by Tim Tuttle
DU QUOIN, Ill. | Nov. 20, 2013 - Andrew Felker will be gunning for his first victory in the fourth annual Great Clips Battle at the Center presented by K & N Filters, a non-points, all-star event promoted by the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series on the one-sixth Mini Magic Mile at the Southern Illinois Center.
Felker is expected to be a serious contender to follow in the footsteps of previous winners Tony Stewart (2012), Bryan Clauson (2011) and Casey Schuman (2010) in the indoor event at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds. Felker drove from 11th on the grid to finish second in the feature a year ago in an event that had 67 entries. It was the sixth top-10 in eight features at the track for the 21-year-old from Carl Junction, Mo.
“It’s definitely a race I’d like to win and be on the winner’s list,” Felker said. “It’s getting to be bigger and bigger and more guys are taking their Chili Bowl cars.”
The week-long Lucas Oil Chili Bowl midget event, run in January on an indoor track in Tulsa, Okla., is regarded as the Super Bowl of short track racing with more than 250 entries. POWRi’s Battle at the Center is a perfectly-timed trial run for new equipment for the Chili Bowl and attracts many top short-track drivers.
Felker is bringing out his best stuff for the Battle at the Center to get ready for the Chili Bowl. He’s purchased a new Spike chassis and attached new parts to it and freshened his Fontana powerplant.
“I’m definitely looking forward to going back there (Du Quoin) and giving it another try,” Felker said. “We had a car maybe to beat Tony last year. The previous couple of years I took my rental car (for another driver for the Chili Bowl) and this year I’ll have my own car and my own equipment. I’ve had a Chevy and it’s a good short track motor, but having my usual car and motor will make me more prepared for the Chili Bowl. We’ll shake down the fresh parts and get things ready for it.”
Felker finished eighth in the Battle at the Center in 2010 and didn’t’ advance to the feature in 2011, the only time he’s missed a feature in nine career events at Du Quoin. He was fifth in 2011, sixth in 2012, seventh in 2009 and eighth in 2010 in regular-season POWRi events at the track.
“It definitely helps having laps there,” Felker said. “We definitely have a little bit of experience to build upon.”
Felker was champion of the 2012 POWRi National Midgets and finished second to Zach Daum of Pocahontas, Ill., in 2013. He won at Macon (Ill.) Speedway on June 8 and, in 30 features, had 14 top-fives and 24 top-10s. Felker advanced to every feature event, but didn’t start in three from mechanical problems on the grid.
“We started off the season really hot and we had a rough patch in the middle and didn’t run as well as we’d like at the end,” Felker said. “I thought we put together a really good season. You can’t take anything away from Zach. We had a strong season and he had a better season. Hopefully, we can come back and be stronger next year.”
The Battle at the Center on Dec. 7 will feature a 40-lap feature and will be broadcast on MAVTV American Real on a date to be determined.
The Southern Illinois Center is located on the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds. Front gates open at 3 p.m. CST, hot laps begin at 5 p.m. CST with racing immediately following. General admission tickets are $20 and children 12-and-under are free.
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