OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – In the late stages of the winter offseason, Overland Park, Kan. native Luke Howard has entered the running for the 2019 POWRi National Midget League season. Pairing with Chad Shields Racing, Howard will be behind the wheel of a Fontana-powered Hyper Racing entry, chasing the 42 nights of competition with the Belleville, Ill. based series. Additionally, Howard plans to fill off-weekends with action in sprint car and micro sprint competition, and may include events from the POWRi West schedule as well.
Numerous prominent events populate the POWRi National schedule; the 15-year old Howard’s season will commence with the four-night, sixth-annual “Turnpike Challenge” that will take place later this week. Opening March 21 at Creek County Speedway in Kellyville, Okla., the mini-series progresses March 22 and 23 at I-44 Riverside Speedway in Oklahoma City before wrapping up on March 24 at Port City Raceway in Catoosa, Okla. These events, all co-sanctioned with the POWRi West midgets, will feature Howard in Chad Shields’ No. 4C entry, before moving into the stable’s No. 2H for the remainder of the year.
Howard’s event schedule is also highlighted early in the year with appearances as the undercard for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo. on April 27 and Jacksonville (Ill.) Speedway on April 28, his first visit to either venue. He will take on the Missouri Mid-State Midget Nationals” weekend May 3-4 at Valley Speedway in Grain Valley and Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, respectively.
As temperatures start to heat up, the “Show-Me Nationals” headlines Memorial Day Weekend at Sweet Springs (Mo.) Motorsports Complex on May 24 and 25. Though it will be his first midget event at Sweet Springs, Howard is no stranger to competing at the sixth-mile, where he has collected numerous wins in the micro sprint ranks over the past several seasons.
In June, the former runner-up in POWRi Allstar standings kicks off the five-night “Illinois SPEED Week” at Belle-Clair Speedway in Belleville on June 12, continuing to Fayette County Speedway in Brownstown, Jacksonville Speedway, Macon Speedway, and concludes June 15 at Lincoln Speedway.
Following a trip to the Chicagoland area with a visit to Fairbury (Ill.) American Legion Speedway on July 6 and the 38th Annual “Pepsi Nationals” at the historic Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wis. on July 7, Howard returns to Valley for the “Thunder in the Valley” July 12-13. The next night July 14, competing in a co-sanctioned race with POWRi and the United States Auto Club at Sweet Springs will mark Howard’s first USAC event.
Early August brings two more nights opening the show for the World of Outlaws at I-55 for the popular “Ironman 55.” Then, coinciding with the Illinois State Fair in nearby Springfield, POWRi takes to Fairbury, Lincoln, and Macon for a three-night weekend August 15-17. Just ahead of Labor Day, the series assembles at Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Mo. along with the American Sprint Car Series for the Lake Ozark Sprint Car Nationals on August 31 and September 1.
Several more events line Howard’s 2019 midget slate; for a full look at the POWRi National Midget League schedule, please visit POWRi.com.
Luke Howard Racing would like to thank The Fuel House, Nading Industrial Services, Staco Electric Construction, Metro Interiors, Community Mortgage, Quality Electric, Cash Kid Digital Studios, Sandberg Farms, and Hyper Racing for their continued support.
Up Next
Howard will next compete as a part of the four-night, sixth-annual “Turnpike Challenge” on March 21 at Creek County Speedway in Kellyville, Okla., March 22-23 at I-44 Riverside Speedway in Oklahoma City, and March 24 at Port City Raceway in Catoosa, Okla. with the POWRi National Midget League Sprint League in the Chad Shields Racing No. 4C entry.
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