(May 25, 2024) Chillicothe, OH – Cannon McIntosh secured his third win of the 2024 Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota with a commanding performance at Atomic Speedway. The 21-year-old from Bixby, OK, led all 25 laps, showcasing exceptional skill and speed on the high-banked, 3/8-mile oval.
A Display of Skill
McIntosh’s previous wins this year were aided by misfortunes befalling his opponents, but this victory was different. He relied solely on his car’s speed and balance, which was evident as he dominated the track, securing his eighth career Series win.
“The car had great balance, great speed really all night and it showed,” McIntosh said. “Definitely had a good piece under us and executed, which was the most important thing.”
Early Lead and Building Pressure
In the first 10 laps, McIntosh built a lead of nearly 1.5 seconds. His Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports (KKM) teammates, Ryan Timms and Kale Drake, began closing the gap as McIntosh encountered lapped traffic. Timms made his first attempt at taking the lead on Lap 16 but couldn’t complete the pass.
“I couldn’t tell if what I was doing out of (Turn) 2 was good or not,” McIntosh said. “I was trying to cut down the track and make speed. It was getting so slick and I felt like I was starting to lose speed there. I think that’s when Ryan started to close on me.”
Strategic Maneuvering
Timms made several attempts to pass McIntosh but couldn’t complete the moves. The race’s only interruption came on Lap 18 when Jacob Dykstra crashed, leading to a red flag. After the restart, McIntosh pulled away, leveraging the clean air to his advantage.
“Once we had the [open] red, Keith just kinda told me where I needed to make adjustments with my line,” McIntosh said. “I was able to take off really well on the restart and just set sail.”
Consistent Performance
McIntosh maintained his lead, ultimately finishing a full second ahead of Timms, who secured second place. Timms, reflecting on his performance, expressed satisfaction with his weekend results but acknowledged the challenge of catching McIntosh in the championship standings.
“To come home with a [first and second] is nothing to hang your head about at all,” Timms said. “Really happy with the results this weekend. I just kinda need Cannon to have some bad luck – not wishing it upon him – but if I want to have a shot to catch up here.”
Kale Drake finished third, rebounding from a near-win the previous night hampered by a tire issue.
Upcoming Events
The Xtreme Outlaw Midgets return to competition next Thursday, Friday, and Saturday – May 30-31, June 1 – for a swing through Missouri and Illinois at Doe Run Raceway, Coles County Speedway, and Wayne County (IL) Speedway. Tickets for all three races will be on sale at the gate on race day. If you can’t make it to the track to watch in person, stream live on DIRTVision.
Feature Results (25 Laps)
- Cannon McIntosh [2]
- Ryan Timms [3]
- Kale Drake [4]
- Ashton Torgerson [6]
- Hayden Reinbold [11]
- Chase McDermand [1]
- Jade Avedisian [7]
- Zach Daum [10]
- Trevor Cline [5]
- Elijah Gile [12]
- Tyler Edwards [9]
- Brayton Lynch [13]
- Jayden Clay [14]
- Michael Smith [16]
- Corbin Rueschenberg [8]
- Jacob Dykstra [15]
