• Home
• About LSS
• Dirt Calendar
• Paved Calendar
• Touring Series

Subscribe

• Login
• Forums
• Audio
• Live Blogs
• Video

“Texas Trey” Mitchell takes top honors in the 2010 ARBodies.com Most Popular Driver contest

According to the contest organizers, over 40,000 race fans voted in the 2010 edition of the Speed51.com ARBodies.com Late Model Most Popular Driver contest and after the votes were tabulated, “Texas Trey” Mitchell was declared the winner.

The obviously popular Mitchell will receive a brand new ABC “Package A” kit from ARBodies.com for winning the contest. ARBodies are among the most sought after stock car racing bodies in the racing industry and are worth nearly $3.000.00.

“It feels good to know that so many people from all over the country voted for me,” Mitchell said. “We came pretty close to winning last year, but I am proud to say that a Texan won it with another Texan, JT Schild, among the top three. I just want to thank everyone for taking the time to vote for me and JT.”

For the past two seasons the personable Wimberley, Texas, native has run up near the front in the PASS South Super Late Model Series, finishing a strong fifth in the 2010 final PASS point standings despite running one less race than the rest of the drivers who finished in the top ten. While it’s only on paper, if Mitchell had been able to compete in the all 13 PASS events and earned his average points (213 points per race) for the missed race, he would have won the PASS South Super Late Model championship by 39 points.

Mitchell caught the racing bug at fourteen, competing in four races in his Allison Legacy Mitchell Motorsports ride at the very end of the 2004 season at Thunderhill Raceway in Kyle, Texas, not far from his hometown of Wimberley. In spite of his brief season, he proved a quick learner and was named the “Most Improved Driver” in the series that year.

With the racing bug fully implanted, in 2005 Trey started his first full racing season in style by breaking the track record in the Allison Legacy season opener at Red River Speedway in Wichita Falls, Texas. Although 2005 saw no wins, he was in the lead pack all season with seven second-place finishes – more than good enough to win the coveted “Rookie of the Year” honors.

In what many saw as a daring move, the 16-year old made a huge jump to the highly-competitive asphalt Pro Modified division in 2006. The move took him from a relatively calm 120 horsepower scale-model stock car to a fire-breathing, low-slung , open- wheel modified, but it didn’t take the high school athlete-scholar very long to learn the ropes. In fact - and to most everyone’s astonishment - the youngster recorded a win in his rookie season at one of the most demanding, half-mile, high-banked tracks anywhere – San Antonio Speedway - making him the youngest winner ever in the Texas-based Pro Modified division. With that impressive notch in his belt, Mitchell was named “Rookie of the Year” for the second year in a row.

The following season, Mitchell raced his Pro Modified at Houston Motorsports Park, picking up three wins, six top 5’s and 9-top 10’s in 12 starts at the 3/8-mile concrete and asphalt oval, almost winning the championship except for a costly wreck during the season finale.

Mitchell, who combines his studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with his racing career, says he will be putting his new ARBody to good use in 2011.

“We are planning on running the whole PASS South schedule this season – this time without missing a race,” Mitchell said. “We have a great team and the best part is that we have learned a whole lot about all the tracks that were new to us over the past couple of season. To me the PASS Super Late Model Series is the best Super Late Model group in the country with a first-class group of drivers and teams. Like a lot of other drivers, I hope to move up the racing ladder - paying my dues along the way - and eventually land a ride in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, so the awesome experience I am gaining now is invaluable.”

For more information about Trey and opportunities to be part of his 2011 racing efforts, check out Trey’s website at http://www.treymitchellracing.com.

by Nick Holt, Lone Star Speedzone
Photos courtesy of Trey Mitchell Racing

Neil Upchurch, Texas racing icon, announces his retirement after 53 years in the sport

With the completion of the 35th consecutive Texas Pro Sedans racing season, I am hereby notifying all concerned of my full retirement from racing and working in behalf of TPS.

For 53 years, I’ve been involved at all levels of auto racing. I tried to retire after the 1997 season, but returned to TPS when I felt it was essential to assure the continuance of TPS. I announced at the 2009 TPS Awards Dinner that I was stepping down from the position of TPS Race & Administrative Director, but would continue during the 2010 season as the TPS Administrative Director in the interest of organizational continuity, which I did throughout the 2010 racing season.

I have worked tirelessly to solicit sponsors to supplement and increase TPS race purses. Frequently sponsor searches proved fruitless. I worked hard to promote, arrange and pay to repair lacking TPS purses due to reduced pit gate payments to TPS during past seasons.

To insure my fiduciary responsibility and the legal management of the TPS Treasury, I have refunded all 2011 member dues, but will continue my TPS work until the 2010 TPS IRS return is completed after-which, I will not do future Texas Pro Sedans work.

I understand that CCS owner Dan Monroe and TPS Race Director David Mackey have negotiated a schedule in principle for several race dates and that David has sent a contract to Dan Monroe and that TPS racing at CCS depends upon prompt contract signing by Dan. TPS car owners have been advised they should wait for David’s notification of the signing before spending money on their cars. Approval of a 2011 TPS race schedule at CCS rests with Dan Monroe and is TPS’s only chance for a 2011 racing season solely at CCS. I won’t see any of the races, but I support TPS Driver’s and CCS’s joint arrangement next season.

I sincerely hope, but seriously doubt that local area racing can recover and exist as it once did. It distresses me to see car owners and drivers having to pay more, travel more to race at tracks and then compete for small purses usually made only from a percentage of their own pit pass purchases or worse, no percentage at all. Racing veterans can remember a time when tracks actually promoted and advertised the sale of admission tickets and compensated racers for providing the show and attraction from part of track ticket and concession sales. I do understand that tracks face economic problems, but so do the car owners, drivers and crews. Perhaps the public is no longer a willing customer to buy admission tickets to fund local track operations. It has become easier for some tracks to exist by simply selling expensive pit passes than by working, promoting and advertising to increase their spectator sales base. Today’s racing reminds me of buying an amusement ticket on a carnival ride. The only difference is that racers bring their amusement ride (their own cars) to the carnival.

