SUN PRAIRIE, WISC. (July 7, 2019) – Adding “Pepsi Nationals Champion” to his resume, Logan Seavey of Sutter, Calif. won the 38th running of the iconic event on Sunday night at Wisconsin’s famed Angell Park Speedway. Advancing from fifth-to-first by lap 14, the Keith Kunz Motorsports No. 67 gasser fended off a final lap haymaker from Cannon McIntosh to secure his seventh POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League victory of 2019.
Bringing the 22-car field to the green flag, McIntosh of Bixby, Okla. in the Dave Mac Motorsports, Drive WFX, Spike/Toyota No. 08 paced the front row alongside Tucker Klaasmeyer of Paola, Kans. aboard the Keith Kunz Motorsports, Link-Belt Excavators, Bullet/Toyota No. 27. Assuming early command, Klaasmeyer bolted to the lead and brought McIntosh along with Zach Daum of Pocahontas, Ill. in tow.
As the battle for the lead heated up with ten laps down, attention turned to the front pack as Klaasmeyer, Daum and Seavey started a duel for the top spot. Nearly going three-wide on the ever-changing 1/3rd-mile surface, Seavey forged ahead on the 14th circuit and began to sneak away while McIntosh regained his composure and maneuvered by Daum and Klaasmeyer into second.
“When they work it like that the bottom normally slicks off and gets hard to run like it did there,” noted Seavey. “I got on top too early and Tracy slipped by me, then I started wondering if it was ever going to clean off. I kept working it and working it after those restarts, my car was great on the long run once we got some heat in the tires.”
Tracking Seavey down in the closing stages, McIntosh approached the No. 67 and was ready to attack for a shot at his first-career POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League victory with two laps to go. Showing his nose around the bottom of turns one and two, McIntosh lost some ground, but recovered quickly to set up one final run on the final lap.
Flying to the bottom of turn three on the last circuit, McIntosh was set to force a decision upon Seavey, but a last-minute diversion to avoid an infield tire sent the No. 08 up the race track and gave Seavey clean room to find the checkered flag.
“That was a really fun race track, I always love coming to this place and seeing the atmosphere the fans create,” said Seavey in victory lane. “Connor [Ridge] kept telling me all day how much he really wanted to win this one, and I really wanted it too. I led a bunch of laps here last year and lost it on the last lap, so it’s nice to come back and redeem ourselves.
For the Sutter, Calif. driver of the Keith Kunz Motorsports, Mobil 1, Bullet/Toyota No. 67, Sunday’s victory in the 38th annual Pepsi Nationals marked Seavey’s first-ever victory at Angell Park Speedway, the seventh of his stellar 2019 POWRi campaign, and the 15th of his Lucas Oil National Midget League career.
Following Seavey to the stripe was Cannon McIntosh with a close second-place finish, a young man who continues to be oh, so close to breaking through for his first-career victory. Early leader Tucker Klaasmeyer slipped back to round out the podium, while Tanner Carrick and Chase Jones closed out the top five.
Cannon McIntosh (Auto Meter Heat 1), Holley Hollan (KSE Racing Products Heat 2) and Zach Daum (Advanced Racing Suspensions Heat 3) topped heat race action on Sunday night at Angell Park Speedway.
Up next for the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League is a trio of races in the “Show-Me State” next weekend. The tripleheader begins with back-to-back nights at Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo. on Friday and Saturday, July 12-13 with a Sunday, July 14 appearance at Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex in Sweet Springs, Mo.
For more information on the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League, you can visit www.powri.com online, like @POWRi_Racing on Twitter and Instagram, or like POWRi on Facebook.
Auto Meter Heat One (8 Laps):
- 08-Cannon McIntosh, Bixby, OK (4); 2. 71K-Tanner Carrick, Lincoln, CA (2); 3. 98-Tanner Thorson, Minden, NV (3); 4. 21KS-Tracy Hines, Wilkinson, IN (6); 5. 57-Chase Jones, Greenwood, IN (8); 6. 9-Daison Pursley, Locust Grove, OK (7); 7. 31-David Budres, Janesville, WI (1); 8. 11-Tyler Baran, Joliet, IL (5).
KSE Racing Products Heat Two (8 Laps):
- 67K-Holley Hollan, Broken Arrow, OK (1); 2. 28-Ace McCarthy, Tahlequah, OK (2); 3. 27-Tucker Klaasmeyer, Paola, KS (6); 4. 3B-Shelby Bosie, Sherman, IL (4); 5. 3-Davey Ray, Davenport, IA (5); 6. 3W-Brandon Waelti, Sun Prairie, WI (7); 7. 82-Mike Hess, Riverton, IL (3).
Advanced Racing Suspensions Heat Three (8 Laps):
- 5D-Zach Daum, Pocahontas, IL (1); 2. 67-Logan Seavey, Sutter, CA (3); 3. 7X-Thomas Meseraull (2); 4. 71-Jesse Colwell, Red Bluff, CA (7); 5. 3N-Jake Neuman, New Berlin, IL (6); 6. 97K-Jesse Love, Redwood City, CA (5); 7. 20-Cody Weisensel (4).
Lucas Oil Products Main Event (30 Laps):
- 67-Logan Seavey (5); 2. 08-Cannon McIntosh (1); 3. 27-Tucker Klaasmeyer (2); 4. 71K-Tanner Carrick (7); 5. 57-Chase Jones (14); 6. 5D-Zach Daum (4); 7. 71-Jesse Colwell (6); 8. 98-Tanner Thorson (10); 9. 3-Davey Ray (15); 10. 9-Daison Pursley (16); 11. 28-Ace McCarthy (8); 12. 97K-Jesse Love (18); 13. 3N-Jake Neuman (13); 14. 67K-Holley Hollan (3); 15. 31-David Budres (21); 16. 21KS-Tracy Hines (9); 17. 3W-Brandon Waelti (17); 18. 11-Tyler Baran (22); 19. 82-Mike Hess (20); 20. 7X-Thomas Meseraull (11); 21. 3B-Shelby Bosie (12); 22. 20-Cody Weisensel (19).
Lap Leader(s): Klaasmeyer 1-13, Seavey 14-30.
Hard Charger(s): Jones +9.
NEW POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League Points:
- 67-Logan Seavey (3,010); 2. 27-Tucker Klaasmeyer (-480); 3. 5D-Zach Daum (-610); 4. 71-Jesse Colwell (-640); 5. 3N-Jake Neuman (-770); 6. 71K-Tanner Carrick (-860); 7. 08-Cannon McIntosh (-990); 8. 28-Ace McCarthy (-1,030); 9. 67K-Holley Hollan (-1,120); 10. 9-Daison Pursley (1,220).