By Lonnie Wheatley
SOUTH COFFEYVILLE, Okla. (September 11, 2010) – Tulsa’s Sean McClelland moved one step closer to a second American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region championship by racing to victory lane in Saturday night’s 25-lap feature event at Mid-America Speedway.
McClelland battled past Kyle Bellm on a lap three restart and then beat Nick Smith in a high-speed chase through heavy traffic on the 3/10-mile clay oval, lapping all the way up to fourth for his second series win of the year aboard the Myers-powered Maxwell Oil No. 1 Triple-X.
“That was a workout!,” McClelland exclaimed after climbing from his winning mount on the frontstretch after the final 20 laps ran off in non-stop fashion on a challenging track surface. “I was getting tired, but I think everyone else was too.”
While McClelland started on the pole, it was Nixa, Missouri’s Bellm gunning into the lead from the front row outside at the drop of the green flag. But, after Michael Brown spun to a stop in turn four after two laps, McClelland battled past Bellm for the top spot on the restart.
After a red flag stoppage three laps later for defending ASCS Sooner Region champion Joe Wood, Jr., who got upside down in turn four after tangling was past series champion Andy Shouse, the chase was on.
McClelland reached the tail of the field in just another handful of laps, with fourth-starter Nick Smith slipping past Bellm for second on the eleventh circuit and drawing a bead on McClelland.
Smith closed in on several occasions, but the 2005 ASCS Sooner Region champion worked traffic to perfection to secure his 12th career Sooner triumph. Smith was a close second to McClelland, with Bellm taking the show position.
Kenneth Walker advanced from 12th to finish as the final car on the lead lap in fourth, with Zach Chappell rounding out the top five. Dustin Morgan was sixth, with Donnie Ray Crawford, 14th-starter Michelle Decker, Brian McClelland and 16th-starter J.P. Bailey completing the top ten.
Morgan, Sean McClelland and Bellm topped heat race action with Wood, Jr., winning the 12-lap “B” Main.
American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Results from Mid-America Speedway:
First Heat (8 Laps): 1. 93-Dustin Morgan, 2. 87-Brian McClelland, 3. 26-Rafe Essary, 4. 15s-Nick Smith, 5. 21$-Michelle Decker, 6. 45-J.P. Bailey, 7. 35-Matt Sherrell, 8. 5$-Danny Smith, 9. 010-Brian Roberts.
Second Heat (8 Laps): 1. 1-Sean McClelland, 2. 14-Randy Martin, 3. 92-Zach Chappell, 4. 36-Jonathan Beason, 5. 31L-Lee Little, 6. 94-Waylon Weaver, 7. 65L-Nick Lucito, 8. 97-Kevin Cummings.
Third Heat (8 Laps): 1. 14k-Kyle Bellm, 2. 55-Donnie Ray Crawford, 3. 27-Andy Shouse, 4. 2-Kenneth Walker, 5. 15b-Michael Brown, 6. 03-Joe Wood, Jr., 7. 81au-Gavin Punch, 8. 22-Koby Barksdale.
“B” Feature (12 Laps): 1. 03-Joe Wood, Jr., 2. 45-J.P. Bailey, 3. 35-Matt Sherrell, 4. 81au-Gavin Punch, 5. 5$-Danny Smith, 6. 94-Waylon Weaver, 7. 010-Brian Roberts, 8. 31L-Lee Little, 9. 65L-Nick Lucito. DNS: 22-Koby Barksdale, 97-Kevin Cummings.
“A” Feature (25 Laps): 1. 1-Sean McClelland, 2. 15s-Nick Smith, 3. 14k-Kyle Bellm, 4. 2-Kenneth Walker, 5. 92-Zach Chappell, 6. 93-Dustin Morgan, 7. 55-Donnie Ray Crawford, 8. 21$-Michelle Decker, 9. 87-Brian McClelland, 10. 45-J.P. Bailey, 11. 14-Randy Martin, 12. 35-Matt Sherrell, 13. 36-Jonathan Beason, 14. 15b-Michael Brown, 15. 94-Waylon Weaver, 16. 81au-Gavin Punch, 17. 26-Rafe Essary, 18. 5$-Danny Smith, 19. 03-Joe Wood, Jr., 20. 27-Andy Shouse.
American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Sean McClelland 1,495, 2. Joe Wood, Jr. 1,372, 3. Kenneth Walker 1,361, 4. Andy Shouse 1,313, 5. Donnie Ray Crawford 1,290, 6. Brian McClelland 1,229, 7. Michelle Decker 941, 8. Nick Smith 776, 9. Tony Bruce, Jr. 687, 10. Danny Jennings 555.