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Nearly a month ago, young Ryan Criswell took the Hawk Racing Engines Spike Chassis midget to the Dean King Memorial in DuQuoin, IL to start out the season with the O’Reilly POWRi Midgets. Criswell started in the third row of the heat race at this 1/6th mile slightly-banked dirt oval and raced his way up to the number four spot just missing the transfer to the main event. Winning the semi put Ryan on the inside of the ninth row for the start of the main. “We had a pretty decent car going into the main event,” explains Ryan, “I knew I had to put the elbows up to make the night into a decent points night.” Ryan raced up inside the top ten at ninth to put him in a very respectable position to start out the 2009 season with the O’Reilly POWRi Midgets.
With almost a month break it was time to hit the next race with the POWRi and travel to Morgan County Speedway in Jacksonville, IL. Ryan took fourth in the heat after starting in the last row and acquired enough passing points to transfer into that precious main event. Criswell and the Hawk Racing Engines Spike Chassis lined up 13th for the main event and raced up to fifth while gaining on the top four but on lap 6, Ryan noticed a sputter through the corners and realized he was running out of fuel. “I was really coming on strong there towards the end and I thought we had a decent chance for a top three,” says Ryan, “but once I started racing on fumes I thought I better tone it down a bit to make sure I could make it to the checkered.”
Following the night in Jacksonville it was off to make a debut appearance at the 1/5th mile high-banked oval of Macon Speedway in Macon, IL. With a history of drawing poorly, Criswell pulls a high numbered pill and starts at tail end of the heat. Using his starting spot to his advantage, Ryan wheeled through the field up to the third position to guarantee himself a top five starting position in the main event. The sophomore season driver started fourth in the main and drove himself up to 2nd to cap off the evening.
Now sitting second in the O’Reilly POWRi Midget Series presented by Lucas Oil, Criswell is going to take his Hawk Racing Engines Spike Chassis to the fourth race on the schedule this coming weekend to Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, IL for the attempt of his first Midget and POWRi Series victory. Keep a tight eye on young Criswell throughout this 2009 season, for that first win is just around the corner and be sure to stay up to date with the Mt. Vernon native through his website, www.ryancriswell.com and sign up on the mailing list. Special thanks to Hawk Racing Engines, Hoosier Racing Tires, Team RFC, Super Shox, Spike Racing Chassis, Weld Wheels, Met-Tec and Driver Websites.com.