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Cody Morris, KENNEDALE,TX ( November 14 2010) - A solid field of 109 Lucas Oil ASCS2 heat seekers filled the pit area of Kennedale, Texas' Cowtown Speedway for the final event on the Lucas Oil ASCS2 2010 calendar. And as the Tulsa, Oklahoma based open wheel series drove south for Cowtown Speedway's 4th Annual November Sprint Shootout, in typical November fashion, a rather stout cold front was hot on their heels. Such conditions influenced many to seek shelter from the wind and cold in the comfort of their homes. While those fans may have enjoyed their warmth, they also missed the hottest action of the 2010 season, a November Sprint Shootout that truly lived up to its billing and much, much more.
Spectacular could certainly describe both nights of the 4th Annual November Shootout. A Friday night racing surface that was left on the drier side to allow for the forecasted chance of precipitation delivered astonishing racing, with rubber laid from the top side of the surface to the middle, resulting in daring slide jobs throughout Friday's heat race and qualifier action.
Legendary certainly fits Saturday's Lucas Oil ASCS2 main events. Much moisture would be sown into the high banked 1/4 mile oval, resulting in lightning fast Lucas Oil ASCS2 action. Upon that ultra fast clay, Sapulpa, Oklahoma's Blake Hahn would take his young racing career to new heights not once, but twice. Christopher Bell would taste both glory and defeat while Tyler Thomas and Tyson Hall both defended $1,500 October triumphs in clinical fashion, with Hulbert, Oklahoma's Karley Kay Dobson capped off a comeback to be remembered.
Collinsville, Oklahoma native Tyler Thomas certainly was the favorite entering the Lucas Oil ASCS2 Midget finale having triumphed in four of the five contested events in the inaugural season for the newly formed EcoTec Midgets. The only blemish to Thomas' 2010 perfection, Matt Ward, would lead the field to the green flag of the 20 lap Lucas Oil ASCS2 main event.
An opening lap turn 2 caution would relegate Thomas and Snohomish, Washington native Gary Taylor to the tail of the field. The 2nd attempt to begin the main event would see outside front row starter Blake Hahn move into the early lead. However, Thomas would begin to slice through the field, moving back up to 2nd by the midway point. Thomas would begin to close the very large gap Hahn had built, but the Hahn’s early race perfection proved too much.
Blake Hahn would cap off the inaugural Lucas Oil ASCS2 Midget campaign with his 1st career Lucas Oil ASCS2 Midget victory aboard Emmett Hahn Racing, Smiley's, Metric Cycles, Sawyer Chassis, Afco Shocks, and Lajoie Seating sponsored no. 52 EcoTec Midget. Collinsville, Oklahoma's Tyler Thomas would settle for runner up honors, followed by Chett Gehrke, Alex Sewell, and Matt Ward completing the top 5 running order for the 11 car ASCS2 Midget main event. Blake Hahn took Friday's preliminary heat race honors, while Kevin Ramey took qualifier honors.
In Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw action, Blake Hahn would take a slim 9 point lead over Norman, Oklahoma's Christopher Bell into the 2010 season finale. Making the matter even more interesting and exciting, both young aces would start side by side in the 2nd row of the 30 lap Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw main event, with Donnie Ray Crawford and defending ASCS2/Cowtown Outlaw feature winner Tyson Hall leading the field to the green flag.
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma's Donnie Ray Crawford would dart into the early lead, while Blake Hahn would grab a pivotal early advantage over Christopher Bell in the Championship Chase. Longview, Texas native Tyson Hall would take familiar form, grabbing the lap 10 lead with Shreveport, Lousiana's Dustin Gates making it a 3 way battle for the lead on an absolutely lightning fast racing surface. Just as Bell would begin to challenge Hahn for the 5th position, a caution would fly at the halfway point for CJ Duarte's stalled mount.
With the drama unfolding for the lead between Hall and Gates, and the battle for the championship between Blake Hahn and Christopher Bell, the latter would end abruptly with Bell slowing to a lap 17 stop in his wounded mount. The final 13 laps would click away in frantic fashion. On one occasion, Dustin Gates momentarily grabbed the point only to see Pryor, Oklahoma's Frank Flud pull the same move in even more audacious style on both Gates and Hall.
Longview, Texas native Tyson Hall would regain the lead in short order and leave the challengers in his wake, earning his second $1,500 Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw score at Cowtown Speedway in as many months aboard the Pine Tree Motors, Mac Flowback, Sawyer Chassis, Metric Cycles, and Gohl Injections sponsored no. 5x machine. Gates would earn a hard fought runner up finish, with Hahn taking the show position late. Frank Flud and Donnie Ray Crawford would complete the top 5 running order. In his first Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw start, West Plains, Missouri's Logan Martin would go from 8th to 1st in his B Feature, before earning hard charger honors with a 6th place finish after starting 21st in the Outlaw main event.
Adding to his first career ASCS2 Midget victory, Blake Hahn's 3rd place finish would propel him to a Lucas Oil ASCS2 2010 Championship by 52 markers over Christopher Bell with Frank Flud earning third in 2010 Outlaw points, 71 points behind Hahn's championship pace.
Jason Tyer, Brandon Hahn, and Christopher Bell took Friday night heat race honors, with Bell and Kade Morton taking qualifier honors. Logan Martin and Dalton Stevens each took 12 lap B Feature honors over the 33 car Outlaw field.
