Albuquerque, NM (9/21/21) – Caleb Saiz, driver of The Twister Tribute No. 1HA for Hal Burns Racing, has officially been named the 2021 Lucas Oil POWRi NMMRA Sprint Car Series champion. This comes after an announcement last week that the final two scheduled points events at Sandia Speedway have been canceled.
The Lucas Oil POWRI NMMRA Sprint Car Series were able to experience a plethora of firsts this season as they completed 16 of the 18 scheduled events this season, at three different facilities One of those firsts included a summer stretch of racing consisting of seven consecutive races in six weeks. Additionally, the Lucas Oil POWRi NMMRA Sprint Car Series saw its most competitive field in series history with eight different winners, including three drivers earning their first career sprint car wins.
As the curtains closed, however, all eyes would be on Albuquerque, New Mexico’s Caleb Saiz as he captured his third-career Lucas Oil POWRi NMMRA Sprint Car Series championship with a combined 672 points. The remainder of the top-five would be affected by a major penalty handed out to the teams of the No. 11w, 7D7, 21 and 41 following an altercation in the pit area at the conclusion of the Sandia Speedway event on August 28th. After the penalties, Travis Oldfield, JR Bonesteel, Spencer Hill and Caleb Stelzig would be the official top-five to conclude the season.
Along with the championship, Hal Burns Racing was able to net three victories this season with Caleb Saiz and their beautiful Twister No. 1HA tribute to the late Hank Arnold.
“This championship means a lot,” explained Saiz. “The highlight of the season would definitely be winning the Truman West Memorial but to win the championship in the Hank Arnold tribute car was our goal at the beginning of the year and it feels really good that we were able to make that happen. David Burns provides top of the line equipment, Paul Whitehead has been providing us with some awesome motors, and I’ve got a great group of people behind me that help and support me. That is what makes us competitive each and every year.”
Although he is the champion, Saiz also explained that this year was far from easy as the team overcame numerous hurdles together.
“I would give our season a C+ grade. We finished all the races I believe with no DNFs. We ran in the top five consistently and won a few races, but I believe we are capable of winning a lot more and that is what we will strive for next year,” said Saiz.
As many racers know, it takes a great team to win a championship. Caleb Saiz was able to shed some light on some of the many great partners that were on board this year as he made history.
“I can’t thank David Burns, Don Brown, and the Arnold family enough for allowing me to run the Hank Arnold tribute car this year. It means so much. I also would like to thank Steve Nix, Clyde Hill, Russ Hein, Randy and Terra Bushee, Madelyn Hatch, James Hatch, and Devon Amos for all their hard work this year. They make my job easy, especially when it’s race day. Of course, it wouldn’t be possible without all our great partners; Hal Burns Truck & Equipment, J&J Auto Racing, FK Rod Ends, Weise Auto Supply, NAPA Belts & Hoses, SMII, JMS Telephone Company, Robert Jansonn with Bert’s Body Works, Hoosier Racing Tire, Simpson Race Products, Schaefer’s Oil, CSI Shocks, and Smiley’s Racing Products,” concluded Saiz.
On behalf of the Lucas Oil POWRi NMMRA Sprint Car Series, we would like to thank every single competitor, team owner, crew member, sponsor, track, official, and most of all our wonderful fans for an exhilarating 2021 season. We understand that coming back to full time racing was difficult for some, but everyone did a great job coming together to do what we love on Saturday nights. Although the 2021 season has prematurely come to an end, the Lucas Oil POWRi NMMRA Sprint Car Series is already hard at work preparing for 2022 as they look for new venues to race at within New Mexico and the surrounding states. Tracks and promoters are welcome to contact the Board of Directors for additional information on scheduling.
See you in 2022!
Upcoming Dates
September 29th: Board Meeting
October 13th: General Membership Meeting
November 20th: 2021 Lucas Oil POWRi NMMRA Sprint Car Series Championship Banquet
November 26th & 27th: Turkey Bowl @ Vado Speedway Park (Non-Points Race)