Port City Raceway / Tulsa, Oklahoma
Friday, August 30th / 2nd Annual DRC Memorial Night Two
After Thursday’s opening night of the 2nd Annual Donnie Ray Crawford Memorial, the A Class, Outlaw, and Junior Sprint divisions entered the second night of the holiday weekend tripleheader poised to repeat or even best the wicked action of the opener.
The highbanked 1/8th mile bullring showed little signs of the pounding nearly 90 cars delivered the night before, nor of the extreme and ongoing late season heat wave scorching the Sooner State (and many others). For race fans willing to brave the heat and buy the ticket, Aaron Lemmons once again handed them the best gift a race fan could ask for in the condition of his widely heralded battleground. For those who appreciate the gift of perfectly prepped dirt ovals, it’s Christmas most weeks of the year in northeast Tulsa.
Repeating numbers from the night before, but in altogether different classes, 88 entries battled through 11 heats, 11 qualifiers, and three consolation features that set the field for three preliminary A Features - once again won by a trio of Tulsa area racers led by Holleywood Holley Hollan’s score in the Junior Sprint division. Holleywood was joined in victory lane by veteran Jason Tracy scoring in the A Class outing. Chris Andrews scored a DRC Memorial prelim win for the second straight year as the accomplished Tulsan attempts to defend his DRC Memorial Outlaw title from a year ago.
A grand total of 176 entries have competed in the first two night’s of the 2nd Annual Donnie Ray Crawford Memorial. Between both preliminary rounds, a total of 22 heat races have been matched by 22 qualifiers. Three C Features have been run in the two prelims, with 5 B features and the 6 preliminary A Features. Lap totals will be added tomorrow night.
OUTLAW
Defending Outlaw titlist in the Inaugural DRC Memorial, Tulsa’s Chris Andrews paced the familiar Bob Hurley Ford no. 8 on the pole position of the 25 lap Outlaw prelim A Main with “Front Row” Joey Baker alongside.
The action ripped open immediately, with Andrews taking the lead and Scott Sawyer bursting from 4th to second in the first two turns. Andrews worked methodically on a very narrow bottom groove while Sawyer screamed on the famous PCR cushion.
A pair of stoppages slowed down the barnburner, with a Christian Kinnison spin on lap slowing the field before the Mansfield, Texas racer stopped the show when he flipped spectacularly along the turn 4 catch fence. Kinnison emerged safely, but was clearly sore after the show. No question the up and coming Texan will be on the charge in B Feature action in three separate divisions.
Andrews ignited on the restart and Sawyer at times made headway against his streaking pace. Sawyer momentum became more consistent at the midway point, but former Tulsa Shootout titlist Ryan Ratliff’s turn 4 mishap on the 15th round slowed the Outlaw prelim a final time.
David McIntosh impressed on the ensuing restart, launching a slide job on an unsuspecting Sawyer before preparing to unleash the same move on Andrews.
The lead trio diced high and low over the final five circuits with Andrews adjusting to the cushion in alternate turns while McIntosh found the rubber in the middle of turns 3 and 4. A determined Andrews was too much, however, as he placed the Bob Hurley Ford, Sawyer Chassis, Metric Cycles, Advanced Racing Suspensions, Edge Graphics, and Lightning Wings sponsored no. 8 in victory lane.
The win was Andrews 2nd in as many attempts in Donnie Ray Crawford Memorial prelim action as he sets his sights on defending his 2012 main event title.
McIntosh settled for the runner up spot, perhaps wandering what five more laps would have netted. Both Andrews and McIntosh have a choice to make during Saturday intermission. Courtesy Momo’s Racing Engines, Metric Cycles, Sawyer Chassis, Wheeler Metals, Ross Racing, Quality 1 Performance, and microoutlaws.com - Andrews and McIntosh can opt to tag the tail of the Outlaw main event and earn $25 for each position they improve, including an extra $1,000 should they make it back up to the top spot.
