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JACKSONVILLE, Ill. (June 6, 2013)—Kyle Larson drove to victory in his fourth straight start in the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series and Mike Dicely took his third career win in the POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series to open POWRi Racing’s four-events-in-four-nights Speed Week on Thursday at quarter-mile Jacksonville Speedway.
Larson led all 30 laps in Keith Kunz Motorsports’ Toyota-powered Bullet to take the checkered flag by six car lengths over Darren Hagen, but it wasn’t without an anxious moment. Exiting turn four on the 15th lap, Larson bounced off a lapped car that had spun. The 20-year-old from Elk Grove, Calif., was a quarter lap ahead and was able to keep the lead when the race slowed for caution.
“I plowed into the car,” Larson said. “I hurt my car pretty bad, it was bouncing around and tough to drive. But the car was still good even with bent parts. I hadn’t driven a Midget in a while and it’s always a lot of fun to race in a Midget with POWRi.”
Larson triumphed over a 49-car field of outstanding talent and accomplishments. Hagen was the USAC Honda National Champion a year ago and third-place finisher Brad Kuhn of Avon, Ind., is a two-time POWRi National Midget champion. Others in the feature included multi-time New Zealand and Australian Midget champion Michael Pickens, who finished seventh, USAC Triple Crown winner Jerry Coons Jr., who finished eighth, and NASCAR Nationwide regular Justin Allgaier, who finished 18th.
Larson is a Nationwide regular, too. He’s ninth in the points and will be at Iowa Speedway for Saturday’s race. Larson was a promising West Coast short track racer at the start of 2011 and his career has been catapulted into NASCAR’s national series by dominating the short tracks in every type of car he’s driven. Earnhardt Ganassi Racing signed him to a contract at the start of 2012 and he won the NASCAR K & N East Series. Larson won his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event in April.
“I’ve run at Iowa a lot and, hopefully, we’ll get our first win (in Nationwide) there ,” Larson said.
Hagen was disappointed with second.
“The team gave me a better car than the drive I gave them,” the 26-year-old from Riverside, Calif., said. “Or Larson was just better tonight.”
The 48-year-old Dicely of Lewisberry, Pa, passed 2012 POWRi Outlaw Micro champion Joe B. Miller of Millersville, Mo., on the second lap and led to the rest of the way to win by three car lengths. Nathan Benson of Concordia, Mo., was third.
Dicely is the owner of Hyper chassis and made the 14-hour drive to showcase his product.
“POWRi’s Speed Week made it worthwhile to drive out because it’s four nights in a row,” Dicely said. “I had a softer tire than Joe B. and it allowed me to get by on the bottom early n the race Joe B. (who also uses a Hyper) is one of the best in the business and one of my best friends.”
POWRi’s inaugural Speed Week, with all four events in Illinois, continues Friday at Lincoln Speedway, Saturday at Macon Speedway and Sunday at Vermillion County Speedway in Danville.
POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series feature results (30 laps): 1. Kyle Larson, 2. Darren Hagen, 3. Brad Kuhn, 4. Chris Bell, 5. Austin Brown, 6. Rico Abreu, 7 Michael Pickens, 8. Jerry Coons Jr., 9. Andrew Felker, 10. Jake Blackhurst, 11. Terry Babb, 12. Alex Bright, 13. Danny Stratton, 14. Tyler Thomas, 15. Zach Daum, 16. Casey Shuman, 17. Tanner Thorson, 18. Justin Allgaier, 19. Brad Hosen, 20. Seth Motsinger, 21. Brandon Waelti, 22. Colten Cottle, 23. Justin Peck.
POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series (20 laps): 1. Mike Dicely, 2. Joe B. Miller, 3. Nathan Benson, 4. Cale Thomas, 5. James Morris, 6. Jason Harms, 7. Derek LeMaster, 8. Max Pozsgai, 9. Chris Openshaw, 10. Jeremy Camp, 11. Ayrton Gennetten, 12. Jake Neuman, 13. Corey Nelson, 14. Jeremy Zumwalt, 15. Derek Schuett, 16. Kyle Schuett, 17. Steve Finn, 18. Chris Ohl, 19. Bailey Goldesberry, 20. Evan Turner, 21. Aaron Andruskevitch, 22. Shelby Bosie.
For more information, go to www.POWRi.com.