When TIDA-LM ceased operations thirteen years ago, I wrote “We have witnessed the gradual degradation of our sport, at the local level. We have seen local tracks closing or losing their fan base, car counts and profit potential. Minor league local racing simply cannot compete with Saturday night FREE televised NASCAR races. It’s not even a fair fight. Most local tracks just go dark on NASCAR race nights. Some tracks even naively pay 10% of their purses to NASCAR for affiliation membership sanction fees and to purchase higher priced NASCAR insurance. The big dog continues to eat more of its own puppies”.

The proudest thing I’ve done in sports has been to dedicate 53 years of my life to our sport of auto racing. I very much appreciate all of the fine people who either worked with or for me. They all know who they are. I’m thankful for the support of the loyal members of Texas and TIDA Pro Sedans, the TIDA Late Model Series and Texas World Speedway’s Texas Race of Champions and Texas Grand Prix participants and all of our generous, but hard to acquire sponsors. I sincerely thank all of the fine people from my driving days. I thank all of my co-owners, co-drivers, crew people and sponsors who helped me own and drive many great race cars for more than 20 years.

As I have been doing for the past eleven years, I plan to continue working in San Antonio high school football as the PA Announcer at Heroes Stadium and the Alamodome.

My racing career is over. It has been quite a ride. I have enjoyed almost every mile of it. I won’t be seeing you around the tracks in the future. If you have time in your race through life, please stay in touch with me, say hello and remember this “old racer”, who I sincerely believe, worked hard for the good of our sport of Texas auto racing.

Thanks to all of you.

Signed Neil Upchurch
Founder, Driver, Race Director, Administrative Director - Texas Pro Sedans, TIDA Pro Sedans, TIDA-LM’s and TWS

By Neil Upchurch
Photo by Tory Christopher

Kolt Walker claims ASCS Lone Star Region win at Lone Star Speedway

Kolt Walker became the first repeat winner in American Sprint Car Series Lone Star Region action so far this season by taking top honors in Saturday night’s 25-lap main event at Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore, Texas.

After racing from eighth to win the night’s opening heat race, the Kermit, TX, native backed it up by charging past Gary Wright early in the main event en route to his second series win of the year aboard the Jars Inc./Texas Moon No. 45k Maxim.

While Walker started sixth in the 13th ASCS Lone Star main event of the year, he needed less than two laps to slide past pole starter Wright for the lead. Walker led the rest of the way, with Wright, Brandon Corn, Michael Lang and Martin Edwards rounding out the top five.

Current series points leader Eric Baldaccini climbed from 11th to sixth, with Dale Wester, 18th-starter Chad Wilson, 15th-starter Skip Wilson and Claud Estes completing the top ten.

Logan Payne turned over early in the feature, with Justin Melton, Justin Spoerl and Josh Hawkins all eliminated in a lap five tangle.

Walker, Corn and Wright each claimed heat race wins.

ASCS Lone Star Results from Lone Star Speedway:

First Heat (8 Laps): 1. 45k-Kolt Walker, 2. 45-Martin Edwards, 3. 6-Justin Spoerl, 4. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 5. 2-Logan Payne, 6. 15T-Travis Elliott, 7. 69-Larry Howery, 8. 5c-Chris Coker.

Second Heat (8 Laps): 1. 30-Brandon Corn, 2. 76-John Ricketts, 3. 11-Justin Melton, 4. 12-Dale Wester, 5. 74e-Claud Estes, 6. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 7. 14e-Todd Evans, 8. 16-Koty Adams.

Third Heat (8 Laps): 1. 9x-Gary Wright, 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 3. 14-Michael Lang, 4. 31-Brandon Berryman, 5. 65-Skip Wilson, 6. 20-Chad Wilson, 7. 80-Josh Hawkins, 8. 01-Greg Bartchy.

“A” Feature (25 Laps): 1. 45k-Kolt Walker, 2. 9x-Gary Wright, 3. 30-Brandon Corn, 4. 14-Michael Lang, 5. 45-Martin Edwards, 6. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 7. 12-Dale Wester, 8. 20-Chad Wilson, 9. 65-Skip Wilson, 10. 74e-Claud Estes, 11. 31-Brandon Berryman, 12. 16-Koty Adams, 13. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 14. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 15. 69-Larry Howery, 16. 01-Greg Bartchy, 17. 11-Justin Melton, 18. 6-Justin Spoerl, 19. 80-Josh Hawkins, 20. 76-John Ricketts, 21. 15T-Travis Elliott, 22. 2-Logan Payne. DNS: 14e-Todd Evans, 5c-Chris Coker.

ASCS Lone Star Region Points (Top 10): 1. Eric Baldaccini 1,660, 2. Claud Estes 1,558, 3. Justin Melton 1,454, 4. Martin Edwards 1,442, 5. Brandon Corn 1,405, 6. John Ricketts 1,377, 7. Preston Peebles II 1,333, 8. Kolt Walker 1,302, 9. Brian McClelland 1,205, 10. Scott Reneau 1,122.

by Lonnie Wheatley
Photos by Tim Aylwin

Brandon Berryman best at ASCS Gulf South debut at Lone Star Speedway

A change of scenery resulted in a turn of fortune for Brandon Berryman, who wired Sunday night’s American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region debut at Lone Star Speedway.

The two-time and reigning series champion gunned into the lead at the outset and led all 25 laps to collect the $2,500 winner’s share for his first win of the season aboard the Shark-powered No. 31 Triple-X.

Berryman beat current series points leader Aaron Reutzel to the checkered flag, with Martin Edwards, Ray Allen Kulhanek and Scottie McDonald rounding out the top five.

Kevin Ramey was sixth, with Justin Melton, Chad Wilson, Matt Clevenger and Michael Lang completing the top ten.

Skip Wilson, McDonald, Lang and Kolt Walker each topped heat race action, with Jimmy Brooks and Koby Barksdale winning the twin “B” Mains. Channin Tankersley, Wilson and Walker all flipped in the feature event.

