By Lonnie Wheatley (Meeker, OK) -- Nixa, Missouri’s Wesley Smith put the wraps on a perfect night in Lucas Oil POWRi West Midget League presented by Executive Concrete NWA competition by winning Friday’s 25-lap “Third Annual Sooner Midget Nationals” feature event atop the ¼-mile Red Dirt Raceway clay oval.
After winning his heat race earlier in the evening from fourth aboard the All Metal Recycling/Midwest Sheet Metal No. 44 entry to earn BOSS Performance High Point driver of the night honors, Smith capitalized on Jonathan Beason’s late-race misfortune to capture his second series win of the year.
Smith’s triumph snapped a streak of eight different winners in the last eight POWRi West Midget events. Smith was also victorious on the opening night of Airport Raceway’s “Midget Roundup” on May 26.
After the initial start was waved off for a two-car tangle on the backstretch and then another when Cannon McIntosh got upside down, Beason took command in the Hard Eight entry and led the way until a caution flew after 16 laps when Brendon Wiseley encountered brake rotor issues.
Back under way, Beason held the point ahead of Smith and series points leader Kory Schudy until a shredded left tire on the 22nd lap denied the Broken Arrow, OK, racer his second series sore of the year.
Smith assumed command and beat Schudy to the stripe with Andrew Deal rounding out the podium in third. Trey Marcham was fourth with Blake Edwards rounding out the top five. Kade Taylor was sixth with the balance of the top ten including Payton Pierce, Hannah Adair, Zac Moody and Doug McCune.
Smith, McIntosh and Marcham topped heat race action for the 22-car field.
In addition to Lucas Oil and Executive Concrete NWA, additional POWRi West Midget League supporting sponsors include Two-Eight Drilling, American Discount Auto Care, R&M Race Trailer, A1 Machine, Rod End Supply, Pyrotech, Esslinger Engineering and MyChron Tom/AIM.
The POWRi West Midget League finishes out the weekend with a Saturday night stop at Oklahoma City’s I-44 Riverside Speedway. The green flag is set to fly at 7:00 p.m.
Lucas Oil POWRi West Midget League presented by Executive Concrete NWA Results
Red Dirt Raceway (Meeker, OK) – June 15, 2018
Smith Ti Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 44-Wesley Smith, [4]; 2. 77-Payton Pierce, [6]; 3. 28-Kory Schudy, [7]; 4. 17Z-Zac Moody, [3]; 5. 19-Pierce Urbanosky, [5]; 6. 52-Craig Oakes, [8]; 7. 27B-A.J. Burns, [1]; 8. 59-Austin Shores, [2]
Keizer Wheels Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 08-Cannon McIntosh, [3]; 2. 8K-Jonathan Beason, [4]; 3. 71WG-Weston Gorham, [2]; 4. 51-Kade Taylor, [7]; 5. 23-Hannah Adair, [6]; 6. 721-Brendon Wiseley, [5]; 7. 24-Hunter Fischer, [1]
Saldana Products Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 32-Trey Marcham, [1]; 2. 17E-Blake Edwards, [3]; 3. 15D-Andrew Deal, [6]; 4. 9U-Doug McCune, [2]; 5. 85-Matt Johnson, [4]; 6. 10-Jay Mounce, [7]; 7. 42-Hank Davis, [5]
“A” Main (25 Laps): 1. 44-Wesley Smith, [1]; 2. 28-Kory Schudy, [4]; 3. 15D-Andrew Deal, [6]; 4. 32-Trey Marcham, [7]; 5. 17E-Blake Edwards, [8]; 6. 51-Kade Taylor, [9]; 7. 77-Payton Pierce, [2]; 8. 23-Hannah Adair, [12]; 9. 17Z-Zac Moody, [11]; 10. 9U-Doug McCune, [13]; 11. 24-Hunter Fischer, [21]; 12. 52-Craig Oakes, [17]; 13. 27B-A.J. Burns, [20]; 14. 10-Jay Mounce, [16]; 15. 19-Pierce Urbanosky, [14]; 16. 8K-Jonathan Beason, [5]; 17. 71WG-Weston Gorham, [10]; 18. 85-Matt Johnson, [15]; 19. 721-Brendon Wiseley, [18]; 20. 08-Cannon McIntosh, [3]; 21. 42-Hank Davis, [19]; 22. 59-Austin Shores, [22]
BOSS Performance High Point Driver: Wesley Smith.