POWRi (Performance Open Wheeled Racing, inc.) is a

dirt track racing Dirt track racing is a form of motorsport held on clay or dirt surfaced banked oval racetracks. Dirt track racing started in the United States before World War I and became widespread during the 1920s and 1930s using both automobiles and motorc ...

sanctioning body based in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, founded by promoter Kenny Brown. It organizes the POWRi National Midget Series, a

midget car racing Midget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, is a class of racing cars. The cars are very small, with a very high power-to-weight ratio, and typically use four-cylinder engines. They originated in the United States in the 1930s and are raced on most ...

series rival to the USAC National Midget Series, as well as the POWRi West Midget Series and POWRi Outlaw Midget Series feeder series. Also it organizes

sprint car racing Sprint cars are Open-wheel car, open-wheel race cars, designed primarily for the purpose of running on short Oval track racing, oval, circular dirt track racing, dirt or paved tracks. Historically known simply as "big cars," distinguishing them fr ...

series such as the POWRi WAR Sprints (wingless), Bandit Outlaw Sprint Series and Desert Wing Sprint League (winged), plus the POWRi 600cc Outlaw Micro Sprints. Drivers that have competed in POWRi events include

Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed "Smoke", is an American semi-retired professional auto racing driver, and former NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing. He currently competes in the NHRA Top Fuel class. He is a four-t ...

, Kyle Larson,

Bryan Clauson Bryan Timothy Clauson (June 15, 1989 – August 7, 2016) was an American professional auto racing driver, best known for his achievements in Dirt track racing, dirt track Open-wheel car, open-wheel racing, such as United States Auto Club, USAC Sil ...

, Brady Bacon, Christopher Bell, Dave Darland, Rico Abreu and Andrew Felker.

Cars

Sprint cars weight 1,475 pounds and have 410 cu in engines that produce 900 horsepower. A typical Midget weighs about 1,000 pounds and produces up to 350 horsepower from its four-cylinder engine. They are intended to be driven for races of relatively short distances, usually 2.5 to 25 miles (4 to 40 km).

History

The Gateway Racing Midget Series debuted in 2005, and was rebranded the POWRi National Midget Series in 2006 after a lawsuit by

Gateway International Raceway Gateway Motorsports Park (currently known as World Wide Technology Raceway for sponsorship reasons) is a motor racing facility in Madison, Illinois, just east of St. Louis, close to the Gateway Arch. It features a oval that hosts the NASCAR Cu ...

owner

Dover Motorsports Speedway Motorsports, LLC is an American company that owns and manages auto racing facilities that host races sanctioned by NASCAR, NHRA, World of Outlaws and other racing series. The company was founded by Bruton Smith and has its headquarters ...

. The POWRi West Midget Series was launched in 2012. POWRi is the only current midget series to compete at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri. POWRi has expanded to other countries in order to grow midget racing on an international level. It entered into a multi-year agreement to sanction the POWRi Lucas Oil Australian Speedcar Super Series and the POWRi Lucas Oil New Zealand Midget Super Series. The three series operate under the same technical regulations and procedures. It establishes a platform for a Midget World Championship, which POWRi organized for the 2013/14 season. The 16-race series began in Australia and New Zealand in December 2013 and it ended in June 2014 with four events in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, United States. In November 2016, POWRi announced that they would begin to sanction the POWRi WAR Sprint Car Series for the 2017 season. The organization sanctioned the Elite Sprint Car Series for the 2018 season, but the partnership was dissolved in 2019.

POWRi National Midget League

The National Midgets are 900 pound cars putting out up to 370 horsepower racing on dirt tracks from 1/5-mile bullrings to high banked half miles. Drivers such as Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Ken Schrader, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell and Rico Abreu plus many others have used these cars as stepping-stones to Nascar and the IRL.

