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David Smith, Jr.

NCRA Press and Contingencies

(405) 740-4769

[email protected]

Maier Masters Fifth NCRA Sprint Car Title

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Midwest City, Oklahoma - November 21, 2009 - Garry Lee Maier of Cimarron, Kansas came back to the series where he is the career feature winner for the O'Reilly/NCRA 360 sprint car division and picked up his fifth division championship. However, unlike years past, this one had a little bit more special meaning for those involved in the program.

Coming into the year with 61 career series feature wins, Garry Lee didn't pick up his first feature victory until a July 3^rd Hard Rock Hotel-Casino feature victory at the Jetmore Motorola in Jetmore, Kansas. In fact, he only reached victory two times in 2009 with his second win of the season coming at the 53rd Annual Hutchinson Grand Nationals on the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson, Kansas. It was Maier's fourth career Nationals victory.

But this Hutch Nationals championship and series championship brought special meaning for those involved.

For at least three decades, the Ochs Brothers from Jetmore have fielded open wheel cars on the NCRA circuit. Dating back to 1979 when their father, Charlie, was co-owner with veteran car owner Danny King, it was the only time the Ochs were involved in a series championship. After the 2008 race season, the stars and moon were aligned properly and the driver the Ochs had always wanted was finally granted. "We have tried to hire Garry Lee for several years but he had always secure rides," said Mike Ochs, the oldest of the four brothers. "This takes nothing away from our previous drivers because they were all great and done us a great job. But his (Garry Lee's) record in sprint car racing speaks for itself."

It started off slow with a fourth place finish at the season opener at Dodge City Raceway Park but after the third race of the season at 81 Speedway, Maier propelled himself into the runner up in the point standings. It wasn't until six races had been complete before Maier sat atop the point standings.

One of the highlights for the Maier/Ochs team was Maier's fourth Hutch Grand Nationals victory which was the first since 1982 when Mike Peters wheeled the famed Ochs #1x to victory. "It is always nice to win at Hutch but that victory was more for them than anything," said Maier.

For Mike Ochs, the oldest of the Ochs Brothers, this championship was most sought after. "We have tried 29 yrs. to get this series championship and we finally did it," he stated in victory lane. "We have had a lot of great driver's race for us, Dennis Park, C. J. and Jon (Johnson) and Mike (Peters) and we came close several times but always fell just short. We felt like coming into the season when things worked out where we could finally get Garry as our driver that we really had a chance. And we finally got it; this is best thing we could have ever asked for."

Ochs Brothers Racing and Garry Lee Maier would like to thank the following sponsors for their contribution to the championship: Maxim Chassis, Midwest Ag Professionals, Hughs Truck and Auto Repair and Mid-State Hay.

Zach Chappell of Talala, Oklahoma competed on the O'Reilly/NCRA 360 sprint car tour for the first time in his career and had the Danny King owned #e85 ICM/Ethanol sprinter in contention for the championship all season long. His lone Hard Rock Hotel-Casino feature win came back on July 4^th at 81 Speedway in Park City, Kansas. Chappell still had a shot at the championship at the season ending event back at 81 Speedway as he was only down twenty points. However, a split between him and car owner King one week before the finale found Chappell back in the family owned #50z where he would end the chase 55 points out of the championship at the end.

The season kicked off on May 9^th when defending series champion Mike Peters picked up the win, the first of a division leading three on the season with the other two victories coming at 81 Speedway on August 2^nd and the division's annual appearance at Mid-Nebraska Speedway in Doniphan, Nebraska. Other drivers reaching victory lane in 2009 were Tony Bruce, Jr., Jason Johnson and Jack Dover (81 Speedway) and Jason Martin (Dodge City Raceway Park). In total, seven different drivers reached Hard Rock Hotel-Casino victory lane in ten events.

78 different drivers from six states competed in at least one O'Reilly/NCRA sprint car events in 2009 with an average car count of 25 per show. The top eleven in the final point standings competed in all ten events. They include the following drivers: Maier, Chappell, Peters, J.D. Johnson, Jon Freeman, Patrick and Jeff Stasa, A.J. Selenke, Luke Cranston, Steven Richardson and Jason Schroeder.

This concludes the 20^th season for the O'Reilly/NCRA sprint car division with sights already set on 2010, which will be the 40^th year for the series. The series currently sanctions five divisions, consisting of not only 360 sprint cars but late models, modifieds, Oklahoma modifieds and sport modifieds. In years past the series has sanctioned the old 100 inch super modifieds and modifieds and outlaw sprint cars and point standings, series records, driver profiles and more can be found on the official NCRA website www.ncraracing.org. The series would also like to thank the following sponsors and contingency sponsors that climbed aboard as partners with the O'Reilly/NCRA sprint car division in 2009. If you are interested in climbing aboard for the 2010 race season, contact David Smith, Jr. (405) 740-4769 or [email protected]. If you're interested in hosting a sprint car event for 2010 or would like more information on the series, contact the NCRA office (316) 755-1781.

Official 2009 NCRA sprint car series sponsors: O'Reilly Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tires, Sunoco Race Fuels, Hard Rock Casino-Hotel.

Final 2009 O'Reilly/NCRA Sprint Car Point Standings

Rank Driver Points

1 Garry Lee Maier 2810

2 Zach Chappell 2755

3 Mike Peters 2690

4 J.D. Johnson 2635

5 Jon Freeman 2490

6 Patrick Stasa 2335

7 Jeff Stasa 2220

8 A.J. Selenke 2175

9 Luke Cranston 2140

10 Steven Richardson 1995

David Smith Jr.
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