BELLEVILLE, Ill. – Since the inception of the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League in 2005, Zach Daum has been one of the most successful racers in series history.
Heading into the new campaign, the 15th year of POWRi, Daum will be chasing a major POWRi record.
Committed to the full campaign, Daum looks to become the first four-time champion in POWRi National Midget League history. Scoring titles in 2013, ’14 and ’16, Daum is currently tied with Brad Loyet, who guided his Loyet Motorsports No. 05 to POWRi National Midget championships in 2007, ’10 and ’11.
The 2007 POWRi Midget Rookie of the Year, Daum spent several years progressing until his first victory came in 2012, which quickly led to success. His first championship came in 2013 backed by a six-win season and was followed by a second-straight title in 2014. He returned to the top of the standings in 2016 with his third championship, matching Loyet for the most in POWRi National Midget League history.
In order to break the barrier and rewrite the record books this year, the 27-year-old Daum will have to outlast a daunting field of challengers while encountering the largest schedule in the 15-year history of POWRi. From Oklahoma and Illinois to Wisconsin and New Mexico and few and far in between, Daum is up for the tough task of going head-to-head against the likes of Keith Kunz Motorsports, Dave Mac Motorsports, Steve Reynolds Racing, Jim Neuman Racing and a handful of other stout teams.
Daum’s road to a record-setting fourth championship begins in one week’s time with the sixth annual Turnpike Challenge serving as the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League season opener. A four-race event at Creek County Speedway, I-44 Riverside Speedway and Port City Raceway, the mini-series runs from March 21 through March 24.
Over the course of five years, Daum is the only driver to start all 10 Turnpike Challenge features. Although he has yet to earn a Turnpike Challenge victory, he has an average finish of 4.2. In 10 features, Daum has racked up nine top-five finishes with a best finish of second and worst finish of seventh.