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3^rd Annual Harold Leep Jr. Memorial Saturday At Oklahoma Sports Park

John Lemon / OCRS Staff

Tulsa, Oklahoma (May 10, 2011)- Three years ago this month, the racing world lost a dear friend in Harold Leep Jr. A son of one of auto racing greatest legends, Harold Leep Sr; the younger Leep may not have traveled the country side collecting silver and gold trophy’s as his famous father once did, but you couldn’t find a more richer man as he had a soul that was deep, warm and caring.

This Saturday night, at the Oklahoma Sports Park in Ada Oklahoma, the man respected and befriended by many, will be honored with the third running of the “Harold Leep Jr. Memorial” sprint car race sanctioned by the Oil Capital Racing Series. “The Leep family is as close to true racing royalty as it gets around these parts,” said series president Barry Grabel. “Junior was a class act in every sense of the word. Always willing to help his fellow racer, always there to have a good time regardless of the nights (on track) results, he was the one guy you were proud to call a friend.”

Son Jeff is the latest Leep racer and having begun his racing endeavors over 10 years ago, he has kept the Leep name on the racetrack. He will be in action at OSP Saturday to honor his father. “Everyone who knew dad knew what he was all about” said the younger Leep. “Dad got along with everybody. He instilled sportsmanship in me. Sportsmanship was an important part of who he was. I’m a more competitive kind of person but I try to keep the same attitude that he had. Gramps (Harold Sr.) raced for a living and was on the road a lot, dad was more of a family guy. He didn’t travel around because he was OK with being a dad first and a racer second.”

After three events into the 2011 OCRS tour, Tulsa’s Sean McClelland leads the chase for the “Harold Leep Sr.” championship trophy with Owasso’s Matt Sherrell in pursuit. The driver with the hot hand coming into the Leep Jr. event is Moore’s Whit Gastineau. The “Gasman” has captured the last two OCRS main events and is looking for number three this weekend. Gastineau also captured the fourth annual ‘Oklahoma State Championship’ at OSP last September.

Last years LJM winner, Mike Goodman of Tulsa, is expected to defend his title. Goodman has won four OCRS events dating back to May of 2007 at OSP. The initial winner of this event in 2009, Frank Dittman of Moore Oklahoma, is another strong candidate to reach victory lane this weekend. Another former winner at OSP and a Champ Sprint champion at State Fair Speedway, Chris Burns is said to be saddling up in a second Scott Waddell prepared machine and will race as a teammate to Waddell’s daughter Shayla.

Joe Bob Lee of Cache is coming off a feature win at Lawton Speedway last week in local competition and will try is hand against OCRS’ best at OSP. Add defending OCRS champion Jamie Passmore, season opening feature winner Kyle Cobb of Choctaw, and 2010 OCRS feature winners Danny Smith, Travis “Hollywood” Jenkins and Rafe Essary, and you have a stacked decked of cards to which any could come up aces Saturday night.

Oklahoma Sports Park is home to a 4/10 mile clay, oval track and is located just 10 miles northwest of Ada, Oklahoma on state highway 3W.

Track Phone: 580-332-5535 / Promoters Phone: 580-332-5383

Track website: www.oklahomasportspark.com

Hot laps start at 7pm Racing begins at 7:30

OCRS drivers meeting at 6:30

Come out this Saturday night and witness some of the best sprint car competition the region has to offer and honor a man that is a member of racing royalty.

Former OCRS winners at Oklahoma Sports Park

5.19.07: Mike Goodman

7.14.07: Chris Burns

9.12.07: Mike Goodman

5.31.08: Mike Goodman

9.20.08: Danny Smith

5.30.09: Frank Dittman

9.19.09: Andy Shouse

6.12.10: Mike Goodman

7.10.10: Jamie Passmore

9.18.10: Whit Gastineau

For additional information on the OCRS series, visit the website at: www.ocrsracing.com

Scott Thomason



AM/PM Racing



Dirt = Real Racing



"Heroes get remember, but ledgens never die..."





 

 

This happens tomorrow everyone and we are expecting an awesome field of cars from the feedback the teams have given us. Come out and honor a true friend and fellow racer. This will be a great night.

John Lemon

OCRS