[b Lucas Oil ASCS Off to Elma for $10,092-to-Win Fred Brownfield Memorial]
Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (July 14, 2009) – The Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters has covered a lot of ground in its initial 17 years of competition, completing events at over 100 different tracks in 22 different states throughout the nation.
But, the National series has never been to the Northwest.
That changes this weekend, as the Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series takes to the high-banked, 3/8-mile Grays Harbor Raceway clay oval in Elma, WA, for the Third Annual Fred Brownfield Memorial.
Following Friday night's preliminary card, the two-night stand concludes with Saturday night's $10,092-to win Fred Brownfield Memorial main event, with the runner-up to pocket $5,000.
It marks the first of two weekends of competition in the Northwest for the Lucas Oil ASCS, with the series moving on to Oregon's Cottage Grove Speedway on July 24-25. The Lucas Oil forces will be bolstered by the ASCS Northwest contenders over both weekends.
Four-time series champion Gary Wright of Hooks, TX, leads a hearty band of 18 Lucas Oil Sprint Car championship contenders, including a pair of drivers making a return to their native stomping grounds.
But, coming off just his first series win of the season in Saturday night's main event at South Dakota's I-90 Speedway, "The Texan" has a meager lead of just 14 points in the $60,000 championship points race.
Wright holds the lead over defending series champion Jason Johnson of Eunice, LA, with Oklahoma native Shane Stewart just 26 points out of the lead in third. Stewart won last year's edition of the Fred Brownfield Memorial, which was an ASCS Northwest-sanctioned event.
Other series contenders making their way to the Northwest include Texas shoe Travis Rilat, California native Paul McMahan, Kansas' Tony Bruce, Jr., Nebraska's Jack Dover, Missouri's Jesse Hockett, Colorado's Chad Corken, Ohio's Darren Long, Arkansas aces Tim Crawley and Ricky Logan, Shohomish, WA, natives Gary Taylor and Seth Bergman, and Oklahoma reps Danny Wood, Sean McClelland, Gavin Punch and Kenneth Walker.
The two nights will also mark the final two legs of the ASCS Northwest Speedweek, with the initial three legs taking place on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. California's Steven Tiner, who spent some time in the Mid-South driving for Tim Crawley several years ago, holds a four-point edge over Snohomish shoe Jared Ridge entering Monday's ASCS Northwest Speedweek opener at Medford's Southern Oregon Speedway.
Averaging 53.0 cars per event thus far in 2009, this weekend marks the fourth of five consecutive weekends of series competition. After wrapping up the five-week stretch at Cottage Grove Speedway, the 19th Annual ASCS Knoxville Nationals are next up on August 6-8.
The Series:
Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters
When & Where:
Friday night, July 17 at 7:00 p.m. – Grays Harbor Raceway
Saturday night, July 18 at 7:00 p.m. – Grays Harbor Raceway
Track Information:
Grays Harbor Raceway (Elma, WA) – 3/8-mile, high-banked clay oval located 21 miles west of US 101 on SR 8 to the junction of US 12, then 0.2miles north, then 0.6 miles east on Elma-McCleary Road. For more information, contact the track at 360-482-4374.
Lucas Oil ASCS Grays Harbor Raceway History:
A staple on the ASCS Northwest Regional Tour, this weekend marks the first Lucas Oil ASCS National venture into the State of Washington.
Grays Harbor Raceway ASCS National winners include: None; first event.
Current Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters Points:
Top Twenty: 1. Gary Wright (Hooks, TX) 1,146, 2. Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA) 1,132, 3. Shane Stewart (Bixby, OK) 1,120, 4. Travis Rilat (Forney, TX) 1,043, 5. Tim Crawley (Benton, AR) 1,027, 6. Paul McMahan (Hendersonville, TN) 1,018, 7. Tony Bruce, Jr. (Liberal, KS) 1,007, 8. Danny Wood (Norman, OK) 1,006, 9. Jack Dover (Springfield, NE) 975, 10. Jesse Hockett (Warsaw, MO) 917, 11. Nick Smith (Broken Arrow, OK) 870, 12. Sean McClelland (Tulsa, OK) 830, 13. Gary Taylor (Snohomish, WA) 786, 14. Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, OK) 752, 15. Darren Long (Elida, OH) 731, 16. Gavin Punch (Collinsville, OK) 727, 17. Kenneth Walker (Sapulpa, OK) 719, 18. Chad Corken (Highlands Ranch, CO) 701, 19. Seth Bergman (Snohomish, WA) 649, 20. Ricky Logan (Little Rock, AR) 639.
