Belleville, IL. (10/20/2020) Marking the inaugural season of competition for the POWRi Lucas Oil Minn-Kota Lightning Sprints, 2020 would offer a fair share of struggles for the series. Racing in co-sanctioning with the Northern Lightning Sprint Association throughout the season at various events, the POWRi MKLS would see a spectacular season put forth by all competitors all season long.
Series owner Jason Berg would share, "I am extremely excited about the season, despite having to reschedule or cancel multiple events due to Covid-19. We were still able to get in over 20 point’s events with decent car counts in all. I'm excited to see where the POWRi Minn-Kota Lightning Sprints started and to see where it goes next year and beyond."
The POWRi Lucas Oil Minn-Kota Lightning Sprints competed in twenty-two point races at five different tracks including those of Devils Lake Speedway (7), Greenbush Race Park (6), River Cities Speedway (4), Red River Valley Speedway (4), and Norman County Raceway (1). There were three races canceled due to rain, one at Greenbush Race Park, one at River Cities Speedway, and one at Sheyenne Speedway. There were five separate feature winners throughout the season including Dexter Dvergsten (8), Alex Truscinski (7), Kelsi Pederson (5), Bryce Haugeberg (1), and Alan Truscinski (1). There were two non-points races ran as well with Jason Berg (Devils Lake Speedway) and Alan Truscinski (Greenbush Race Park) claiming the checkers.
Twenty-six different drivers would log-in for competition throughout the season, with the points battle to crown an inaugural POWRi Lucas Oil Minn-Kota Lightning Sprint points champion tight all season long. There were multiple points leader changes, as racing action early in the season proved to be an exciting duel to the end to see who was going to be named the points champion. Dexter Dvergsten reigned supreme and took the title for being the first-ever series points champion with a slim lead of 12 points over second place, Alan Truscinski.
Special recognition to first-year driver #72 Kate Taves on earning the POWRi Lucas Oil Minn-Kota Lightning Sprints Rookie of the Year Honors. Kate continues to rise through the ranks of lightning sprint competitors in the region, gaining valuable seat-time and driving-experiences this past season Taves proves ready to tackle the next season as a contender.
POWRi MKLS would like to extend a thank you to all the tracks, fans, friends, and family that were there with this series this season. Without the help, love, and support from all of you, this would have never been as successful of a season without all of you. Credit goes to Valerie Truscinski for all the photos she provided to the Minn-Kota series. She sure has a great eye and quick trigger finger to capture many great memories made on the track and in victory lane. Her photos can be seen amongst the many pictures on the Minn-Kota Facebook page and in the POWRi press releases. Thank you again, Valerie.
A special thank you to those that volunteered their time and talent to work for the POWRi Lucas Oil Minn-Kota Lightning Sprint series during the duration and ever-changing schedule of the 2020 season. It takes a great team to help make a race season successful and to run smoothly. This group worked hard and embarked on an uncharted journey together to figure out how to make our first season as a series work. Their adaptability and teamwork surpassed expectations. The following people are the ones who worked behind the scenes:
Tech & Safety directors, Marty Jorschumb & Paula Cunningham
Competition and points director, Amanda Enright
Series owner and director, Jason Berg
We all look forward to the 2021 season and what it will bring. This class has been growing and we aim to see it grow even more next season with even more new drivers. To stay up with all the POWRi Lucas Oil Minn-Kota Lightning Sprint news make sure to check out our Facebook page, Minn-Kota Lightning Sprints or you can find information on the www.powri.com website under the lightning sprint tab. The date and information of the end of the season banquet will be released upon scheduling confirmation.
Follow along for more information such as race recaps, updates, full results, and press releases online at www.powri.com, or on Twitter & Instagram at @POWRi_Racing or on Facebook at POWRi.
- administrator on Oct 20, 2020
- Article Date: 10/20/2020