McClelland Finishes Off ASCS Sooner Title with Thunderbird Score

2010 ascs American Sprint Car Series

By Lonnie Wheatley

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (November 6, 2010) – Sean McClelland put an exclamation point on his second career American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region championship by winning Saturday night’s season-ending 25-lap feature event at Thunderbird Speedway.

McClelland outlasted Zach Chappell to take his third ASCS Sooner win of the season aboard the Maxwell Oil No. 1 in the first ASCS event atop the ½-mile Thunderbird Speedway clay oval in more than ten years.

After pacing the initial nine circuits and then ultimately surrendering the point to McClelland for good on the 20th circuit, Chappell chased McClelland to the line with Dustin Morgan fending off Brady Bacon for the show position.

Joe Wood, Jr., rounded out the top five as he was unseated from the ASCS Sooner throne, with Kenneth Walker racing from 13th to sixth. Donnie Ray Crawford was seventh, with Matt Sherrell, Rafe Essary and Koby Barksdale completing the top ten.

Slated to start the feature from the pole position, Danny Wood pulled it pitside with engine issues before the feature went green, which moved McClelland up to the third starting position.

Crawford, Wood and Morgan topped heat race action for the 22-car field.

American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Results from Thunderbird Speedway:

First Heat (8 Laps): 1. 55-Donnie Ray Crawford, 2. 35-Matt Sherrell, 3. 27-Andy Shouse, 4. 21$-Michelle Decker, 5. 4k-Kirby Bedford, 6. 22a-Dan Adkins, 7. 31L-Lee Little. DNS: 010-Brian Roberts.

Second Heat (8 Laps): 1. 94-Danny Wood, 2. 1-Sean McClelland, 3. 03-Joe Wood, Jr., 4. 87-Brian McClelland, 5. 2-Kenneth Walker, 6. 22-Koby Barksdale. DNS: 22k-Kevin Barksdale.

Third Heat (8 Laps): 1. 93-Dustin Morgan, 2. 99-Brady Bacon, 3. 50z-Zach Chappell, 4. 26-Rafe Essary, 5. 5-Brent Swift, 6. 94w-Waylon Weaver, 7. 72-Sherman Davis.

“A” Feature (25 Laps): 1. 1-Sean McClelland, 2. 50z-Zach Chappell, 3. 93-Dustin Morgan, 4. 99-Brady Bacon, 5. 03-Joe Wood, Jr., 6. 2-Kenneth Walker, 7. 55-Donnie Ray Crawford, 8. 35-Matt Sherrell, 9. 26-Rafe Essary, 10. 22-Koby Barksdale, 11. 87-Brian McClelland, 12. 21$-Michelle Decker, 13. 4k-Kirby Bedford, 14. 94w-Waylon Weaver, 15. 31L-Lee Little, 16. 27-Andy Shouse, 17. 22a-Dan Adkins, 18. 010-Brian Roberts, 19. 22k-Kevin Barksdale, 20. 94-Danny Wood. DNS: 5-Brent Swift, 72-Sherman Davis.

American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Sean McClelland 1,787, 2. Joe Wood, Jr. 1,630, 3. Kenneth Walker 1,583, 4. Andy Shouse 1,563, 5. Donnie Ray Crawford 1,505, 6. Brian McClelland 1,453, 7. Michelle Decker 1,160, 8. Nick Smith 776, 9. Tony Bruce, Jr. 687, 10. Danny Jennings 663.