Brodix Rookie of the Year Points (Top Five): 1. Paul McMahan (Hendersonville, TN) 1,018, 2. Jack Dover (Springfield, NE) 975, 3. Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, OK) 752, 4. Darren Long (Elida, OH) 731, 5. Gavin Punch (Collinsville, OK) 727.
2009 Lucas Oil ASCS Feature Winners:
Tim Crawley 2, Jason Johnson 2, Jack Dover 1, Travis Rilat 1, Shane Stewart 1, Gary Wright 1. Non-point feature winners (Speedweek); Tony Bruce, Jr. 1, Zach Chappell 1, Tim Crawley 1, Nick Smith 1, Gary Wright 1.
Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters – A Look Ahead:
July 24/25 – Cottage Grove Speedway (Cottage Grove, OR)
August 6-8 – ASCS Knoxville Nationals (Knoxville, IA)
Lucas Oil ASCS on the Web:
Those unable to catch all the action in person can listen to every Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters live at www.racinboys.com.
Also, the Lucas Oil ASCS Show airs on www.racinboys.com each Tuesday night at 8:00 p.m. ET, recapping the previous week's events while also previewing upcoming action.
Official results, championship point updates, photos and race notes will be available at www.ascsracing.com.
Lucas Oil ASCS on TV:
The Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters will be featured in ten one-hour shows broadcast on a tape-delayed basis on the VERSUS Network
Events to be aired on VERSUS include the following:
The schedule of Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters events to be aired on VERSUS is as follows:
Event Date – Track (Location) – Air Date & Re-Air Date (All Times Eastern)
Mar. 20 – Devil's Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, TX) – 5/2/09 @ 5:00 p.m. & 5/7/09 @ 5:00 p.m.
Mar. 21 – Devil's Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, TX) – 5/23/09 @ 4:00 p.m. & 5/27/09 @ 5:00 p.m.
May 23 – Jetmore Motorplex (Jetmore, KS) – 8/1/09 @ 4:00 p.m. & 8/5/09 @ 5:00 p.m.
May 24 – Jetmore Motorplex (Jetmore, KS) – 8/1/09 @ 5:00 p.m. & 8/6/09 @ 5:00 p.m.
July 3 – Riverside Speedway (W. Memphis, AR) – 8/8/09 @ 5:00 p.m. & 8/13/09 @ 5:00 p.m.
July 4 – Riverside Speedway (W. Memphis, AR) – 9/20/09 @ 4:00 p.m. & 9/24/09 @ 5:00 p.m.
Aug. 6 – Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, IA) – 10/1/09 @ 5:00 p.m. & 10/10/09 @ 3:00 p.m.
Aug. 7 – Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, IA) – 10/18/09 @ 5:00 p.m. & 10/22/09 @ 5:00 p.m.
Aug. 8 – Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, IA) – 11/15/09 @ 5:00 p.m. & 11/19/09 @ 5:00 p.m.
Sept. 26 – Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, MO) – 11/29/09 @ 4:00 p.m. & 12/3/09 @ 4:00 p.m.
The Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters is currently slated for approximately 33 nights of racing action at 17 different tracks throughout the nation, with the country's top Sprint Car drivers set to battle it out for their share of the $250,000 points fund.
The American Sprint Car Series, in its 18th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing events, brings the best of Sprint Car racing to nearly 100 different tracks throughout 25 states and Canada in 2009. Anchored by the Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of a dozen different Regions throughout the nation.
Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com.
- Lonnie Wheatley on Jul 14, 2009
- Article Date: 7/14/2009