Threatening for the lead in the first half of the prelim, Sawyer ultimately settled for third with Joey Baker in fourth. Former Outlaw champ Harlan Hulsey completed the top five finishing order. Harley Hollan charged forward six spots to claim sixth with Kevin Bayer and Jason Mcdougal snaring the final lock in positions to Saturday’s marquee main event.
Frank Flud, Harlan Hulsey, Jeff Frey, and Scott Sawyer earned heat race wins over the 31 car field, with Jason Adams, Chris Berreth, Chris Andrews, and Joey Baker taking qualifier honors. Kevin Bayer bested the sole 20 lap Outlaw B Feature. The planned 8 lap C Feature was called off as four entrants arrived on the surface, the same number that was to transfer.
“Outlaw” Preliminary A Feature (25 laps): 1. 8 Chris Andrews (1); 2. 08 David McIntosh (8); 3. 29 Scott Sawyer (4); 4. 34 Joey Baker (2); 5. 17 Harlan Hulsey (5); 6. 14 Harley Hollan (12); 7. 91 Kevin Bayer (13); 8. 73 Jason McDougal (11); 9. 21 Ty Hulsey (3); 10. 88J Jason Adams (14); 11. 29R Ryan Ratliff (7); 12. 22T Frank Taft (15); 13. 10 Chris Berreth (9); 14. 25J Delaney Jost (16); 15. 82c Christian Kinnison (6); 16. 15 Jeff Frey (10)
Lap Leaders: Chris Andrews 1-25
Hard Charger: David McIntosh, Harley Hollan, Kevin Bayer +6
“Outlaw” B Feature (20 laps - top 4 transfer to A Feature): 1. 91 Kevin Bayer (3); 2. 88J Jason Adams (1); 3. 22T Frank Taft (5); 4. 25J Delaney Jost (7); 5. 79 Matt Taylor (9); 6. 00 Grady Chandler (11); 7. 23 Hannah Adair (4); 8. 27k Kyle Keeler (12); 9. 88 Brett Adams (13); 10. 66 Edmund Bishop (14); 11. 99 Chase Rohr Baugh (8); 12. 21x Tom Calico (15); 13. 18 Justin Fletcher (2); 14. 99F Shane Fletcher (6); 15. 22 Curtis Jones (10); 16. 8g Tyler Gordon (DNS)
Lap Leaders: Kevin Bayer 1-20
A CLASS
A winner in Inaugural DRC Memorial Restricted action last year, Jason McDougal paced the pole of the 25 lap A Class Prelim main event with tested veteran Jason Tracy alongside.
Tracy claimed the immediate lead before the only caution of the race flew on lap 3 when Layne Heimbaugh was stranded atop the turn 4 cushion. Tracy led on the restart with McDougal rim riding, now joined by Pryor sensation Frank “the Legendary” Flud.
Tracy reached lapped traffic by the halfway point, with McDougal turning up the heat shortly thereafter. McDougal began getting monster pushed coming off the high side of turn two, finally pulling next to Tracy and showing his hand to the leader.
Tracy turned to the top side in turns 1 & 2 while keeping to the bottom in turns 3 and 4. McDougal’s challenge remained. The lead duo switched lines in nearly every turn while also dicing with lapped traffic.
Tracy and McDougal cleared the first wave of lapped cars with five to go, but now had to contend with the Flud-gates as it became a three way challenge for the lead in the final 3 rounds.
McDougal trailed by just a car length as the white flag waived, and roared off the turn two high side as Tracy opted low through turns 3 and 4. Flud inserted himself in the middle to make it a three wide race coming through the south side apex, but Tracy led the trio across the finish line by a few feet to claim the 2nd Annual DRC Memorial A Class preliminary night score. Apparently Team Tracy waste no time in their post-race plans and sponsor inquiries were dealt a rare defeat. But the Saturday night finale presents the cause a 2nd chance.
But with McDougal claiming second, the pair will pull onto the front straightaway at the conclusion of consolation features to announce whether or not they will accept the A Class Front Row Challenge presented by Vacuworx Global.
Should either opt to tag the tenth and final row, they will be awarded an extra $25 for each position they improve and an extra $500 if they can make it back up to the front.
