GOODBYE TULSA SPEEDWAY – THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES
Nine years ago today on July 30th 2005, the Oil Capital Racing Series ran their last event at the Tulsa Speedway as the track’s leaseholders would lock the gates behind open wheel machines for the final time. 2005 also saw OCRS in its first year of new ownership by the tag team duo of Barry Grabel & Tom Sewell. The series was previously owned by current OCRS drivers Danny Smith and Kenneth Walker in separate stints. Tulsa Speedway was home base for the OCRS series and with its sad demise, the series instantly became an orphan. Grabel & Sewell would take their racing show on the road to keep the series alive thereafter and it remains a roadie circuit today. First however was the final curtain call for the series at the North Tulsa track.
WINNING FROM HOLE NUMBER 16
Jamie McDonald and David Dutton would be the last drivers to pace an OCRS feature to green on Tulsa soil and it was Dutton who would lead first in the 25-lap affair but before a lap could be completed, Ronald Paris Jr; Kenneth Walker and Jamie Passmore would all tangle to bring out a yellow. Passmore would retire pitside as he was unable to restart. Dutton would then lead the first two rounds over McDonald on the complete restart. Shelly Ward was making an early charge forward from the fourth row outside and became the leader on lap three. Another driver that was slicing through the field was Mike Goodman who found himself in 6th on lap three after starting in the 16th hole. Sherman Davis would move into second on lap 11 only to lose that spot to Travis Jenkins two laps later. After a yellow for Nigel Calvert on lap 17, Goodman restarted in 4th and took full advantage of the improved track position and swept by Davis and Jenkins to move into second on lap 18. Ward tried valiantly to hold Goodman off but Goodman would take the Bobby Moore owned #11 into the lead on the 21st lap and led the remaining four laps to take the final OCRS checkered flag at the 20 year-old track. Ward would cross the line in second, Jenkins third, Kevin Battles fourth and 15 year-old Brady Bacon would round out the top five. OCRS Results Tulsa Speedway July 30, 2005 21 Cars Heat 1 1) Ron Paris Jr. 2) Kevin Battles 3) Brady Bacon 4) Mike Goodman 5) David Seabolt 6) Jamie McDonald DNS: Brent Bates Heat 2 1) Shelly Ward 2) Kenneth Walker 3) Matt Kelly 4) Keith Bolton 5) David Dutton 6) Rafe Essary 7) Rob Forehand Heat 3 1) Jamie Passmore 2) Travis Jenkins 3) Shane Pace 4) Waylon Weaver 5) Sherman Davis 6) Stephanie Chappell 7) Nigel Calvert A-Feature 1) Mike Goodman 2) Shelly Ward 3) Travis Jenkins 4) Kevin Battles 5) Brady Bacon 6) Rafe Essary 7) Waylon Weaver 8) Keith Bolton 9) David Dutton 10) Jamie McDonald 11) Sherman Davis 12) Rob Forehand 13) David Seabolt 14) Nigel Calvert 15) Kenneth Walker 16) Matt Kelly 17) Shane Pace 18) Ron Paris Jr. 19) Jamie Passmore DNS: Stephanie Chappell.
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