SWEET SPRINGS, Mo. — Andrew Felker rode the low-line to perfection on night two of the Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex Fall Brawl to capture his eighth career victory with the Lucas Oil POWRi National and West Midget League in the Chad Shields Memorial.
Setting the field of competitors would find pole-starter and high-point qualifier Chase McDermand battling front-row counterpart Gavan Boschele into the first pair of corners on the opening lap with Boschele capturing the initial racing advantage as Daison Pursley, Bryant Wiedeman and Taylor Reimer drove in hot pursuit all inside the top five during the opening laps.
Overtaking for the front of the field, McDermand would grab the lead on lap two and appear to be the fastest driver to beat as action aplenty would ensue behind the leader with slide-jobs and crossovers on both sides of the well-prepared racing surface.
Holding the front of the field for the first 27 laps of the event, McDermand would battle a low-line running Andrew Felker with Felker gaining a slight advantage entering the first pair of corners.
McDermand would slide too high on the exit of two taking him from the competition and setting up a dramatic late-race restart.
Maintaining the front of the field after the onslaught of late-race dramatics, Felker would not be denied with the Lucas Oil POWRi National and West Midget League to earn his first victory of the season.
“I can’t tell you just how much this means to us, a small family team like we are you never really know when the next one will come. I almost blew the lead after the late restart but I knew I had to protect the lead. To get it done like this in the Chad Shield Memorial, this win is huge,” Felker said.
Battling back after going to the work area in the feature, Wiedeman would secure a solid runner-up showing with Dominic Gorden completing the feature’s final podium placement.
Craig Ronk won the micro sprint feature.
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 11A-Andrew Felker[14]; 2. 01-Bryant Wiedeman[4]; 3. 71K-Dominic Gorden[9]; 4. 21K-Karter Sarff[17]; 5. 71-Daison Pursley[3]; 6. 25K-Taylor Reimer[5]; 7. 15-Clinton Boyles[12]; 8. 3-Jake Neuman[13]; 9. 97-Brenham Crouch[16]; 10. 3C-Collin Mitchell[18]; 11. 57-Maria Cofer[6]; 12. 97K-Brent Crews[10]; 13. 17B-Austin Barnhill[20]; 14. 97A-Xavier Doney[15]; 15. 40-Chase McDermand[1]; 16. 26-Corbin Rueschenberg[7]; 17. 08-Cannon McIntosh[8]; 18. 19AZ-Hayden Reinbold[19]; 19. 7-Shannon McQueen[21]; 20. 5-Gavan Boschele[2]; 21. 89-Todd McVay[22]; 22. 7D-Michelle Decker[11].