Texas' Wright rallies for 10th ASCot score @ State Fair Spwy

[rebelracewriter]

Wright Rallies From Tenth for O'Reilly ASCoT Score at State Fair Speedway

 

 

Lonnie Wheatley, OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (May 11, 2007) – Gary Wright padded his current O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National point lead by charging from the fifth row outside to top the opening leg of the Red River Shootout in Friday night's 25-lap feature at State Fair Speedway.

 

 

 

Wright shot past Danny Jennings as the pair raced down the backstretch on the 16th circuit to become the race's third and final leader and sliced through lapped traffic over the final rounds to post his fifth ASCS National Tour victory of the season in eleven tries.

 

 

 

"Man, my hands are tired," Wright commented upon climbing out of the Wesmar-powered Richwood Construction/Whiteco Commercial Funding No. 9 Maxim after collecting his 111th career ASCS National Tour feature victory and tenth at State Fair Speedway in the non-stop affair atop a rough surface that resulted from a week's worth of heavy rain.

 

 

 

After running second to Jennings in the evening's opening heat race, "The Texan" found himself gridded tenth in the series first event mandating the narrower Hoosier 105/16-15 on the right rear.

 

 

 

With Wright and his closest title contenders each starting at least four rows back (Wayne Johnson in 12th, Jason Johnson in seventh, Darren Stewart in 21st and Travis Rilat in 20th), it was State Fair Speedway regular Gary Owens and Kenneth Walker on the front row.

 

 

 

Owens gunned into the lead at the drop of the green flag and opened up nearly a straightaway advantage over Walker and fifth-starter Jennings by the time lapped traffic came into play on the seventh round.

 

 

 

Wright was on the move from the outset, picking off four positions in the opening two laps to climb to sixth. Two laps later, Wright had battled past Foster Landon to crack the top five. And by the time leaders hit lapped traffic, Wright had disposed of Larry Neighbors for fourth.

 

 

 

Owens lead began to evaporate in heavy traffic, with Walker closing to his bumper on the 12th round. But when Walker slid high exiting turn two, Jennings shot into second. A lap later, Jennings went to the low side of Owens in turns one and two to take command.

 

 

 

Owens' strong drive came to an early end moments later as he pulled to the infield with driveline woes. At the same time, Walker experienced suspension problems and began falling back in the pack.

 

 

 

And there was "The Texan". Suddenly up to second and with his sights set on Jennings' Wesmar-powered Goodyear Tire Company No. 61J Maxim.

 

 

 

Wright reeled in Jennings, blasted into the lead on the 16th lap and carved up lapped traffic to secure the win, ultimately taking the checkered flag with more than a half straightaway advantage and four lapped cars between himself and Jennings.

 

 

 

"As I got up there, I kept looking for the 33 car (Owens)," Wright explained afterward. "I kept saying to myself where is he, where is he? I never even saw him pull off, it was a while before I even realized I was in the lead."

 

 

 

Jennings settled for second, while Travis Rilat turned in the race's Hard Charger performance by racing from the 20th position to snare third aboard the Motor Mike-powered F&J Construction No. 29 Triple-X.

 

 

 

Neighbors crossed the stripe fourth in his No. 29n entry, with Jason Johnson emerging from some heated action for position to round out the top five aboard Lanny Row's Wesmar-powered The Shop Motorsports No. 41 Eagle.

 

 

 

Leading Brodix Rookie of the Year contender Foster Landon crossed the stripe sixth, edging Wayne Johnson for the position. Joe Wood, Jr., posted his top career finish in ASCS National Tour action by crossing the stripe eighth, with Walker slipping back to ninth. Eighteen-year-old Dex Eaton recorded his first career ASCS National Tour top ten finish by completing the top ten.

 

 

 

Jennings, Koby Barksdale, Walker, Danny (Okla.) Smith and Owens topped heat race action for the 37-car field, with Andy Shouse and Kevin Ramey winning the twin "B" Mains.

 

 

 

Unable to get his car in gear for heat race action, Darren Stewart raced from ninth to take the third and final transfer position in the first "B" Main to avoid utilizing a provisional. Stewart then climbed to twelfth in the feature, gaining 51 points he wouldn't have been awarded had he been forced to use a provisional.

 

 

 

The second leg of the Red River Shootout takes place at Devil's Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, TX, on Saturday night, with racing action set to go green at 8:00 p.m.