ASCS Gulf South Region Results from Lone Star Speedway:

Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 65-Skip Wilson, 2. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 3. 11m-Brandon Moseley, 4. 74e-Claud Estes, 5. 1r-Scott Reneau, 6. 76-John Ricketts, 7. 1b-Kent Lewis, Jr., 8. 19-Klint Angelette, 9. 5m-Glenn Martin, 10. d20-David Noker.

Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 30-Scottie McDonald, 2. 11-Justin Melton, 3. 35-Greg Rilat, 4. 20x-Chad Wilson, 5. 30x-Bean Elliott, 6. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 7. 21x-Cody Adams, 8. 02-Harry Yerrington. DNS: 21-Blake Roberts.

Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 14-Michael Lang, 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 3. 12w-Dale Wester, 4. 45-Martin Edwards, 5. 3-Gary Watson, 6. 22-Koby Barksdale, 7. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 8. 17c-Greg Coleman, 9. 74-Brandon Corn.

Heat Four (8 Laps): 1. 45k-Kolt Walker, 2. 31-Brandon Berryman, 3. 21T-Tommy Bryant, 4. 5-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 5. 71-Channin Tankersley, 6. 87x-Billy Melton, 7. 93-Chris Sweeney, 8. 31m-Matt Clevenger, 9. 20-Terry Monroe.

First “B” Feature (12 Laps): 1. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 2. 76-John Ricketts, 3. 31m-Matt Clevenger, 4. 19-Klint Angelette, 5. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 6. 74-Brandon Corn, 7. 87x-Billy Melton, 8. 5m-Glenn Martin, 9. 1r-Scott Reneau (Disqualified; failed to report directly to scales after finishing first). DNS: 1b-Kent Lewis, Jr.

Second “B” Feature (12 Laps): 1. 22-Koby Barksdale, 2. 3-Gary Watson, 3. 21x-Cody Adams, 4. 20-Terry Monroe, 5. d20-David Noker, 6. 02-Harry Yerrington, 7. 93-Chris Sweeney. DNS: 17c-Greg Coleman, 21-Blake Roberts.

“A” Feature (25 Laps): 1. 31-Brandon Berryman, 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 3. 45-Martin Edwards, 4. 5-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 5. 30-Scottie McDonald, 6. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 7. 11-Justin Melton, 8. 20x-Chad Wilson, 9. 31m-Matt Clevenger, 10. 14-Michael Lang, 11. 74e-Claud Estes, 12. 12w-Dale Wester, 13. 3-Gary Watson, 14. 30x-Bean Elliott, 15. 35-Greg Rilat, 16. 21x-Cody Adams, 17. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 18. 22-Koby Barksdale, 19. 11m-Brandon Moseley, 20. 21T-Tommy Bryant, 21. 76-John Ricketts, 22. 45k-Kolt Walker, 23. 65-Skip Wilson, 24. 71-Channin Tankersley.

ASCS Gulf South Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Aaron Reutzel 1,108, 2. Brandon Berryman 1,054, 3. Tommy Bryant 1,038, 4. Ray Allen Kulhanek 1,025, 5. Channin Tankersley 1,022, 6. Scottie McDonald 948, 7. Jimmy Brooks 925, 8. Kent Lewis, Jr. 922, 9. Greg Rilat 855, 10. Gary Watson 842.

by Lonnie Wheatley

Denny Burton best in HMP’s NASCAR Cricket Modified “Cricket 40” event

Fifteen of the fastest asphalt Modifieds in the South lined up at Houston Motorsports Park Saturday night for the NASCAR Modified “Cricket 40” and veteran racer Denny Burton proved that he still has what it takes and took home the trophy, the prize money and the bragging rights after running a smart, clean race.

Ironically, Burton’s night almost ended before it began as the low-slung, fire-breathing Modifieds took their wide-open “hot laps” at the well-maintained 3/8-mile HMP oval immediately before the race. Pole-sitter Brent Seeley suddenly slowed on the back straight without warning and Burton slammed into the rear of Seeley’s ride and ended up sideways in the infield. In spite of the hard contact both cars and their drivers were OK and they took their positions at the front of the field for the green flag.

Immediately after the start, Seeley made contact with another car and slid up the track a bit and Burton scooted by to take the lead and took Chrudimsky and Chris Davidson with him before Seeley could recover and settle into fourth place.

Although he had a car capable of contending for the win, Davidson’s night would end prematurely after smoke began to pour from the rear of his car from the second lap on. Davidson pulled into the smoking car into the pits with 25 laps remaining.

After that, it was just a matter of how long Burton would be able to hold off the always-aggressive Chrudimsky as the rest of the field seemed to have nothing for the two leaders.

The race for the lead at wasn’t the only race to watch, however, as the battle for third between Tuffy Hudson and Seeley was shaping up to become a barnburner by mid-race. And it was just that for a few laps, but eventually Seeley was able to open up and maintain a two car length lead on the Corpus Christi hotshoe for the remainder of the race.

Chrudimsky, meanwhile, gave Burton fits for most of the race, but the anticipated showdown at the finish never materialized when Chrudimsky got caught in lapped traffic with a couple laps remaining allowing Burton to take the checkered with room to spare.

Seeley, Hudson and steady Ian Webster rounded out the top five.

Unofficial results:

1. 007 Denny Burton
2. 39 Mark Chrudimsky
3. 5 Brent Seeley
4. 7 Tuffy Hudson
5. 9 Ian Webster
6. 2 Bobby Hillin, Jr.
7. 04 Brad Hudak
8. 42 Justin Long
9. 1 Carl Smith
10. 33 Jason Morman
11. 8 Jim Nides
12. 28 Hannah Baker
13. 82 Pat Kinsey
14. 11 Kalie Sellier
15. 41 Chris Davidson

by Nick Holt
Photos by Chris David

Saldana wins World of Outlaw Sprint Car Texas Shootout at Houston Raceway Park: Completes Texas Two Step

It had been a couple of years since Joey Saldana had raced in Texas prior to this weekend, but he quickly remembered how much he enjoys racing in the state after winning on Friday night in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series return to Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore and he backed that up with a victory to cap off the weekend in the Texas Shootout at Houston Raceway Park on Saturday night. It was his first win at the track located in Baytown in his 14th start at the facility.

