8/17/2019
RacinBoys
Wesley Smith takes night 1 POWRi WAR Nationals at Lake Ozark Speedway
By POWRi (Eldon, MO) -- Working by Anthony Nicholson on lap nine, Wesley Smith of Nixa, Mo. hustled his Helm Racing No. 12 to the point and ran off into the distance, dominating night one of the Non-Wing Nationals at Lake Ozark Speedway for his fourth-career win with the POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League.
With a six-car inversion pulled by LRB, Inc. High Point Man Landon Simon, the front row of the feature turned into Wyatt Burks of Topeka, Kans. and Anthony Nicholson of Bartlett, Tenn. Gunning into the early lead, Nicholson shot his No. 16 to the point with an outside charge around Burks through turns one and two.
PHOTO CREDIT: POWRi
While Nicholson snuck away out front, Wesley Smith guided his No. 12 machine into the second spot as slid underneath Burks out of turn two on the fourth lap. Running down Nicholson lap-after-lap, Smith narrowed the gap and had approached his back bumper to challenge for the lead on lap eight.
Cutting to the inside of turns one and two, Smith swooped around Nicholson and assumed the lead on the ninth lap. Catching the front two, Burks made it a three-car affair as the leaders maneuvered into lap traffic on lap ten before a red flag for Jack Wagner cut the action to a screeching stop.
Going back to green with 13 laps remaining, Smith immediately ran away from the field as the battle behind him heated up. While Nicholson was under pressure from Kory Schudy for second, Landon Simon was battling Mario Clouser for the fourth spot.
In the end though, Wesley Smith was not to be denied on the night, as he dominated the opening night of the Non-Wing Nationals at Lake Ozark Speedway for his fourth-career POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League victory, the second of his 2019 campaign.
Following Smith to the line was championship contender Kory Schudy with an eighth-to-second bid and early-leader Anthony Nicholson with a third-place effort. Rounding out the top five was Landon Simon of Tipp City, Ohio in fourth and Mario Clouser of Auburn, Ill. in fifth.
Closing out the top ten was Riley Kreisel in sixth, Korey Weyant in seventh, Wyatt Burks in eighth, Slater Helt in ninth and Lane Stone in tenth.
Wyatt Burks (Hinchman Racewear Heat 1), Korey Weyant (Bell Racing HQ Heat 2), Landon Simon (Schure Built Suspensions Heat 3) and Mario Clouser (Wilwood Disc Brakes Heat 4) won heat races, while Katlynn Leer topped the Hoosier Tire B-Main.
The Non-Wing Nationals at Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Mo. rolls on tomorrow for the POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprints League.
For more information on POWRi Racing, you can visit www.powri.com online, follow @POWRi_Racing on Twitter and Instagram, or like POWRi on Facebook.
Hinchman Racewear Heat One (8 Laps):
- 11W-Wyatt Burks, Topeka, KS (1); 2. 65-Chris Parkinson, Gladstone, MO (2); 3. 77-Jack Wagner, Lone Jack, MO (4); 4. 22S-Slater Helt, Harrisonville, MO (7); 5. 73-Lane Stone, Concordia, MO (8); 6. 70-Pete Palazzolo, St. Louis, MO (5); 7. 85-Forrest Sutherland, Cherryvale, KS (6); 8. 2B-Jason Billups, Holt, MO (3).
Bell Racing HQ Heat Two (8 Laps):
- 99-Korey Weyant, Springfield, IL (2); 2. 28-Kory Schudy, Springfield, MO (3); 3. 16-Anthony Nicholson, Bartlett, TN (6); 4. 77K-Katlynn Leer, Moulton, IA (1); 5. 2-Zach Clark, Olathe, KS (4); 6. 37-Brian Beebe, Oak Grove, MO (7); 7. 75-Broc Elliott, California, MO (5).
Schure Built Suspensions Heat Three (8 Laps):
- 24-Landon Simon, Tipp City, OH (6); 2. 90-Riley Kreisel, Warsaw, MO (2); 3. 65C-Jonathan Cornell, Sedalia, MO (3); 4. 24C-Craig Carroll, Collinsville, OK (4); 5. 24H-Ty Hulsey, Owasso, OK (5); 6. 41-Brad Wyatt, Kearney, MO (1); DNS, 21M-Michael Moore, Camden, MO.
Wilwood Disc Brakes Heat Four (8 Laps):
- 31B-Mario Clouser, Auburn, IL (1); 2. 12-Wesley Smith, Nixa, MO (4); 3. 81A-Chris Morgan, Topeka, KS (7); 4. 7R-JD Black, Grain Valley, MO (2); 5. 73W-Samuel Wagner, Lone Jack, MO (5); 6. 4-Braydon Cromwell, Lone Jack, MO (6); 7. 30-Ryan Kent, Lone Jack, MO (3).
Hoosier Tire B-Main (12 Laps / 4 Transfer):
- 77K-Katlynn Leer (1); 2. 2-Zach Clark (4); 3. 24H-Ty Hulsey (2); 4. 70-Pete Palazzolo (7); 5. 37-Brian Beebe (5); 6. 85-Forrest Sutherland (9); 7. 4-Braydon Cromwell (6); 8. 73W-Samuel Wagner (3); 9. 75-Broc Elliott (10); 10. 2B-Jason Billups (12); DNS, 41-Brad Wyatt, DNS, 30-Ryan Kent, DNS, 21M-Michael Moore (13).
POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League Main Event (25 Laps):
- 12-Wesley Smith (3); 2. 28-Kory Schudy (8); 3. 16-Anthony Nicholson (2); 4. 24-Landon Simon (6); 5. 31B-Mario Clouser (7); 6. 90-Riley Kreisel (11); 7. 99-Korey Weyant (4); 8. 11W-Wyatt Burks (1); 9. 22S-Slater Helt (9); 10. 73-Lane Stone (13); 11. 24C-Craig Carroll (15); 12. 70-Pete Palazzolo (20); 13. 65-Chris Parkinson (10); 14. 24H-Ty Hulsey (19); 15. 7R-JD Black (16); 16. 77K-Katlynn Leer (17); 17. 65C-Jonathan Cornell (14); 18. 2-Zach Clark (18); 19. 77-Jack Wagner (12); DNS, 81A-Chris Morgan.
Lap Leader(s): Nicholson 1-8, Smith 9-25.
Hard Charger(s): Palazzolo +8.
Submitted By: Kirk Elliott
