PASSMORE THUNDERS TO VICTORY AT THUNDERBIRD SPEEDWAY (REGAINS TOP SPOT BY A SINGLE POINT)
MUSKOGEE OKLAHOMA (MAY 25, 2012)
– Former Oil Capital Racing Series sprint car champion Jamie Passmore
cruised to victory in the second annual running of “Callie’s Night” on
Thunderbird’s massive half mile dirt track thus spoiling a potential
sweep by Sapulpa’s Danny Smith. The pilot of the G.A.P. Roofing / Eagle /
Wesmar Racing Engines sprinter started outside front row along side
Smith who earlier had won the Pole Dash. Smith, who had also won the
M&W Aluminum Heat race earlier in the program, had the option to
take the Oil Medics “Back Row Challenge” and win an extra $1,000 as
offered up by the Oil Medics. Said Smith after the Pole Dash win, “I’d
like to win an extra $1,000 but I have never won here and I want a win
on this track.” He had but one problem, Passmore wouldn’t cooperate with
his desire.
When official starter JD Etter dropped the
green for the 25-lap affair, Smith darted into turn one in his Same Day
Auto Repair / BMS Engines / XXX chassis only to have Passmore storm
around him coming out of turn two and down the back straight. From that
point onward, Passmore was on cruise control. In but a few short laps,
The Rose Oklahoma speedster opened up a seven car length advantage and
at times it would swell to 12-15 lengths. Only occasional lapped traffic
and a couple of yellows would allow Smith to get a better view of
Passmore’s rear bumper. At the end of the first lap it was Passmore,
Smith, Kenneth Walker in the Icon Pistons /Headman Headers / Evans
Cooling Systems / POPS Custom Engines / J&J followed by Tim Kent in
his Kent Construction / Pump Motor Works / Goodyear Tire / Maddox Engine
/ Maxim and micro sprint sensation Harli White in her own Charlie's
Trucking and Forklift / Jerry Tucker Roustabout &Rentals / Brand
Racing Engines / Maxim.
White, who had competed in one race
with OCRS last year, looked terrific in her first time back to sprint
car action since. She was second in the Drive Shaft Inc. heat race
behind Kyle Clark and ran a solid third in the Pole Dash. A yellow would
fall quickly when a multi car pile up took place in turn two. Cars
involved were Jeremy Allen, Michael Bookout, Rafe Essary and last weeks
feature winner Shayla Waddell. Essary went pitside and would not return
while Waddell was towed back with damage that kept her return from being
possible.
Jamie Passmore in victory lane for the third time in 2012 Phil Pace Photo
Passmore
would pick up where he left off and sped off from Smith when the field
went back to green. Defending OCRS Champion Sean McClelland was driving
the David Stephenson owned / Dyno Services of Oklahoma / D&E Supply /
Green Country Drywall / ART chassis for this evening. McClelland had
started dead last after flipping the #22 mount in the M&W Aluminum
heat and was slicing his way through the back half of the field but all
the while, Passmore was sailing. Walker, Kent and White were locked
together for a period of time and put on a great display of wheel –
wheel action as they battled for position. When the men would pull up
alongside Miss White, she made it known she is not one to go down
without a fight as her fierce battle for position against more
experienced sprint pilots was impressive. However, spark plug wires
would derail the young lady from Lindsay and the 17w had to return to
its nest and would be credited with a thirteenth place scorecard.
Johnny “Hotrod” Kent would flex some muscle in the Kent Construction /
Kent Fireworks car and begin to pick his way towards the front.
Passmore encountered a couple of lapped cars and for a moment it looked
as he might get into a tangle with them but he would carefully pick his
way through. Casey Wills continued his early season success as he was in
the mix with the top six cars in the Oil Express Trucking / Oklahoma
Dyno Engine / ART chassis.
A late yellow for an Alex
Sewell stoppage on lap 19 due to a flat tire would not be a problem for
Passmore as he went on to take the win by 12 car lengths. Smith was next
in class with his runner-up run followed by Hotrod Kent, Walker and Tim
Kent. Wills, Beau Gastineau, Jeremy Allen, David Dutton and Michael
Bookout would round out the top ten. The victory by Passmore propelled
him back into the top spot for the chase for the “Goodyear Tire &
Rubber Championship” by a single point over Smith (397-396). Walker
moves up to third just 3 points in front of Wills while Waddell slips to
fifth from third after her DNF.
Next up for the OCRS
warriors is a trip north to the ¼ mile bullring of the Caney Valley
Speedway in Caney Kansas on Saturday night where the sprinters will
compete in the “Thunder In The Valley” event. McClelland was victorious
in the CVS stop last year.
Thunderbird Speedway / Muskogee Oklahoma Race date: May 25, 2012 - Event 5 22-Cars ( ) = Starting Position M&W Aluminum Heat: 1,
Danny Smith (5). 2, Johnny Kent (2). 3, Casey Wills (6). 4, Alex Sewell
(8). 5, Rob Hooper (7). 6, Whit Gastineau (4). 7, Sean McClelland (3)
8, Glen Passmore (1) DQ- did not report to scales.
Bob Hurley Auto Family Heat: 1,
Jamie Passmore (3). 2, Kenneth Walker (1). 3, Beau Gastineau (2). 4,
Fred Mattox (4). 5, Rafe Essary (6). 6, Jeremy Allen (5). 7, Shayla
Waddell (7)
Drive Shafts, Inc. Heat: 1, Kyle Clark
(2). 2, Harli White (4). 3, Tim Kent (5). 4, David Dutton (3). 5, Colton
Brewer (6). 6, Michael Bookout (1) 7, Joe Wood Jr (7)
Pole Dash: 1, Danny Smith (2). 2, Jamie Passmore (4). 3, Harli White (3). 4, Kyle Clark (5) 5, Tim Kent (6). 6, Kenneth Walker (6)
OCRS A Feature: 1,
Jamie Passmore (2). 2, Danny Smith (1). 3, Johnny Kent (9). 4, Kenneth
Walker (6). 5, Tim Kent (5). 6, Casey Wills (8). 7, Beau Gastineau (10).
8, Jeremy Allen (16). 9, David Dutton (12). 10, Michael Bookout (17).
11, Sean McClelland (20). 12, Rob Hooper (15).13, Harli White (3). 14,
Colton Brewer (14). 15, Fred Mattox (11). 16, Alex Sewell (7). 17, Kyle
Clark (4). 18, Rafe Essary (13). 19, Shayla Waddell (18) 20, Joe Wood Jr
(19). DNS: Whit Gastineau / Glen Passmore
AmeriFlex Hose & Accessories Hard Charger: Sean McClelland www.ocrsracing.com
Sean McClelland Flips the #22 Sprinter In Turn 4 Mike Spivey Photo
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