MACON, Ill. (Sept. 24, 2011)—Jacob Patton won his third feature of the season and Trent Beckinger clinched the championship Saturday in the POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series at Macon Speedway.
Beckinger started on pole and Patton was on the outside of the front row. Patton took the lead on the opening lap on the outside exiting Turn Four and held it for all 20 laps. Beckinger finished second.
“The start of the race was make or break for the win,” Patton said. “I knew I had to stay on the gas and get past him.”
It has been a breakout season for Patton, who had two career POWRi Micro wins entering it. The 20-year-old from Bethalto, Ill., had one top-five in the initial seven events he entered and has three wins, two seconds and a third in the last 11.
“We’ve definitely hit on something,” Patton said.
Beckinger leads the series with four wins and has five seconds. The 21-year=old from Evansville, Ind., has 16 top-fives in the 18 features he’s entered. Beckinger’s other two features have been sixth and eighth.
“We locked up the championship and it’s pretty awesome,” Beckinger said. “I never put the car where I shouldn’t be and we were never very far off on the setup. My dad (Monte Beckinger) put a lot of work into the car and we really went after it. It’s our first full season in POWRi Micros. We committed to it and we won it.”
Joe B. Miller of Millersville, Mo., finished third. It was his fifth straight top-five and 11th in 17 features this season.
“The bottom was too good and Patton and Beckinger were running down there,” Miller said. “I tried the top, but Patton and Beckinger were faster on the bottom. Third is all right.”
POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series feature results (20 laps): 1. Jacob Patton, 2. Trent Beckinger, 3. Joe B. Miller, 4. Andrew Felker, 5. Ryne Welch, 6. Trey Datweiler, 7. Billy Lawhead, 8. Spencer Montgomery, 9. Max Pozsgai, 10. Levi Curry, 11. Garrett Duff, 12. Justin Peck, 13. Natasha Cox, 14. Paul Nienhiser, 15. J.B. Gilbert, 16. Jake Neuman, 17. Jimmy Miller, 18. Andy Malpocker, 19. Devin Feger, 20. Casey Swift, 21. Clayton Duff, 22. Michael Bustamonte, 23. Ryan Guyett.
For more information on POWRi Racing, go to www.POWRi.com.