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Sizzling Sooner Sprint Nationals Goes to

Sean McClelland

By: John Lemon

OCRS Public Relations

Muskogee, Oklahoma (June 3, 2011)- Persistence can pay off in many ways. Sometimes its for that career promotion, other times its to reach a social status and if your Sean McClelland, its to show your fellow peers that winning is the only thing acceptable. Tonight’s inaugural running of the Oil Capital Racing Series sanctioned “Sooner Sprint Nationals” at the Outlaw Motor Speedway in Muskogee featured a 25-lap race that was sizzling with excitement to the end.

Stilwell Oklahoma’s Rafe Essary would lead the field to green in his self-sponsored XXX number 26 machine. The yellow would come out before a lap could be completed when Fred Mattox in the Pacer Energy Marketing, AKL Oilfield Services, D&J Tank Tucks XXX car and Tulsa’s Mike Goodman, piloting the Premier Homes / Auto Showcase of Tulsa F-5 Twister chassis would get together in turns three and four. Mattox would be left stopped on the track and Cache’s Joe Bob Lee in his Ryan’s Trucking / SW Vacuum sprinter would get collected in the accident as well. Tim Kent would slide to a stop to avoid contact in his Kent Construction CMC car. Lee and Kent would go tail back while Mattox would have to leave via the hook.

The second start wouldn’t last long either, as Lawton’s Tyler Johnson would spin to a stop in turn two. Third time was a charm for the pack of warriors with Essary jumping out to lead going into turn one only to have Dewey Oklahoma resident Andrew Deal take over as the official first lap leader in his Burke Oil / A.R.T. chassis. Essary, McClelland, Whit Gastineau and Goodman would complete the top five runners.

Another yellow would drop on lap six when Sapulpa’s Danny Smith would slow to a crawl on the back straight with mechanical issues. On the restart, Goodman and Gastineau would pass Essary while Deal would exit the track on the same lap handing the lead over to McClelland. Goodman then made a power play for the lead in turn one of the next lap by sweeping by last weeks winner. Defending champion Jamie Passmore was making his presence known by moving into the top five in the G.A.P. Roofing machine. Owasso’s Matt Sherrell, who started this night 16^th in his Sherrell Paint & Body / Keizer Aluminum Wheels and Bell Racing Equipment car was in the top ten by this point and closing ground quickly.

On lap eleven, Passmore would move into fourth by passing Essary while McClelland was reeling in Goodman. Lap 13 would produce yet another amber light when Tim Kent would be slow to clear the track when he lost power. The restart would see Goodman at the point, followed by McClelland, Gastineau, Passmore (who disposed of Essary prior to the yellow for another position),Essary, Sherrell, Kenneth Walker, ‘Hotrod’ Kent, Brady Demeree and from the 20^th and scratch position, “The Princess”, Shayla Waddell. Gastineau would throw a big time slider on McClelland for second as the cars powered into turn one only to have McClelland take the spot back as the boys came out of turn two.

Sherrell would continue his mission by going around a slowing Essary in turn one. Essary would lose power completely and retire. Yellow cloth would wave another time when Demeree spun to a stop in turn two. Lap 19 would see Passmore also loose power and be tossed from the fight. The night’s last stoppage came when Passmore would stop in the chute off the back-straight attempting to clear the track. On the last restart, the “Gasman” (Gastineau) took another stab at McClelland and tried another long slider going into turn one only to get passed right back as before.

On the 25^th and final lap, Goodman looked to be in control until a radiator hose blew going into turn two. McClelland pounced on the open opportunity and completed the last half a lap for the win. Goodman held on and crossed the stripe second with the Gasman third in the Red Rock Distributing / Shell Rapid Lube / Goodyear Eagle, followed by Sherrell, Hotrod Kent, Waddell, Walker, Terry Easum, Lee and Glen Passmore. In the tech inspection area, OCRS officials informed Goodman that he was being penalized two positions for an on-track altercation with Mattox on the start and he would be scored fourth.“I totally disagree with the decision,” said the former series champion. “You know, we are all racing for position and he (Mattox) lifted and he rolled off the throttle. This is a high-speed track and you just don’t lift. I was coming from the top to the bottom to avoid a couple of guys in front of me. I made contact with him but not very hard. I know it got him loose in the slick stuff but that’s just racing, you don’t lift here on a fast track. It was a racing incident, it wasn’t intentional and I just don’t agree with the call.”

