By Lonnie Wheatley
TULSA, Okla. (July 6, 2010) – The Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Cars presented by K&N Filters kick off the North by Northwest Swing with Saturday night’s annual event at Hartford, South Dakota’s high-banked, 3/8-mile I-90 Speedway dirt oval.
Saturday’s $6,000 to win tilt, the fourth annual series stop at I-90 Speedway, marks the tenth round of competition in the Lucas Oil Sprint Car $60,000 title chase with 18 full-time travelers battling it out for their cut of the $250,000 points fund.
After taking the lead away from local ace Chad Meyer in last year’s I-90 feature event, Gary Wright went on to capture his first Lucas Oil win of the year over a field of 52 entries. Tony Bruce, Jr., bested 39 entries at I-90 for his second career series win in 2008 and Jason Johnson topped a field of 34 in the series inaugural stop at I-90 in 2007.
Twenty-year-old Brady Bacon of Broken Arrow, OK, leads the Lucas Oil National forces into Saturday’s card, maintaining a ten-point lead over Johnson on the strength of three consecutive feature wins earlier in the season.
Bacon, making his first full run at the Lucas Oil title after taking in three-fourths of last year’s schedule, will be getting his first look at I-90 Speedway on Saturday night as well as Washington’s Grays Harbor Raceway and Oregon’s Cottage Grove Speedway over the following two weekends.
“The Ragin’ Cajun”, on the other hand, has enjoyed a pair of victories at I-90 Speedway with a 2006 Regional score preceding his National glory in 2007.
Looking to close ground in his Lucas Oil ASCS title defense is Bixby, OK, native Shane Stewart, who picked off a Regional win at I-90 in 2007. Stewart is just 65 points off of Bacon’s lead pace.
Liberal, KS, shoe Tony Bruce, Jr., is just another ten points back in fourth, just ahead of a tightly-bunched group of top contenders that includes 20-year-old Jack Dover of Springfield, NE, three-time ASCS National champion Tim Crawley of Benton, AR, 2001 ASCS National champ Zach Chappell of Talala, OK, and Norman, OK, veteran shoe Danny Wood.
Chappell guns for two wins in a row and his third on the season after topping the recent Daniel McMillin / Jesse Hockett Memorial at Missouri’s Lake Ozark Speedway.
A pair of Brodix Rookie of the Year contenders round out the current top ten, with Loomis, California’s Kyle Hirst just 36 markers ahead of Glenpool, Oklahoma’s Matt Covington, a Lucas Oil National winner at Lone Star Speedway earlier this year.
Past ASCS National champ Travis Rilat of Forney, TX, is just outside the top ten, with other Lucas Oil National contenders including the likes of Little Rock native Ricky Logan and Ohio’s Darren Long along with the rest of the rookie crop that includes Dustin Morgan (Tulsa, OK), 17-year-old Austen Wheatley (Lake Stevens, WA), 16-year-old Justyn Cox (Clarksburg, CA), 19-year-old Channin Tankersley (Highlands, TX) and Andrew Marshala (Shawnee, OK).
Saturday’s card also awards ASCS Midwest points. Dover currently sits atop the Midwest point charts with the edge over Sioux Falls shoe Eric Lutz and Nebraska’s Doug Lovegrove.
A strong contingent of local forces will likely be on hand as well to defend their home turf. Harrisburg, South Dakota’s Dusty Ballenger is the current I-90 Speedway points leader with Justin Glaser, Lane Brenden, John Lambertz and Justin Saathoff rounding out the top five.
Through the opening nine events of the 2010 season, the Lucas Oil ASCS National Series presented by K&N Filters has averaged 48.6 competitors per race night.
The Series:
Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters
When & Where:
Saturday night, July 10 at 7:30 p.m. – I-90 Speedway
Track Information:
I-90 Speedway (Hartford, SD) – 3/8-mile, high-banked dirt oval located three miles west of Hartford on SR 38. For more information, contact the track at 605-528-6380 or check http://www.i90speedway.com/.
Lucas Oil ASCS I-90 Speedway History:
The Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series took to the I-90 Speedway oval last for the first time in 2007 and it was Jason Johnson awarded the victory after apparent winner Sam Hafertepe, Jr., came up light at the scales. Tony Bruce, Jr., held off Gary Wright for his second career series win in 2008, with Wright then denying local ace Chad Meyer top honors in last year’s I-90 event.
I-90 Speedway Lucas Oil ASCS National winners include: Tony Bruce, Jr. 1, Jason Johnson 1, Gary Wright 1.
I-90 Speedway Lucas Oil ASCS Race-by-Race Winners: Jason Johnson (6/19/07), Tony Bruce, Jr. (6/24/08), Gary Wright (7/11/09).
Current Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters Points:
Top Twenty: 1. Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, OK) 1,138, 2. Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA) 1,128, 3. Shane Stewart (Bixby, OK) 1,073, 4. Tony Bruce, Jr. (Liberal, KS) 1,053, 5. Jack Dover (Springfield, NE) 1,042, 6. (tie) Tim Crawley (Benton, AR) and Zach Chappell (Talala, OK) 1,036, 8. Danny Wood (Norman, OK) 1,027, 9. Kyle Hirst (Loomis, CA) 970, 10. Matt Covington (Glenpool, OK) 934, 11. Travis Rilat (Forney, TX) 916, 12. Gary Wright (Hooks, TX) 911, 13. Ricky Logan (Little Rock, AR) 864, 14. Darren Long (Elida, OH) 806, 15. Dustin Morgan (Tulsa, OK) 776, 16. Austen Wheatley (Lake Stevens, WA) 746, 17. Justyn Cox (Clarksburg, CA) 732, 18. Channin Tankersley (Highlands, TX) 719, 19. Andrew Marshala (Shawnee, OK) 628, 20. Johnny Herrera (Albuquerque, NM) 501.
Brodix Rookie of the Year Points: 1. Kyle Hirst (Loomis, CA) 970, 2. Matt Covington (Glenpool, OK) 934, 3. Dustin Morgan (Tulsa, OK) 776, 4. Austen Wheatley (Lake Stevens, WA) 746, 5. Justyn Cox (Clarksburg, CA) 732, 6. Channin Tankersley (Highlands, TX) 719, 7. Andrew Marshala (Shawnee, OK) 628.
2010 Lucas Oil Sprint Car Feature Winners:
Brady Bacon 3, Zach Chappell 2, Matt Covington 1, Jason Johnson 1, Sammy Swindell 1, Danny Wood 1.
Lucas Oil Sprint Cars presented by K&N Filters – A Look Ahead:
July 16-17 – Grays Harbor Raceway (Elma, WA)
July 23-24 – Cottage Grove Speedway (Cottage Grove, OR)
July 30 – LA Raceway (La Monte, MO)
August 5-7 – ASCS Knoxville Nationals (Knoxville, IA)
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.