rebelracewriter Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 Devil's Bowl Spring Nationals on Tap for O'Reilly ASCoT This Weekend! Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (March 10, 2008) – All eyes shift towards the Lone Star state this weekend as the O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National series invades Mesquite, TX, for two full nights of racing action with the 35th Annual Devil's Bowl Spring Nationals this Friday and Saturday. After kicking off the season just over a month ago at Tampa's East Bay Raceway Park, this weekend's event atop the storied ½-mile Devil's Bowl Speedway clay oval marks the continuance of the $50,000 ASCoT National championship chase. And while it was Louisiana's Jason Johnson coming away with the $10,000 victory over a field of 56 entries at East Bay Raceway Park on February 2, it was four-time and reigning champion Gary Wright of Hooks, TX, escaping the three-night event with the slimmest of point leads. Wright leads the way into this weekend's action at Devil's Bowl with a one-point advantage over Johnson, who swept the Devil's Bowl Winter Nationals last October. Wright rides a wave of momentum into the event with 16 consecutive top-five finishes in ASCS National Tour action, dating back to July of 2007. Tied with the previous mark that he established in 2005, "The Texan" can set a new standard with a top-five finish in Friday night's preliminary feature, from which the top four will be locked into Saturday night's Spring Nationals championship main event. Wright has claimed podium finishes in 15 of those 16 events, finishing outside the top three on just one occasion while collecting a half dozen wins, six runner-up finishes and three third-place finishes. Wright opened the 2008 season with a pair of second-place finishes and a third-place run at East Bay. While Wright has collected 16 of his 119 career ASCS National Tour victories at Devil's Bowl Speedway, he has not claimed Spring Nationals victory honors since 1995 when he joined a prestigious list of event winners that includes the likes of Jan Opperman, Steve Kinser, Doug Wolfgang and Sammy Swindell among others. Denied Spring Nationals honors, Wright did reach ASCoT victory lane at Devil's Bowl last year on a pair of occasions, including the Texas portion of the Red River Shootout in May and then a Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek score in July. After consecutive runner-up point rankings in both 2006 and 2007, Jason Johnson looks to climb one position in 2008 after opening the season with the big East Bay win and then adding a recent Gulf South Region victory as well. After winning the Devil's Bowl Winter Nationals prelim in 2006, "The Ragin' Cajun" swept both nights of the Winter Nationals event last year. The 2006 Devil's Bowl Winter Nationals champion, 2002 ASCS champ Travis Rilat of Forney, TX, continues his pursuit of another series crown after top-five runs in all three nights of East Bay action, with other past ASCS National champions Zach Chappell (Talala, OK), Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City, OK) and Garry Lee Maier (Cimarron, KS) each in the 2008 title chase as well. Others contending for 2008 championship honors include the rookie crop of Don Droud, Jr. (Lincoln, NE), Eric Baldaccini (Keller, TX), Kathryne Minter (Bedford, TX), Gary Taylor (Sapulpa, OK) and Kenneth Walker (Sapulpa, OK). South Dakota's Jake Peters reigns as the defending Devil's Bowl Spring Nationals champion by fending off Jason Johnson just one night after Wayne Johnson topped the preliminary, with other recent Spring Nationals winners including Fort Worth's Kevin Ramey (2006) and Norman, Oklahoma's Danny Jennings (2005). A host of other top contenders from throughout the nation will be on hand for the weekend's action as well, with approximately 50 entries expected to fill the pit area. The Series: O’Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour (ASCoT) When & Where: Friday night, March 14 at 8:00 p.m. – 35th Annual Devil’s Bowl Spring Nationals prelim Saturday night, March 15 at 8:00 p.m. – 35th 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’ Loop I-635 on US 80, then three miles south on Lawson Road. Track phone: 972-222-2421. O’Reilly ASCoT Devil’s Bowl History: Devil’s Bowl Speedway has been hosting the O’Reilly ASCS National Tour since 1994, with 19 different drivers scoring at least one victory in 50 feature events. Gary Wright has claimed 16 of his 119 career ASCS National wins at Devil’s Bowl, including a pair of triumphs in 2007. South Dakota's Jake Peters topped one of the most thrilling editions of the Devil's Bowl Spring Nationals in recent history last year after Wayne Johnson topped the prelim, while Jason Johnson swept both nights of the Winter Nationals in the latter portion of the season. Devil’s Bowl ASCS National winners include: Gary Wright 16, Jason Johnson 4, 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, 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 O’Reilly ASCoT 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). Current O’Reilly ASCoT Points (After 3 of 43 Nights): Top Ten: 1. Gary Wright (Hooks, TX) 143, 2. Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA) 142, 3. Terry McCarl (Altoona, IA) 139, 4. Travis Rilat (Forney, TX) 138, 5. Kenny Adams (Malabar, FL) 132, 6. Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City, OK) 127, 7. Daryn Pittman (Owasso, OK) 121, 8. (tie) Don Droud, Jr. (Lincoln, NE), Garry Lee Maier (Cimarron, KS) and Tim Crawley (Benton, AR) 114. 2008 O’Reilly ASCoT Feature Winners: Kenny Adams 1, Jason Johnson 1, Terry McCarl 1. O'Reilly ASCoT – A Look Ahead: March 21 State Fair Speedway (Oklahoma City, OK) March 22 State Fair Speedway (Oklahoma City, OK) April 19 Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, MO) April 25 Paris Motor Speedway (Paris, TX) April 26 I-30 Speedway (Little Rock, AR) The O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National series is currently slated for 43 nights of racing action at 23 different tracks throughout a dozen different states, with more than $1,000,000 in purse money and point fund to be distributed during the 2008 season. The nation's most prominent Sprint Car sanctioning body with 14 different Regions throughout the United States in addition to the O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National series, the American Sprint Car Series' (ASCS) 17th year of activity will include approximately 250 nights of racing at more than 100 different race tracks throughout 28 different states and Canada. Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com. 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