Oklahoma City, OK. (10/13/23) Gavin Miller would set sail on the high side to lead the final twenty-six laps while earning the feature win at I-44 Riverside Speedway, in Oklahoma City Oklahoma, with the POWRi National and West Midget League running in conjunction with the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota, in the Nineteenth Annual Charlene Meents Memorial presented by Driven2SaveLives thirty-lap feature event to capture his third career league victory while honoring an industry icon.
Early on-track excitement with thirty-seven entries the POWRi National and West Midget Leagues/Xtreme Outlaw Midgets would find Chase McDermand start the action off with a quick-time in group qualifying sessions of 10.916-second lap as Zach Daum, Jade Avedisian, Cannon McIntosh, and Karter Sarff each would notch heat racing wins with Corbin Rueschenberg and Ace McCarthy earning the semi-feature victories.
Establishing the feature field would find high-point qualifier Cannon McIntosh roll an invert of six to make Zach Daum and Karter Sarff the front row grid as the green flag flew with Zach Daum gaining the initial advantage on the opening laps over Karter Sarff, Gavin Miller, Ryan Timms, and Jade Avedisian all battling inside the top five in the opening stages of the thirty-lap feature.
Sliding into the lead with a daring turn four move would find Gavin Miller blasting past Zach Daum to take the point position with Daum maintaining momentum in the runner-up spot while protecting advancements from Karter Sarff with Ryan Timms quickly gaining on the leading trio as Jade Avedisian, Daison Pursley, Cannon McIntosh, Chase McDermand, and Jonathan Beason rounded out the running top ten with lap traffic coming into play around the feature mid-point.
Bunching the field back together after Gavin Miller established nearly a two-second lead with a lap fifteen caution, the finely prepared I-44 Riverside Speedway would witness Miller stay out front with Daison Pursley, Ryan Timms, and Zach Daum going three-wide for the second spot with Cannon McIntosh making moves into the running top five.
Using high line speed Gavin Miller would hold steading at the front of the field to earn his third feature win of 2023 with the POWRi National and West Midget League, running in conjunction with the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets, as Daison Pursley would move into the runner-up finishing position with Ryan Timms finalizing the podium placements as the double-checkered flags waved on the Night One Meents Memorial ceremonial event.
“I was really ripping the top pretty good after having to mentally recover from an early race mishap,” said Gavin Miller in the I-44 Riverside Speedway victory lane celebrations. Adding, “This track was definitely fast going around the top so I didn’t really need to leave it after I found speed up there.”
Driving from starting fifth to finishing fourth would see Jade Avedisian edge Chase McDermand that rounded out the POWRi National and West Midget League, running in conjunction with Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series, top-five finishers at I-44-Riverside Speedway running Night One of the Nineteenth Annual Charlene Meents Memorial presented by Driven2SavenLives.