“It was a great weekend in Texas for sure,” said Saldana. “I can’t wait to come back here again and the fans saw a good show tonight. I can’t thank Budweiser and Kasey enough for what they do. I’m very proud of this entire team right now. All of the hard work is really paying off.”

The $10,000 triumph at the high-banked ¼-mile was Saldana’s series leading fifth aboard the Budweiser Maxim to start the 2009 season. He also moved to within just four points of 20-time series champion Steve Kinser, who is second in the series championship standings as they chase three-time and defending series champion Donny Schatz. Saldana now has 44 career World of Outlaws A-Feature wins and is just two shy of Bobby Davis Jr., who is 10th on the all-time win list.

The race began on Saturday night with a quick caution that led to a complete restart that saw Jac Haudenschild lead the field into turns one and two, with Johnny Herrera coming all the way from fourth to sweep past Steve Kinser, Joey Saldana and Haudenschild who had started on the pole. Saldana started fourth and moved to third on the opening lap. He moved into second the following lap and took the lead on the third circuit, using the high side of turns three and four to power his way past Herrera.

Saldana quickly began to pull away as the battled for second raged as first it was Kinser tracking down Herrera and then Haudenschild. For most of the race, the second spot provided the best battle on the track, with eight different drivers trading the runner-up spot over the course of the 40-lap event using every inch of the racing surface. In open race track, Saldana had a couple of very sizeable advantages, though in lapped traffic the other frontrunners were able to close the gap.

“We were chasing our car all night and the crew: Willie (Kahne) Kolten (Gouse) and Kale (Kahne) worked hard all night,” shared the winner. “Kale changed a lot of torsion bars and we got a lot better feeling car toward the feature. I didn’t know where to go. I didn’t know if I should go to the bottom or the top.”

With just two laps to go, Craig Dollansky passed his teammate Saldana in turn two in lapped traffic, but Saldana was able to retake the lead on the back straightaway as Dollansky was bottled up a little bit by a lapped car and also was nursing a left rear tire that had a puncture in it. Saldana powered his way back in front and was able to extend that margin at the checkered flag, as Dollansky had his hands full with Donny Schatz who worked his way from the 14th starting spot in the Top-Three.

“It was a good race and had to hit your marks,” noted Saldana. “Craig (Dollansky) tried to get by me there coming off of (turn) two and I just stopped and got a good run off the bottom. It was a great win for us.”

After starting at the middle of the field, Schatz fell back to 15th on the opening lap and after that steadily and methodically worked his way into the Top-10 by the halfway point of the 40-lap contest and really was able to turn up the wick in the second half of the race, as he wound up second aboard the Armor All J&J.

“We had a great car and we were just chasing it a little bit trying some things,” Schatz said. “That’s the thing about trying stuff, is that you’ll hurt yourself and you’ll help yourself. We seemed to do both.”

During the final 10 laps of Saturday’s event, Schatz found himself doing battle with Jason Johnson, Danny Lasoski and Craig Dollansky, as each of those drivers took a turn running second, the spot that Schatz would eventually take late in the race. For the second consecutive night, the North Dakota native had one of the fastest cars late in the going. He turned his fastest lap just four laps from the finish as he charged to the front.

“It always is,” he explained of his car being fast later in races. “There is no question that this race car gets as the race goes on. We put ourselves in a good position and made just one mistake and that is what cost us the race. That one mistake can cost you a lot.”

Dollansky ran near the front all night, after winning the second heat race. He was fifth quickest in time trials and consistently had one of the fastest cars on the track. The native of Elk River, Minnesota fell back to fifth early, but made a charge on the 12th lap to go from fifth to third, a spot he would wind up with when the checkered flag flew. He ran second for a number of laps as well aboard the DirecTV Maxim.

“It was a good run for the Kasey Kahne Racing teams tonight,” Dollansky said. “My hat is off to Joey (Saldana) and his crew, they are running very strong. We’re working with our program and trying to get stronger as we go and I think we are making progress. We’ll just keep plugging away and get this car up in Victory Lane one of these times.”

Danny Lasoski was fourth in the Casey’s General Stores JEI, to earn his sixth Top-Five finish of the season and also jump up to the eighth spot in the championship standings. He began the night by setting fast time in qualifying for the second time this year.

Steve Kinser continued his strong start to the 2009 campaign, coming home fifth in the Quaker State Maxim. He has finished in the Top-10 in 10 of the first 11 races of the season as he seeks his record 21st title.

Johnny Herrera finished a very solid sixth after leading the first two laps of the A-Feature. Sammy Swindell was seventh in the Tom Rolfe Trucking Maxim. Jac Haudenschild was eighth aboard the Owens Corning Fiberglass Maxim, with Jason Sides in ninth in the Wetherington Tractor Service Maxim. Jason Meyers recovered from an early flat tire that caused him to spin to finish 10th in the GLR Investments KPC.

The World of Outlaws return to action on Friday, April 17 at Paducah International Raceway in Kentucky.

TEXAS SHOOTOUT AT HOUSTON RACEWAY PARK NOTES

• FAST QUALIFIER: Danny Lasoski paced the 25 cars that took time with an AMB i.t. timed lap around the high-banked 1/4-mile oval at 12.442 seconds at 72.336 mph. For his qualifying effort, Lasoski earned five bonus points. The next four fastest qualifiers also earned bonus points, including: Tony Bruce Jr. (4), Johnny Herrera (3), Jac Haudenschild (2), and Craig Dollansky (1).

• QUALIFYING WINNERS: Joey Saldana, Craig Dollansky and Terry McCarl won heat races. Jac Haudenschild won the Crane Cams Dash.

