|
Cody Morris, TULSA, OK (5-27-2011) - The profound arrival of the southern plains summer was warmly greeted by Port City Raceway confines as the Lucas Oil American Small Car Series made a sizzling 2011 debut at the famed 1/8th mile high banks.
Kicking off a Memorial Holiday Weekend double header, Tulsa area race fans would see the pendulum of fortune swing back and forth throughout the event, with breath taking moments of glory and catastrophe. At the conclusion of preliminary night Lucas Oil ASCS2 action, Hunter Fischer, Jordan Herrman, and Blake Hahn each stood proudly in Lucas Oil ASCS2 victory lane at the best mini sprint bullring in the nation.
Approximately 65 entries represented the Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw, Non Wing, and Restricted division in the opening night of a much anticipated Memorial Holiday Weekend double.
The headlining 25 lap Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw main event would be led to green by Linsay, Oklahoma upstart and Outlaw point leader Harli White, but it would be highly accomplished Tulsa native Chris Andrews rocketing into the early lead.
After several stoppages in the early stages of the 25 lap affair, including a lap 5 dust up that left White without a nose wing and 2009 Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw Champion Kevin Bayer on the sidelines, Andrews remained comfortably at the point until he reached lap traffic at the halfway mark.
Sapulpa, Oklahoma's sensational Blake Hahn had recovered from early race jitters after being relegated to the out reaches of the top 5 from his outside front row starting spot. Lapped traffic allowed Hahn to close the distance and challenge Andrews until White's fortune would point south a final time as she spun to a turn 1 stop.
Immediately out of the lap 15 restart, Brandon Hahn would have 3rd stolen by hard charging Topeka, Kansas native Kiefer Stelzner. Coming from his 11th place starting spot, Stelzner would make keep pace with Blake Hahn and Andrews.
Until disaster struck. With 4 laps remaining and Andrews continuously keeping distance over Blake Hahn and Stelzner, Brandon Hahn dove through the turns 3 and 4 infield before coming to a stop in the middle of turn 4, during the caution peroid Andrews' mount suddenly lost power, turning what seemed a valid bet for a main event score into a early exit.
Reigning 2010 Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw Champion Blake Hahn would inherit the point, only to see Stelzner draw side by side for a a dazzling finish. Reminiscent of Hahn's recent Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw dual with Tyson Hall at I-44 Speedway, Hahn and Stelzner would draw even on each straightaway for the final 3 laps.
With Stelzner maintaining his strategy on the extreme bottom of the racing surface and Hahn his on the famed Port City cushion, Stelzer claimed a lap 24 lead by mere inches, before Hahn pulled even again along the back straightaway to set up a race fan's favorite ending.
With Stelzner seemingly ahead coming off the bottom of turn 4, Hahn would utilize every inch of his momentum shooting down from the top side cushion.
By a margin of about three feet, maybe less, Hahn would claim his second consecutive Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw victory of the 2011 campaign aboard the Speedway Vending, Racin' Boys Lawn Care, Metric Cycles, Simpson Helmets, Hoosier Tires, and Afco Shocks sponsored no. 52 Sawyer mount.
Stelzner would settle for runner up honors with Tulsa ntive Darrien Roberts charging from 14th to claim the show position. Benton, Arkansas native Nick Ivy charged from 13th to claim the fourth and final lock in position for Saturday's Lucas Oil ASCS2 finale at Port City Raceway.
Blake Hahn, Kevin Bayer, and Jordan Barbee each claimed heat race honors over the 20 car Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw field.
In Lucas Oil ASCS2 Non Wing action, Lindsay, Oklahoma's Harli White would again bear the pole position, this time in the 25 lap Lucas Oil ASCS2 Non Wing main event. White would fight hard to hold the point only to find herself upended and joining Chris Andrews at the tail of the field.
Jay, Oklahoma's Jordan Herrman would take over the top spot and immediately found fierce challenge from Glenpool, Oklahoma's Matt Ward. The challenge would come to a breathtaking halt as Ward exited turn two and greeted Port City's infamous back straightaway wall, setting off a series of frightening flips down the backstraightaway. After flipping end over end nearly a half dozen times, Ward's mount would come to an extremely hard landing deep in the turn three approach.
Port City grandstands watched stunned and with disbelief as Ward climbed out of his broken mount to make that disappointing walk back to the pit area, before breaking into raucous applause for the safety of the hard charging open wheel veteran.
Ward's early exit would set in motion a very entertaining battle for the runner up spot throughout the main event. Herrman would lead comfortably with a few exceptions, battling not only the Port City cushion but a broken left front tire. However, Port City fans would witness catastrophe once again.
On lap 14 a yellow would be waived for Charles McManus' stalled mount in turn three, as the track lights signaled yellow, McManus' car exploded into flames with McManus struggling to get free. As McManus leaped from the inferno, track officials helped to extinuguish the flames on him, while struggling to contain the fuel ignited flames still leaping from McManus' car.
