From NCRA
Midwest City, Oklahoma – October 4, 2010 – Just 95 points separate the top three drivers in the chase for the 2010 O’Reilly/NCRA sprint car series championship as the series kicks back into action this coming Saturday night in the next to last event of the season at 81 Speedway in Park City, Kansas. The race will be part of the tracks annual running of the “Wix Filters/Bumper to Bumper Fall Classic.”
Still having yet to reach victory lane in the ten events that have been held thus far this 2010 race season, current series points leader Jeremy Campbell holds a slim 65 point advantage over five-time and defending series champion Garry Lee Maier and 95 points over J.D. Johnson.
Campbell, who relocated from Minnesota to Wichita, has found success in his first full season on the series tour. Driving for long-time car owner Danny King out of Jetmore, the former outlaw sprint car traveler has garnered ten, top ten feature finishes and has reached in the top ten six times. However, 81 Speedway has been a track where he hasn’t finished near the top as he has a fourth, ninth and sixth place finishes in the three appearances the series has made at the three-eighths mile oval this season.
Maier, the leading career sprint car feature winner with the series with 64, also has a series leading thirteen feature victories at the track but hasn’t won a feature finale there since July 27, 2007. He does have one feature win to his credit in 2010, this coming at Thunder Hill Speedway in Mayetta, Kansas back on June 5th.
Johnson is having a banner season with the O’Reilly/NCRA sprint car division, having picked up his fourth career series victory at the Dodge City Raceway Park in Dodge City, Kansas back on July 17th. Maier has four top five finishes and has finished in the top ten six times while taking eight heat race victories.
2008 series champion Mike Peters sits fourth in the point standings despite having yet reached victory lane. Just 60 points behind him and fifth in the point standings is Luke Cranston.
Rounding out the top ten include Jon Freeman, A.J. Selenke, Jason Martin, Aaron Berryhill and Gavin Punch. Martin has two feature wins on the season, one coming at 81 Speedway back on June 20th and the Great American Dirt Track on August 28th.
Through the ten races held thus far this season there have been seven different drivers that have reached victory lane. Other drivers that have earned victories that are not in the top ten in the point standings include Chad Humston (2), Danny Jennings (2), Tony Bruce, Jr., Jason Johnson and Sherman Davis.
Other drivers expected to compete include Trevor Grossenbacher, Davis, Cody Forshee, Jordan Whitehead, Steve Richardson, Taylor Velasquez and Kirby Robe.
Close to thirty drivers from at least three states are expected for the $2000 to win. $300 to start twenty car feature finale.
Pit gates will open at 5:00 PM with heat races for the sprint car series opener set for 7:00 PM. General admission is $9.00 for ages 11 and up while children ages 6-10 are $5.
81 Speedway is located North of Wichita on I-135 to exit 16, then 0.7 miles west on 77th. For more track information, check out their website www.81speedway.org or call the track (316) 755-1781.
The 2010 race season is the 40th Anniversary season for the O’Reilly Auto Parts National Championship Racing Association and sanctions five divisions, including late models, sprint cars, modified north, modified south and southern modifieds throughout the Great Plains region in the following states: Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. To find out more on the series, check out their website www.ncraracing.org. For other inquiries on the series and any one of their five divisions, contact the office (316) 755-1781.
Officials with the O’Reilly/NCRA would like to welcome the following for their partnership with the sprint car division for the 2010 race season:
OFFICIAL SPONSORS: O’Reilly Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tire, Sunoco Race Fuels
CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: Arizona Race Shirts, Airflow Racing Products, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Hooker Harness, Kiezer Racing Wheels, Pro Shocks, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Saldana Race Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Super Shox, Taylor Cable Products, The Joie of Seating, Ultra Shield, Vertex Magnetos and Winters Performance Products.
Rank Driver Points
1 Jeremy Campbell 2725
2 Garry Lee Maier 2655
3 J.D. Johnson 2630
4 Mike Peters 2360
5 Luke Cranston 2300
6 Jon Freeman 2270
7 A.J. Selenke 2140
8 Jason Martin 2140
9 Aaron Berryhill 2000
10 Gavin Punch 1845