LAKE ODESSA, Mo. — Wyatt Burks kick-started the POWRi Wingless Auto Racing Sprint League campaign by pocketing the I-70 Motorsports Park Open Wheel Classic feature in a caution-free romp to victory on Saturday night.
Early on-track accomplishments, running in conjunction with the Midwest Wingless Racing Association, with 23 entries would witness Jack Wagner clock fast-time in hot laps with a 16.430-second lap.
Battling on the initial green flag found Zach Daum combat front-row companion Jack Wagner into the first pair of corners with Wagner gaining the early race lead as Wyatt Burks, Wesley Smith, Riley Kreisel, and Eddie Tafoya Jr. attempted to run down the speedy leader.
Sliding into the lead on the opening lap from starting fourth, Burks held off all the late-stage battles for the top spot to clinch the opening night victory while earning his 10th career feature win within POWRi WAR racing.
Leading the first pair of corners, Wagner finished in the runner-up positioning after gaining on the lead with Wesley Smith clinching the final podium placement in the event.
“I really wanted these boxing gloves, I’ve been training boxing in the winter. I might have actually broken my finger about halfway through when something kicked up,” said Burks. “I felt like I got thru lap traffic really well and never really felt any pressure for the front.”
Maintaining a solid showing all night, Riley Kreisel would wheel his way to way to finish fourth as Xavier Doney rounded out the top-five finishers.
The finish:
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 11W-Wyatt Burks[4]; 2. 77-Jack Wagner[2]; 3. 44-Wesley Smith[6]; 4. 91-Riley Kreisel[9]; 5. 74-Xavier Doney[8]; 6. 73-Samuel Wagner[7]; 7. 51T-Eddie Tafoya Jr[10]; 8. 65-Chris Parkinson[5]; 9. 5D-Zach Daum[1]; 10. 2-Kyle Lewis[12]; 11. 26-Zachary Clark[20]; 12. 67-Jonathan Hughes[15]; 13. 41-Brad Wyatt[17]; 14. 21M-Michael Moore[16]; 15. 88-Chad Tye[13]; 16. 93-Buddy Parker[19]; 17. 38-Kevin Frisbie[21]; 18. (DNF) 27-Justin Johnson[22]; 19. (DNF) 28-Kory Schudy[3]; 20. (DNF) 65W-Chad Winfrey[14]; 21. (DNF) 4-Braydon Cromwell[11]; 22. (DNF) 9X-Chad Goff[23]; 23. (DNS) 15E-Dakota Earls; 24. (DNS) 9-Cody Baker.