In Lucas Oil ASCS2 Non Wing action, Norman, Oklahoma's Christopher Bell needed only to take a green flag to clinch the Lucas Oil ASCS2 2010 Non Wing Championship. However, the $1,500 issue awaiting a triumphant Non Wing ace would be far from settled. In what would prove to be yet another Lucas Oil ASCS2 Non Wing at Cowtown Speedway, Oklahoma City native Shelby Byrd would lead the field to green after a pair of masterful runs in Friday's heat/qualifier action.
The four cautions over the first 13 laps will likely not be remembered, the turn-for-turn battle between Shelby Byrd and Tyler Thomas in the first half of the main event most definitely will be. In constant pursuit of the points, the duo traded the lead at least a dozen times, at one point exchanging the lead in heated fashion in each turn for four consecutive laps. As is typical of Lucas Oil ASCS2 Non Wing action, it is nearly impossible to portray the constant wheel to wheel battles for each position throughout the main event, so suffice to say that Tyler Thomas narrowly grabbed the lead before the final caution at lap 13 of the 25 lap main event.
Thomas would restart with confidence and develop a half straightaway advantage over the battle royal ensuing behind him. Thomas would blaze his way to his second $1,500 Lucas Oil ASCS2 score at Cowtown Speedway in as many months aboard his Factor One, Alpine Stars, Bell Helmets, Thriller Productions, Walter Web Design and BT Powdercoat sponsored no. 91 rocket.
Shelby Byrd would ultimately emerge from the heated battle with runner up honors while fellow Oklahoma City non wing pilot Trey Marcham snared show position honors. Steven Shebester and Christopher Bell would complete a top 5 Oklahoma sweep.
By virtue of his 5th place finish, Norman, Oklahoma gasser Christopher Bell completed his Lucas Oil ASCS2 2010 Championship campaign, finishing 121 points ahead of Pauls Valley, Oklahoma's Steven Shebester. Shelby Byrd would take 3rd in 2010 Non Wing points, 180 markers behind Bell's championship pace.
Trey Marcham, Taylor Smitherman, Donnie Ray Crawford, and Cameron Hagin snatched Friday night heat race wins, with Tyson Hall, Layne Heimbaigh, and Shelby Byrd taking qualifier honors. Nate Fleming and Alex Sewell topped B Feature action over the 39 car Non Wing field.
In Lucas Oil ASCS2 Restricted action, Hulbert, Oklahoma's season long sensation Karley Kay Dobson led West Plains, Missouri native Logan Martin in by a scant 13 points. A Friday night qualifier dust up involving the two would result in Martin starting a full 3 rows ahead of Dobson. But it would be Coweta, Oklahoma's Chance Morton pacing the 20 lap Lucas Oil ASCS2 Restricted main event atop Cowtown Speedway’s 1/8th mile "Action Track".
Morton would set the early pace, but the points battle would be shrouded in doubt with Martin holding steady to 2nd and Dobson getting up to 4th behind Dalton Wisely. A lap 17 caution would see that same running order. At that time, Martin was a mere two points behind Dobson, meaning if Martin could pass for the lead or Dobson be passed for 4th, Martin would snare the Lucas Oil ASCS2 2010 Restricted from Dobson's grasp.
Three to go with an intense battle for both the win and the championship. Coming out of the restart, Morton held steady to the point, with Karley Kay Dobson wasting no time in making a true championship pass of wisely in turn 2. Chance Morton would finish the season where he started it, literally, in ASCS2 victory lane at Cowtown Speedway. The win would mark Morton's third of the Lucas Oil ASCS2 2010 campaign aboard the Morton Excavating, Napa Auto Parts, Momo's Racing Engines, Intruder Chassis and JPM sponsored no. 7m Restricted ride.
Logan Martin would earn runner up honor in both the 20 lap main event and 2010 Restricted championship campaign. Karley Kay Dobson would earn show position honors as well as a Lucas Oil ASCS2 2010 Restricted Championship. Dalton Wisely and Will Harvey would complete the top 5 running order.
Joey Starnes, Chance Morton, and Michelle Martin would top Friday night heat race action, with Dylan Guthrie and Tucker Klaasmeyer earning qualifier honors. Ryan Reeves topped B Feature action over the 25 car Restricted field.
The Lucas Oil ASCS2 staff would like to extend their sincerest thanks to all drivers and fans for their participation in a landmark Lucas Oil ASCS2 2010 racing season, as well as each track and its' staff for their excellent hosting of events in the 2010 racing season.
Please check back to www.ascs2racing.com in the coming weeks for a detailed end of year review, a salute to the drivers that made such a monumental 2010 racing season possible.
The Lucas Oil American Small Car Series would also like to invite all drivers and fans to the 26th Annual Tulsa Shootout. Parking and Sign In for ALL classes begins Wednesday, December 29th with practice for each class Thursday, December 30th. Heat Race and Qualifier action begins December 31st with 2011 Golden Drillers on the line Saturday, January 1st.
Race fans can buy complete videos of the 4th Annual November Sprint Shootout from official Lucas Oil ASCS2 videographer Thriller Productions. Highlight videos can be viewed and purchased of the entire event made at www.thrillerproductions.com.
For any question or further inquiries, please contact ASCS2 headquarters at 918.838.3777
For any questions or further inquiries regarding the 26th Annual Tulsa Shootout, please contact ASCS2 headquarters at 918.838.3777 or visit www.tulsashootout.com.
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