As fire extinguishers were struggling to suppress the flames, a water hose was brought from the infield to do the proper job. Remarkably and to great relief from onlookers, McManus emerged from the nightmare unharmed.
Action would again be delayed with 18 of 25 laps complete, although this time setting up an action packed finish in which Herrman was occasionally joined at the point by Broken Arrow native Alex Sewell and Tulsa native Harlan Hulsey. However, Herrman would repel each assualt even while being hampered by steering issues.
Hulsey would peek under Herrman over the final two circuits, but Herrman ultimately overcame his competition and steering woes to claim his first Lucas Oil ASCS2 Non Wing victory aboard the Steve Dixon owned and Momo's Racing Engines powered black no. 92 Sawyer Chassis mount.
Hulsey settled for runner up honors with Andrews battling from his early race setback to claim the show position. Sewell would cross the stripe in the fourth and final lock in position for Saturday's Lucas Oil ASCS2 Non Wing finale. Although there will only be three lock in positions to Saturday's Non Wing finale due to a planned collegiate engagement for Jordan Herrman.
Andrews, Steven Shebester, and Harli White each took heat race honors over the 20 car Lucas Oil ASCS2 Non Wing field.
The 20 lap Lucas Oil ASCS2 Restricted main event would be led to the green flag by Tulsa native and hometown favortie Hunter Fischer with Atoka, Oklahoma's recent Lucas Oil ASCS2 Restricted winner at I-44 Speedway Austin Shores alongside.
Narrowly edging out Shores for an opening lap lead, Fischer would continuously build comfortable advantages despite several stoppages in the first half of the 20 lap feature.
Leading 2011 Lucas Oil ASCS2 Restricted points coming into the Port City double. Coweta, Oklahoma's Chance Morton steadily worked from his inside third row starting spot to the runner up spot by the midway stage of the event.
A lap 12 caution for a stalled Stephen Perkins in turn one would provide Morton a setting to mount a fantastic challenge until Fischer pulled away once again with 5 laps remaining.
Morton pounced on the final lap, attempting to slip under Fishcer at the stripe, but Fischer would not be denied his first Lucas Oil ASCS2 Restricted victory of his young career aboard the Skip's Performance Corner sponsored and James and Brenda Fischer owned no. 24 Factor One mount with special thanks to Ken Simmons.
Morton would settle for a runner up honors with Shores claiming the show position. Hometown favorite Jason McDougal would claim the fourth and final lock in position to Saturday's Lucas Oil ASCS2 Restricted main event.
Tyler Vandever, Chance Morton, Austin Shores, and Jason McDougal each claimed heat race honors over the 25 car Lucas Oil ASCS2 Restricted field.
The Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw, Non Wing, and Restricted division will be back tonight, May 28th, for their Memorial Holiday Weekend finale at Port City Raceway.
How much would could a wouldchuck chuck if a
wouldchuck could chuck would
|
Reply to:
Posted By: bandit19 on May 28 2011 at 02:52:18 PM
Once again, good job on the coverage. Is there anyway you can post results with your write ups?
|
thank you Mike. and good question, yes I could. But the articles - well - more accuarately - they are stories revisited (hence why tonights is not done lol) - they are pretty long. The results are always up on our website the same night. www.ascs2racing.com under the results tab. There is a newspaper style results I could put into my article - but, primarily I keep the focus of the articles to a true fan experience coupled with official details.
And since we have a results area on our site....figured just let them chill there. if I put them in my articles - that would be less reason for people to get on our site to check it out. Since last year, "they" have often wanted me to do just copy and paste a link. I like puttin the whole thing on here - but by leaving results and points and stuff on our site.....hopefully that still keeps some site traffic up. Our points page was supposed to be working this weekend, but was not. otherwise I would have had points updated after friday night's race - and now.
I will say - Thriller missed a hell of a weekend of racing to video!! I don't mean it AGAINST other tracks.....but I cannot fathom any race in the state being so constantly competitive, action packed, constant passing, photo finishes (5 out of 6 to be exact lol). I mean.......Port City proved again tonight......it's simply THE BEST. If you love open wheel racing - it's your spot.
Had lunch with Bob Oertle yesterday - he gave me a great quote.....somethin like "people want passing and wrecking and not necessarily in that order" lol. well we had all of that plus awesome lap by lap action with a great cushion. As a fan - Mike I implore you to go up there soon! you would love it! Any open wheel fan would. once you get past the ages and smaller tracks and cars........you'll find it's BY FAR the best racing around now - and the best racing some of us have seen in years. It's that good up at Port City.! check it out!!!
And I do confess - I miss sprints. But sprints at lawton, meeker, outlaw, thunderbird, creek, etc......doesn;t come close to the non stop action at Port City Raceway!!
How much would could a wouldchuck chuck if a
wouldchuck could chuck would
|