Champions

POWRi National Midget League

Zack Daum in POWRi midget 2014 Angell Park

Brad Kuhn 2012 USAC Midget Podium Angell Park Speedway

* 2023 - Karter Sarff (Mason City, IL) * 2022 - Brenham Crouch (Lubbock, TX) * 2021 - Bryant Wiedeman (Colby, KS) * 2020 - Jake Neuman (New Berlin, IL) *2019 - Jesse Colwell (Red Bluff, CA) *2018 - Tucker Klaasmeyer (Paola, KS) *2017 - Logan Seavey (Sutter, CA) *2016 - Zach Daum (Pocahontas, IL) *2015 - Darren Hagen (Riverside, CA) *2014 - Zach Daum (Pocahontas, Illinois) *2013 - Zach Daum (Pocahontas, Illinois) *2012 - Andrew Felker (Carl Junction, MO) *2011 - Brad Loyet (Sunset Hills, MO) *2010 - Brad Loyet (Sunset Hills, MO) *2009 - Brad Kuhn (Avon, IN) *2008 - Brett Anderson (Belleville, IL) *2007 - Brad Loyet (Sunset Hills, MO) *2006 - Brad Kuhn (Avon, IN) *2005 - Mike Hess (Riverton, IL)

POWRi West Midget League

* 2023 - Michelle Decker * 2022 - Emilio Hoover (Broken Arrow, OK) * 2021 - Emilo Hoover (Broken Arrow, OK) * 2020 - Andrew Felker (Carl Junction, MO) * 2019 - Andrew Felker (Carl Junction, MO) *2018 - Kory Schudy (Springfield, MO) *2017 - Grady Chandler (Edmond, OK) *2016 - Steven Shebester (Pauls Valley, OK) *2015 - Anton Hernandez (Arlington, TX) *2014 - Alex Sewell (Broken Arrow, OK)

POWRi WAR Sprint Car League

*2023 - Jack Wagner *2022 - Kory Schudy *2021 - Mario Clouser (Chatham, IL) *2020 - Riley Kreisel (Warsaw, MO) *2019 - Riley Kreisel (Warsaw, MO) *2018 - Riley Kreisel (Warsaw, MO) *2017 - Korey Weyant (Springfield, IL)

POWRi 410 Bandit Outlaw Sprint League

* 2023 - Ayrton Gennetten * 2022 - Roger Crocket

POWRi 305 Wing Sprint Series

* 2023 - Brett Combs

POWRi 600cc Outlaw Micro Sprint League

*2023 - Kale Drake *2022 - John Barnard *2021 - Bradley Fezard (Bonnerdale, AR) *2020 - Harley Hollan (Tulsa, OK) *2019 - Gunner Ramey (Sedalia, MO) *2018 - Harley Hollan (Tulsa, OK) *2017 - Joe B. Miller (Millersville, NO) *2016 - Nathan Benson (Concordia, MO) *2015 - Nathan Benson (Concordia, MO) *2014 - Nathan Benson (Concordia, MO) *2013 - Nathan Benson (Concordia, MO) *2012 - Joe B. Miller (Millersville, MO) *2011 - Trent Beckinger (Evansville, IN) *2010 - Jeremy Camp (Blue Mound, IL) *2009 - Dereck King (Goreville, IL) *2008 - Dereck King (Goreville, IL) *2007 - Dereck King (Goreville, IL) *2006 - Kevin Bayer (Bixby, OK) *2005 - Daniel Robinson (Mt. Vernon, IL)

POWRi WAR East / Wildcard Sprints

*2018 - Landon Simon (Brownsburg, IN) *2017 - Korey Weyant (Springfield, IL)

POWRi Elite Sprints

*2018 - Paul White (Waco, TX)

References

External links

Official websiteOfficial Facebook page

Midget World Championship announced
- Speedcafe, 20 December 2013
POWRi To Sanction World Midget Series
- National Speed Sport News, 18 December 2013 {{POWRi National Midgets race venues Auto racing series in the United States Midget car racing