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Two more in Texas - RPM Speedway and Kennedale Speedway Park - for ASCS Lone Star Region this weekend

The North Texas Sprint Car racing scene fires back to life this weekend as the American Sprint Car Series Lone Star Region takes to a pair of DFW Metroplex ovals.

On Friday night, the series breaks new ground at Crandall’s RPM Speedway. Then, on Saturday night, the series travels west to Kennedale Speedway Park near Fort Worth.

Friday’s card atop the cozy confines of RPM Speedway marks the series debut atop the newly-built oval in its first year of operation. The series’ originally scheduled RPM debut on May 15 was rained out.

Saturday’s event at Kennedale Speedway Park marks the first of two events at the track just across the parking lot from series fixture Cowtown Speedway. Oklahoma City’s Joe Wood, Jr., topped both Regional events at Kennedale Speedway Park last year.

In the inaugural season of ASCS Lone Star competition, Fort Worth’s Kevin Ramey is out to the lead in championship points chase with a 66-point advantage over Princeton’s Brad Welborn. Two-time and reigning Sooner Region champion Brian McClelland of Tulsa, OK, is third in points, with the Flower Mound duo of Matt Clevenger and Justin Melton rounding out the current top five.

The balance of the current top ten in ASCS Lone Star points includes Michael Lang (Mesquite), Claud Estes (Godley), Kolt Walker (Graham), J.P. Bailey (Fort Worth) and Eric Baldaccini (Keller).

With the initial seven events of the season in the books, Ramey is the series only repeat winner by topping both events at Cowtown. Other event winners include Skip Wilson, Nick Smith, Gary Wright, Jerry Bell and Baldaccini.

Friday’s racing action at RPM Speedway is slated to go green at 8:30 p.m., with Saturday’s card at Kennedale Speedway Park firing off at 7:00 p.m.

The semi-banked, ¼-mile RPM Speedway dirt oval is located southeast of Crandall, TX, on US 175 to CR 4106 (Bud Story Road exit) to the intersection of CR 4104. For more information, contact the track at 972-427-6822.

The semi-banked, ¼-mile Kennedale Speedway Park dirt oval is located in Kennedale, TX, just east of Fort Worth off I-20 Exit 442-A, then 1.7 miles southeast on Mansfield Highway, then 1.6 miles southwest on New Hope Road, then 0.3 miles east on Hudson Village Creek Road. For more information, contact the track at 817-478-7223 or 817-229-0287.

The inaugural slate of ASCS Lone Star Region competition consists of 18 events at nine different tracks throughout North Texas in addition to one venture north of the Red River to Oklahoma City’s State Fair Speedway.

Past ASCS Regional Feature Winners at RPM Speedway:
None – First Sprint Car event in track history

Past ASCS Regional Feature Winners at Kennedale Speedway Park:
7/25/08 – Joe Wood, Jr.
6/27/08 – Joe Wood, Jr.

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.

by Lonnie Wheatley

Brian McClelland back on top; Takes ASCS Sooner win at Springfield

Tulsa’s Brian McClelland broke out of his early season doldrums in convincing fashion by racing to victory lane in Saturday night’s 25-lap American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region debut atop the ¼-mile Springfield Raceway clay oval.

The two-time and defending series champion assumed the point on the second round and led the rest of the way for his first win of the season aboard the Wesmar-powered R&B Motorsports/Maxwell Oil No. 87 Triple-X.

And, he survived not only a treacherous turn four cushion that gobbled up initial leader Joe Wood, Jr., but also the challenges of Zach Chappell to collect his sixth career ASCS Sooner Region win.

“I ran off the top of the track there in turn four two different times, I couldn’t believe nobody passed me,” McClelland explained in victory lane. “And then Zach showed me his nose in one and two, I moved down a little bit and the car really took off after that.”

With McClelland starting the feature outside the second row, it was front row outside starter Joe Wood, Jr., who had raced from the tail of the field to win the night’s first heat race, outgunning pole sitter and second heat race winner Sherman Davis for the point at the drop of the green.

McClelland immediately moved into second and began the chase for the lead. The chase was short-lived though, as Wood jumped the turn four cushion the second time around and crashed as Matt Covington sailed off the steep turn four embankment as well in the aftermath. Wood’s mount was too damaged to continue while Covington rejoined the chase.

With McClelland in the lead, Zach Chappell kept the pressure on much of the way before McClelland began to slip away in the final circuits. Not even a final caution with just three laps to go for New Mexico’s Derrik Ortega, who looped it turn two while running fifth, could prevent McClelland from breaking into victory lane.

McClelland hit his marks perfectly over the final three-lap dash to the stripe and jumped from 12th to sixth in the championship points race with the triumph.

Chappell settled for runner-up honors in the familiar family-owned No. 50z Legend’s Bar-B-Que & Steak Joint entry, with Donnie Ray Crawford battling into the third position by the third round and holding the spot down the rest of the way in the A&W Motorsports/Tel-Star No. 55.

