POWRi National & West Midgets Bring Three Nights of Memorial Racing to Port City Raceway

Belleville, IL. (10/7/26) – Championship battles and racing history converge at Port City Raceway on October 8–10 as the POWRi National & West Midget Leagues prepare for three nights of competition, featuring the 7th Annual Donnie Ray Crawford Sooner State 55 and the two-day 22nd Annual Charlene Meents Memorial. With just five points events remaining on the National schedule, championship leaders and contenders head to the familiar Oklahoma playground. Expected entries include Kale Drake, Karter Sarff, Brecken Reese, Kyle Jones, Drake Edwards, Cullen Hutchison, Drew Sherman, Mack Leopard, Landon Henry, Bradley Fezard, Michael Faccinto, Christian Miller, Cooper Miller, Kris Carroll, Kade Taylor, Cole Vanderhiden, Jonathan Beason, Andrew Felker, Hank Soares, Zane Lawrence, Ryan Padgett, Deekan McRoberts, Ace McCarthy, Harley Hollan, Brylee Kilmer, Michael Hubert, Ethan Mitchell, and more. Collinsville, Oklahoma’s Kale Drake has strengthened his position atop the National standings following back-to-back victories at Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex. The championship leader enters his home track with one quick time, a league-best seven heat wins, 53 positions gained, 67 laps led, and three National victories while carrying a 4.7 average finish this season. Former league champion Karter Sarff has surged into second in the National standings and continues to lead the 2026 PassMaster battle with 71 positions advanced in feature competition. Sarff has also recorded one quick time, three heat wins, a High Point Qualifier honor, a B-Main victory, a Hard Charger award, and three laps led. Brecken Reese has emerged as one of the season’s breakout drivers, sitting third nationally while leading the West standings. Reese’s résumé includes one quick time, three heat wins, a B-Main victory, 24 positions gained, and an 8.8 average finish through 25 career starts. Kyle Jones sits fourth nationally and trails Reese by 290 points in the West standings, keeping the Western championship battle in play. The Jim Childers Rookie of the Year race adds another layer to the National championship picture, with Drake Edwards leading Cullen Hutchison, Drew Sherman, Mack Leopard, and Landon Henry. All five rookies rank inside the National top 13, with Edwards sixth, Hutchison seventh, Sherman eighth, Leopard ninth, and Henry 13th. Racing in Honor of Donnie Ray Crawford The weekend opens Thursday, October 8, with the $5,555-to-win 7th Annual Donnie Ray Crawford Sooner State 55, bringing 55 laps of POWRi National & West Midget competition to Port City Raceway in honor of a racer whose name remains deeply connected to Oklahoma open-wheel racing. A Tulsa-area racer and Port City product, Crawford became the first Oklahoma driver to win a Chili Bowl preliminary feature, capturing the 2011 Wednesday-night qualifier in a dramatic three-wide finish. The 55-lap distance honors Crawford’s car number and lasting legacy. Through six editions, the DRC Sooner State 55 has yet to produce a repeat winner. Logan Seavey, Buddy Kofoid, Zach Daum, Ryan Timms, Daison Pursley, and Michael Faccinto comprise the event’s previous winners. Faccinto returns looking to defend his 2025 victory, while a strong field of National and West competitors aims to become the next new name etched into Sooner State 55 history. The Charlene Meents Memorial Returns The weekend continues with the 22nd Annual Charlene Meents Memorial on October 9–10, offering $3,000 to Friday night’s winner and $5,000 to the winner of Saturday’s finale. Meents spent 27 years actively involved with MARA Midgets, eventually serving as president. She played an instrumental role in some of the sport’s most significant events, including the Belleville Nationals, Wolverine Nationals, and the inaugural running of what became the Chili Bowl Nationals. The Memorial has produced only two repeat winners during the past decade, with Logan Seavey winning back-to-back in 2018–19 before Daison Pursley duplicated the feat in 2020–21. Keith Kunz-Curb Agajanian Motorsports has collected eight Meents Memorial victories during that span, despite the event moving between venues. Now, the POWRi National & West Midget Leagues return to Port City Raceway with another opportunity to add to that history. Thursday, October 8 | 7th Annual DRC Sooner State 55 Divisions: POWRi National & West Midget Leagues NOW600 Non-Wing Micro Times: Pits Open: 2:00 PM General Admission Opens: 5:30 PM Driver Registration: 4:00–5:30 PM Drivers Meeting: 5:45 PM Engine Heat: 6:00 PM Hot Laps: 6:30 PM Racing to Follow Admission: Adult General Admission: $20 Senior: $15 Youth (6–14): $10 Kids (5 & Under): FREE Pit Pass: $40 Event Info: www.myracepass.com/events/601161 Tickets: www.myracepass.com/series/1572/tickets/1505589 Friday, October 9 | 22nd Annual Charlene Meents Memorial – Night One Divisions: POWRi National & West Midget Leagues NOW600 A-Class Micro NOW600 Restrictor Micro NOW600 Non-Wing Micro NOW600 Jr Sprint Times: Pits Open: 2:00 PM General Admission Opens: 5:30 PM Driver Registration: 4:00–5:30 PM Drivers Meeting: 5:45 PM Engine Heat: 6:00 PM Hot Laps: 6:30 PM Racing to Follow Event Info: www.myracepass.com/events/601149 Tickets & Admission Pricing: www.myracepass.com/series/1572/tickets/1505607 Friday Midget Payout: 1. $3,000; 2. $1,000; 3. $700; 4. $600; 5. $550; 6. $500; 7. $450; 8. $400; 9. $350; 10. $325; 11. $315; 12. $305; 13. $300; 14. $275; 15–22. $225. Non-Qualifiers: $50. Saturday, October 10 | 22nd Annual Charlene Meents Memorial – Championship Night Divisions: POWRi National & West Midget Leagues NOW600 A-Class Micro NOW600 Restrictor Micro NOW600 Non-Wing Micro NOW600 Jr Sprint Times: Pits Open: 2:00 PM General Admission Opens: 5:00 PM Driver Registration: 3:30–5:00 PM Drivers Meeting: 5:15 PM Engine Heat: 5:30 PM Hot Laps: 6:00 PM Racing to Follow Event Info: www.myracepass.com/events/601152 Tickets & Admission Pricing: www.myracepass.com/series/1572/tickets/1505625 Saturday Midget Payout: 1. $5,000; 2. $2,000; 3. $1,000; 4. $750; 5. $500; 6. $475; 7. $450; 8. $400; 9. $375; 10. $350; 11. $325; 12. $315; 13. $310; 14. $305; 15–22. $300. Non-Qualifiers: $50. Bonus money, lap sponsorships, passing-points awards, hard-charger bonuses, and merchandise prizes will be up for grabs throughout the weekend, adding to one of the year’s most prestigious stops. Catch every lap LIVE & ON-DEMAND on Start2Finish TV at www.s2ftv.com. 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