Bell tolls for Jerry Bell at Lone Star Speedway’s ASCS Lone Star Region Sprint show

May 31, 2009

Garland’s Jerry Bell used early patience and let the track and field come to him in winning the 25-lap ASCS Lone Star Region A-main at Lone Star Speedway Saturday night.

Jerry Bell won the inaugural ASCS Lone Star Region Spring Car race at Lone Star Speedway on Saturday

Bell, who started eighth, ran in top five through the beginning and caught race leader Brad Welborn in traffic after halfway. Using the high side, Bell blasted by Welborn for the lead on lap 18. Two late-race restarts gave Welborn a second and third chance to regain the lead, but Bell held off the challenges for the win.

The ASCS Lone Star Region Sprint Cars made their inaugural visit to Abilene’s semi-banked quarter-mile track with 24 of the region’s cars and stars signing in for their chance to capture the first ever ASCS feature win on the red clay oval.

Despite a broken leg, current ASCS Lone Star Region point leader Kevin Ramey presented the colors during the driver introduction on the front straightaway.

Sprint Car heats would determine the top eight spots through a redraw. Originally scheduled to be a 20-car A-main with a B-main completing the field, all 22 car started after two cars were eliminated after flipping in the third heat race.

As green waved on the 22-car field of winged-warriors, pole-sitter Michael Lang and Welborn banged wheels coming out of turn four. Lang recovered first to lead as the field entered the first turn and he led at the end of the first circuit. However, Welborn sailed by on the top for the lead only to have yellow wave after Marty Stanford spun to stack up Andy Rea and Greg Floyd who spun behind him. Stanford would make it to turn 4 before he spun.

The restart didn’t make it to green when Brian Parker spun in turn four.

The next restart was green until turn one when current Lone Star Region point leader, Kevin Ramey, clipped an infield tire and slowed with a broken front suspension, ending his night.

Finally back under green, Welborn took a look high in turn one, but couldn’t make it work. Welborn then ducked low in turn three getting by Lang for the point on the third lap.

Claud Estes spun from his top ten spot but was able to keep the fire lit. He continued on but fell to the tail of the field.

In the pack, Bell had worked his way up and was looking low on Lang for second. Lang fought off the challenge and closed in on Welborn who got loose off turn two on the seventh circuit. Dalton Steed looped his mount on lap seven to bring out a yellow.

Once back to green, Welborn got a good jump while Bell got inside Lang for second. After a short battle, Matt Clevenger got around John Ricketts for fourth on lap eleven with Ricketts losing another spot to Scott Reneau a lap later.

At halfway it was Welborn, who had Bell closing quickly, Lang, Clevenger and Reneau in the top five. The lead duo made some contact on lap 13 with both able to motor on but Bell lost some ground in the exchange.

Welborn caught slower traffic on lap 15 allowing Bell to reel him back in. Bell jumped up top and got around Welborn for the top spot on lap 18, while Clevenger took third from Lang. Bell had a slight scare on lap 21 when Parker did a 360 in front of him. Clevenger’s top 5 run ended on lap 22 when he spun to the infield after an encounter with a track tire.

Bell got a huge jump on green while Ricketts retook the spot from Reneau. Parker and Stanford had separate spins on opposite ends of the track to bring the yellow out on lap 23.

Bell again got clear of Welborn, but Robert Byrom spun in turn 2 to set up a one lap shootout to the checkers. This time Welborn hung with Bell on green but lost ground in turn 2 giving Bell some breathing room on his way to the victory in the Bells Conversions, Smiley’s Racing Products, Select Coatings, ARP Wings, Pro Shocks, Circle Wheels, Eckley Race Engines, Eagle Chassis.

“My crew chief, Timmy Jones, told me the car was set up for midway and out,” said Bell. “From about midway on my car really got fast on the outside. The outside came in for me, that’s about all I can say about it.

“I just tried to watch lapped cars once I caught Brad (Welborn). There was that that one time when I got a good run on him going into the corner and ran over his right rear. I thought that was the end of it right then. When I got some air I just hit the brakes and hoped nothing on the front of the car was broke.”

ASCS Lone Star Sprint Cars A-Main
1. 85 Jerry Bell, Garland
2. 17w Brad Welborn, Princeton
3. 14 Michael Lang, Mesquite
4. 1R Scott Reneau, Kemp
5. 76 John Ricketts, Burleson
6. 87 Brian McClelland, Tulsa, Okla
7. 45K Kolt Walker, Graham
8. 20 Chad Wilson, N. Richland Hills
9. 12m Jerry Graves, Lubbock
10. 26 Dalton Steed, Kennedale
11. 5m Glen Martin, South Lake
12. 12 Shawn Mize, Crowley
13. 58 Greg Floyd, San Angelo
14. 14b Robert Byrom, Ft. Worth
15. 74E Claud Estes, Godley
16. 88 Andy Rea, Crowley
17. 91 Marty Stanford, McKinney
18. 31m Matt Clevenger, Flower Mound
19. 9 Brain Parker, Midlothian
20. 67 Rodney Henderson Gun Barrel City
21. 7m Kevin Ramey, Ft. Worth
22. 11 Justin Melton, Flower Mound

ASCS heats(Top 8 in passing points redraw)

Heat 1

After several yellows for spins, Jerry Bell grabbed the lead, pulled out to a big advantage and went flag to flag unchallenged.

1. 85 Jerry Bell
2. 17w Brad Welborn
3. 91 Marty Stanford
4. 87 Brian McClelland
5. 45K Kolt Walker
6. 12 Shawn Mize
7. 20 Chad Wilson
8. 12w Jerry Graves

Heat 2

Michael Land lead wire-to-wire while Justin Melton, Robert Byrom and Scott Reneau battled for positions.

1. 14 Michael Lang
2. 11 Justin Melton
3. 1R Scott Reneau
4. 14b Robert Byrom
5. 31m Matt Clevenger
6. 67 Rodney Henderson
7. 5m Glen Martin
8. 58 Gary Floyd

Heat 3

Kevin Ramey grabbed the early lead on the first lap. Eric Baldacinni and JP Bailey tangled with both flipping over in turn one. Bailey then had “words” with Baldacinni as they exchange insurance cards. Ramey pulled away while John Ricketts and Claud Estes swapped second. Ramey won by a half track over Ricketts and Estes.

1. 7m Kevin Ramey
2. 76 John Ricketts
3. 74E Claud Estes
4. 26 Dalton Steed
5. 88 Andy Rea
6. 9 Brian Parker
7. 45 JP Bailey
8. B4 Eric Baldacinni

by J.M. Hallas

ASCS File Photo

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Posted by NickHolt · Filed Under Dirt Tracks, Top Main
Tagged: ASCS, ASCS Lone Star Region, Brad Welborn, Jerry Bell, Kevin Ramey, Lone Star Region, Lone Star Speedway, sprint cars, Texas