(April 6, 2024) Sweet Springs, MO – As the white flag waved and only a fifth of a mile remained, the intensity reached its peak at Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex. Kale Drake, the 18-year-old national Micro Sprint champion from Collinsville, OK, had mounted a remarkable comeback, closing in on leader Taylor Reimer after trailing by over a full second for 10 laps. What followed was a breathtaking display of skill and determination, culminating in Drake’s first career national Midget series victory with the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota on Saturday night.
In a nail-biting finale, Drake executed a daring move on the bottom in Turn 1, while Reimer, the 24-year-old from Tulsa, OK, maintained her pace through the middle. Despite Reimer’s advantage heading into the final corners, Drake’s relentless pursuit paid off as he surged alongside her off Turn 4, clinching victory by a mere .020 seconds.
Reflecting on his momentous win, Drake expressed his disbelief, stating, “I honestly don’t have words for it at the moment. It’s pretty surreal, to be honest.”
Meanwhile, Reimer, who had led most of the race, expressed her disappointment, lamenting a missed opportunity on the last lap. “I didn’t come here to run second,” she asserted. “I’m pretty pissed off. Couldn’t get around the lapped car. Gave it up on the last lap.”
Drake’s journey to victory was unexpected, as he stepped into Gavin Miller’s ride for the weekend’s events following Miller’s injury. Despite the challenges, Drake seized the opportunity, securing a seventh-place finish on Friday before clinching the win on Saturday night.
From third on the starting grid, Drake exhibited patience and perseverance, staying within the top three for two-thirds of the 30-lap main event. As the race progressed, Drake’s determination saw him narrowing the gap to Reimer, eventually leading to his thrilling last-lap triumph.
The podium at Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex featured an all-Oklahoma-born lineup, with Ryan Timms of Oklahoma City, OK, securing third place, further intensifying the evening’s excitement. Timms’ podium finish cut his points gap to series leader Cannon McIntosh to 47 in the Series standings.
Looking ahead, the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets gear up for the two-day Illini 100 event at Farmer City Raceway alongside the World of Outlaws CASE Late Model Series on April 12-13. Racing enthusiasts can secure tickets at XtremeOutlawSeries.com or stream every lap live on DIRTVision.
Feature Results
- Kale Drake (3)
- Taylor Reimer (5)
- Ryan Timms (4)
- Cannon McIntosh (1)
- Chase McDermand (6)
- Kyle Jones (2)
- Ashton Torgerson (7)
- Karter Sarff (8)
- Todd McVay (11)
- Gunnar Setser (9)
- Hayden Reinbold (17)
- Elijah Gile (15)
- Peter Smith (12)
- Brayton Lynch (13)
- Branigan Roark (18)
- Jayden Clay (22)
- Trevor Cline (14)
- Brad Wyatt (21)
- Andrew Felker (20)
- Tyler Smith (10)
- Austin Torgerson (19)
- Luke Drotschie (16)
- Todd Jackson (23)
