10/5/2018
POWRi
WAR SPRINT LEAGUE SEASON FINALE TONIGHT AT JACKSONVILLE
Jacksonville, IL (October 5, 2018) - Hosting the 20th and final event of 2018 tonight, October 5th, the POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League will conclude a stellar season with an appearance at Jacksonville Speedway in Jacksonville, Illinois. Set to crown the newest champion, the standings will see one final shakeup as the top five point-getters Kreisel, Benson, Hulsey, Parkinson and Carroll fight for one last race to determine the outcome of this year's campaign.
Tonight's trip to Jacksonville will kick off what has quickly become one of the most anticipated and must-see doubleheaders of the WAR season. Following the unfortunate cancellation of Sprint Mania at Fairbury American Legion Speedway, this weekend's dates were quickly filled with Jacksonville tonight and Kokomo tomorrow, and have been the talk of town ever since.
Along with the WAR and WAR Wildcard faithful including the stout likes of Kreisel, Simon, Burks, Benson, Hulsey, Weyant, Helt and others, tonight's show at Jacksonville has intrigued the interest of several notable competitors. "The People's Champ" Dave Darland will be in attendance in the Goodnight Racing No. 36D, "T-Mez" Thomas Meseraull is bringing the Don Whitney Racing No. 00, and Justin Peck will be in action with the Burton Racing No. 04, among others.
Through 19 previous races, 18-year old Riley Kreisel of Warsaw, Missouri has garnered 2,167 points aboard the Rick Smith owned Weather Tech Renovations No. 90 entry and commands a 137-point advantage in the chase for the championship. After breaking through for his first-career victory on April 28th at Lake Ozark Speedway, Kreisel took the points lead and has yet to relinquish it, also snagging wins at Lucas Oil (May 5th) and Humboldt (August 25th) while earning 13 top five finishes in 18 features.
Quinton Benson of Emma, Missouri follows Kreisel in pursuit of the championship and is slotted 137 points out of the top spot, with a maximum of 150 points available on Friday night. A last-lap victor in July's trip to St. Francois County Raceway, Benson has piloted his QBR No. 15B for almost all of 2018, but late-season engine trouble along with the generosity of a fellow competitor has found Benson aboard the No. 65B, a second Chris Parkinson entry.
Sitting third in points, Owasso, Oklahoma's Ty Hulsey is mathematically eliminated from the title hunt, but that doesn't negate a phenomenal first year running full-time with the WAR Sprint League. Driving for the Risley Racing group, the "Sooner State" contingent were faithful and supportive in trips to Missouri, Illinois and Kansas. The highlight of Hulsey's campaign came in late June as he scored his first-career triumph at Midway Speedway in Lebanon, MO.
Rounding out the top ten point-getters and looking to create quite the shakeup in points is Chris Parkinson (4th), Craig Carroll (5th), Slater Helt (6th), Anthony Nicholson (7th), Wyatt Burks (8th), Ryan Kent (9th) and Vinny Ward (10th).
Although the POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League will finish their season off tonight, racing does not stop all together for the WAR family, as two more races remain for the WAR Wildcard group. On Saturday, October 6th, the League will travel to the "Hoosier State" for the first-time ever and make their debut at "Indiana's Baddest Bullring," Kokomo Speedway, for the finale of the Bell Racing USA Triple Crown Challenge. The following Saturday, October 13th, will see the WAR Wildcard season finale co-sanctioned along with the MSCS Sprint Cars at Tri-State Speedway, where a $5,000 payday awaits the winner of the "Harvest Cup."
Photo Credit: Steve Eichelberger
Article Credit: Brian Walker
