By Lonnie Wheatley
TULSA, Okla. (September 13, 2010) – Unpredictable has been the nature of this year’s American Sprint Car Series Southwest Region competition at Tucson’s USA Raceway. And, more of the unexpected is what can most likely be anticipated when the series fires back into action at USA Raceway this Saturday night.
The 3/8-mile clay oval has been the setting of five ASCS Southwest feature events thus far in 2010. And there have been five different winners in those five events, including a pair of first-time feature winners in the most recent pair of events.
Two-time series champion and current points leader Rick Ziehl topped the ASCS Southwest season opener on March 20, with fellow New Mexico shoe Johnny Herrera winning the next feature on April 3.
After Phoenix-area racer John Gaston took top USA honors on April 24, Glendale, Arizona’s Joshua Williams snared his first career ASCS Southwest win at USA on July 17 while Peoria’s Dalten Gabbard tried out the winged ranks for the first time on August 21 and pulled off the upset win.
Outside of USA, Ziehl and Herrera have added second series wins this season with Tijeras, NM, teen Joshua Hodges notching a win as well.
Midway through the 2010 campaign, Las Cruces’ Ziehl holds a 35-point advantage over Gaston in his bid for a third consecutive ASCS Southwest title. Calvin Landis enters Saturday’s action ranked third, with J.T. Imperial and Hodges rounding out the current top five.
The balance of the current top ten in ASCS Southwest points includes Steve Stone, Williams, Koty McGullam, Kaylene Verville and Mike Rux, Jr.
Saturday’s ASCS Southwest Region action at USA Raceway is slated to go green at 6:45 p.m.
The 3/8-mile USA Raceway clay oval is located east of Tucson off I-10 Exit 268, then 1.6 mile south on Craycroft Road, which turns into Los Reales. For more information, contact the track at 520-574-8515.
The ASCS Southwest Region is currently slated for 17 overall nights of competition in 2010, including 13 nights in Arizona and a pair of New Mexico weekend doubles.
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.