• FEATURE WINNERS: There has been 11 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series A-Feature event held in 2009. The winners include: Joey Saldana (Volusia Speedway Park, Silver Dollar Speedway, Thunderbowl Raceway, Lone Star Speedway and Houston Raceway Park), Donny Schatz (Volusia Speedway Park-twice and The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway), Randy Hannagan (Thunderbowl Raceway), Chad Kemenah (Manzanita Speedway) and Jason Meyers (Silver Dollar Speedway).

• 1/4-MILE WINNERS: Raceway Park is a high-banked 1/4-mile. The World of Outlaws have raced three times this season on a track that size. The winners include: Joey Saldana (Silver Dollar Speedway and Houston Raceway Park) and Jason Meyers (Silver Dollar Speedway).

World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Houston Raceway Park; Houston, TX; April 11, 2009

Qualifying

1) 6-Danny Lasoski 12.442

2) 18-Tony Bruce Jr. 12.548

3) 45X-Johnny Herrera 12.606

4) R19-Jac Haudenschild 12.622

5) 19-Craig Dollansky 12.716

6) 14-Jason Meyers 12.725

7) 9-Joey Saldana 12.760

20-Kraig Kinser 12.771

9) 24-Terry McCarl 12.785

10) 11-Steve Kinser 12.790

11) 5W-Lucas Wolfe 12.823

12) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr. 12.854

13) 15-Donny Schatz 12.904

14) 55-Kerry Madsen 12.910

15) 96-Bronson Maeschen 12.960

16) 12-Lynton Jeffrey 12.961

17) 14AJ-Wayne Johnson 12.992

18) 7S-Jason Sides 13.014

19) 10-Sammy Swindell 13.061

20) 22-Brian Ellenberger 13.062

21) 41-Jason Johnson 13.069

22) 4X-Toni Lutar 13.244

23) 71-Channin Tankersley 13.262

24) 29-Travis Rilat 13.339

25) 51-Wes Miller 13.430

Heat 1 (10 Laps, top 6 finishers transferred to A-feature)

1) 9-Joey Saldana

2) 11-Steve Kinser

3) 6-Danny Lasoski

4) 15-Donny Schatz

5) 10-Sammy Swindell

6) R19-Jac Haudenschild

7) 4X-Toni Lutar

51-Wes Miller

Heat 2 (10 Laps, top 6 finishers transferred to A-feature)

1) 19-Craig Dollansky

2) 20-Kraig Kinser

3) 55-Kerry Madsen

4) 18-Tony Bruce Jr.

5) 5W-Lucas Wolfe

6) 14AJ-Wayne Johnson

7) 22-Brian Ellenberger

71-Channin Tankersley

Heat 3 (10 Laps, top 6 finishers transferred to A-feature)

1) 24-Terry McCarl

2) 41-Jason Johnson

3) 45X-Johnny Herrera

4) 7S-Jason Sides

5) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.

6) 14-Jason Meyers

7) 96-Bronson Maeschen

29-Travis Rilat

Crane Cams Dash (8 laps, finishing order determined first 10 starting positions of A-feature)

1) R19-Jac Haudenschild

2) 11-Steve Kinser

3) 19-Craig Dollansky

4) 9-Joey Saldana

5) 45X-Johnny Herrera

6) 41-Jason Johnson

7) 24-Terry McCarl

20-Kraig Kinser

9) 6-Danny Lasoski

10) 18-Tony Bruce Jr.

A-main (40 laps) - Starting Position [#]

1) 9-Joey Saldana[4] [$10,000]

2) 15-Donny Schatz[14] [$5,500]

3) 19-Craig Dollansky[3] [$3,200]

4) 6-Danny Lasoski[9] [$2,800]

5) 11-Steve Kinser[2] [$2,500]

6) 45X-Johnny Herrera[5] [$2,300]

7) 10-Sammy Swindell[18] [$2,200]

R19-Jac Haudenschild[1] [$2,100]

9) 7S-Jason Sides[17] [$2,050]

10) 14-Jason Meyers[11] [$2,000]

11) 41-Jason Johnson[6] [$1,500]

12) 55-Kerry Madsen[15] [$1,200]

13) 18-Tony Bruce Jr.[10] [$1,100]

14) 20-Kraig Kinser[8] [$1,050]

15) 5W-Lucas Wolfe[12] [$1,000]

16) 14AJ-Wayne Johnson[16] [$900]

17) 22-Brian Ellenberger[20] [$800]

18) 29-Travis Rilat[23] [$800]

19) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.[13] [$800]

20) 4X-Toni Lutar[21] [$800]

21) 24-Terry McCarl[7] [$800]

22) 96-Bronson Maeschen[19] [$800]

23) 71-Channin Tankersley[22] [$800]

24) 51-Wes Miller[24] [$800]

25) 12-Lynton Jeffrey[25] [$800]

Lap Leaders: Johnny Herrera 1-2; Joey Saldana 3-40

SuperClean Start of the Night Award: Jason Johnson

Penske Power Position Award: Craig Dollansky

KSE Hard Charger Award: Donny Schatz

Story by World of Outlaws
Photos by Chris David Media (http://www.chrisdavidmedia.com)

Devil’s Bowl hosts the Lucas Oil ASCS “Spring Nationals” this weekend

After months of anticipation, it’s just about here as the quest for the 2009 Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters championship kicks off with this weekend’s 36th Annual Devil’s Bowl Speedway Spring Nationals in Mesquite, TX.

A staggering field of approximately 70 or so entries is expected for the two-night stand atop the famed Devil’s Bowl clay on Friday and Saturday as the VERSUS Network cameras take in all the action for a tape-delayed telecast.

This weekend’s event kicks off a new era of Sprint Car racing, launching a much-anticipated season under the Lucas Oil banner that was announced last August. A whopping $250,000 point fund is in place, with $60,000 earmarked for the series 2009 champion.

Gunning for a second consecutive title is Louisiana’s Jason Johnson, who held off four-time series king Gary Wright to take top honors in 2008. The duo of Johnson and Wright has combined to win nine of the last ten ASCS National feature events at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.

