|
O'Reilly ASCoT Ready for Red River Shootout This Weekend
Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (May 7, 2007) – "The Red River Shootout" is more typically associated with the fierce football rivalry between Oklahoma and Texas, but it's a fitting moniker as well for this weekend's pair of O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National events in Oklahoma and Texas.
The series kicks off the weekend on Friday night in the Sooner State with a stop of Oklahoma City's State Fair Speedway. Then on Saturday night, the series travels south of the Red River to tackle the famed clay oval of Devil's Bowl Speedway near Dallas.
And leading the way into the weekend is Hooks, TX, ace Gary Wright, who has finished among the top five in all ten feature events this year to amass an early-season advantage of 81 points in the $50,000 championship points race. Shooting for a fourth consecutive ASCS National title, Wright is closing in on his series record of 15 consecutive top-five feature finishes.
Wright has enjoyed his share of success at the State Fair Speedway and Devil's Bowl Speedway ovals, with 23 of his 110 career ASCS National Tour wins coming at this weekend's venues.
While Wright has been virtually flawless early in the season, a ferocious four-way battle for second is under way with just 49 markers separating Oklahoma City's Wayne Johnson, Eunice, LA, shoe Jason Johnson, Bixby, Oklahoma's Darren Stewart and Forney, TX, racer Travis Rilat.
Wayne Johnson has scored two wins this year, including a preliminary triumph during the Devil's Bowl Speedway Spring Nationals and then a victory a week later in State Fair Speedway's Spring Nationals. Both of those events occurred in March.
After racking up a series-best nine National wins last year, Jason Johnson finally broke into victory lane with a weekend sweep of Arkansas events during the series most recent action on April 28-29.
Shut out of victory lane thus far, Stewart could have just as easily swept the Arkansas weekend. Stewart had the Texarkana feature well in hand when a distributor generator failed in the final laps. Then several cautions kept Johnson in open track a night later at Little Rock's I-30 Speedway, denying Stewart the opportunity to make the winning move in lapped traffic.
The only National Tour regular to take in an event this past weekend, Rilat carries some momentum into this weekend's double after posting a $2,500 ASCS Coastal Region score at Mississippi's Pike County Speedway. Rilat's winning share was bolstered by a $1,000 bonus Miller's Machine & Welding, owned by Dodie Miller in Seabrook, TX.
Right behind the top five in points, a stellar battle for Brodix Rookie of the Year honors is shaping up between the Oklahoma duo of Foster Landon and Andy Shouse along with Canadian Chris Schemlzle, with the trio ranked sixth, seventh and tenth, respectively.
Hailing from the Tulsa-area town of Collinsville, Landon is just 21 points ahead of Oklahoma City's Shouse entering this weekend.
Also in the top ten are Johnny "Baja" Miller of Burleson, TX, and past ASCS National champion Garry Lee Maier of Cimarron, TX.
With the O'Reilly ASCoT contenders, which also includes Aaron Berryhill and 2006 Rookie of the Year Nick Smith, joined by a strong contingent of locals and American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region regulars such as two-time champion Kevin Ramey and current Sooner leader Cody Branchcomb, a strong field of cars is expected for both nights of racing action.
The Series:
O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour (ASCoT)
When & Where:
Friday night, May 11 at 7:30 p.m. – State Fair Speedway (Oklahoma City, OK)
Saturday night, May 12 at 8:00 p.m. – Devil's Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, TX)
Track Information:
State Fair Speedway (Oklahoma City, OK) – 3/8-mile semi-banked clay oval located on the Oklahoma State Fair Grounds near the intersection of N.W. 10th and May Avenue. Track phone: 405-948-6796.
Devil's Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, TX) – ½-mile high-banked clay oval located six miles east of Dallas' Loop I-635 on US 80, then three miles south on Lawson Road. Track phone: 972-222-2421.
O'Reilly ASCoT State Fair Speedway History:
State Fair Speedway has hosted 22 ASCS National Tour events since 1994, with 18 events in Oklahoma City since the track was reconfigured prior to the 2002 season. Gary Wright has won seven of 17 feature events since the reconfiguration, including the opening night of this year's Spring Nationals (denying Natalie Sather's bid to become the first female feature winner in ASCS history) before Oklahoma City native Wayne Johnson took top honors the second night.
The last time Gary Wright missed an ASCS National Tour feature event, it was at State Fair Speedway on May 9, 2003, when an accident while en route forced his absence. Since that time, Wright has racked up three series titles and has competed in 141 consecutive ASCS National Tour events as he closes in on Toby Brown's record of 212 consecutive events.
Jason Johnson, winner of the final two ASCoT events in April, topped three of four National Tour events in Oklahoma City last year.
State Fair Speedway ASCS National winners include: Gary Wright 9, Jason Johnson 3, Kevin Ramey 2, Zach Chappell 1, Tommie Estes, Jr. 1, Wayne Johnson 1, Wayne Pennington 1, Travis Rilat 1, Darren Stewart 1, Shane Stewart 1, Danny Wood 1.
State Fair Speedway O'Reilly ASCoT Race-by-race Winners: Gary Wright (10/13/94), Tommie Estes, Jr. (5/26/96), Gary Wright (8/11/96), Zach Chappell (7/21/01), Wayne Pennington (5/17/02), Kevin Ramey (6/28/02), Gary Wright (8/23/02), Travis Rilat (5/9/03), Shane Stewart (6/1/03), Gary Wright (6/27/03), Gary Wright (8/1/03), Danny Wood (6/25/04), Gary Wright (7/30/04), Kevin Ramey (5/20/05), Darren Stewart (6/24/05), Gary Wright (7/29/05), Jason Johnson (3/24/06), Jason Johnson (3/25/06), Gary Wright (6/23/06), Jason Johnson (7/14/06), Gary Wright (3/23/07), Wayne Johnson (3/24/07).
