Forum: Oklahomatidbits.com General Forum (go)
Moderators:  /  David Smith Jr

David Smith, Jr.

NCRA Press and Contingencies

(405) 740-4769

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Elk City, Oklahoma - July 31, 2009 - Local driver Willie Smith outlasted a strong field of series regulars and locals to take home the O'Reilly/NCRA sport modified Hard Rock Casino-Hotel feature in a special Friday night event at Elk Citys I-40 Speedway in Elk City, Oklahoma.

By virture of the most passing points during his heat race, Smith started on the pole for the thirty lap feature, which went to red flag conditions on the original start when several cars got together in turn one with one driver, David Loyd, taking a small roll over.

On the complete resart, Smith pulled into the lead and quickly opened a ten car length lead before the first lap was completed. Lap two saw Rodney Sanders, who started eighth on the restart, quickly move into the runner up position and looked to set sail on the leader.

By lap seven Smith, aboard the Jay's Brake and Alignment sponsored, Mark Herring powered HDR chassis built a half stretch lead. During this time, the real battle up front was for the third position as Roger Lawrence and Frank Graven challenged each other several laps with Lawrence holding off each challenge.

With Smith approaching lapped traffic during the races halfway point of the race, the rest of the top five were Sanders, Lawrence, Graven and Justin North, who had worked himself up from his tenth starting position. The lapped cars were no problem for Smith as he continued to set the pace and hold his comfortable half stretch lead.

On lap ninteen the first of three cautions would wave when Brandon McDaniels, Donnie Raney and Chad McNamara got together in turn four with McDaniels coming to a stop. During this period Raneys night would end with a broken drag link.

Race would go green for two laps before the caution would wave twice with the first being for Doug Gillepsie who would come to a stop at the top of turn three. The attempted restart would be spoiled when Lawrence and Ty North got together in turn two with North coming to a stop.

On the final restart there was no catching Smith as he would pull away the final nine laps to take the half straightaway victory. "One lapped car gave me a little bit of a problem but it was no big deal," said Smith. "This deal is all about rythem and we had a pretty good rythem going."

Justin North looked to get by Sanders on that last restart but Sanders would hold on to finish second. Lawrence finished a solid fourth while current series points leader Chad McNamara rounded out the top five.

The ten lap heat races for the thirty-six car field were won by Randy Thomas,Humberto Rocha, Robert Elliott and Landon Maddox - who won his heat when Doug Gillepsie was disqualified for failure to report to the scales. Rick Pittman and Frank Graven would take home the two,"B" features.

Amarillo's Brandon McDaniels finished in the C&E Performance thirteenth place position while Shane Lupi took home a fuel jug for the nights highest draw.

The next event scheduled for the O'Reilly/NCRA sport modifieds will be held on Saturday night, August 22nd, when the series makes their second appearance of the season at Caney Valley Speedway in Caney, Kansas where Robert Elliott took last took home the victory.

Hard Rock Casino-Hotel A Feature: 1) Willie Smith, 2) Rodney Sanders, 3) Justin North, 4) Roger Lawrence, 5) Chad McNamara, 6) Frank Graven, 7) Ty North, 8) Todd Decker, 9) Harley Menacher, 10) Rick Pittman, 11) Dustin Spohn, 12) Rudas Galmour 13) Branden McDaniels, 14) Randy Thomas, 15) Donnie Raney, 16) Doug Gillepsie, 17) Landon Maddox, 18) Bob Mock, 19) Robert Elliott, 20) David Loyd 21) Mike Shenberger 22) Humberto Rocha

1^st B Feature: 1) Rick Pittman, 2) Brandon McDaniels, 3) Todd Decker, 4) Ty North, 5) Bob Mock, 6) Mike Shenberger, 7) Rick Cowan, 8) Don Reid, 9) Dakota Moore, 10) Shane Lupi 11) Randy Sallee, 12) David Givens, 13) Nick Shcneberger

2^nd B Feature: 1) Frank Graven, 2) Rodney Sanders, 3) Justin North, 4) Harley Menacher, 5) Rudas Galmour, 6) Doug Gillepsie, 7) Perry Colby, 8) Kevin Snow, 9) Walter O'Dell, 10) Hesston Shaw, 11) Jimmy Stultz, 12) Terry Willis, DNS: Levi Galmour

1^st Heat: 1) Randy Thomas, 2) David Loyd, 3) Chad McNamara, 4) Justin North, 5) Brandon McDaniels, 6) Perry Colby, 7) Don Reid, 8) Terry Willis

2^nd Heat: 1) Humberto Rocha, 2) Willie Smith, 3) Nick Shenberger, 4) Rick Pittman, 5) Todd Decker, 6) Rick Cowan, 7) Randy Sallee, 8) Mike Shenberger DQ: Ty North (failed to report to scales)

3^rd Heat: 1) Robert Elliott, 2) Donnie Raney, 3) Dustin Spohn, 4) Frank Graven 5) Harley Menacher, 6) Hesston Shaw, 7) Walter O'Dell, 8) Jimmy Stultz, 9) Levi Galmour

4^th Heat: 1) Landon Maddox, 2) Roger Lawrence, 3) Rodney Sanders, 4) Bob Mock, 5) David Givens, 6) Kevin Snow, 7) Shane Lupi, 8) Dakota Moore, DQ: Doug Gillepsie (failed to report to scales)

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com