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Lonnie Wheatley, MESQUITE, Texas (October 12, 2007) –
Following what proved to be some of the most spectacular
racing action of the night, Hooks, TX, ace
Gary Wright sits atop the leader board in the pursuit of a new Wesmar Racing
Engine in the ASCS Wesmar Challenge.
The opening two segments of the ASCS/Wesmar Challenge were contested during
Friday night's 34th Annual Devil's Bowl Speedway Winter Nationals
preliminary action, with 22 of the 26 invited drivers taking part.
The field drew for starting position in the first 12-lap segment, with the
lineup fully inverted for the second 12-lap segment.
In the end, it was three-time and defending O'Reilly ASCoT National series
champion Wright, who is ever so close to a fourth consecutive title,
accumulating the most points and earning the pole position for Saturday night's third
and final segment of the ASCS/Wesmar Challenge, a 16-lap affair that will put
the wraps on the 34th Annual Devil's Bowl Winter Nationals.
Wright finished second in both Friday night segments, racing from seventh to
second behind Wayne Johnson in the first segment and then from 15th to
second behind Jason Johnson in the second segment.
The opening segment of the ASCS/Wesmar Challenge, featuring the top
contenders from the O'Reilly ASCoT National series and two representatives from each
ASCS Region, ran off in non-stop fashion. The second segment had just one
caution, that occurring when Brian Brown spun to a stop in turn two after three
laps.
Starting from the pole position, ASCS Rocky Mountain Region champion C.J.
Johnson led the opening five rounds of the first segment before fifth starter
Travis Rilat charged into the lead. Rilat's lead was shortlived however, as
fourth-starter Wayne Johnson surged into the lead the next time by in a wild
four-car scramble through the lead with heavy lapped traffic in play.
Wayne Johnson held off Wright the rest of the way in Segment One, with
Rilat, 12th-starter Jason Johnson and C.J. Johnson rounding out the top five.
In the second segment, leading Brodix Rookie of the Year candidate on the
O'Reilly ASCoT National Tour, Foster Landon, gunned into the lead at the outset
and held a commanding lead in the early rounds.
But eighth-starter Jason Johnson soon reeled him in, and after dicing for
the point for a couple of rounds, Jason Johnson took command. Charging from
the eighth row, Wright followed suit and kept the pressure on the rest of the
way before settling for second, with Landon, Jack Dover and Eric Lutz rounding
out the top five.
The ASCS/Wesmar Challenge will conclude with Saturday night's 16-lap
segment, which will be lined straight-up based upon points earned on Friday night,
with only finishing points awarded. Thus, starting from the pole position,
Wright can claim the Wesmar Racing Engine with a finish of third or better.
ASCS / Wesmar Challenge Results:
Segment One (12 Laps – Starting Position in Parenthesis): 1. 94-Wayne
Johnson (4), 2. 9-Gary Wright (7), 3. 29-Travis Rilat (5), 4. 41-Jason Johnson
(12), 5. 45x-C.J. Johnson (1), 6. 21-Brian Brown (9), 7. 5x-Dave Glennon (3),
8. 4a-Kenny Adams (16), 9. 7m-Kevin Ramey (6), 10. 31-Brandon Berryman (8),
11. 45-Chuck Hebing (11), 12. 64J-Johnny Miller (10), 13. 87-Brian McClelland
(13), 14. 11F-Foster Landon (21), 15. 2m-Dustin Daggett (15), 16. 53d-Jack
Dover (19), 17. 35-Jared Zimbardi (18), 18. 71-Keith Rauch (14), 19. 4J-Lee Grosz
(2), 20. 20-Eric Lutz (20), 21. 11T-T.J. Winegardner (17). DNS: 7-Michael
Herrington.
Segment Two (12 Laps – Starting Position in Parenthesis): 1. 41-Jason
Johnson (8), 2. 9-Gary Wright (15), 3. 11F-Foster Landon (2), 4. 53d-Jack Dover
(3), 5. 20-Eric Lutz (1), 6. 4a-Kenny Adams (5), 7. 29-Travis Rilat (17), 8.
35-Jared Zimbardi (4), 9. 2m-Dustin Daggett (7), 10. 7m-Kevin Ramey (16), 11.
45-Chuck Hebing (11), 12. 64J-Johnny Miller (10), 13. 21-Brian Brown (13),
14. 94-Wayne Johnson (18), 15. 45x-C.J. Johnson (21), 16. 11T-T.J. Winegardner
(9), 17. 87-Brian McClelland (12), 18. 71-Keith Rauch (6), 19. 31-Brandon
Berryman (14), 20. 5x-Dave Glennon (19), 21. 4J-Lee Grosz (20). DNS: 7-Michael
Herrington.
Saturday's ASCS/Wesmar Challenge Segment Three Lineup:
Position - ## - Name (Hometown - Region) – Friday Point Total
1. 9-Gary Wright (Hooks, TX - National) 221.0
2. 41-Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA - National) 213.5
3. 29-Travis Rilat (Forney, TX - National) 194.0
4. 4a-Kenny Adams (Malabar, FL – Southern/Rebel) 176.0
5. 94-Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City, OK - National) 171.5
6. 11F-Foster Landon (Collinsville, OK - National) 164.0
7. 7m-Kevin Ramey (Fort Worth, TX - Sooner) 158.0
8. 45x-C.J. Johnson (Quinter, KS – Rocky Mountain) 155.0
9. 21-Brian Brown (Grain Valley, MO - Midwest) 153.5
10. 53d-Jack Dover (Springfield, NE - Midwest) 150.5
11. 45-Chuck Hebing (Ontario, NY – Patriot/Mid-Atlantic) 140.0
12. 2m-Dustin Daggett (Portland, MI – Sprints on Dirt) 134.0
13. 64J-Johnny Miller (Burleson, TX – Gulf South) 134.0
14. 35-Jared Zimbardi (Salamanca, NY - Patriot) 132.5
15. 20-Eric Lutz (Sioux Falls, SD – Northern Plains) 131.0
16. 5x-Dave Glennon (Casselton, ND – Northern Plains) 125.0
17. 31-Brandon Berryman (Missouri City, TX – Gulf South) 119.0
18. 87-Brian McClelland (Tulsa, OK - Sooner) 116.0
19. 71-Keith Rauch (Thornton, CO – Rocky Mountain) 98.0
20. 11T-T.J. Winegardner (Pierson, FL - Rebel) 95.0
21. 4J-Lee Grosz (Harwood, ND – Northern Plains) 86.0
22. 7-Michael Herrington (Gonzales, LA - Coastal) 37.0
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