BELLEVILLE, ILL. (March 11, 2020) – Since joining the Turnpike Challenge in 2017, the Oklahoma mini-series has been the annual season opener for the POWRi Engler Machine & Tool Outlaw Micro League. That remains the same in 2020 when the mighty micros support the National / West Midgets at a quartet of events racing from Creek County Speedway (March 26), I-44 Riverside Speedway (March 27-28) and Port City Raceway (March 29).
Parity has been king for the Outlaw Micros since their debut in 2017, crowning eight different winners in eight features ran. Recording an average car count of 38.9 per night, the micros have consistently offered plenty of variety night-in and night-out while traveling from Sapulpa, to Oklahoma City and then Tulsa. From young teenagers to proven veterans and even USAC superstars, the Turnpike Challenge has turned into a who’s who of POWRi Micro racing.
When the micros first joined the Turnpike Challenge, it was the Frank & Frank show as Frank Galusha of Lincoln, Neb. and Frank Flud of Pryor, Okla. split a pair of 2017 triumphs at I-44. The next year, two teenagers rose to the occasion and claimed their first career POWRi Outlaw Micro victories. It was Gage Robb of Newcastle, Okla. topping night one followed by Austin Schaeffer of Kansas City, Mo. winning the 2018 finale.
Partaking in the expanded schedule last year, the 2019 Turnpike Challenge offered the challenge of four consecutive races with the addition of Creek County and return of Port City to the slate. Finding three first-time winners in four races, last year’s TPC sent the door wide open as far as parity goes. Trey Robb (Newcastle, Okla.) at Creek County, Kaylee Bryson (Muskogee, Okla.) at I-44, and Riley Goodno (Knoxville, Iowa) at Port City all won for the first time, while Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, Okla.) returned to victory lane at I-44.
Expanding the parity to the podium, a whopping 18 drivers have split 24 different available podium finishers. Through eight events, only five drivers have been able to nail down multiple podium results. Nathan Benson, Frank Flud, Riley Goodno and Kaylee Bryson have all picked up a pair of podiums, while Brady Bacon leads the way with an unmatched tally of three podium appearances.
Ahead of the seventh annual Turnpike Challenge, it is anyone’s guess as to who could find victory lane this go around. After all, last year’s top five finishers in the championship standings are all still hunting for their first TPC triumph. The reigning champion Gunner Ramey (Sedalia, Mo.) collected three top ten finishes in Oklahoma last year and was close to the top at I-44, but fell a few positions short. Behind him, championship runner-up Joe B. Miller (Millersville, Mo.) earned a top ten result in all four races, pushing his total to six TPC top tens without a win.
Invading Oklahoma to for four nights of epic action, the seventh annual Turnpike Challenge will mark the season opener for the POWRi Lucas Oil National / West Midgets and the POWRi Engler Machine & Tool Outlaw Micros. It all begins with a practice night (6-9pm) on Wednesday, March 25 at Creek County Speedway, followed by racing on Thursday, March 26. The series moves to I-44 Riverside Speedway for two appearances on Friday & Saturday, March 27-28, and then concludes on Sunday, March 29 at Port City Raceway. Each night of racing can be seen LIVE on POWRi TV.
Fans can catch every single lap of the 2020 Turnpike Challenge featuring the POWRi Lucas Oil National / West Midgets and the POWRi Engler Machine & Tool Outlaw Micros on a LIVE pay-per-view broadcast each night on POWRi TV.
You can follow along with POWRi for more information such as race recaps, live updates, full results and press releases online at www.powri.com, on Twitter & Instagram at @POWRi_Racing or on Facebook at POWRi.
Wednesday, March 25 at Creek County Speedway (Sapulpa, OK):
9:00am – Pits Open
6:00pm to 9:00pm – Open Practice
Thursday, March 26 at Creek County Speedway (Sapulpa, OK):
Pits Open All Day
2:00pm to 5:00pm – Registration / Pill Draw
5:30pm – Drivers Meeting
6:00pm – Hot Laps
Friday, March 27 at I-44 Riverside Speedway (Oklahoma City, OK):
Pits Open All Day
2:00pm to 5:00pm – Registration / Pill Draw
5:30pm – Drivers Meeting
6:00pm – Hot Laps
Saturday, March 28 at I-44 Riverside Speedway (Oklahoma City, OK):
Pits Open All Day
2:00pm to 5:00pm – Registration / Pill Draw
5:30pm – Drivers Meeting
6:00pm – Hot Laps
Sunday, March 29 at Port City Raceway (Tulsa, OK):
Pits Open All Day
1:00pm to 4:00pm – Registration / Pill Draw
4:30pm – Drivers Meeting
5:00pm – Hot Laps
Photo Credit - TeeJay Crawford