Kyle Bellm crossed the stripe fourth, with Sherman Davis rounding out the top five.

Sean McClelland scratched for the night after breaking a camshaft in hot laps. Davis overcame early engine issues to celebrate his birthday with a top-five finish, while Matt Covington claimed sixth after swapping out rear ends following hot laps.

American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region Results from Springfield Raceway:

Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 03-Joe Wood, Jr., 2. 50z-Zach Chappell, 3. 55-Donnie Ray Crawford, 4. 04-Brad Graham, 5. 28-Chris Lloyd. DNS: 1-Sean McClelland.

Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 72-Sherman Davis, 2. 87-Brian McClelland, 3. 14k-Kyle Bellm, 4. 19s-Steven Cross, 5. 35-Derrik Ortega, 6. 95-Matt Covington.

“A” Feature (25 Laps): 1. 87-Brian McClelland, 2. 50z-Zach Chappell, 3. 55-Donnie Ray Crawford, 4. 14k-Kyle Bellm, 5. 72-Sherman Davis, 6. 95-Matt Covington, 7. 28-Chris Lloyd, 8. 35-Derrik Ortega, 9. 19s-Steven Cross, 10. 04-Brad Graham, 11. 03-Joe Wood, Jr. DNS: 1-Sean McClelland.

American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Joe Wood, Jr. 546, 2. Matt Covington 538, 3. Sherman Davis 514, 4. Kyle Bellm 474, 5. Sean McClelland 470, 6. Brian McClelland 461, 7. Donnie Ray Crawford 459, 8. Danny Wood 446, 9. Brad Graham 423, 10. Brady Bacon 394.

by Lonnie Wheatley

Gary Wright right in ASCS Red River Shootout at Devil’s Bowl Speedway

Just when it looked as though Nebraska’s Jack Dover was going to pull off a spectacular win in Round Two of the ASCS Red River Shootout at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Lady Luck intervened and gave a friendly nod to Gary Wright.

And, taking full advantage, “The Texan” came away with Saturday night’s $2,000 ASCS Lone Star Region vs. American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region 25-lap triumph atop the famed ½-mile clay oval.

While Wright found himself standing in a familiar place at night’s end, the Devil’s Bowl Speedway victory lane, the hard-earned win came after surviving the best efforts of a pair of salty 19-year-olds in the form of Brady Bacon and Jack Dover.

After Wright and Bacon diced for the point most of the way, Dover surged from third into the lead with a daring move in turns three and four on the 22nd lap only to have his engine sour one circuit later.

Wright, the four-time Lucas Oil ASCS National champion, then paced the final two rounds to collect his third ASCS Regional triumph of the season aboard Scott Brown’s ASI-powered Lubbock Wrecker Service/Richwood Construction No. 9x Maxim.

“I’m not sure what happened to Dover, but we got a little lucky on that one,” Wright commented in victory lane.

Taking command on the 13th round, Wright finally found a hint of breathing room after the caution flew for Matt Covington’s turn two spin with 15 laps in the books.

But, when Wright hit lapped traffic again with a handful of laps to go, Bacon and Dover quickly closed the gap to renew the battle that had been brewing at the midway point.

“That lapped car was killing me, I had to lock it up a couple of times just to keep from wrecking,” Wright explained.

It was all the opportunity that Dover needed, blitzing past both Bacon and Wright in one fell swoop for the lead at the completion of the 22nd lap. A lap later, one last caution flew when Sean McClelland slid off the top of turn four.

And, before action could resume, Dover pulled his mount pitside with terminal engine problems. “I felt it flatten out right before that caution, we wouldn’t have even made those last two laps,” the 2008 ASCS Midwest Region champion commented.

Under that same caution, Bacon’s strong run came to an early end as well when he retired to the pit area with a depleted fuel cell and a cut right rear tire. After starting on the front row to the outside of pole starter Wright, Bacon had officially held the lead on eleven of the hotly contested opening dozen circuits.

Wright, who had led lap seven and then laps 13-21, set sail on the final two-lap dash to the line and took the checkered flag in front of Danny Wood, who finished second to Wright’s son-in-law Nick Smith one night earlier in the opening leg of the ASCS Red River Shootout at State Fair Speedway.

Travis Rilat claimed the show position, while Kevin Ramey maintained his ASCS Lone Star points lead by advancing from the sixth row to finish fourth.

Originally slated to start tenth, Joe Wood, Jr., took advantage of a pair of opening lap cautions to rejoin the field and charged from 22nd to round out the top five.

Jason Johnson was in the thick of a five-car scramble for the lead at the midway point that also included Bacon, Wright, Dover and Wood when he locked it up and spun in turn two. The reigning Lucas Oil ASCS National champion restarted at the tail of the field and rallied to finish sixth.