They’ll have their hands full this weekend with a pit area that will be overflowing with top talent from throughout the nation, including another 25 or so competitors that have stated intentions of taking in the full Lucas Oil ASCS slate in 2009.

Those ready for Lucas Oil ASCS title consideration in 2009 include the following:

1 Sean McClelland (Tulsa, OK) – The former ASCS Sooner Region champ ranked sixth in 2006 National points. Sean is ready for his second full National effort after working the bugs out during a Gulf South double a couple of weeks ago.

1a Robby Wolfgang (Sioux Falls, SD) – Going Scruffy style by tagging an “a” to the number 1, the 16-year-old will see one new track after another in his first year on the National trail.

2 Kenneth Walker (Sapulpa, OK) – Set for his second year on Tour after ranking eighth last year.

3d Paul McMahan (Nashville, TN) – The 2002 STN winner makes his first start in the No. 3d entry this weekend as he kicks off his title pursuit.

4 Eric Baldaccini (Keller, TX) – A top-five Gulf South finisher at Cleveland, Eric needs a strong start to stay on the road after ranking sixth and picking up Rookie of the Year honors last year.

7 Darren Long (Elida, OH) – Kicks off his Rookie of the Year campaign with his first visit to Devil’s Bowl.

9x Gary Wright (Hooks, TX) – A sweep of the Gulf South opening weekend on March 6-7 just serves notice that “The Texan” will be hard to top in his bid for an unprecedented fifth series championship. Races under the Lubbock Wrecker Service banner in 2009.

10a Ricky Logan (Little Rock, AR) – Breaks away from the Saturday Knoxville routine to take on the road.

11 Chad Corken (Highlands Ranch, CO) – Ready to contend for Rookie of the Year honors after ranking fourth in ASCS Rocky Mountain points last year.

12 Trey Robb (Newcastle, OK) – The 16-year-old makes his second full National effort, now teamed with past Gulf South champ Jerry Bell.

13 Jesse Hockett (Warsaw, MO) – Staying sharp by staying busy, “The Rocket” already has a $13,000 ASCS Rebel win in Florida and a non-wing Canyon win at Manzanita.

13m Kathryne Minter (Bedford, TX) – With past East Bay champ R.J. Johnson spinning the wrenches, the 18-year-old gears up for her second year of National competition.

15s Nick Smith (Broken Arrow, OK) – Looks for a fourth-consecutive top-ten series ranking after becoming just the 23rd driver in series history to top the 100-features started mark last season.

18 Tony Bruce, Jr. (Liberal, KS) – The reigning Short Track Nationals champion guns for the series title in 2009, finished second behind Gary Wright in Gulf South events on March 6-7.

21 Brian Brown (Grain Valley, MO) – A strong start over the next couple of weeks could force the defending Knoxville Raceway champion’s hand. Opened the 2009 season with a Sunday win at Springfield to bring the curtain down on an event that only took four months to get in the books.

23 Seth Bergman (Snohomish, WA) – The first Washington-based team to tackle the Lucas Oil ASCS Series, Seth has ranked among the best of the Northwest over the past three seasons.

29 Travis Rilat (Forney, TX) – Just 14 features away from becoming the third driver in series history to reach the 300 mark, a deflating left rear cost the 2003 champion a possible Gulf South win at Beaumont on March 6.

41 Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA) – With fifty-one overall ASCS feature wins over the past three years, the reigning series champion posted a pair of fourth-place finishes in Gulf South action on March 6-7.

53 Jack Dover (Springfield, NE) – Back from New Zealand to pursue Rookie of the Year honors after earning the Midwest Region championship and National Newcomer of the Year honors in 2008.

55 Donnie Ray Crawford (Tulsa, OK) – The 2008 SMRS Midget runner-up hooks up with Wade Wiseley’s A&W Motorsports team for a run at the Lucas Oil ASCS title in 2009.

57 Shane Stewart (Bixby, OK) – Shane can shine, especially when teamed with Paul Silva. They’ll have things ready to roll just in time.

86 Josh Fisher (Smithton, MO) – Takes to the Lucas Oil ASCS trail after capturing the Lake Ozark championship in 2008 and National Rookie of the Year honors in 2007.

91 Gary Taylor (Snohomish, WA) – GT makes his debut aboard the Sparks entry at Devil’s Bowl.

93 Dustin Morgan (Collinsville, OK) – After working out some bugs at Springfield, Dustin is set for his first full winged campaign after several seasons of primarily topless action.

94 Danny Wood (Norman, OK) – A three-time series runner-up tries for the top spot aboard the familiar H&H entry.

95 Matt Covington (Glenpool, OK) – The fourth-place Sooner finisher last year goes National in 2009.

97 Aaron Berryhill (Broken Arrow, OK) – Providing last-lap dramatics at Lake Ozark last year much to Jason Johnson’s chagrin, Berryhill is set for his first full Lucas Oil ASCS effort.

99 Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, OK) – An STN feature starter, Bacon should show Devil’s Bowl improvement with functional steering and brakes.

And those are just the likely series championship contenders.

Another 30-40 are likely for this weekend’s competition including Zach Chappell, two-time ASCS Northern Plains champion Lee Grosz, two-time ASCS Sooner Region champion Kevin Ramey, ASCS Rocky Mountain Region champion Derrik Ortega and past ASCS Sooner Region champion Danny Jennings among others.

The top four finishers in Friday night’s 25-lap preliminary feature will be locked into Saturday night’s 30-lap finale, with the balance of the field battling through another full card of heats and “B” Mains to fill out the Devil’s Bowl Spring Nationals championship feature event.

The Series:

Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters

When & Where:

Friday night, March 20 at 8:00 p.m. – 36th Annual Devil’s Bowl Spring Nationals prelim
Saturday night, March 21 at 8:00 p.m. – 36th Annual Devil’s Bowl Spring Nationals finale

Track Information:

Devil’s Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, TX) – ½-mile, high-banked clay oval located six miles east of Dallas’ I-635 on US 80, then three miles south on Lawson Road. Track phone: 972-222-2421.

