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PASSMORE REPELLS ATTACKS BY GASTINEAU
RACKS UP ANOTHER VICTORY AT T-BIRD
John Lemon
OCRS Public Relations
Muskogee
Oklahoma (July 6, 2012) – As they have done three times previously in
2012, Whit “Gasman” Gastineau and “Jammin Jamie” Passmore have started the
25-lap A Feature for the Oil Capital Racing Series sprint cars together on the
front row and each have won while doing so. Tonight was another Gastineau /
Passmore reunion of sorts as the two sprint combatants would square off in
another duel.
Gastineau would pace the duo as he held the pole by virtue of his
victory in the five lap “Pole Dash” race contested earlier in the evening. The
pilot of the DW’s Video / Shell Rapid Lube / Larry Allen Engines / Eagle chassis
had darted out into the immediate lead at the start while Passmore followed in
his GAP Roofing / Wesmar Engines / Eagle. Kyle Clark, in the Same Day Auto
Repair / BMS Engines / XXX chassis and The “Mongoose”, Matt Sherrell in the
Sherrell Paint & Body / Don Carrens / J&J were next to follow the
leaders.
Gastineau and Passmore would provide instant excitement by going at one
another wheel-wheel. Coming out of turn four to start lap three, Passmore made
a run on the Gasman and had pulled along side of him only to have the Gasman
hold the spot at the scorer’s line. However, Passmore would find his way around
Gastineau coming out of turn four to begin the fifth lap. Just prior to that
move, Tim Kent would find his way around both Sherrell and Clark for the third
spot. Danny Smith, Clark’s teammate, would also begin to pick his way through
the field and head forward. By the ninth lap, Passmore already had ten car lengths
on Gastineau and the race looked as if would get out of hand.
The
tenth lap would see misfortune strike Kent as he blew an engine and at the same
time, his cousin Johnny would slow to a crawl on the back straight with
mechanical issues of his own. While Tim would be able to get his car off the
track, the yellow would fly to remove Johnny’s stranded car. Back under green,
Smith attacked Clark for the third spot and pulled off a successful take over. Two
laps later, Gastineau made a furious attempt to over take Passmore and even
pulled up along side of the former champion by shooting to the low end of the
track in turn one while Passmore rode the rim. Coming out of turn two and
heading down the backstretch, Passmore would out drag Gastineau to retain the
lead.
Working lap 22, a yellow would fall again as Casey Wills would spin the
Oil & Fleet Express special in turn two. He would restart at the rear. This
set up another chance for the Gasman to overtake the top position as Smith
would restart third with Clark fourth, Sherrell fifth and Fred Mattox sixth. During
the final four laps, Sherrell and Mattox would each find their way by Clark
while Passmore held on for his seventh OCRS feature victory of 2012 win with an
eight car length advantage. Gastineau took the runner up spot with Smith,
Sherrell and Mattox making the top five.
Fans
came out in numbers to see the OCRS sprint cars @ T-Bird / Mike Spivey Photo
“I was
able to move around just enough to find a good line (to keep ahead of
Gastineau)” said Passmore in victory lane. “I was lucky to do so and we just
got lucky again.” About the early battle with Gastineau, Passmore had this
comment: “It doesn’t matter when it is in the race (early, middle or late), your
just trying to do the best you can. With a kid like Whit, you know you can race
with him. You know you don’t have to worry about him running over you. Its just
good clean racing.”
“I was
working different lines to see what would work for me and what was working for
him (Passmore)” said Gastineau. “ I was pretty much horrible in (turns) 3 &
4 but much better in one & two. I think I showed him the faster line once.
I think he saw me and I guess I should have made it stick a little bit better”
said last years points runner up.
From
the third place finisher Smith: “We know we can run with them (Passmore &
Gastineau), our lap times are almost identical. They started on the front and I
started five rows back so it took me a long time to get there (up front). I’ve
said it before, I just can’t spot them 5-6 rows and expect to rum with them. By
the time we get there, you have rubber laid down and there’s no more passing
after that.”
Sherrell took the win in the M&W Aluminum heat race while Clark took
the Bob Hurley Auto Family heat and Wichita’s Mike Peters captured the Drive
Shafts Inc. Heat. Smith was the AmeriFlex Hose & Accessories hard charger
improving his position by seven places.
The
OCRS warriors will now load up for the fourth weekend doubleheader of the
season. The first stop will be at the Brills Motor Speedway in Meeker Oklahoma
on Friday the 13th while the Salina Highbanks Speedway in Pryor is
the following night where the “Princess”, Shayla Waddell, will return after her
fan gratifying victory in May.
Passmore & crew receiving their props for another victory /
Mike Howard Photo
Thunderbird
Speedway
Race date: July 6, 2012 - Event 11
21
Cars
M&W Aluminum Heat:
1- Matt Sherrell (1), 2-
Harli White (2), 3- Jamie Passmore (7), 4- Danny Smith (4), 5- Casey Wills (3),
6- Johnny Kent (6), 7- Beau Gastineau (6)
Bob Hurley Auto Family Heat:
1-Kyle Clark (1), 2- Tim Kent (2), 3- Whit Gastineau (6), 4- Shayla
Waddell (4),
5- Alex Sewell (5), 6- Rafe
Essary (7), 7- Keith Bolton (3)
Drive Shafts Inc. Heat:
1- Mike Peters (1), 2- Fred Mattox (6), 3- Kenneth Walker (3), 4-
Glenn Passmore (2), 5- James Estes (7), 6- Colton Brewer (5), 7- Michael
Bookout (4)
Pole
Dash:
1- Whit Gastineau (2), 2- Jamie
Passmore (6), 3- Kyle Clark (1), 4- Matt Sherrell (3), 5- Fred Mattox (5), 6-
Mike Peters (4)
OCRS
A Feature:
1- Jamie Passmore (2), 2- Whit Gastineau (1), 3- Danny Smith (10),
4- Matt Sherrell (4), 5- Fred Mattox (5), 6- Kyle Clark (3), 7- Mike Peters
(6), 8- Harli white (7), 9- Glen Passmore (12), 10- Alex Sewell (14), 11-
Shayla Waddell (11), 12- Beau Gastineau (17), 13- Casey Wills (13), 14- Kenneth
Walker (9), 15- Rafe Essary (15), 16- Tim Kent (8), 17- Johnny Kent (16), 18-
James Estes (18), 19- Michael Bookout (DNS), 20- Keith Bolton (DNS) 21- Colton
Brewer (DNS)
AmeriFlex Hose
& Accessories “Hard Charger” – Danny Smith +7
www.ocrsracing.com
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