WASHINGTON, Mo. (Aug. 6, 2011)—Jacob Patton drove from eighth starting position into the lead halfway through the feature Saturday and went on to take a runaway victory in the POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micros Series at the Washington Town and Country Fair Motor Sports Arena.
Patton’s win was his second of the season and fourth of his POWRi career. The 20-year-old from Bethalto, Ill., gained ground in two bursts, eighth to third on the opening lap and third to first on a restart on lap 13 of 30 on the 1/5-mile track.
“I started on the outside (of the fourth row) and everybody went inside,” Patton said. “I never lifted in the first two corners and I went sailing around.”
Leader Paul Nienhiser and Dereck King were in front of Patton for the decisive restart. Nienhiser missed a shift and forced King to slow. Patton’s Suzuki-powered Brodrix darted inside and streaked past both into the lead.
“It was the only choice I had,” Patton said. “I didn’t have a chance to hit the brakes. If I had, it probably would have caused a big wreck behind me. We had a car capable of winning before the yellow (caution). We had the car perfect.
“I’m excited. It’s just great for the team. We’re getting more confidence every time out.”
Trent Beckinger started on the inside of the fourth row, next to Patton, dropped to ninth on the opening lap and climbed to finish second. It was the 20-year-old from Evansville’s fifth runner-up of the season. He also has two wins and a total of 11 top-fives in the 13 events he’s entered. Beckinger’s worst finish of the season is eighth.
“We had an awesome car,” Beckinger said. “I had a bad start and was ninth after the opening lap. I started slowly picking them off. We were a little late getting to the front and we ran out of laps.
“This has been a dream year for us and we’re hoping it continues for the final eight races.”
Nienhiser finished third, his best in POWRi since taking second on May 21 at Wayne County (Ill.) Speedway.
“I’m disappointed, but it’s not too bad being third,” Nienhiser said. “The engine stumbled with the fueling system on the (lap 13) restart and when I went to shift, it went into neutral.”
King, of Vienna, Ill., finished fourth and Andrew Felker, of Carl Junction, Mo., as fifth.
POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series results: 1. Jacob Patton, 2. Trent Beckinger, 3. Paul Nienhiser, 4. Dereck King, 5. Andrew Felker, 6. Jake Neuman, 7. Joe B. Miller, 8. Jordan Campbell, 9. J.B. Gilbert, 10. Natasha Cox, 11. Matt Ponder, 12. Casey Swift, 13. Tyler Robbins, 14. Kara King, 15. Austin Brown, 16. Chad Elliott, 17. Jeremy Camp, 18. Zach Hampton, 19. Derek LeMaster, 20. Josh Fisher, 21. Carlee Gress, 22. Cameron King, 23. Ryan Guyett, 24. Spencer Montgomery.
POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series 2011 race winners: Du Quoin, Ill.–Ryan Langston; Belleville, Ill.–Aaron Andruskevitch; Wayne County, Ill.–Dereck King; Brownstown, Ill.–Trent Beckinger; Peoria, Ill.-Andrew Felker; West Plains, Mo.–Triston Tidmore; Springfield, Mo.–Trent Beckinger; Lincoln, Ill.—Mike Hudson; Marion, Ill.—Jacob Patton; Marion, Ill.—Christopher Bell; Belleville, Ill.—Kara King; Belleville, Ill.—Andrew Felker; Macon, Ill.—Andrew Felker; Washington, Mo.—Jacob Patton.
For more information on POWRi Racing, go to www.POWRi.com.