Lucas Oil ASCS Devil’s Bowl History:

Devil’s Bowl Speedway has been hosting the Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Series since 1994, with 20 different drivers scoring at least one victory in 56 feature events. Gary Wright has claimed 19 of his 124 career ASCS National wins at Devil’s Bowl, including his first Spring Nationals triumph last year along with a July Speedweek win and then another Winter Nationals triumph in October.

Wright and Jason Johnson have had somewhat of a stranglehold on victory lane at Devil’s Bowl over the past couple of seasons, combining to win nine of the last ten features atop the storied clay oval. Only Tony Bruce, Jr., a Spring Nationals preliminary winner last year, has interrupted the Wright-Johnson reign of terror at Da’ Bowl.

While Wright is the reigning Spring Nationals champion, other recent Spring Nationals winners include Jake Peters (2007), Kevin Ramey (2006) and Danny Jennings (2005).

Devil’s Bowl Lucas Oil ASCS winners include: Gary Wright 19, Jason Johnson 6, Wayne Johnson 4, Danny Jennings 3, Kevin Ramey 3, Shane Carson 2, Terry Gray 2, Garry Lee Maier 2, Mike Peters 2, Travis Rilat 2, Sammy Swindell 2, Tony Bruce, Jr. 1, Tim Crawley 1, Edd French 1, Johnny Herrera 1, Larry Neighbors 1, Alan Payne 1, Jake Peters 1, Shane Stewart 1, Mike Ward 1.

Devil’s Bowl Lucas Oil ASCS Race-by-race Winners: Shane Carson (6/21/94), Alan Payne (5/12/95), Mike Ward (7/23/95), Mike Peters (9/1/95), Sammy Swindell (9/2/95), Sammy Swindell (9/3/95), Wayne Johnson (6/18/96), Terry Gray (7/6/96), Terry Gray (11/1/96), Johnny Herrera (11/2/96), Shane Carson (4/5/97), Wayne Johnson (6/18/97), Edd French (10/31/97), Mike Peters (11/1/97), Gary Wright (6/19/98), Gary Wright (10/3/98), Garry Lee Maier (10/4/98), Gary Wright (7/8/99), Garry Lee Maier (7/30/99), Gary Wright (10/1/99), Gary Wright (10/2/99), Gary Wright (7/21/00), Gary Wright (10/6/00), Larry Neighbors (4/20/01), Gary Wright (7/20/01), Gary Wright (10/6/01), Travis Rilat (4/19/02), Jason Johnson (6/7/02), Wayne Johnson (10/4/02), Gary Wright (10/5/02), Kevin Ramey (4/18/03), Tim Crawley (10/17/03), Gary Wright (10/18/03), Shane Stewart (10/23/04), Danny Jennings (3/18/05), Danny Jennings (3/19/05), Danny Jennings (6/9/05), Gary Wright (10/21/05), Gary Wright (10/22/05), Kevin Ramey (6/24/06 – Spring Nationals makeup feature), Kevin Ramey (6/24/06 – Summer Nationals), Gary Wright (7/13/06), Jason Johnson (10/13/06), Travis Rilat (10/14/06), Wayne Johnson (3/16/07), Jake Peters (3/17/07), Gary Wright (5/12/07), Gary Wright (7/19/07), Jason Johnson (10/12/07), Jason Johnson (10/13/07), Tony Bruce, Jr. (3/14/08), Gary Wright (3/15/08), Jason Johnson (5/10/08), Gary Wright (7/17/08), Jason Johnson (10/17/08), Gary Wright (10/18/08).

2009 Lucas Oil ASCS Feature Winners:

None – Season Opener.

Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters – A Look Ahead:

March 27 – State Fair Speedway (Oklahoma City, OK)
March 28 – State Fair Speedway (Oklahoma City, OK)
April 18 – I-30 Speedway (Little Rock, AR)
May 1 – Tri-City Speedway (Granite City, IL)

Lucas Oil ASCS on the Web:

Those unable to catch all the action in person can listen to every Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters live at www.racinboys.com.

Official results, championship point updates, photos and race notes will be available at www.ascsracing.com.

Lucas Oil ASCS on TV:

The Devil’s Bowl Spring Nationals will be the first two of ten Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters events scheduled to be broadcast on a tape delayed basis on the VERSUS Network.

Events to be aired on VERSUS include the following:
March 20 – Devil’s Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, TX)
March 21 – Devil’s Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, TX)
May 23 – Jetmore Motorplex (Jetmore, KS)
May 24 – Jetmore Motorplex (Jetmore, KS)
July 3 – Presleyland Motorsports Park (Chandler, IN)
July 4 – Presleyland Motorsports Park (Chandler, IN)
August 6 – Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, IA)
August 7 – Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, IA)
August 8 – Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, IA)
September 26 – Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, MO)

The Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters is currently slated for 34 nights of racing action at 16 different tracks throughout the nation, with the country’s top Sprint Car drivers set to battle it out for their share of the $250,000 points fund.

The American Sprint Car Series, in its 18th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing events, brings the best of Sprint Car racing to nearly 100 different tracks throughout 25 states and Canada in 2009. Anchored by the Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of a dozen different Regions throughout the nation.

Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com.
Posted 3/16/2009

Wright Completes ASCS Gulf South weekend sweep with 105 Speedway win

Gary Wright completed a sweep of the American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region’s season opening weekend by racing to victory lane in Saturday night’s 25-lap Gulf Coast Nationals at 105 Speedway.

Wright battled past Tony Bruce, Jr., for the lead on the seventh circuit and set the pace over the remaining distance to post his second $3,000 victory in as many nights.

“We’re starting to get things dialed in, I think we’re just about where we need to be for the National races,” Wright commented of his ASI-powered Lubbock Wrecker Service No. 11x Maxim and his looming Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Series championship pursuit.

