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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

Danny Wood wins ASCS Sooner Region opener at Creek County

Danny Wood picked off his first feature win since May of 2005 by topping Saturday night’s season-opening 25-lap American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region main event atop Creek County Speedway’s ¼-mile clay oval.

The veteran Norman, OK, shoe assumed the lead in the opening rounds and repelled the late bids of Jamie Passmore and Dustin Morgan to post the win aboard Mike Hammers’ H&H Enterprises No. 94 Maxim.

While Wood started the feature inside the third row, Missouri racer Kyle Bellm outgunned pole starter Foster Landon at the drop of the green flag. But when Bellm looped it in turn two on the third lap and collected Landon, Wood was there to take advantage and the top spot.

Weathering several more cautions over the remaining distance, Wood’s closest call came when he nearly slipped over the turn two banking on the 14th lap. While Wood kept his machine off the backstretch wall, Passmore closed to within striking distance.

After one final caution with 18 laps in the books that set up a seven-lap dash to the checkered flag, Wood was flawless to secure the victory in front of Passmore, who had his hands full fending off Dustin Morgan over the final rounds.

After battling fuel pump issues early in the night, Morgan raced from the tail of a “B” Main to finish second and then charged from 18th to claim the show position in the main event.

Andy Shouse raced from 14th to nip fellow past ASCS Sooner Region champion J.P. Bailey at the line for fourth. While Bailey rounded out the top five, Robert Sellers, Sherman Davis, Sean McClelland, Brady Bacon and Nick Smith completed the top ten.

Wood, Landon, Koby Barksdale, Sheldon Barksdale and Shane Pace topped heat race action for the 35-car field, with Nick Smith and Bacon winning the twin “B” Mains. Pace popped an engine just after taking the checkered flag in his heat and was unable to make the call for the feature event.

American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region Results from Creek County Speedway:

Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 94-Danny Wood, 2. 27-Andy Shouse, 3. 25-Robert Sellers, 4. 4-Jamie Passmore, 5. 27m-Kyle Merriman, 6. 80-Brett Thompson, 7. 111-Ricky York.

Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 11F-Foster Landon, 2. 5$-Danny Smith, 3. 14k-Kyle Bellm, 4. 03-Joe Wood, Jr., 5. 010-Brian Roberts, 6. 94x-Cody Branchcomb, 7. 33-Kris Miller.

Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 22-Koby Barksdale, 2. 85s-Forrest Sutherland, 3. 45-J.P. Bailey, 4. 26-Rafe Essary, 5. 55-Donnie Ray Crawford, 6. 11-Justin Melton, 7. 04-Brad Graham.

Heat Four (8 Laps): 1. 20s-Sheldon Barksdale, 2. 15s-Nick Smith, 3. 95-Matt Covington, 4. 99-Brady Bacon, 5. 87-Brian McClelland, 6. 9$-Kyle Clark. DNS: 21-Michelle Decker.

Heat Five (8 Laps): 1. 8-Shane Pace, 2. 1-Sean McClelland, 3. 72-Sherman Davis, 4. 81au-Gavin Punch, 5. 52-Frank Sudduth, 6. 87a-Andrew Marshala, 7. 93-Dustin Morgan.

First “B” Feature (12 Laps): 1. 15s-Nick Smith, 2. 25-Robert Sellers, 3. 52-Frank Sudduth, 4. 55-Donnie Ray Crawford, 5. 81au-Gavin Punch, 6. 87-Brian McClelland, 7. 94x-Cody Branchcomb, 8. 11-Justin Melton, 9. 04-Brad Graham, 10. 33-Kris Miller. DNS: 21-Michelle Decker.

Second “B” Feature (12 Laps): 1. 99-Brady Bacon, 2. 93-Dustin Morgan, 3. 95-Matt Covington, 4. 27m-Kyle Merriman, 5. 010-Brian Roberts, 6. 111-Ricky York, 7. 9$-Kyle Clark, 8. 26-Rafe Essary, 9. 80-Brett Thompson, 10. 87a-Andrew Marshala.

“A” Feature (25 Laps): 1. 94-Danny Wood, 2. 4-Jamie Passmore, 3. 93-Dustin Morgan, 4. 27-Andy Shouse, 5. 45-J.P. Bailey, 6. 25-Robert Sellers, 7. 72-Sherman Davis, 8. 1-Sean McClelland, 9. 99-Brady Bacon, 10. 15s-Nick Smith, 11. 03-Joe Wood, Jr., 12. 5$-Danny Smith, 13. 20s-Sheldon Barksdale, 14. 22-Koby Barkdale, 15. 52-Frank Sudduth, 16. 85s-Forrest Sutherland, 17. 95-Matt Covington, 18. 14k-Kyle Bellm, 19. 11F-Foster Landon, 20. 8-Shane Pace (DNS).

American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Danny Wood 150, 2. Jamie Passmore 146, 3. Dustin Morgan 144, 4. Andy Shouse 142, 5. J.P. Bailey 140, 6. Robert Sellers 138, 7. Sherman Davis 136, 8. Sean McClelland 134, 9. Brady Bacon 132, 10. Nick Smith 130.

by Lonnie Wheatley
Photos courtesy of ASCS

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