By Lonnie Wheatley
TULSA, Okla. (June 29, 2010) – As the summer heat starts kicking in, the Lucas Oil ASCS National series presented by K&N Filters is set to go north to South Dakota and then northwest for the second annual swing through Washington and Oregon over the upcoming weekends.
And, after taking 17 full-time teams to the left coast in last year’s inaugural journey, at least 18 full-time Lucas Oil ASCS teams have confirmed intentions to make the entire trek to South Dakota and then on to Washington and Oregon.
With the series $60,000 championship battle taking shape, a total of 19 teams have competed in all nine events completed thus far as they battle for their portion of the $250,000 Lucas Oil Sprint Car points fund that will be distributed at year’s end.
The upcoming handful of events at I-90 Speedway, Grays Harbor Raceway and Cottage Grove Speedway will undoubtedly play a role in perhaps the most hard fought championship battle in series history.
The journey North kicks off Saturday night, July 10, with the Lucas Oil Sprint Cars making a fourth annual stop at Hartford, South Dakota’s I-90 Speedway, where Jason Johnson, Tony Bruce, Jr., and Gary Wright have each enjoyed victory lane in the past three visits.
From there, at least 18 of the 19 top-ranked Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car teams will make the 1,500 mile journey to Elma, Washington’s Grays Harbor Raceway on July 16-17 for the Fourth Annual Fred Brownfield Memorial, an event in which Texas shoe Travis Rilat pocketed $10,092 last year after Oregon’s Roger Crockett topped the prelim. This year’s Fred Brownfield Memorial once again boasts a $10,092 winner’s take.
The following weekend, July 23-24, the Lucas Oil Sprint Cars travel south to Oregon’s Cottage Grove Speedway where last year’s title tilt between Shane Stewart and Jason Johnson reached the boiling point following a “Ragin’ Cajun” triumph in the finale after Stewart topped the opening night.
Leading the way into this year’s Lucas Oil ASCS trek North and Northwest is 20-year-old Broken Arrow, OK, shoe Brady Bacon, who will be visiting all three tracks for the first time.
After becoming just the sixth driver in ASCS National history to reel off three wins in a row, Bacon holds a slim 10-point lead over 2008 series champion Jason Johnson of Eunice, LA.
Reigning Lucas Oil ASCS champion Shane Stewart of Bixby, OK, is just 65 points out of the lead, with a tightly-grouped handful of drivers next on the point charts including Tony Bruce, Jr. (Liberal, KS), 20-year-old Jack Dover (Springfield, NE), three-time ASCS National champion Tim Crawley (Benton, AR), 2001 ASCS National champ Zach Chappell (Talala, OK) and Danny Wood (Norman, OK).
Twenty-two-year-old Kyle Hirst of Loomis, CA, leads a strong group of Brodix Rookie of the Year contenders with a ranking of ninth, just 36 points ahead of fellow rookie shoe Matt Covington, a 20-year-old out of Glenpool, OK.
Defending Brownfield Memorial winner Travis Rilat of Forney, TX, is just outside the top ten in eleventh, with last year’s I-90 Speedway victor Gary Wright of Hooks, TX, in twelfth.
Little Rock native Ricky Logan and Elida, OH, shoe Darren Long are both set for a second trip north and northwest, with Rookie contenders Dustin Morgan (Tulsa, OK), Austen Wheatley (Lake Stevens, WA), Justyn Cox (Clarksburg, CA), Channin Tankersley (Highlands, TX) and Andrew Marshala (Shawnee, OK) rounding out the full-time roster of the nation’s most competitive touring Sprint Car series.
The Lucas Oil ASCS traveling forces will take on all variety of top contenders along the way. Each track boasts its own local aces, such as Chad Meyer (who nearly knocked off the National forces at I-90 last year), Glenn Borden, Jr. (four-time and reigning Grays Harbor Raceway champion) and Dale Smith (multi-time Cottage Grove Speedway champ that ran fourth with the Lucas Oil ASCS National series last year).
Also adding to the mix will be top Midwest contenders at I-90 Speedway and the stout ASCS Northwest forces at both Grays Harbor and Cottage Grove.
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
Friday night, July 16 at 7:00 p.m. – Grays Harbor Raceway
Saturday night, July 17 at 7:00 p.m. – Grays Harbor Raceway
Friday night, July 23 at 6:45 p.m. – Cottage Grove Speedway
Saturday night, July 24 at 6:45 p.m. – Cottage Grove 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/.
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 or check http://www.graysharborraceway.net/.
Cottage Grove Speedway (Cottage Grove, OR) – ¼-mile, semi-banked clay oval located off I-5 Exit 174, one block south on Gateway, then one block south on North 19th Street, then right for 0.3 miles on Ostrander Lane, then 0.4 miles north on Douglas (next to the fairgrounds). For more information, contact the track at 541-942-7561 or 541-510-0757 or check http://www.cottagegrovespeedway.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).
Lucas Oil ASCS Grays Harbor Raceway History:
The Lucas Oil Sprint Cars made a Washington debut last year and after Oregon’s Roger Crockett topped the preliminary event, it was Texas shoe Travis Rilat pocketing $10,092 in the Third Annual Fred Brownfield Memorial.
Grays Harbor Raceway Lucas Oil ASCS National winners include: Roger Crockett 1, Travis Rilat 1.
Grays Harbor Raceway Lucas Oil ASCS Race-by-Race Winners: Roger Crockett (7/17/09), Travis Rilat (7/18/09).
Lucas Oil ASCS Cottage Grove Speedway History:
The Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Cars debuted at Oregon’s Cottage Grove Speedway last year. And, after Shane Stewart won the preliminary feature event, the series $60,000 championship battle heated up in a major way the next night when Jason Johnson slid past Stewart for the $6,000 triumph in the Cottage Grove finale.
Cottage Grove Speedway Lucas Oil ASCS National winners include: Jason Johnson 1, Shane Stewart 1.
Cottage Grove Speedway Lucas Oil ASCS Race-by-Race Winners: Shane Stewart (7/24/09), Jason Johnson (7/25/09).
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 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.