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David Smith, Jr.
NCRA Press and Contengencies
(405) 740-4769
[email protected]
A Preview of What is Left for All Divisions of NCRA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Midwest City, Oklahoma - September 9, 2009 - As the end of the 2009 race season is right around the corner, there are still a hand full of dates remaining in all five O'Reilly/National Championship Racing Association divisions in this, the series 39th consecutive year for the series.
Along with the races left on all five division schedules comes several division point races that will come right down to the wire.
Below is a brief, and I mean a very brief preview of what is to come, what to expect and where to expect for the series late model, sprint car, modified, Oklahoma modified and sport modified divisions.
Sport Modifieds
The new division for the O'Reilly/National Championship Racing Association, the southern sport modified, has flourished during its inaugural season. Five races have been complete with three races remaining on the schedule with the point battle up for grabs.
Leading the division in points, without reaching victory lane, is Blackwell, Oklahoma's Chad McNamara. McNamara currently holds a 55 point advantage over Amarillo, Texas driver Donnie Raney. Raney has reached victory lane twice, the first coming during the series opener back in March at Elk Citys I-40 Speedway with the second at the prestigious Hutchinson Grand Nationals in Kansas. Robert Elliott of Clinton, Oklahoma currently sits third in the point standings and also has two Hard Rock Hotel-Casino feature victories on the season. His first came on a Wednesday night back in late May at Brill Motor Speedway in Meeker, Oklahoma and followed it up one week later at Caney Valley Speedway in Caney, Kansas.
In total through five events, the average car count has been 33 per event with 83 drivers having made at least one appearance with the division while fifteen drivers have competed at all five events held thus far.
NCRA Sport Modified Dates Remaining
September 19 Caney Valley Speedway – Caney, Kansas
October 3 Brill Motor Speedway – Meeker, Oklahoma
October 17 81 Speedway – Park City, Kansas
Current NCRA Sport Modified Point Standings
1 Chad McNamara 1465
2 Donnie Raney 1410
3 Robert Elliott 1390
4 Frank Graven 1330
5 Randy Thomas 1275
6 Todd Decker 1255
7 Nick Shenberger 1210
8 Bob Mock 1175
9 Mike Shenberger 1080
10 Kevin Snow 1035
11 David Givens 975
12 Landon Maddox 975
13 Walter Odell 925
14 Perry Colby 900
15 Don Reed 795
Late Models
The O'Reilly/National Championship Racing Associations premier division will be putting a wraps on their 26th season on Saturday night, September 26, at I-80 Speedway at Nebraska Raceway Park in Greenwood, Nebraska for the annual running of the "Cornhusker Classic."
On the heels of his second series Hard Rock Hotel-Casino feature victory of the season this past Sunday night at the Belleville High banks over the Labor Day weekend, Kyle Berck of Marquette, Nebraska will come into the season finale with a 225 point lead. All the former 2002 series champion seems to have to do is sign in and compete in his heat race to nail down the series championship.
The 2009 season, however, will be known as the year that four time and defending series champion Kelly Boen of Henderson, Colorado rewrote the series record books. Boen has amassed ten series victories in 2009, the most of any late model driver and one shy of total wins in any NCRA division which is eleven, set by Hooks, Texas sprint car driver Gary Wright back in the outlaw sprint division days. Kelly also has a win streak of four (tied the record) and then five in a row (a new series record) that was held back in 1979. With one event remaining, Boen will have his eyes set on tying Wrights season win total.
Other drivers who have reached victory lane through the 17 races held thus far have been John Anderson, Eric Turner, Joe Kosiski and Denny Eckrich.
Three different drivers have won the "Cornhusker Classic" so the final Saturday night of racing for the O'Reilly/NCRA late model division has a wide open victory lane for any driver who can conquer an expected 60 + car field.
NCRA Late Model Dates Remaining
September 26 I-80 Speedway at Nebraska Raceway Park – Greenwood, Nebraska
Current NCRA Late Model Point Standings
Rank Driver Points
1 Kyle Berck 4740
2 Kelly Boen 4515
3 Jason Obrien 4215
4 Mike Collins 4005
5 Jason Frieson 3545
6 Bryant Goldsmith 3330
7 Cory Zeitner 3255
8 Al Purkey 3215
9 Jason Bodenhamer 3175
10 Mike Wiarda 3000
11 Scott Koskovich 2940
12 Wylan Petrie 2750
13 John Anderson 2670
14 Craig Preble 2430
15 Shawn Harker 2310
Oklahoma Modifieds
Only one event left on the other new O'Reilly/National Championship Racing Association division, the Oklahoma modifieds, as they join forces with the above mentioned sport modifieds for a Winter Nationals extravaganza to end their season at Brill Motor Speedway in Meeker on Saturday night, October 3.
