TULSA, Okla. – Performance Open Wheel Racing Inc. (POWRi) owners, Kenny Brown and Jim Siner, announced here today at the Chili Bowl Nationals they have named Lenny Batycki as Executive Vice President of the sanction effective immediately.   Batycki joins the organization after three years as vice president and general manager of Gateway International Raceway.  

Since moving to St. Louis from Charlotte, North Carolina, Batycki has become a popular figure with the fans and the media at area dirt tracks due to his passion for motorsports and his extensive experience at the highest levels in motorsports.   In his new role, Batycki will be responsible for brand management, promotions, and marketing of the popular series for midget racing.

“Lenny is one of the most broadly experienced and successful executives in all of motorsports,” Brown said. “Our goal at POWRi is to continue to build on the strong program we have and to enhance the benefits for our fans, sponsors and competitors.”

“Lenny has done so much in his motorsports career.  We look forward to drawing on his unmatched history at the top levels to make POWRi even stronger,” Siner said. 

Batycki said he is looking forward to working with the drivers, teams, sponsors, officials and media in the years to come.  “POWRi consistently runs exciting, well organized midget racing events,” he said. “I have been blessed to work with many of the best motorsports organizations during my career and Kenny and Jim have built Performance Open Wheel Racing into an outstanding sanction.”

Midget races have a dynamic history in the Midwest, especially in the St. Louis area where the events at Walsh Stadium (now the site of the Science Center) consistently drew large crowds to see local, regional and national stars including a young A.J. Foyt.  

“Today, with local stars such as Park Hills’, Brad Loyet and Belleville’s Nick Knepper and national stars like Bryan Clauson, Jerry Coons, Jr., Josh Wise and 2009 POWRi Series Champion, Brad Kuhn,” Batycki said, “I believe POWRi midget racing events have the talented racers more and more fans will want to come see.”

Performance Open Wheel Racing begins its 2010 season on the indoor track at the Southern Illinois Center at the DuQuoin Fairgrounds in March for the Dean King Memorial.