From Lonnie Wheatley
TULSA, Okla. – It will be out with the old and in with the new at the end of the week as the calendar turns to a new decade. And what better way to celebrate the final day of 2009 and the initial days of 2010 than with the 25th Annual Tulsa Shootout at the QuikTrip Center’s Tulsa Expo Raceway this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
A record count of approximately 500 Micro Sprint Cars and the much-awaited debut of the ASCS Midgets will headline the full weekend of racing action that also includes Karts and Quads, tallying an overall entry count near 1,000.
A prelude to the upcoming 24th Annual Chili Bowl Midget Nationals on January 12-16, 2010, action gets under way on Thursday with Midget and Micro Sprint practice in the morning followed by heat race action.
Then on Friday, the on track action shifts to Karts and Quads with morning practice followed by heat races and “B” Mains.
Kart and Quad mains hit the track at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, with the Tulsa Shootout championship main events for the ASCS Midgets and Micro Sprint Cars going green at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday evening.
Among the nearly 500 entries in five Micro Sprint Car classes is defending 600cc Outlaw Tulsa Shootout champion Kevin Bayer of Bixby, OK, who will make a bid to become the first back-to-back Outlaw Micro Sprint winner since Pete Frazier accomplished the feat in 1993 and 1994.
Also returning to defend 2009 Tulsa Shootout titles in the Micro Sprint ranks are Gary Taylor (“A” Class), Riley Adair (Non-Wing) and Grady Chandler (Junior Sprint), while reigning Restricted “A” Class winner Trent Carter graduates to the “A” and Non-Wing divisions.
Bayer is one of a number of drivers that will use the Tulsa Shootout as a tune-up for the upcoming Chili Bowl, with others including past Shootout champions Brady Bacon, Donnie Ray Crawford and Gary Taylor along with the likes of National Midget Driver of the Year Bryan Clauson and ASCS Lone Star champion Kevin Ramey among others.
Clauson, Taylor, Ramey, California Sprint Car shoe Justyn Cox and Micro Sprint ace Scott Sawyer will be among those gunning for top honors in the inaugural ASCS Midget main event over the weekend.
Along with the ASCS Midgets and five classes of Micro Sprint Cars, the weekend’s racing action will also include four classes of Quads and 16 classes of Karts.
Pit passes for all three days are $70, with Saturday pit passes $30. General admission for Saturday evening’s 25th Annual Tulsa Shootout championship main events is $15 for adults and $5 for children ages 6-11, with the grandstands opening at 5:00 p.m. and main events going green at 6:00 p.m.
For more information, contact the Tulsa Shootout at 918-838-3777 or check on-line at www.tulsashootout.com.