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Top Midget Drivers Head For “Cornhusker Midget Challenge” July
24-25 at Junction Motor Speedway Drivers will shoot for $5,000-to-win prize in
second night of competition
MILLSTADT, Ill. (July 8) – Brady Bacon (Tulsa, Okla.) flashed his teenage smile
in victory lane during last year’s “Cornhusker Midget Challenge” at Junction
Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb. But that was last season. Bacon hopes to
duplicate his efforts and win outright in this year’s two-race swing, which is
scheduled for July 24-25. It will mark the third annual event for the O’Reilly
POWRi National Midget Series, which is welcoming USAC as a co-sanctioning body
for the first time. Both races will be 30-lappers.
Many of USAC’s top teams will join with POWRi’s top drivers in the two-race
clash. That list includes Bacon, who will look for his second straight win, this
time with Kasey Kahne Racing. His teammate is Kevin Swindell (Memphis, Tenn.),
son of former World of Outlaws champion Sammy Swindell.
And Kahne isn’t the only NASCAR Nextel Cup Series star fielding a team for the
“Cornhusker Midget Challenge.” Two-time series champion Tony Stewart and his
Tony Stewart Racing Enterprises two-car team will bring Levi Jones (Olney, Ill.)
and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Olive Branch, Miss.), the only driver this season to
win in all three of USAC’s National divisions. Stenhouse won the POWRi-USAC
co-sanctioned race May 12 at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind.
In addition, current series points leader Darren Hagen (Riverside, Calif.),
defending USAC National Midget Car Series champion Jerry Coons Jr., Nine Racing
teammates Dave Darland (Lincoln, Ind.) and Davey Ray (Davenport, Iowa) and 2005
USAC National Midget Car Series titlist Josh Wise (Riverside, Calif.) will look
to top Bacon’s performance and earn the $5,000-to-win prize for Wednesday’s
night triumph. Tuesday will offer $3,000 to the winner. Ray is a former race
winner.
But USAC isn’t the only sanctioning body bring the names to McCool. O’Reilly
POWRi Midget points leader Mike Hess (Petersburg, Ill.) will be back in his own
car after securing an engine to run the rest of the season. Hess, who has three
victories, has frequently competed in other cars but is expected to be back in
his No. 51 Hess Motorsports machine.
Brad Loyet (Sunset Hills, Mo.), who has run among the top five in POWRi all
season, has mended following a frightening accident at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway
and will continue his pursuit for the POWRi championship at McCool, as will
Kuhn, currently second in the POWRi standings. Several top Southern Midget
Racing Series (SMRS) drivers, including points co-leaders Gary Taylor and Matt
Sherrell, both of Oklahoma, are expected to compete in the race as well.
The races mark the second and third co-sanctioned races between POWRi and USAC.
POWRi also competed at McCool early this season, with Keith Rauch scoring his
first career series win.
For more information about POWRi, visit
www.powri.com or contact Kenny Brown at 618-476-7526.