Flud rounded out the podium with Harlan Hulsey and Chris Cochran completing the top five finishing order. Jarrett Crouch, Chris Andrews, and Jordan Herrman completed the 8 lock ins to Saturday night’s A Class main event.
Jason Tracy, Chris Andrews, Jason McDougal, Ty Hulsey, and Harlan Hulsey nabbed heat race wins over the 39 car field, with Nathan Weida, Jarrett Crouch, Will Scribner, Frank Flud, and Christian Kinnison claiming qualifier scores. Brittney Yarwood led the four migration out of the 15 lap C Feature, with Trey Marcham leading Ty Hulsey, Sterling Hoff, and Kris Carroll to main event freedom from the 20 lap B main.
“A Class” preliminary A Feature (25 laps): 1. 25 Jason Tracy (2); 2. 73 Jason McDougal (1); 3. 81 Frank Flud (6); 4. 11 Harlan Hulsey (3); 5. 7c Chris Cochran (5); 6. 89J Jarrett Crouch (8); 7. 77 Chris Andrews (9); 8. 92 Jordan Herrman (10); 9. 94L Layne Heimbaugh (4); 10. 10 David Baker Jr. (11); 11. 32 Trey Marcham (13); 12. 5 Kris Carroll (16); 13. 5T Ty Hulsey (14); 14. 39 Sterling Hoff (15); 15. 82c Christian Kinnison (7); 16. 4E David Proffitt (12)
Lap Leaders: Jason Tracy 1-25
Hard Charger: Carroll +4
“A Class” B Feature (20 laps - top 4 transfer to A Feature): 1. 32 Trey Marcham (3); 2. 5T Ty Hulsey (2); 3. 39 Sterling Hoff (5); 4. 5 Kris Carroll (1); 5. 9L Lonnie Fraley (4); 6. 52 Raymond Moore (9); 7. 20s Steven Curbow (12); 8. 51B Bailey Felkins (11); 9. 8 Josh Marcham (7); 10. 73w Dylan Ward (6); 11. 13B Brittney Yarwood (13); 12. 24t Trenton Borchers (15); 13. 54 Will Scribner (10); 14. 31c Jason Collins (16); 15. 898 Ryan Padgett (14); 16. 25R Chad Bell (8)
Lap Leaders: Trey Marcham 1-20
“A Class” C Feature (15 laps - top 4 transfer to B feature): 1. 13B Brittney Yarwood (4); 2. 898 Ryan Padgett (1); 3. 24t Trenton Borchers (7); 4. 31c Jason Collins (14); 5. 41A Hannah Adair (10); 6. 47 Austin Helt (3); 7. 05c Eric Cantrell (5); 8. 07 Robert McIntosh (6); 9. 57g Larry Martinez (12); 10. 98 Nathan Weida (2); 11. 05 Chase RohrBaugh (8); 12. 4T Caleb Thompson (11); 13. 17d Brittney Davidson (9); DNS - 79 Wes Little, 92s Scott Sawyer
Lap Leaders: Padgett 1-7, Yarwood 8-15
JUNIOR SPRINTS
Broken Arrow’s “Holleywood” Holley Hollan earned the pole position of the 20 lap Junior Sprint preliminary night main event with defending DRC Memorial titlist Cannon McIntosh alongside.
Action was intense at the onset with Hollan leading the first round by inches before McIntosh crept by to lead the 2nd lap. Holleywood regained the point a lap later with first hand knowledge of her challenger’s tactics.
Holleywood led McIntosh and Kale Drake before a phantom yellow flew on the 7th lap. Hank Davis battled past Drake for the three spot before the yellow waived once more for the entangled mass of Macy Roulain and Baron Silva.
The restart did not last long as Connor Williams spun to a stop one lap later on the 12th round. Holleywood resumed her starring role with McIntosh, Cole Roberts, Hank Davis, and Kale Drake in supporting cast.
