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June 04, 2012 at
04:36:08 PM by OCRS-PR
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CHAMP SPRINT TEAMS - A STATE DIVIDED
EAST vs. WEST CHALLENGES RESUMES THIS SATURDAY AT
OKLAHOMA SPORTS PARK!
John
Lemon
OCRS
Public Relations
Tulsa Oklahoma (June 4, 2012) – In the history of sports,
nothing beats a good hard fierce rivalry between participants and its fans. Baseball
has the New Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox. Professional football has the Green Bay
Packers vs. the Chicago Bears. Hockey has New York Rangers vs. the New Jersey
Devils. The NBA has the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Boston Celtics.
The sprint cars of the Oil
Capital Racing Series has the state of Oklahoma divided by East vs. West.
Nowhere is that more proven than at the 4/10 mile dirt track of the Oklahoma
Sports Park located in Ada, Oklahoma. There have been 13 sprint car events
contested at OSP since the summer of 2007. Western teams, which are classified
as sprint car teams in and around the western portion of the Turner Turnpike
and beyond, have captured seven victories at OSP. Eastern teams, classified as
those in and around the eastern portion of the turnpike hold six triumphs over
their rivals at OSP.
This Saturday night will determine
if the western foes can go “2 Up” on their counterparts or if the eastern contingent
can make this series deadlocked at seven all on OSP soil. From the way the 2012
OCRS chase for the “Goodyear Tire & Rubber Championship” has played out to
date, the fight is in full swing. Eastern teams fired the first shot when they
opened the season with three straight wins. Three time OCRS champion, “Jammin” Jamie
Passmore of Rose Oklahoma, took the first two scheduled rounds (Brill Motor Speedway / Humboldt Speedway)
and that was followed up by a Danny Smith win at the Mid-America Speedway. The
eastern teams were kicking tail and taking names.
Danny Smith will be a force
on the eastern roster against the western teams / Phil Pace Photo
Just as the conquerors of
the east began to sprout their wings in a prideful fashion to express their
dominance, back came the rugged western gunslingers with two victories in the
last three affairs. Shayla Waddell let be known that her soft spoken and mild
mannered style should not be confused with her demeanor in the cockpit of a
powerful sprint car as she was victorious at the Highbanks in Salina Oklahoma. Waddell
became the first female to achieve a victory in OCRS history. Passmore worked
in one more score at Thunderbird Speedway in Muskogee the next week then it was
another western claim as Whit “Gasman” Gastineau took squatter rights from
eligible victory lane seekers at the sold out event at the Caney Valley
Speedway. Western saddle riders have claimed the last four victory lane real estate
offerings @ OSP with Gary Owens of Pauls Valley taking the 5th
Annual “Oklahoma State Championship” last September and Gastineau taking the
previous three in a row including the 2011 rendition of the “Harold Leep Jr.
Memorial” last May and the 4th Annual “Oklahoma State Championship”
in the autumn season of 2010.
Oklahoma Sports Park produces
exciting sprint car finishes as evidenced by not one but two extremely
thrilling finishes last year. Gastineau won a feature when Owens spun in turn
four of the last lap and Owens was a benefactor to win the Oklahoma State
Championship event when the leader he was chasing flipped 25 yards short of the
finish line. These western drivers along with their partners will look to
prevail once again.
Shayla Waddell & Harli
White will look to keep the western winning streak in tact this Saturday @ OSP
~~~The
Opponents Strengthen Their Rosters ~~~
Both rosters have strengthened their rosters as
the “Day of Reckoning” draws near and they have done so in different ways. The
western roster is expected to have the “Hog Wagon” on hand with the quiet but
sly Joe Wood Jr behind the reins. Wood put on quite a show in the OCRS season
opener coming from 20th to 2nd at Brill Motor Speedway.
Norman’s Danny Jennings is a frequent OSP attendee in the Goodyear Tire Special
and his presence always commands respect.
If having one talented woman to
win races helps a rosters clout, can you imagine two? That’s what the western
clan will have at their disposal Saturday night as Lindsay’s Harli White will
bring her Brand Engines / Maxim stagecoach to the shootout. Like Waddell, White
isn’t coming for mere kicks. She comes to compete and to win. Early showings to
date have let fans, teams and even race officials know this young lady is all
business when she checks in the pits.
The eastern side of the equation
has strengthened their roster by having some of their members make vast
improvements over their programs from 2011. Drumright Oklahoma’s Fred Mattox
has been fast and hungry and has come close on a few occasions to obtaining his
first OCRS win. Sperry’s Casey Wills is off to his best start ever and
currently sets in third place for the 2012 title. Wills is a mere six markers
ahead of Mattox. Add Tim Kent with his 50% average of placing in the top five and
the return of former series owner Kenneth Walker to the fold and the eastern
players are working to stay “matched up” with their western cousins. After all,
nothing like a fair fight in an oval corral.
Gary Owens (right) with
father Glen after the amazing Oklahoma State Championship win last fall @ OSP
Current OCRS Point Leader:
Jamie Passmore/ Phil Pace Photo
~~~ EVENT FACTS AND INFORMATION ~~~
What: Ground-pounding 360 winged sprint cars of the Oil
Capital Racing Series
Where: Oklahoma Sports Park / Ada, Oklahoma
When: Saturday, June 9, 2012
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
Oklahoma
Sports Park gates will open at 5pm / Hot Laps @ 7pm / Racing starts @ 7:30pm
OCRS
drivers meeting will commence at 6:15pm.
Former OCRS
winners at Oklahoma Sports Park
5.19.07:
Mike Goodman
7.14.07:
Chris Burns
9.22.07:
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*
5.14.11:
Whit Gastineau**
7.09.11:
Whit Gastineau
9.17.11:
Gary Owens*
*Denotes
date of Oklahoma State Championship event
**
Denotes date of “Harold Leep Jr. Memorial” event
NOTE: The 2012 “Harold Leep Jr.
Memorial” event will be held @ OSP on July 28, 2012.
The 6th Annual “Oklahoma State Championship” will be held on
September 15, 2012.
www.ocrsracing.com
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