rebelracewriter Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 Toyota Tundra ASCS Speedweek – Stuff You Should Know Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (July 10, 2008) – The time is now. The 16th Annual Toyota Tundra ASCS Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek featuring the O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National series is here. And you are ready to rock and roll for six nights of racing over the next nine days. You have those vacation days all lined up, and you've got the sick day excuses memorized, rehearsed and at the ready to cover that extra day or two that you didn't have. Your bags are stuffed full with all the week's necessities, including your favorite vintage racing tees. You've got the quickest routes to and from each venue all mapped out, even including that top secret traffic-free trail in and out of Dallas that you dare not tell anybody else about. And you're ready to cheer on your favorite drivers over the next six nights of racing. You're also pretty sure you know who is going to be the next Speedweek champion. You might even be right, only time will tell on that one. Either way, you're about to have some of the most fun you'll have all year. To assist to that end, take the following "Stuff You Should Know about ASCS Speedweek" into consideration as you set sail for Texarkana and points beyond… ---Gary Wright is the only driver that has won a National Tour feature event at all six Speedweek tracks. Jason Johnson has won at all but Lawton, where his title hopes imploded in 2007 after he had to use a provisional for the feature. ---When Gary Wright last won an ASCoT feature with a last-corner pass of Tony Bruce, Jr., in the Devil's Bowl Spring Nationals finale, he was 86 points ahead of Jason Johnson. Jason Johnson has won six of the 13 features since then to whittle Wright's lead to just 8 points. "The Texan" has been shut out of victory lane over that span. Wright's only stretch of ASCS feature starts without a win longer than 13 races came during a span from 1995 to 1996 when he was winless in 14 tries. When Gary snapped that skid at I-80 Speedway in July of 1996, his eventual son-in-law (Nick Smith) had barely turned teen. ---Friday's Toyota Tundra ASCS Speedweek opener at 67 Texarkana Speedway is only about 20 miles from Gary Wright's Hooks, TX, home. Yes, there will be an abundance of GW shirts in the crowd. ---Texarkana is noted for having a disproportionate number of pretty girls. We should race there more often. ---Wright ran afoul of Northwest Territory shoe Roger Crockett at Texarkana during a memorable 2005 Speedweek. Another Northwest racer had designs on the 2008 version of ASCS Speedweek as of the ASCS Northwest Region Memorial Day weekend opener, with J.J. Hickle of Quilcene, WA, ready to explore new territory. No updates on whether he is still en route or not. We'll all find out Friday at Texarkana. ---Missing in action over the past five events, Travis Rilat picks up the action at Texarkana. If he wins enough money Friday night for a new right rear tire, he moves on up the road to Little Rock. And so on… ---Since sweeping the final two legs of 2005 Speedweek at Texarkana and Little Rock's I-30 Speedway, three-time ASCS National champ Tim Crawley has been stuck on 36 career ASCS National Tour wins. He'll try to change that this week in Mike Ward's No. 88. He also probably wouldn't mind another ASCS Speedweek title to go along with the one he captured in 2004. ---I-30 Speedway will have the largest 50/50 pot of the week. If you've seen the 50/50 girl there, then you surely understand why. ---I-30 Speedway will also have fireworks after Saturday night's show, courtesy of a July 5 rainout. ---Speedweek will reach a milestone with the 100th event in ASCS Speedweek history completed at some point during the week. With 98 events completed from 1993 through 2007, event number 100 should take place Saturday at I-30 Speedway, provided that 67 Texarkana avoids any inclement weather. I-30 Speedway was the site of the 500th feature event in ASCS National Tour history when Gary Wright topped Speedweek action last year. ---Nick Smith won the most recent ASCoT event at I-30 Speedway. ---Any weather issues over the opening two nights will push the 100th card to the cozy confines of Creek County Speedway near Tulsa on Monday night. ---When Speedweek returned to Creek County Speedway for the first time in six years in 2006, Jason Johnson brought the crowd to its feet with an unlikely last-corner pass of Darren Stewart for the win. The only thing better than the finish may have been this call provided by Randy Ward courtesy of High Vista Video (http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1790208). ---Stewart got a little vengeance by topping last year's Speedweek stop at Creek County. ---In a Speedweek tuneup at Creek County, Sean McClelland blasted from the ninth row to take a Sooner Region win away from Nick Smith in the final corner on June 7. ---With a lot of laps around Creek County Speedway, somebody like Kenneth Walker is more than capable of pulling off the upset win atop the Kellyville clay. ---Bobby Sparks' last ASCoT win came with Stewart at Creek County last year. After trial runs this season with Don