Two more yellows flew in the final few laps, but they were of little meaning as Hollan only got stronger as the race went on, taking Junior Sprint prelim win aboard the Harley Hollan Companies, Edge Graphics, Intruder Junior Chassis, Car & Fleet, Joe Cooper Ford, MHC Kenworth Tulsa, and Eaton Industrial Coatings sponsored no. 14H. With possibly the most magnetic personality ever encountered and loaded skill behind the wheel to boot, it’s of little surprise that sponsors flock to Holleywood.
A winner in 2012’s Inaugural DRC Memorial Junior Sprint main event, Cannon McIntosh held on for a runner up finish. Hollan and McIntosh will greet a packed house tomorrow night at intermission and make their decision whether or not to accept the Junior Sprint Front Row Challenge presented by C&T Express. Should they elect to, they will be awarded $25 for each position they improve and score an extra $500 if they place their ride in victory lane.
Cole Roberts claimed the show position with Hank Davis and Jake “the Snake” Nail completing the top five finishing order. Blake Battles finished as he started in the six spot with Kale Drake falling to seventh and Grady Mercer closing out the 8th and final lock in spot to Saturday night’s 2nd Annual Donnie Ray Crawford Memorial Junior Sprint main event.
Kale Drake, Blake Battles, and Holley Hollan scored heat race wins over the 18 car field, with Hank Davis, Cannon McIntosh, and Cole Roberts snaring qualifier honors.
“Junior Sprint” Preliminary A Feature (20 laps): 1. 14H Holley Hollan (1); 2. 08 Cannon McIntosh (2); 3. 3 Cole Roberts (7); 4. 1H Hank Davis (5); 5. 14R Jake Nail (8); 6. 14 Blake Battles (6); 7. 77 Kale Drake (4); 8. 42 Grady Mercer (10); 9. 46s Shawn Mahaffey (3); 10. 22H Caleb Hughes (16); 11. 15J Joey Gray (14); 12. 7 Treyton Gann (13); 13. 28 Garrett Bias (12); 14. 17s Baron Silva (9); 15. 9 Emilio Hoover (11); 16. 125 Macy Roulain (15); 17. 85T Connor Thompson (18); 18. 46 Brady Hilton (17-DQ)
Lap Leaders: McIntosh 2, Holleywood 1, 3-20
Hard Charger: Caleb Hughes +6
Both preliminary night’s of the 2nd Annual Donnie Ray Crawford Memorial are in the books and Saturday lineups are set. Five of the 6 divisions feature a Front Row Challenge and as the preliminary night winners pull to the front straightaway to PCR fanfare where they will announce their intent.
Port City Raceway thanks to the many who have braved the recent late summer heat wave to take in droves of spectacular races and honor the brightest star in our burgeoning sport that is growing in both size and stature; Donnie Ray Crawford.
Every day the many communities in which Donnie Ray was so beloved remember him. As the ceremonies began in last year’s inaugural DRC Memorial Saturday night finale - the great sorrow that was so widespread was, for an evening, moved to what it meant to all to have known, competed with, or loved Donnie Ray. What Donnie Ray Crawford means to the racing community is truly everlasting. The greatest are remembered by the impact they had on the world around them, and no one will ever touch and bless so many lives as the forever beloved champion that piloted the red and black 55’s.
In honor of Donnie Ray and the Crawford family, Port City Raceway extends their widest welcome to come celebrate our hero in tomorrow’s Saturday night Donnie Ray Crawford Memorial finale. Gates open at 4pm, hot laps at 6pm with the 2nd Annual DRC Memorial Finale underway at 7pm.
If perhaps you are unable to attend, a wide range of access points await as you can watch live streaming video via Ustream TV. Visit www.ustreamtv.com and search the Donnie Ray Crawford Memorial to join Port City Raceway announcer Bob Oertle in the tower view. Like and Follow the Oklahoma No Fender Network on Facebook for live updates throughout the weekend finale, and take in official post race coverage at www.portcityracin.com, www.microoutlaws.com, or Like and Follow the Port City Raceway Facebook page.
Final but extremely important update. Saturday is forecast to be extremely hot, please dress accordingly and stay hydrated. See you trackside!
Cody Morris
- Admin Account on Sep 03, 2013
- Article Date: 8/30/2013