The POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series Schedule Has Been Released and it Features 29 events from March to October.
Press Release By: RICHIE MURRAY / USAC SERIES MEDIA
Photos By: DAN DEMARCO / RACERSGUIDE.COM
BELLEVILLE, Ill. –January 10, 2017- The POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series has released a 29-event schedule for the season that runs from March to October.
The season kicks off with the fifth annual Turnpike Challenge on March 24-25 at Port City Raceway in Tulsa, Okla. The event is co-sanctioned by the POWRi Lucas Oil West Midget Series.
The calendar includes three appearances at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, Mo., with the first on April 22. The Iron Man Weekend on Aug. 4-5 will continue to feature the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midgets and POWRi Lucas Oil West Midget Series in a co-sanctioned event. All three events will host POWRi alongside the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series.
New this year will be a visit to Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill., on April 27 in the event dubbed Throwback Thursday. Route 66 Raceway shares the same hallowed ground as Chicagoland Speedway and the Route 66 Dragstrip.
One of the many doubleheader weekends POWRi has become known for, the month of May will again kick off with the Missouri Mid-State Midget Nationals weekend at Valley Speedway on May 5 and round out the weekend with the annual appearance at the title-sponsor owned Lucas Oil Speedway on May 6. The Missouri Mid-State Midget Nationals will be tri-sanctioned, alongside the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series, POWRi Lucas Oil West Midget Series and the newly formed POWRi Lucas Oil Allstar Midget Series all sanctioning the event.
Instead of the solo swing out West for the Missouri Mid-State Midget Nationals, the National Midgets will follow up the first weekend in May with a grand finale at Valley Speedway on July 14-15 for the first annual Thunder in the Valley. Thunder in the Valley will also be tri-sanctioned.
For the sixth year, the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series will again host Illinois SPEED Week, with four nights of racing. Fairbury American Legion Speedway will anchor the opening night of Illinois SPEED Week on June 1. The series will then head to Jacksonville Speedway on June 2 before Macon Speedway on June 3. Illinois SPEED Week will then conclude on June 4 at Lincoln Speedway.
After Illinois SPEED Week, racing will resume at Belle-Clair Speedway for the doubleheader Belle-Vegas Bash and Arnie Knepper Memorial on June 30 and July 1. In addition to the Knepper Memorial, three other events will honor those who have contributed to the rich history of midget racing, including the Camfield Memorial at Macon Speedway on Aug. 19, as well as the Charlene Meents Memorial presented by Priority Aviation on Sept. 29-30 at Belle-Clair Speedway.
Also on the docket is the 36th annual Pepsi Nationals at Angell Park Speedway, which will take place on July 9. Other standout events include the annual appearance at Fayette County Speedway in Brownstown, Ill., on May 20 and the Southern Illinois Shootout on Sept. 16, the first showing of sanctioned midget racing on the high-banked Southern Illinois Raceway in Marion, Ill.
The POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series will again end their tour at the fifth annual Jason Leffler Memorial on Oct. 20 at Wayne County Speedway in Wayne City, Ill. The event will continue to feature midget racing’s largest payday while honoring the late Jason Leffler and benefiting his son, Charlie Dean.
POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series Schedule
March 24-25 – Port City Raceway – Tulsa, Okla.
April 21 – Belle-Clair Speedway – Belleville, Ill.
April 22 – Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 – Pevely, Mo.
April 27 – Route 66 Raceway – Joliet, Ill.
May 5 – Valley Speedway – Grain Valley, Mo.
May 6 – Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, Mo.
May 12 – Jacksonville Speedway – Jacksonville, Ill.
May 13 – Macon Speedway – Macon, Ill.
May 20 – Fayette County Speedway – Brownstown, Ill.
June 1 – Fairbury American Legion Speedway – Fairbury, Ill.
June 2 – Jacksonville Speedway – Jacksonville, Ill.
June 3 – Macon Speedway – Macon, Ill.
June 4 – Lincoln Speedway – Lincoln, Ill.
June 30-July 1 – Belle-Clair Speedway – Belleville, Ill.
July 9 – Angell Park Speedway – Sun Prairie, Wis.
July 14-15 – Valley Speedway – Grain Valley, Mo.
Aug. 4-5 – Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 – Pevely, Mo.
Aug. 19 – Macon Speedway – Macon, Ill.
Sept. 8 – Jacksonville Speedway – Jacksonville, Ill.
Sept. 9 – Spoon River Speedway – Canton, Ill.
Sept. 16 – Southern Illinois Raceway – Marion, Ill.
Sept. 29-30 – Belle-Clair Speedway – Belleville, Ill.
Oct. 14 – Jacksonville Speedway – Jacksonville, Ill.
Oct. 20 – Wayne County Speedway – Wayne City, Ill.