 

 

 

O’Reilly ASCoT State Fair Speedway Red River Shootout Round 1 Results:

 

 

 

Heat Races (Top 16 in passing points to “A†Main; Balance to Twin "B" Mains)

 

 

 

Brodix Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 61J-Danny Jennings, 2. 9-Gary Wright, 3. 29n-Larry Neighbors, 4. 81au-Gavin Punch, 5. 83s-Michael Lang, 6. 29-Travis Rilat, 7. 35-Brad Best, 8. 85-John Hunt.

 

 

 

Wesmar-Shaver Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 22-Koby Barksdale, 2. 11F-Foster Landon, 3. 57c-Chris Schmelzle, 4. 31-Matt Clevenger, 5. 21-Nick Smith, 6. 4am-Travis Jenkins, 7. b4-Eric Baldaccini, 8. 85s-Forrest Sutherland.

 

 

 

Brodix Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 2-Kenneth Walker, 2. 51-Mike Peters, 3. 94-Wayne Johnson, 4. 65-Skip Wilson, 5. 27m-Kyle Merriman, 6. 1s-George White. DNS: 91-Darren Stewart.

 

 

 

Wesmar-Shaver Heat Four (8 Laps): 1. 5$-Danny Smith, 2. 59-Dex Eaton, 3. 03-Joe Wood, Jr., 4. 27-Andy Shouse, 5. 2x-Whit Gastineau, 6. 25-Jeff Leep, 7. 61-Earnest Jennings.

 

 

 

Heat Five (8 Laps): 1. 33-Gary Owens, 2. 41-Jason Johnson, 3. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 4. 12-Trey Robb, 5. 72-Sherman Davis, 6. 45-J.P. Bailey, 7. 64J-Johnny Miller.

 

 

 

Pole Dash (Finishing Order Determines Front Three Rows of “A†Main):

 

 

 

Pole Dash (5 Laps): 1. 33-Gary Owens, 2. 2-Kenneth Walker, 3. 5$-Danny Smith, 4. 29n-Larry Neighbors, 5. 61J-Danny Jennings, 6. 22-Koby Barksdale.

 

 

"B" Mains – Top 3 From Each Advance to “A†Main

 

 

First "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 27-Andy Shouse, 2. 2x-Whit Gastineau, 3. 91-Darren Stewart, 4. 31-Matt Clevenger, 5. 83s-Michael Lang, 6. b4-Eric Baldaccini, 7. 85-John Hunt, 8. 4am-Travis Jenkins, 9. 61-Earnest Jennings, 10. 25-Jeff Leep, 11. 21-Nick Smith.

 

 

 

Second "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 2. 29-Travis Rilat, 3. 12-Trey Robb, 4. 72-Sherman Davis, 5. 1s-George White, 6. 64J-Johnny Miller, 7. 35-Brad Best, 8. 45-J.P. Bailey, 9. 85s-Forrest Sutherland, 10. 27m-Kyle Merriman.

 

 

 

O’Reilly ASCoT State Fair Speedway Red River Shootout "A" Main Event:

 

 

 

“A†Feature (25 Laps): 1. 9-Gary Wright, 2. 61J-Danny Jennings, 3. 29-Travis Rilat, 4. 29n-Larry Neighbors, 5. 41-Jason Johnson, 6. 11F-Foster Landon, 7. 94-Wayne Johnson, 8. 03-Joe Wood, Jr., 9. 2-Kenneth Walker, 10. 59-Dex Eaton, 11. 81au-Gavin Punch, 12. 91-Darren Stewart, 13. 22-Koby Barksdale, 14. 12-Trey Robb, 15. 51-Mike Peters, 16. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 17. 2x-Whit Gastineau, 18. 64J-Johnny Miller, 19. 65-Skip Wilson, 20. 57c-Chris Schmelzle, 21. 27-Andy Shouse, 22. 33-Gary Owens, 23. 5$-Danny Smith.

 

 

 

Lap Leaders: Gary Owens 1-12, Danny Jennings 13-15, Gary Wright 16-25.

 

 

 

Note: Johnny Miller utilized a provisional starting position for the "A" Main.

 

 

 

O’Reilly ASCoT Points (Top Fifteen): 1. Gary Wright 1,313, 2. Wayne Johnson 1,218, 3. Jason Johnson 1,199, 4. Travis Rilat 1,177, 5. Darren Stewart 1,173, 6. Foster Landon 1,057, 7. Andy Shouse 1,008, 8. Johnny Miller 935, 9. Chris Schmelzle 853, 10. Garry Lee Maier 766, 11. Nick Smith 757, 12. Gavin Punch 670, 13. Aaron Berryhill 664, 14. Chuck Swenson 654, 15. Kenneth Walker 648.