Buddy Kofoid led all 30 laps on the way to winning the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League feature at Lincoln Speedway Friday, with Keith Kunz Motorsports teammates Cannon McIntosh and Daison Pursley placing second and third as Toyota drivers finished one-two-three in the opening race of POWRi’s SPEED WEEKEND.
Kofoid’s victory is his fifth in POWRi competition this season. It also marks the 23rd national midget feature win for a Toyota-powered driver in 2020. It is the 310th national feature triumph for the manufacturer since entering national midget car competition in 2006.
McIntosh opened the evening on the pole with Kofoid on the outside of row one, but it was Kofoid who would go to the lead on the opening lap, running the top line as McIntosh fell in behind him, with Mitchell Davis in third and Pursley in fourth.
The top two quickly pulled away from the field through the early going with Pursley moving up to third after Davis rolled his car on lap seven. After the restart, Kofoid and McIntosh would once again distance themselves from the pack as they battled for the top spot. By the midway point, McIntosh had closed to within four-tenths of a second, with Pursley 3.2 seconds back in third.
After a lap 20 yellow, McIntosh moved to within a tenth of a second of Kofoid before slipping back slightly as tire wear started to become a factor, with Pursley moving up to second.
A late yellow would set up a three-lap dash to the finish between the three Toyota-powered drivers, but Kofoid was able to hold on for the win as McIntosh dove low coming out of turn four on the final lap to take second.
“I really couldn’t see my teammates out there, but I knew they were there,” said Kofoid. “I was just trying to be smooth. I had to baby my tires a little at the end. I can’t thank Keith Kunz Motorsports, Mobil 1 and Toyota enough for giving me this opportunity. They gave me a great car tonight.”
In finishing third, Pursley earned his third podium finish in the last four POWRi events.
“Racing with my teammates can get frustrating,” said the 15-year-old Oklahoma native. “But you just have to hold your head high because those two are among the best midget racers in the nation right now.”
Ace McCarthy would finish ninth, while Kaylee Bryson placed tenth to give Toyota five of the top-10 finishers.
POWRi is back on the track Saturday at Macon Speedway for the second night of SPEED WEEKEND.
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