Droud, Jr., and Donnie Ray Crawford, Sparks will have a new shoe for Speedweek. Need a hint? This driver does have an ASCS Regional championship to his credit. ---Those making a stop at the Tulsa Hooter's while en route to Creek County may get a glimpse of former Sprint Bandits super-spokesmodel Sissy (http://www.ascsracing.com/gallery/sbsissy.jpg). It's worth the stop. ---When Gary Wright won this year's Devil's Bowl Spring Nationals, it marked his 17th career ASCS National Tour triumph at the Bowl. His first came a decade ago during the 1998 edition of ASCS Speedweek. --The burritos at Devil's Bowl are one of few "must-haves" among racetrack concession food. The Frito Chili Pies at I-30 rank right up there as well, although Dorothea's concoction of the healthy treat seem somewhat better suited to the crisp October air generally associated with the Short Track Nationals. ---Old-timers in Oklahoma City will argue that State Fair Speedway racing should still be on the half-mile, where Zach Chappell won his first career ASCS National Tour feature in the 2001 Speedweek finale. But to ignore the fact that the current configuration has offered up more than its share of top-notch racing is a sign of "Old-Timer's Disease". The good ol' days weren't always that great at the time. ---Nebraska teen Jack Dover won the recent ASCoT event at State Fair Speedway. While the Dover clan wasn't 100% sure upon departing Lake Ozark Speedway last Saturday night, the schedule at www.teamdover.com makes it clear that the 18-year-old is ready to contend for his first Speedweek crown. ---Another 18-year-old, Matt Covington, is ready for Speedweek as well. This marks the Sooner contender's second full Speedweek effort. ---Dover's Speedweek pursuit also means that Eric Baldaccini, Kenneth Walker and Kathryne Minter have more company in the Brodix Rookie of the Year chase. ---A Spring Nationals winner in Oklahoma City in 2007, Wayne Johnson returns home from his Knoxville, IA, residence. If his daughter, Hunter, is on hand, Wayne's chances of winning are improved. She seems to be a good-luck charm if a July 4 Lakeside win is any indication. ---Trying to tab the driver that will win a first career ASCS National Tour feature over the course of the week? How about Gary Taylor. With three Sooner wins this year, including one at Lawton, he seems about ready to strike for that first National win after posting three podium finishes in his last four ASCoT feature starts, including a 12th to second run at Lake Ozark last Saturday. ---Jason Johnson enters Speedweek riding a streak of 37 consecutive top-ten feature finishes in ASCoT action, just three short of Terry Gray's record of 40 in a row established ten years ago. The last time "The Ragin' Cajun" finished outside the top ten was in May of 2007 when he and T.J. Winegardner crashed in violent fashion while racing for a Virginia win. ---Gary Wright, Wayne Johnson and Jason Johnson are the only three drivers to start all 18 ASCoT features this season. Gary and Wayne are the only two to start all 18 features without the use of a provisional. Zach Chappell, Garry Lee Maier and Eric Baldaccini have each started 17 of 18 features. ---Summering in Hot Springs, AR, Jason Botsford has tested out I-30, Creek County, State Fair Speedway and Lawton Speedway in Sooner Region action. After his Lawton outing, the Tracy, CA, racer commented that, "Now that I've seen most of these places, I guess I need to come back and try 'em again on Speedweek." ---Over the course of the week, Nick Smith could become the 23rd driver in ASCS history to start 100 National Tour feature events. Smith has 95 starts entering the week. ---Lawton Speedway simply has a penchant for offering up drama. Mix in unbearable heat, the Speedweek finale and implications in the season's $50,000 title chase and Lawton Speedway on July 19 is a potential powder keg. Oh yeah, Lanny will be there too. ---Kevin Ramey and Lawton Speedway equal entertainment. Who can forget the Ramey-Landon dustup after the checkered flag a few years ago? Or the nose wing drama of two years ago when he got the win after Nick Smith was DQ'd at the scales? Or a Regional run-in with Sean McClelland? ---If Gary Wright or Jason Johnson encounter heat race problems at some point during the week and find themselves deep in a "B" Main, buckle up. With a $50,000 title hanging in the balance, a provisional could cost at least $25,000 in point fund money at the end of the year. So, if there's a way to get to a transfer spot, they're gonna get there whether it's pretty or not. The Series: O’Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour (ASCoT) When & Where: 16th Annual Toyota Tundra ASCS Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek: Round One - Friday night, July 11 – 67 Texarkana Speedway at 7:30 p.m. Round Two - Saturday night, July 12 – I-30 Speedway at 7:30 p.m. Round Three – Monday night, July 14 – Creek County Speedway at 7:00 p.m. Round Four – Thursday night, July 17 – Devil's Bowl Speedway at 8:00 p.m. Round Five – Friday night, July 18 – State Fair Speedway at 7:30 p.m. Round Six – Saturday night, July 19 – Lawton Speedway at 8:00 p.m. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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