Christopher Bell Gets POWRi National Midget Victory
Gilpin, L. Ambrose, and Combs Victorious ...

Brownstown, IN. - Christopher Bell took his seventh POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series victory of the 2014 season becoming the first ever POWRi Midget World Champion at the 1/4 mile semi-banked Brownstown Speedway, closing the Ford EcoBoost Challenge Weekend. The two events held during the Ford EcoBoost Challenge Weekend were the finale for the POWRi Midget World Championship which will be broadcast on MavTV. “This trophy is a credit to all the guys that I got to work with. It really is a team effort,” explained newly crowned POWRi Midget World Champion Christopher Bell. “I was very fortunate down in New Zealand and Australia and thanks again to Keith [Kunz] because I have one of the best rides available. This is such a cool deal to go to New Zealand and Australia and race against some of the best midget drivers in the world.”

Pole-sitter Darren Hagen of Riverside, California led the opening four laps of the 30 lap feature event, but was unable to hold off the relentless Michael Pickens of Auckland, New Zealand. Pickens took the lead on lap five in his RFMS Racing DRC Chassis, attempting to pull away from the field until a caution for the immobilized racecars of Danny Stratton and Nick Knepper in turns one and two. When racing resumed, Pickens did his best to put distance in between himself and the field utilizing the high line, literally running on the ragged edge of Brownstown Speedway, leaving Hagen to deal with the two Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports’ Toyota-powered Bullets of Tanner Thorson and Christopher Bell that were making their way through the pack. “Racing with [Christopher] Bell is one of the best things you can do,” explained second place finisher Tanner Thorson. “I knew Darren [Hagen] was back there, I saw his front end, but I figured we could beat him.”

On the tenth lap, the caution flag flew again as Davey Ray looped it in turns one and two, collecting Michael Koontz who had nowhere to go. When racing resumed, Christopher Bell took second from Tanner Thorson of Minden, Nevada and then the lead from Pickens on lap 20. Bell would then go on to run away from the field, only being slowed once for the caution brought out by Shane Hollingsworth who slid off the track coming out of two. As laps began to wind down, Pickens jumped the cushion in turns three and four on lap 27, opening the door for Hagen’s Esslinger-powered Beast Chassis to re-enter the top three. “Hats off to my whole Great Clips team,” explained Darren Hagen. “We’ve been working on it all weekend trying to get it running. I’m proud to be here.” Rounding out the top five was Tyler Thomas in fourth and Michael Pickens bringing home fifth.

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Brownstown Speedway SUMMARY 05/31/14

POWRi Lucas Oil National Midgets (32 Entries)

HEAT ONE: Brad Mosen, Shane Hollingsworth, Zach Daum, Austin Brown, Jake Blakhurst, Garrett Aitken, Jimmy Light, Derek Holmwood

HEAT TWO: Michael Pickens, Colten Cottle, Nick Knepper, Tyler Thomas, Chet Gehrke, Parker Price-Miller, Daniel Robinson, Kevin Thomas

HEAT THREE: Darren Hagen, Terry Babb, Davey Ray, Korey Weyant, Tate Martz, Justin Dickerson, Isaac Chapple, Logan Arnold

HEAT FOUR: Andrew Felker, Chris Bell, Tanner Thorson, Danny Stratton, Spencer Bayston, Michael Koontz, Seth Motsinger, Jacob Patton

B-MAIN: Kevin Thomas, Chet Gehrke, Parker Price-Miller, Garrett Aitken, Michael Koontz, Spencer Bayston, Tate Martz, Jimmy Light, Daniel Robinson, Seth Motsinger, Isaac Chapple, Justin Dickerson, Derek Holmwood, Jacob Patton, Korey Weyant, Logan Arnold

POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series feature results (30 laps): Chris Bell, Tanner Thorson, Darren Hagen, Tyler Thomas, Michael Pickens, Andrew Felker, Kevin Thomas, Terry Babb, Zach Daum, Colten Cottle, Jake Blackhurst, Chet Gehrke, Parker Price-Miller, Spencer Bayston, Brad Mosen, Garrett Aitken, Shane Hollingsworth, Austin Brown, Davey Ray, Danny Stratton, Michael Koontz, Nick Knepper

"Fast Max" UMP MODIFIEDS (21 Entries)

HEAT ONE: Joe Godsey, Jason Thomas, Michael England, Jeff Stith, Jordan Wever, Broc Burton, Clayton Perry

HEAT TWO: Jared Bailey, Ryan Thomas, Dennis Boknecht, Chad Combs, Darren Crawhorn, Phil Marshall, Barry Gerkin

HEAT THREE: Devin Gilpin, Jeremy Owens, Jacoby Hines, Michael Fox, Rick Gumm, Cary Morris, Jarod Fleetwood

FEATURE: Devin Gilpin, Ryan Thomas, Joe Godsey, Jeremy Owens, Dennis Boknecht, Michael England, Chad Combs, Jason Thomas, Broc Burton, Rick Gumm, Jacoby Hines, Michael Fox, Jeff Stith, Jordan Wever, Cary Morris, Phil Marshall, Barry Gerkin, Jared Bailey, Darren Crawhorn, Jarod Fleetwood, Clayton Perry-DNS

MMSA WINGED MINI SPRINTS (25 Entries)

HEAT ONE: Andy Bradley, Doug Jones, Lynn Ambrose, Damon Fortune, Michael Roehling, Chris Bauemayer, Travis Stickels, Collin Miller, Bobby Griffiths

HEAT TWO: Nathan Mensendiek, Troy Fortune, Mike Miller, Daniel Lucas, Danny Gilbert, Cory Meadows, Glen Davers, Dan Wolf

HEAT THREE: Drew Dorsett, Alex Shipman, Kristin Reimer, Colin Ambrose, Cody Trammell, Luke Cone, Paul Davis, Kyle Dugan

B-MAIN: Colin Ambrose, Travis Stickels, Glen Davers, Bobby Griffiths, Cody Trammell, Luke Cone

FEATURE: Lynn Ambrose, Doug Jones, Drew Dorsett, Colin Ambrose, Alex Shipman, Nathan Mensendiek, Andy Bradley, Michael Roehling, Damon Fortune, Danny Gilbert, Travis Stickels, Troy Fortune, Mike Miller, Chris Bauemayer, Glen Davers, Daniel Lucas, Bobby Griffiths, Cory Meadows, Cody Trammell, Kristin Reimer

King of TQ MIDGETS (27 Entries)

HEAT ONE: Johnny Goff, Oogie Goff, Logan Arnold, Nick Speidel, Aaron Percell, Bill James, Dustin Wheeldon, Cody Kiewitt, Chris Mastin

HEAT TWO: Eric Fehrman, Ron Combs, Rick Robinson, Matt Hedrick, Tristan Maggart, Joshua Shaw, Will Nedderman, Kevin Blue, Leslie Souviner

HEAT THREE: Cory Eaglin, Robert Roland, Rob Walton, Bobby Dewitt, Steve Arnold, Caleb Faulkner, Trent Henderson, Paul Graybrook, Matt Arrington

B-MAIN: Joshua Shaw, Matt Arrington, Trent Henderson, Caleb Faulkner, Bill James, Leslie Souviner, Will Nedderman, Chris Mastin, Paul Graybrook

FEATURE: Ron Combs, Oogie Goff, Eric Fehrman, Robert Roland, Rick Robinson, Johnny Goff, Nick Speidel, Matt Hedrick, Cory Eaglin, Trent Henderson, Bobby Dewitt, Rob Walton, Tristan Maggart, Matt Arrington, Steve Arnold, Bill James, Joshua Shaw, Caleb Faulkner, Aaron Percell, Logan Arnold