is the high mark for POWRi West Midgets at the 7 shows in the State Capitol this season.

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