BELLEVILLE, Ill. – The season for both the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League and the POWRi Engler Machine & Tool Outlaw Micro League rolls on this weekend with the Midwest Season Opener at Belle-Clair Speedway and Macon Speedway.

The Illinois doubleheader begins on May 10 at the fifth-mile, Belleville, Ill., bullring of Belle-Clair Speedway. On May 11, the POWRi midgets and micros move on to Macon Speedway.

After an April visit to Belle-Clair was rained out, this Friday’s show assumes the role as the 28th annual Knepper Memorial. Celebrating the life of legendary St. Louis racer, Arnie Knepper, the Knepper Memorial has been a staple in midget racing since 1992.

The best of the best have etched their name into the record books with Knepper Memorial wins, such as Bryan Clauson (2013, 2014), Rico Abreu (2012), Brad Loyet (2010), Tanner Thorson (2016), Spencer Bayston (2015, 2017), and Arnie’s cousin Steve Knepper, who owns six Knepper Memorial victories.

Tucker Klaasmeyer of Paola, Kansas enters the Knepper Memorial as the defending event winner. The reigning POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League champion won his first-career race at Belle-Clair Speedway last April, catapulting him to his first title by season’s end.

Heading to Macon on Saturday, Sutter, Calif., young gun Logan Seavey serves as the defending race winner. On a hot streak at that, the 2017 POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League champion is the current points leader as well.

Seavey tops the standings by way of a three-win stretch in the opening five races of 2019.