By Lonnie Wheatley
TULSA, Okla. (May 24, 2010) – The Lucas Oil ASCS National Series presented by K&N Filters invades the state of Kansas for the only time in 2010 with this weekend’s Second Annual Boot Hill Casino Steve King Memorial at the Jetmore Motorplex.
The nation’s most prominent touring Sprint Car series takes to the 3/8-mile dirt oval in southwest Kansas on Saturday and Sunday, with Sunday night’s winner in Jetmore, KS, taking away the $6,000 winner’s share.
The two-night stand just a half hour or so from fabled shootout central Dodge City, this weekend’s action marks the beginning of three consecutive pivotal weekends in the series $60,000 championship points chase.
Following this weekend’s action, the Lucas Oil Sprint Cars move on to Outlaw Motor Speedway near Muskogee and Little Rock’s I-30 Speedway on June 4 and 5 before tackling Nebraska’s Eagle Raceway for the Eagle Nationals on June 11-12.
After 2003 series champion Travis Rilat of Forney, TX, won last year’s preliminary event, Nebraska shoe Jack Dover held off four-time champion Gary Wright of Hooks, TX, to win the inaugural TBJ Promotions Steve King Memorial at the Jetmore Motorplex.
Reigning series champion Shane Stewart of Bixby, OK, posted finishes of second and seventh in last year’s Jetmore Motorplex double.
This year, Stewart enters the weekend with a slim points lead aboard Paul Silva’s Rock Star Energy Drink No. 57 A.R.T.
Stewart is just three points ahead of Warsaw, Missouri’s Jesse Hockett, with home state rep Tony Bruce, Jr., of Liberal, KS, 20-year-old Brady Bacon of Broken Arrow, OK, and 2008 series champion Jason Johnson of Eunice, LA, rounding out the current top five in points.
Sammy Swindell is currently sixth, with Zach Chappell, Danny Wood, Matt Covington and Jack Dover rounding out the top ten.
Arkansas ace Tim Crawley is just outside the top ten, with some other top series contenders including Travis Rilat, Ricky Logan, Gary Wright, Darren Long and Kenneth Walker.
Covington is out to the early lead in the Brodix Rookie of the Year chase, with other Rookie contenders including California’s Kyle Hirst and Justyn Cox, Oklahoma’s Dustin Morgan, Texas’ Channin Tankersley, Washington’s Austen Wheatley, New Mexico’s Joshua Hodges and Tennessee’s Don Young.
The Lucas Oil Sprint Cars opened up the season with the Devil’s Bowl Spring Nationals on March 19-20, with Sammy Swindell topping a 62 car field for the $6,000 triumph as Mother Nature nixed night two.
Brodix Rookie of the Year contender Matt Covington cracked Lucas Oil ASCS National victory lane for the first time in the next event at Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore, TX, on April 9, with 2001 series champ Zach Chappell of Talala, OK, fending off Brady Bacon and Jesse Hockett the next night at Little Rock’s I-30 Speedway.
The series most recent scheduled event, the Second Annual Rock ‘N Roll 50 at Riverside Speedway in West Memphis, AR, was washed out on April 23-24 and rescheduled for October 1-2.
The Lucas Oil National Sprint Cars will be bolstered by a strong contingent of invaders including the Kansas forces defending their home turf as well as the ASCS Rocky Mountain Region contenders that open their 2010 campaign with the Jetmore double. Eighteen-year-old Jake Ossenfort of Rapid City, SD, is the reigning ASCS Rocky Mountain Region champion.
Advance tickets for the Second Annual Boot Hill Casino Steve King Memorial are available on-line at www.tbjpromotions.com. Weekend passes purchased in advance are just $35, a savings of $10 over tickets purchased at the gates.
The weekend will commence with an ASCS Sprint Car driver Meet and Greet on the Courthouse Square in Jetmore on Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with a parade in town set for 2:30 p. m.
More information regarding the Second Annual Boot Hill Casino Steve King Memorial at the Jetmore Motorplex is available by contacting TBJ Promotions at 541-778-8630. The track phone is 620-225-3929.
The Series:
Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters
When & Where:
Saturday night, May 29 at 7:30 p.m. – Jetmore Motorplex
Sunday night, May 30 at 7:30 p.m. – Jetmore Motorplex
Track Information:
Jetmore Motorplex (Jetmore, KS) – 3/8-mile semi-banked dirt oval located 6.6 miles south of SR 156 in Jetmore, KS, on US 283. For more information, check www.tbjpromotions.com or call 541-778-8630 or 620-225-3929.