Donnie Ray Crawford posted a seventh-place run, while Eric Baldaccini rebounded from a pair of early issues to claim eighth. Arizona’s Ben Gregg raced from 20th to ninth, with New Mexico’s Colt Treharn completing the top ten.

Claud Estes, Dale Wester, Crawford, Wood and Wright topped heat race action for the 44-car field, with J.P. Bailey and Matt Covington winning the twin “B” Mains.

After going for a wild ride down the frontstretch as the green flag flew upon the night’s third heat race, Brian Parker emerged relatively unscathed.

ASCS Red River Shootout Round Two
American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region vs. ASCS Lone Star Region
Results from Devil’s Bowl Speedway:

Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 74e-Claud Estes, 2. 26-Dalton Steed, 3. 87x-Billy Melton, 4. 29-Travis Rilat, 5. 45x-Martin Edwards, 6. 17w-Brad Welborn, 7. 24-David Gailley, 8. 22J-John Gaston, 9. 69h-Larry Howery.

Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 12w-Dale Wester, 2. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 3. 1-Sean McClelland, 4. 03-Joe Wood, Jr., 5. 31m-Matt Clevenger, 6. 5m-Glenn Martin, 7. 04-Brad Graham, 8. 88r-Andy Rea, 9. 25-Robert Sellers.

Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 55-Donnie Ray Crawford, 2. 53-Jack Dover, 3. 77-Colt Treharn, 4. 22b-Ben Gregg, 5. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 6. 14-Michael Lang, 7. 72-Sherman Davis, 8. 76-John Ricketts, 9. 9-Brian Parker.

Heat Four (8 Laps): 1. 94-Danny Wood, 2. 41-Jason Johnson, 3. 45-J.P. Bailey, 4. 14k-Kyle Bellm, 5. 1r-Scott Reneau, 6. 95-Matt Covington, 7. 10-George White, 8. 11m-Brandon Moseley. DNS: 8-Shane Pace.

Heat Five (8 Laps): 1. 9x-Gary Wright, 2. 99-Brady Bacon, 3. 45k-Kolt Walker, 4. 93-Dustin Morgan, 5. 14e-Justin Spoerl, 6. 13-Kathryne Minter, 7. 11-Justin Melton, 8. 87-Brian McClelland.

First “B” Feature (12 Laps): 1. 45-J.P. Bailey, 2. 14k-Kyle Bellm, 3. 72-Sherman Davis, 4. 11-Justin Melton, 5. 22J-John Gaston, 6. 69h-Larry Howery, 7. 11m-Brandon Moseley, 8. 10-George White, 9. 14-Michael Lang, 10. 1r-Scott Reneau, 11. 04-Brad Graham, 12. 93-Dustin Morgan, 13. 31m-Matt Clevenger. DNS: 9-Brian Parker.

Second “B” Feature (12 Laps): 1. 95-Matt Covington, 2. 22b-Ben Gregg, 3. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 4. 17w-Brad Welborn, 5. 14e-Justin Spoerl, 6. 5m-Glenn Martin, 7. 76-John Ricketts, 8. 25-Robert Sellers, 9. 87-Brian McClelland, 10. 24-David Gailley, 11. 13-Kathryne Minter, 12. 88r-Andy Rea, 13. 45x-Martin Edwards. DNS: 8-Shane Pace.

“A” Feature (25 Laps): 1. 9x-Gary Wright, 2. 94-Danny Wood, 3. 29-Travis Rilat, 4. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 5. 03-Joe Wood, Jr., 6. 41-Jason Johnson, 7. 55-Donnie Ray Crawford, 8. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 9. 22b-Ben Gregg, 10. 77-Colt Treharn, 11. 95-Matt Covington, 12. 74e-Claud Estes, 13. 12w-Dale Wester, 14. 99-Brady Bacon, 15. 53-Jack Dover, 16. 1-Sean McClelland, 17. 14k-Kyle Bellm, 18. 45k-Kolt Walker, 19. 45-J.P. Bailey, 20. 87x-Billy Melton, 21. 26-Dalton Steed, 22. 72-Sherman Davis.

ASCS Lone Star Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Kevin Ramey 590, 2. Brad Welborn 522, 3. Brian McClelland 514, 4. Matt Clevenger 506, 5. J.P. Bailey 500, 6. Kolt Walker 488, 7. Justin Melton 486, 8. Eric Baldaccini 473, 9. Claud Estes 465, 10. Michael Lang 443.

American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Danny Wood 446, 2. Joe Wood, Jr. 418, 3. Sean McClelland 410, 4. Matt Covington 400, 5. Brady Bacon 394, 6. Dustin Morgan 390, 7. J.P. Bailey 380, 8. Sherman Davis 374, 9. Robert Sellers 366, 10. Kyle Bellm 332.

By Lonnie Wheatley
Photos courtesy of ASCS

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