McClelland on the other hand was quite pleased with his second OCRS tour stop win in a row. “ This was a good race. This track lends its self to slide jobs. You have to be prepared for it and you have to be ready to get one back. It’s just good hard racing, its just what it is.”Regarding the last restart, McClelland offered these thoughts; “I thought we had a good shot at winning it. I found a good line down in turns one and two by diamonding the turns but I just missed it on that last restart and was basically settling for second or third but he (Goodman) blew that radiator (hose) so we just took a lucky one. I feel really comfortable in this car and the Penske shocks and Goodyear tires along with Lightning Wings is a great combination and I have a great crew chief in Shane.”

While not a winner on this night, Gastineau felt good about his run also. “I think we (he and McClelland) were just as good as Goodman. I think who ever got the lead first would be in the best position to pull away a little.” When asked why he couldn’t get the slide jobs he maneuvered onto McClelland to stick, the Gasman replied: “ Oh, I guess I was driving it in a little to hard. The last time I parked it, he slowed. It was a fun race.”

The next tour stop for the OCRS sprint car warriors is next Friday night, June 10^th at the “Hummer” in Humboldt, Kansas. Gastineau and Danny Smith were hardware collectors at the two tour stops to Humboldt in 2010. Track website is: www.humboldtspeedway.com

OCRS would like to thank Outlaw Motor Speedway and to their racing partners: Goodyear Tire and Rubber, Carter-Maxwell, AmeriFlex Hose & Accessories, John Boy Racing Products, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Schoenfeld Mufflers, Grand Prix Auto Center, Keizer Aluminum Wheels and Same Day Auto Repair for their support of the Oil Capital Racing Series.

THE FINISH LINE:

OCRS Outlaw Motor Speedway 6.3.11
26 Cars

Heat 1:
1. Joe Bob Lee (1) 2. Fred Mattox (7) 3. Kyle Clark (3) 4. Glen Passmore (4) 5. Jamie Passmore (5) 6. Beau Gastineau (2) 7. Casey Wills (6) 8. Rob Hooper (DNS) 9. Brett Adams (DNS)

Heat 2:
1. Mike Goodman (4) 2. Andrew Deal (8) 3. Rafe Essary (7) 4. Brady Demeree (1) 5. Tyler Johnson (5) 6. Kacee Frazier (6) 7. Tim Kent (3) 8. Kevin Guinn (9) 9. Kenneth Walker (2)

Heat 3:
1.Whit Gastineau (1) 2. Sean McClelland (3) 3. Terry Easum (2) 4. Danny Smith (4) 5. Shayla Waddell (5) 6. Matt Sherrell (6) 7. Johnny “Hotrod” Kent (8) 8. Travis Jenkins (7)

Pole Dash:
1.Fred Mattox (1) 2. Rafe Essary (2) 3. Andrew Deal (3) 4. Mike Goodman (6) 5. Whit Gasinteau (5) 6. Joe Bob Lee (3)

B Feature (Top 4 Transfer):
1.Matt Sherrell (2) 2. Johnny. “Hotrod” Kent (3) 3. Tim Kent (5) 4. Kenneth Walker (7) 5. Travis Jenkins (6) 6. Kacee Frazier (1) 7. Rob Hooper (8) 8. Kevin Guinn (4) 9. Bret Adams (DNS) 10. Casey Wills (DNS)

A Feature (25 laps):
1,Sean McClelland (7) 2. Whit Gastineau (5) 3. Matt Sherrell (16) 4. Mike Goodman (4) 5. Johnny “Hotrod” Kent (17) 6. Shayla Waddell (20) 7. Kenneth Walker (19) 8. Terry Easum (9) 9. Joe Bob Lee (6) 10. Glen Passmore (10) 11. Tyler Johnson (14) 12.Beau Gastineau (15) 13. Brady Demeree (11) 14. Jamie Passmore (13) 15. Rafe Essary (2) 16. Tim Kent (18) 17. Andrew Deal (3) 18. Danny Smith (12) 19. Fred Mattox (1) 20 Kyle Clark (8)

NOTE: Goodman docked 2 positions for on track infraction ( ) = Starting Positions