After another heat race win from the pole position, Wright ranked eighth in passing points to barely make it into the redraw. And, with luck on his side, the seven drivers that drew before “The Texan” left him the number one pill and the pole starting position for the main event.

While Wright led the way to the green flag, it was front row outside starter Tony Bruce, Jr., gunning into the lead at the outset as Wright found himself chasing the Liberal, KS, racer for the second night in a row.

This time though, Wright pounced early rather than waiting for the final circuits. Wright turned the heat up on Bruce just a handful of laps into the race and shot into the lead when Bruce made the slightest of bobbles on the turn four cushion on lap seven.

Bruce kept pace with Wright the rest of the way, looking for an opening that never came as they spent much of the time in lapped traffic. One final opportunity presented itself when Brandon Berryman, Greg Rilat and Tommy Bryant tangled on the backstretch as Wright raced underneath the white flag.

Bruce made a bid for the lead on the ensuing green-white-checkered restart, but Wright was up to the task. Bruce settled for runner-up honors for the second night in a row in his Rider-powered No. 18 Maxim.

Finishing behind Wright and Bruce, Eighteen-year-old Channin Tankersley rebounded from a rough Friday night to snare the show position in the Griffith Truck & Equipment No. 71 Maxim. Jason Johnson climbed seven positions aboard Marvin Pearson’s No. 11 Eagle to claim fourth, taking full advantage of the race’s final caution to battle past Eric Baldaccini, who rounded out the top five after starting 12th.

Ray Allen Kulhanek raced from 15th to finish sixth, with Aaron Reutzel, 16th-starter Kevin Ramey, Kent Lewis, Jr., and Jimmy Brooks completing the top ten. Finishing one position outside the top ten in just his second Sprint Car outing was Washington teen Logan Forler.

Lewis, Tankersley, Wright, Greg Rilat and James McNeil topped heat race action for the 38-car field, with Kulhanek and Ramey winning the twin “B” Mains. McNeil got upside down in turn one just two laps into the feature event.

American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region Results from 105 Speedway:

Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 1b-Kent Lewis, Jr., 2. 2L-Logan Forler, 3. 74e-Claud Estes, 4. 13-Kathryne Minter, 5. 19-Klint Angelette, 6. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 7. 12s-Steve Hubbard, 8. 1-Sean McClelland.

Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 71-Channin Tankersley, 2. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., 3. 74-Brandon Corn, 4. 87x-Billy Melton, 5. 14e-Todd Evans, 6. 69-Larry Howery, 7. 17c-Greg Coleman, 8. 20-Terry Monroe.

Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 9x-Gary Wright, 2. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 3. 11-Jason Johnson, 4. 5-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 5. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 6. 29-Travis Rilat, 7. 30x-Bean Elliott. DNS: 10-Larry Hartwell.

Heat Four (8 Laps): 1. 35-Greg Rilat, 2. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 3. 30-Scottie McDonald, 4. 12-Trey Schmidt, 5. d20-David Noker, 6. 71s-Tim Simmons, 7. 15T-Travis Elliott.

Heat Five (8 Laps): 1. 80-James McNeil, 2. 31-Brandon Berryman, 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 4. 21T-Tommy Bryant, 5. 76-John Ricketts, 6. 93-Chris Sweeney, 7. 1x-Robby Wolfgang.

First “B” Feature (12 Laps): 1. 5-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 2. 87x-Billy Melton, 3. 21T-Tommy Bryant, 4. 12-Trey Schmidt, 5. 30x-Bean Elliott, 6. 13-Kathryne Minter, 7. 19-Klint Angelette, 8. 12s-Steve Hubbard, 9. 1x-Robby Wolfgang, 10. 20-Terry Monroe, 11. 69-Larry Howery. Disqualified: 29-Travis Rilat (failed to report to scales after finishing second).

Second “B” Feature (12 Laps): 1. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 2. 74-Brandon Corn, 3. 76-John Ricketts, 4. 1-Sean McClelland, 5. 93-Chris Sweeney, 6. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 7. d20-David Noker, 8. 14e-Todd Evans, 9. 15T-Travis Elliott, 10. 17c-Greg Coleman. DNS: 71s-Tim Simmons, 10-Larry Hartwell.

“A” Feature (25 Laps): 1. 9x-Gary Wright, 2. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., 3. 71-Channin Tankersley, 4. 11-Jason Johnson, 5. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 6. 5-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 7. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 8. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 9. 1b-Kent Lewis, Jr., 10. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 11. 2L-Logan Forler, 12. 30-Scottie McDonald, 13. 87x-Billy Melton, 14. 21T-Tommy Bryant, 15. 31-Brandon Berryman, 16. 35-Greg Rilat, 17. 76-John Ricketts, 18. 74-Brandon Corn, 19. 74e-Claud Estes, 20. 80-James McNeil.

ASCS Gulf South Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Gary Wright 300, 2. Tony Bruce, Jr. 292, 3. Jason Johnson 284, 4. Kevin Ramey 272, 5. Scottie McDonald 266, 6. (tie) Aaron Reutzel and Kent Lewis, Jr. 262, 8. (tie) Channin Tankersley and Tommy Bryant 258, 10. Eric Baldaccini 256.

by Lonnie Wheatley

Photos courtesy of ASCS

Abilene Speedway gearing up for “The 2009 Ice Breaker”

Abilene Speedway will be hosting “The 2009 Ice Breaker” at their fast quarter-mile, clay oval on Friday, February 20, Saturday, February 21, and Sunday, February 22, 2009.

The IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sportsmods, IMCA Hobby Stocks, and the 305 Sprint Cars wi be featured all weekend long along with the “trophy classes,” the Pure Stocks and Mini Stocks. Abilene Speedway owner and promoter Rob Poor will be offering Abilene Speedway points all three days.

For ticket information contact the track at 325-692-8800 or log on to their website at http://abilenespeedway.com or email the promoter at speedway@abilene.com.

Staff Report

Copyright © 2005-2009 Lone Star Speedzone · 139 E. Hopkins, Suite 200-E, San Marcos, TX 78666 · Log in