DU QUOIN, Ill. (Dec. 6, 2011)—Brad Loyet, who has won the past two and a total of three championships in the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series, has entered the second annual Battle at the Center on Dec. 17 at the Mini Magic Mile at the Southern Illinois Center.
The 23-year-old from Sunset Hills, Mo., had four victories, 14 top-fives and 16 top-10s in 21 POWRi events in 2011. He also was POWRi’s Midget champion in 2007 and 2010 and is the first three-time champion in the series. Loyet is the all-time leader in the series with 29 wins. Loyet also won the American Sprint Car Series’ Warrior Region in 2011, his rookie year.
“We didn’t start out chasing the POWRi championship this year, but it worked out with the schedule that we could make all but two of the events,” Loyet said. “It feels good to get two championships in one year. It’s a testament to the team we have at Loyet Motorsports.”
The POWRi-sanctioned and –organized non-points event is expected to draw an all-star cast of drivers from Midget racing’s top series and will pay $5,000 to win.
Andrew Felker of Carl Junction, Mo., Tony Roney of Herculaneum, Mo., Shane Cockrum of Benton, Ill., and Daniel Robinson of Mt. Vernon, Ill., also are recent entries to the Battle at the Center.
Felker finished seventh in the POWRi Midget championship for the second season in a row. He had six top-fives and eight top-10s. Roney’s first POWRi Midget victory was in the 2011 season opener at Du Quoin on March 26. Roney entered eight POWRi events last year and had had three top-fives and four top-10s. He was second at Belle-Claire Speedway in Belleville, Ill., on July 2.
The Mini Magic Mile qualifies as a home track for Cockrum and Robinson.
Cockrum entered four POWRi events in 2011, with an eight-place finish on Aug. 14 at Belle-Claire his best. Cockrum was 11th in the POWRi opener last season on March 26.
Robinson, the champion in 2005 of the POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series, drove in nine POWRi Midget events in 2011, six of them co-sanctioned with the Badger Auto Racing Midget Series. Robinson finished seventh in the Badget championship. Robinson reached the feature in six events, with a top finish of ninth at Spoon River Speedway in Canton, Ill, on Sept. 17.
The one-day Battle at the Center will feature a 40-lap main event on the 1/5th-mile indoor track at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds. Gates open at 3 p.m. and hot laps begin at 5 p.m. with racing immediately following. General admission tickets are $20 and children 12-and-under are free.
The event is being taped by NEWAVE Productions for delayed broadcast on SPEED Channel LUCAS Oil on the Edge.
Casey Shuman won the inaugural running of the Battle at the Center, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. taking second and Dave Darland third.
Entries for POWRi’s Lucas Oil National Midget Series 2nd Battle at the Center (as of Dec. 6): Tony Roney, Herculaneum, Mo., Donald McIntosh, Dawsonville, Ga., Tyler Milwood, Kingston, Ga., Brad Loyet, Sunset Hills, Mo., Mario Clouser, Auburn, Ill., Andrew Felker, Carl Junction, Mo., Daniel Robinson, Mt. Vernon, Ill., Shane Cockrum, Benton, Ill., Andee Beierle, Bismark, N.D., Michael J. Koontz, Bloomington, Ind., Trevor Kobylarz, Birdsboro, Pa., Danny Stratton, Indianapolis, Jonathan Halford, Tulsa, Okla., Andy Houston, Roseville, Ill., Colten Cottle, Kansas, Ill., Zach Daum, Pocohontas, Ill., Danny Frye III, St. Charles, Ill., David Gough, Machnesney, Ill., Tyler Courtney, Indianapolis, Austin Brown, Millstadt, Ill., Chett Gehrke, Broken Arrow, Okla., Brett Anderson, Belleville, Ill., Tim Siner, Dupo, Ill., John Campbell, Belleville, Ill., Steve Stroud, St. Charles, Mo., Christopher Bell, Norman, Okla., Tim Lynch, Columbus, Ind., David Budres, Beloit, Wis., Stephen Arnold, Seymour, Ind., Kyle Neal, Ewing, Ill., Jake Blackhurst, Mapleton, Ill., Bryan Clauson, Noblesville, Ind., Isaac Chapple, Wilkinson, Ind., Taylor Ferns, Shelby Township, Mich., Kara King, Vienna, Ill., Tyler Thomas, Collinsville, Okla., Rick King, Vienna, Ill., Dereck King, Vienna, Ill., Darren Kingston, Vandalia, Ill.
For more information on POWRi Racing, go to www.POWRi.com.