O'Reilly ASCoT Devil's Bowl History:
Devil's Bowl Speedway has been hosting the O'Reilly ASCS National Tour since 1994, with 19 different drivers scoring at least one victory in 46 feature events. Gary Wright has claimed 14 of his 110 career ASCS National wins at Devil's Bowl, including an ASCS Speedweek win in 2006.
Wayne Johnson claimed this year's Spring Nationals preliminary feature win to run his ASCS National win total at "Da Bowl" to four, next on the charts after Wright's 14 wins. With three wins apiece are Danny Jennings, who reeled off his wins in '05, and Kevin Ramey, who doubled up with Spring and Summer Nationals wins last year.
Devil's Bowl ASCS National winners include: Gary Wright 14, Wayne Johnson 4, Danny Jennings 3, Kevin Ramey 3, Shane Carson 2, Terry Gray 2, Jason Johnson 2, Garry Lee Maier 2, Mike Peters 2, Travis Rilat 2, Sammy Swindell 2, Tim Crawley 1, Edd French 1, Johnny Herrera 1, Larry Neighbors 1, Alan Payne 1, Jake Peters 1, Shane Stewart 1, Mike Ward 1.
Devil's Bowl O'Reilly ASCoT Race-by-race Winners: Shane Carson (6/21/94), Alan Payne (5/12/95), Mike Ward (7/23/95), Mike Peters (9/1/95), Sammy Swindell (9/2/95), Sammy Swindell (9/3/95), Wayne Johnson (6/18/96), Terry Gray (7/6/96), Terry Gray (11/1/96), Johnny Herrera (11/2/96), Shane Carson (4/5/97), Wayne Johnson (6/18/97), Edd French (10/31/97), Mike Peters (11/1/97), Gary Wright (6/19/98), Gary Wright (10/3/98), Garry Lee Maier (10/4/98), Gary Wright (7/8/99), Garry Lee Maier (7/30/99), Gary Wright (10/1/99), Gary Wright (10/2/99), Gary Wright (7/21/00), Gary Wright (10/6/00), Larry Neighbors (4/20/01), Gary Wright (7/20/01), Gary Wright (10/6/01), Travis Rilat (4/19/02), Jason Johnson (6/7/02), Wayne Johnson (10/4/02), Gary Wright (10/5/02), Kevin Ramey (4/18/03), Tim Crawley (10/17/03), Gary Wright (10/18/03), Shane Stewart (10/23/04), Danny Jennings (3/18/05), Danny Jennings (3/19/05), Danny Jennings (6/9/05), Gary Wright (10/21/05), Gary Wright (10/22/05), Kevin Ramey (6/24/06 – Spring Nationals makeup feature), Kevin Ramey (6/24/06 – Summer Nationals), Gary Wright (7/13/06), Jason Johnson (10/13/06), Travis Rilat (10/14/06), Wayne Johnson (3/16/07), Jake Peters (3/17/07).
Current O'Reilly ASCoT Points (After 10 of 46 Nights):
Top Fifteen: 1. Gary Wright (Hooks, TX) 1,163, 2. Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City, OK) 1,082, 3. Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA) 1,059, 4. Darren Stewart (Bixby, OK) 1,047, 5. Travis Rilat (Forney, TX) 1,033, 6. Foster Landon (Collinsville, OK) 919, 7. Andy Shouse (Oklahoma City, OK) 898, 8. Johnny Miller (Burleson, TX) 860, 9. Garry Lee Maier (Cimarron, KS) 766, 10. Chris Schmelzle (Victoria, BC) 741, 11. Nick Smith (Broken Arrow, OK) 682, 12. Aaron Berryhill (Broken Arrow, OK) 664, 13. Chuck Swenson (Watertown, SD) 654, 14. Gavin Punch (Collinsville, OK) 542, 15. Kenneth Walker (Collinsville, OK) 516.
Top Ten Owners Points: 1. Wright #9 - 1,163, 2. H&H Enterprises #94 – 1,082, 3. Row #41 – 1,059, 4. Sparks #91 – 1,047, 5. Rilat #29 – 1,033, 6. Landon Racing #11F – 919, 7. Shouse #27 – 898, 8. Downing #64J – 860, 9. Lubbock Wrecker Service #11x – 766, 10. Schmelzle Racing #57c – 741.
2007 O'Reilly ASCoT Feature Winners:
Gary Wright 4, Jason Johnson 2, Wayne Johnson 2, Terry McCarl 1, Jake Peters 1.
ASCoT – A Look Ahead:
May 18 Black Rock Speedway (Dundee, NY)
May 19 Black Rock Speedway (Dundee, NY)
May 24 Susquehanna Speedway Park (Newberrytown, PA)
May 25 Virginia Motor Speedway (Saluda, VA)
May 26 Virginia Motor Speedway (Saluda, VA)
The O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National series is currently slated for 46 nights of racing action at 24 different tracks throughout 16 different states, with more than $1,000,000 in purse money and point fund to be distributed during the 2007 season.
The 2007 season marks the 16th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing for the American Sprint Car Series. With 13 different Regions in addition to the O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National series, ASCS will sanction approximately 240 nights of racing at more than 100 different race tracks throughout at least 30 different states and Canada.
Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com.
|
