Logansport, IN. (8/8/24) Kale Drake would fly from starting fifth to win Preliminary Night One of the third yearly installment of the Keith Kunz Motorsports Challenge presented by Start2Finish TV to claim his fourth career victory with the POWRi Non-Wing Outlaw Micro League while battling at the outstanding hosting US-24 Speedway.
Going through a strong split-field of twenty-eight entries on prelim night one of the POWRi Non-Wing Outlaw Micro division in the KKM Challenge would find Steven Snyder Jr set the quick qualifying time with a time of 11.727 seconds. Cale Cannon, Robbie Smith, Daniel Robinson, and Russell Gamester would each emerge victorious in heat racing action with Gunnar Setser, Kale Drake, and Greyson Springer all earning wins in qualifier competitions as Steven Snyder Jr would gain the semi-feature win after mechanical malfunctions in his heat race.
Flying onto the smooth US-24 Speedway surface for Preliminary Night One feature racing for the opening night of the Keith Kunz Motorsports Challenge presented by Start2Finish TV would see high-point qualifier Aiden Purdue battle outside front-row contender Robbie Smith as the green flew with Aiden Purdue holding the early front of the field with Robbie Smith, Kole Kirkman, Kale Drake, and Gunnar Setser all staying close inside the early contending top five.
Breaking away from the rest of the field, Aiden Purdue would mount nearly a two-second advantage over the nearest competitor as Kale Drake moved into the runner-up spot with Kole Kirkman and Gunnar Setser keeping Robbie Smith at bay inside the top five as the first caution waved on lap nine.
Restarting the field with Honest Abe’s POWRi Choose Cone in play, Kale Drake would slide into the lead out of turn four using the high-side speed with Aiden Purdue keeping pace in second place as a major wreck behind the leading pair would halt the action in turn one on the following lap; all drivers involved were okay but altering the top-ten running order.
Bringing the field back to green on a lap eleven restart, Kale Drake would protect the lead from Aiden Purdue with Gunnar Setser moving into a podium running spot as Colby Sokol and Thomas Kunsman Jr rounded out the top five as caution would bunch the field back together once again on lap sixteen.
Firing back into close-quarters driving displays in the waning laps, Kale Drake would not be denied in capturing his first seasonal POWRi Non-Wing Outlaw Micro victory as Gunnar Setser would finish in the closely contended second spot with the leader of nine laps Aiden Purdue finalizing the podium placements.
“Aiden did a great job to get out front early, but I knew I was given this great car and I had to just hit my marks,” said Kale Drake in the US-24 Speedway victory lane for Preliminary Night One of the Indiana KKM Challenge. Adding, “I’m super happy to put the team in a good position and pull off the win”.
Driving from starting eighth, Thomas Kunsman Jr would place fourth as Frank Flud rounded out the top-five finishers in the POWRi Outlaw Micro League feature in Preliminary Night One of the Keith Kunz Motorsports Challenge presented by Start2Finish TV at US-24 Speedway.