A Wednesday night, April 8, appearance saw Bryan Rowland of Woodward, Oklahoma drop in to take his first career series victory and the fourth driver to have won a Hard Rock Hotel-Casino feature in four events. Current division point leader Gene Weaver of Amarillo won the season opener at Elk Citys I-40 Speedway back in March and with a model of consistency will take a 90 point lead into the final event.
But Moore, Oklahoma's Alan Oliva will have something to say about the point chase and who reaches victory lane. Oliva has been shut out of being the first to cross under the checkered flag but has shown consistency this season and looks to finally reach victory lane.
The other two drivers who have reached victory lane have been Muskogee, Oklahoma's Chad Wheeler and the most recent driver, Davis, Oklahoma's Travis Penrod.
The average car count for the division is 38 cars per event with 95 drivers having competed in at least one of the four events that have been held. Twelve drivers have made all four events while five drivers have missed only one show.
NCRA Oklahoma Modified Dates Left
October 3 Brill Motor Speedway – Meeker, Oklahoma
Current NCRA Oklahoma Modified Point Standings
Rank Driver Points
1 Gene Weaver 1120
2 Alan Oliva 1030
3 Travis Penrod 995
4 Logan Cabbell 960
5 Chris Roach 935
6 Cam Case 935
7 Casey McClaskey 845
8 Thomas Tillson, Jr. 815
9 Brad Worley 805
10 Kerry Davis 790
11 Jason Hilliard 685
12 Jayman Gregory 655
13 Brian Wolfe 585
14 Ron Gould 480
15 Kyle Sweeney 450
Sprint Cars
One event and twenty points. That is all that is left on the 2009 O'Reilly/NCRA sprint car division schedule and all that separates current points leader Garry Lee Maier of Cimaron, Kansas and Zach Chappell of Talala, Oklahoma for the division championship. That will all be decided on Saturday night, October 10, at the home of NCRA, 81 Speedway in Park City, Kansas.
Four-time series sprint car champion Maier has picked up two Hard Rock Hotel-Casino feature victories on the season and will bring that twenty point lead into the finale over Chappell. Both drivers are driving for new car owners in 2009, Maier aboard the familiar Ochs Brothers #1x and Chappell aboard the famed Steve King #88. Chappell has one victory on the season.
While not completely out of the picture, defending division champion Mike Peters has won the last two events held (three wins overall) and trails Maier by 105 points.
Other drivers having reached victory lane for the division in 2009 include Tony Bruce, Jr., Jason Johnson and Jason Martin.
NCRA Sprint Car Dates Remaining
October 10 81 Speedway – Park City, Kansas
Current NCRA Sprint Car Point Standings
Rank Driver Points
1 Garry Lee Maier 2515
2 Zach Chappell 2495
3 Mike Peters 2410
4 J.D. Johnson 2360
5 Jon Freeman 2225
6 Patrick Stasa 2115
7 Jeff Stasa 2075
8 Luke Cranston 1995
9 A.J. Selenke 1940
10 Steven Richardson 1790
11 Jason Schroeder 1780
12 Mike Chadd 1480
13 Kris Miller 1435
14 Corey Moore 1355
15 Marc Robe 1090
Modifieds
Forty-five points. That is all that separates current O'Reilly/NCRA modified points lead Dan Daniels of Humboldt, Kansas and Brian Powers of Wichita heading into the final two nights of racing action on Friday and Saturday night, October 9-10.
1998 division champion Don Renfro is only 100 points out of the running while defending series champion Marc Hurd of Wichita and Casey McClaskey of Ponca City, Oklahoma are also within striking distance all no more than 115 points out of the lead. All five drivers have used consistency through the seven events that have been held as all have been shut out of victory lane.
Former five time series champion Brian Franz of Halstad, Kansas leads way in 2009 O'Reilly/NCRA modified victories with three while former three time champion John Allen of Chanute, Kansas has two wins. Other drivers having reached victory lane are Scott Green and Brent Burkhart.
NCRA Modified Dates Remaining
October 9-10 81 Speedway – Park City, Kansas
Current NCRA Modified Point Standings
Rank Driver Points
1 Dan Daniels 1865
2 Brian Powers 1820
3 Don Renfro 1765
4 Marc Hurd 1750
5 Casey McClaskey 1750
6 Brian Franz 1615
7 Jason Schneipp 1565
8 Marlin Farr 1545
9 Ross Shipman 1510
10 John Allen 1420
David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com
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