Photo 1: Chris Kelly worked the bottom to perfection to claim his second career series victory
Photo 2: Chris Kelly picked up the season opening SSO victory Friday night at Southern Oklahoma Speedway in Ardmore
(Both photos courtesy of Mike Howard)
David Smith, Jr.
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Chris Kelly Claims Sprint Series of Oklahoma Season Opener!
Ardmore, Oklahoma – March 9, 2018 - Chris Kelly found the bottom before all others and used it to his advantage as he took the lead near the races midway point and never looked back to claim the Sprint Series of Oklahoma IMCA RaceSaver presented by Smiley’s Racing Products/Hoosier Racing Tires Southwest season opener Friday night at Southern Oklahoma Speedway in Ardmore with the tracks running of the “Southern Stampede.”
Ty Williams and Blake Daccus started on the front row for the twenty-five-lap feature with Owens taking the lead as the green flag fell. Sixth starting Andy Shouse quickly moved into the runner-up position while Daccus, Kevin Ramey and Williams rounded out the top five after the first couple laps.
The first and only caution flag of the feature fell on lap four when Elliott Amdahl spun in turns three and four.
Once race action resumed, Owens worked the top side of the three-eighths mile oval while Shouse worked the bottom. Shouse pulled even with the leader on lap five heading down the backstretch and would stay low coming out of turn four to take the lead on lap six.
Shouse moved up to the top side of the track on lap seven while behind him, Kelly began to make his move. Running fourth on lap ten, the Moore, Oklahoma driver quickly disposed of Daccus for third and moved into the runner-up position past Owens on lap twelve. One lap later, Kelly powered his Bishop Racing Components/Triple X chassis past the former two-time and defending series champion to take the lead just past the races midway point.
Not even a heavy dose of lapped traffic on lap seventeen could detour Kelly as he would go on to claim his second career SSO victory by eight car lengths over Shouse. Ramey settled for third while early race leader Owens came home fourth. Daccus rounded out the top five.
The four, eight lap heat races for the twenty-seven-car field were won by Shouse, Owens, Daccus and Michael Day while Loyd Clevenger led wire-to-wire the ten-lap “B” feature.
The SSO will be back in action tomorrow (Saturday) night at Southern Oklahoma Speedway and the final night of the “Southern Stampede) as over more drivers have committed being on hand.
Sprint Series of Oklahoma
Southern Oklahoma Speedway/Ardmore, Oklahoma
March 9, 2018
27 Cars
1st heat (8 Laps): 1) Andy Shouse, 2) Ty Williams, 3) Chris Kelly, 4) Blake Scott, 5) Justin Mowry, 6) Taylor Courtney, 7) Travis Scott
2nd Heat (8 Laps): 1) Gary Owens, 2) Kevin Ramey, 3) Brandon Jennings, 4) Chad Koch, 5) Shayla Waddell, 6) Justin Fisk, 7) Tanner Conn
3rd Heat (8 Laps): 1) Blake Daccus, 2) Shane Sellers, 3) Austin Mundie, 4) Cody Whitworth, 5) Loyd Clevenger, 6) Shane Kleochler, 7) Mike Scott
4th Heat (8 Laps): 1) Michael Day, 2) Dillon Laden, 3) Elliott Amdahl, 4) Duane Baker, 5) Eric Matthews, 6) Scott Evans
B Feature (10 Laps): 1) Loyd Clevenger, 2) Shayla Waddell, 3) Travis Scott, 4) Shane Kleochler, 5) Tanner Conn, 6) Justin Fisk, 7) Scott Evans, 8) Mike Scott, 9) Justin Mowery, DNS) Taylor Courtney, Eric Matthews
A Feature (25 Laps): 1) Chris Kelly (5), 2) Andy Shouse (6), 3) Kevin Ramey (4), 4) Gary Owens (3), 5) Blake Daccus (2), 6) Michael Day (7), 7) Austin Mundie (13), 8) Shane Sellers (8), 9) Brandon Jennings (11), 10) Shane Kleochler (20) 11) Loyd Clevenger (17), 12) Cody Whitworth (16), 13) Travis Scott (19), 14) Blake Scott (14), 15) Elliott Amdahl (12), 16) Duane Baker (15), 17) Dillon Laden (9), 18) Ty Williams (1), 19) Shayla Waddell (18), 20) Chad Koch
Lap leaders: Owens 1-5, Shouse, 6-12, Kelly 13-25
