On a beautiful evening that seemed to signify the start of a summer of action packed ASCS2 open wheel racing, the stars of the Lucas Oil American Small Car Series delivered a resounding chorus of ultra fast wheel to wheel action that would leave Sooner state race fans hungry for a Saturday night Lucas Oil ASCS2 finale at I-44 Speedway.
As Lindsay, Oklahoma’s rising star Harli White led the Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaws into I-44 Speedway, it would be Tulsa native Matt Ward leading the 25 lap Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw main event to the opening green flag. The event would need a second offer to complete a lap after track promoter Kirk Berkley narrowly escaped complete disaster as a broken steering column pushed Berkley straight into the turn one wall. Berkley’s mount would receive surprisingly light punishment, but enough to force him to the infield for the duration of the main event.
The second attempt to complete a lap would be successful, with Ward leading until outside front row starter and 2010 Port City Raceway Outlaw Champion Jake Rosario would offer challenge 4 circuits complete. As Ward and Rosario swapped the lead turn by turn, outside third row starter and current 2011 Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw point leader Harli White quickly advanced into the fray by lap 8.
White would display the same audacious skill and lightning fast speed in a series of moves to rocket by both Ward and Rosario by lap 10. The 25 lap would continue unimpeded the rest of the way, with Rosario keeping White within his sight until a brilliant move in lapped traffic with 2 laps remaining would see White sail to her third Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw victory in 4 outings of the 2011 campaign aboard the Hyper Racing, Momo’s Racing Engines, Neighbors Coffee, Charlie’s Trucking, Tucker’s Construction, and Valken Racing Wheels sponsored black and yellow no. 17 Outlaw ride.
While Rosario paced White for the last half of the 25 lap affair, the Guthrie, Oklahoma native would have to fend off a furious challenge over the final few circuits from Matt Ward to claim the runner up spot with Ward settling for runner up honors. 2010 Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw Champion and Sapulpa, Oklahoma native Blake Hahn would advance to fourth from his 8th place starting spot to nab the final lock in position to Saturday’s Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw finale at I-44 Speedway.
Harli White, Will Harvey, and Frank “The Legendary” Flud each topped heat race action over the 18 car Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw field.
With the noted absence of Fort Worth, Texas sprint car veteran and 2011 Lucas Oil ASCS2 Non Wing point leader Kevin Ramey at the beginning of the preliminary event, it was obvious the conclusion of the 25 lap Lucas Oil ASCS2 Non Wing main event would see a new leader in the 2011 Lucas Oil ASCS2 Non Wing title chase.
With Tulsa’s Matt Ward, Oklahoma City’s Trey Marcham, and Longview, Texas’ Tyson Hall each separated by 1 marker going into the event, onlookers knew the fight to claim the top spot would be fierce.
Ward would lead the 25 lap Lucas Oil ASCS2 Non Wing main event to the green and maintain that advantage while his eventual challenge would take shape. Following a lap 9 scrum that would provide early exits for Colton Brewer, Tyson Hall, and 2008 Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw Champion Jerrod Wilson, Ward would continue his lead until the mid stages of the race, until his challenger appeared.
Starting 12th in the 25 lap main event, hometown favorite Trey Marcham would utilize the high side to consistently pick off positions as he powered by Steven Shebester for the runner up spot by the halfway point.
The final 10 laps would see Lucas Oil ASCS2 Non Wing action at its finest, with Marcham hounding Ward lap by lap and many duels further back in the field as well. Ward would notice Marcham’s march on the high side and take to the same high line to try to fend off the sky blue no. 32.
Darting from high to low for several laps, Marcham would power by on the 21st circuit and fend off a furious challenge from Ward amidst lapped traffic. Exactly as White did in the Outlaw main event, Marcham would make a brilliant move in lapped traffic as the flag stand signaled two laps remaining.
Marcham’s move would pay off and propel him to his 2nd Lucas Oil ASCS2 Non Wing triumph of the young 2011 campaign aboard the RD Marcham Energy, Pinnacle Energy Services, Simpson Helmets, and Le Norman Operatic LLC sponsored blue no. 32 Non Wing ride.
Ward would settle for his second runner up finish of the evening with Pauls Valley native and 2010 Lucas Oil ASCS2 Non Wing runner up Steven Shebester claiming the show position. Broken Arrow, Oklahoma’s Darian Roberts would avenge a nasty encounter with I-44 Speedway’s back straightaway wall by stealing the fourth and final lock in spot to Saturday night’s Lucas Oil ASCS2 Non Wing finale.
Matt Ward, Steven Shebester, and Taylor Smitherman topped heat race action over the 24 car Lucas Oil ASCS2 Non Wing field, with Chris Scott claiming the top spot in the 12 lap Lucas Oil ASCS2 Non Wing B Feature event.
While Coweta, Oklahoma’s Chance Morton led the 2011 Lucas Oil ASCS2 Restricted division into the I-44 weekend double, it was El Reno, Oklahoma’s Kyle Keeler leading the 20 lap main event field to the opening green flag. Keeler would outgun fellow front starter and Mansfield, Texas native Christian Kinnison to the lead.
Keeler would dominate for the majority of the event, but as the final laps clicked away, race long challenger Seth Brown would turn up the heat on Keeler, diving beneath Keeler on the final lap. As the two prepared to drag to the finish line, a yellow would abruptly set the way for a green-white-checkered shootout for the win.
Keeler would use a great restart to claim his 2nd Lucas Oil ASCS2 Restricted victory of the 2011 campaign aboard the RPM Powersports, White Enterprises, Sierra Custom Interiors, and Undercover Graphics sponsored no. 27 machine.
Brown would settle for the runner up spot until post race inspection found his racing fuel to be false, his disqualification would result in a runner up finish for outside third row starter and point leader Chance Morton. Layden Pearson would utilize the high side to claim the show position with Mansfield, Texas’ Christian Kinnison taking the checkered flag in the fourth and final lock in position to Saturday’s Lucas Oil ASCS2 Restricted finale.
Grady Chandler, Chance Morton, and Seth Brown claimed heat race honors over the 17 car Lucas Oil ASCS2 Restricted field.
Lucas Oil ASCS Outlaw, Non Wing, and Restricted action continues tomorrow, Saturday May 7th, at I-44 Speedway for a finale showing of the Lucas Oil ASCS2 weekend double. Pit Gates open at 530pm with hot laps initiating at 7pm and heat race action firing off at 8pm.