Lucas Oil ASCS Jetmore Motorplex History:
After debuting at Jetmore with a two-night stand in 2002 with Zach Chappell and Tim Crawley reaching victory lane, the series returned to the Motorplex last year for the Inaugural Steve King Memorial with Travis Rilat topping preliminary action before Jack Dover trumped the weekend’s 50-car field in the finale.
Jetmore Motorplex Lucas Oil ASCS National winners include: Zach Chappell 1, Tim Crawley 1, Jack Dover 1, Travis Rilat 1.
Jetmore Motorplex Lucas Oil ASCS Race-by-Race Winners: Zach Chappell (5/25/02), Tim Crawley (5/26/02), Travis Rilat (5/23/09), Jack Dover (5/24/09).
Current Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters Points:
Top Twenty: 1. Shane Stewart (Bixby, OK) 373, 2. Jesse Hockett (Warsaw, MO) 370, 3. Tony Bruce, Jr. (Liberal, KS) 360, 4. Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, OK) 342, 5. Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA) 340, 6. Sammy Swindell (Bartlett, TN) 331, 7. Zach Chappell (Talala, OK) 328, 8. Danny Wood (Norman, OK) 318, 9. Matt Covington (Glenpool, OK) 313, 10. Jack Dover (Springfield, NE) 309, 11. Tim Crawley (Benton, AR) 301, 12. Brian Brown (Grain Valley, MO) 300, 13. Kyle Hirst (Loomis, CA) 290, 14. Travis Rilat (Forney, TX) 286, 15. Ricky Logan (Little Rock, AR) 283, 16. Johnny Herrera (Albuquerque, NM) 263, 17. Sean McClelland (Tulsa, OK) 254, 18. Dustin Morgan (Tulsa, OK) 252, 19. Gary Wright (Hooks, TX) 249, 20. Channin Tankersley (Highlands, TX) 240.
Brodix Rookie of the Year Points: 1. Matt Covington (Glenpool, OK) 313, 2. Kyle Hirst (Loomis, CA) 290, 3. Dustin Morgan (Tulsa, OK) 252, 4. Channin Tankersley (Highlands, TX) 240, 5. Austen Wheatley (Lake Stevens, WA) 238, 6. (tie) Justyn Cox (Clarksburg, CA), Joshua Hodges (Tijeras, NM) and Don Young (Bartlett, TN) 195.
2010 Lucas Oil Sprint Car Feature Winners:
Zach Chappell 1, Matt Covington 1, Sammy Swindell 1.
Lucas Oil Sprint Cars presented by K&N Filters – A Look Ahead:
May 29/30 – Jetmore Motorplex (Jetmore, KS)
June 4 – Outlaw Motor Speedway (Muskogee, OK)
June 5 – I-30 Speedway (Little Rock, AR)
June 11/12 – Eagle Raceway (Eagle, NE) – VERSUS/MavTV
June 26 – Lake Ozark Speedway (Eldon, MO)
Lucas Oil Sprint Cars on the Web:
Those unable to catch all the action in person can listen to every Lucas Oil Sprint Car 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 Sprint Cars on TV:
The Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters will be featured in ten one-hour shows broadcast on a tape-delayed basis on the VERSUS Network and MavTV.
Events to be aired on VERSUS and MavTV include the following:
Event Date – Track (Location) – VERSUS Air Date & Time (All Times Eastern & Subject to Change):
March 19 – Devil’s Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, TX) – 6/6/10 @ 6:00 p.m.
March 20 – Devil’s Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, TX) – Rained Out
June 11 – Eagle Raceway (Eagle, NE) – 11/21/10 @ 4:00 p.m.
June 12 – Eagle Raceway (Eagle, NE) – 11/21/10 @ 5:00 p.m.
September 25 – Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, MO) – 11/28/10 @ 6:00 p.m.
October 1 – Riverside Speedway (W. Memphis, AR) – TBD
October 2 – Riverside Speedway (W. Memphis, AR) – TBD
October 28 – I-30 Speedway (Little Rock, AR) – 12/5/10 @ 5:00 p.m.
October 29 – I-30 Speedway (Little Rock, AR) – 12/5/10 @ 6:00 p.m.
October 30 – I-30 Speedway (Little Rock, AR) – 12/19/10 @ 4:00 p.m.
The Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters is currently slated for 36 nights of racing action at 18 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.
In its 19th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing, the American Sprint Car Series brings the best of Sprint Car racing to approximately 100 different tracks throughout 30 states and Canada. Anchored by the Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of ten different Regions throughout the nation.
Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com.