From Lonnie Wheatley
KENNEDALE, Texas (April 30, 2011) – With original plans of a Rock ‘N Roll 50 tuneup at West Memphis becoming increasingly bleak early in the day, Taylor’s Little Rock-based Ronnie Pitts-owned team shifted sights towards Texas, where they topped the opening night of last year’s November Sprint Shootout.
Taylor made it just in time for the night’s action from his current Louisiana home and ultimately took the lead away from Andy Shouse on the tenth circuit en route to his 12th career ASCS Regional feature win and third atop Cowtown clay.
While Taylor started the feature outside the front row, it was pole starter Andy Shouse gunning into the lead at the outset and pacing the early circuits. Taylor soon reclaimed the top spot from the former ASCS Sooner Region champion and raced on to the checkered flag in the No. 1x GF1-chassis.
Taylor crossed the stripe ahead of a pair of Lucas Oil ASCS National contenders that both rallied from eight rows deep, Brady Bacon and Tony Bruce, Jr. Following podium finishers Taylor, Bacon and Bruce was Shouse in fourth, with Claud Estes rounding out the top five.
Justin Spoerl was sixth, Evan Pardo raced from 19th to seventh and Matt Covington rebounded from a pair of trips to the tail to finish eighth and assume the series points lead. Brandon Corn was ninth, with defending series champion Eric Baldaccini completing the top ten.
Corn, Estes, Taylor and Covington topped heat race action for the 27-car field, with Michael Lang winning the 12-lap “B” Main.
The Oil Medics ASCS Lone Star Region Results from Cowtown Speedway:
First Heat (8 Laps): 1. 30-Brandon Corn, 2. 14b-Robert Byrom, 3. 45-Martin Edwards, 4. 66-Nick Clinkenbeard, 5. 76-John Ricketts, 6. 58-Gary Floyd. DNS: 20-Chad Wilson.
Second Heat (8 Laps): 1. 74e-Claud Estes, 2. 6-Justin Spoerl, 3. 40-Junior Jenkins, 4. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., 5. 64j-Johnny Miller, 6. 54-Evan Pardo, 7. 11-Justin Melton.
Third Heat (8 Laps): 1. 1x-Gary Taylor, 2. 36-Andy Shouse, 3. 2-Logan Payne, 4. 99-Brady Bacon, 5. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 6. 1-Ty Williams, 7. 33-Mark Huddleston.
Fourth Heat (8 Laps): 1. 95-Matt Covington, 2. 50-Cody Whitworth, 3. 79-Ryan Hall, 4. 15b-Michael Brown, 5. 14-Michael Lang, 6. 20x-Mike George.
“B” Main (12 Laps): 1. 14-Michael Lang, 2. 15b-Michael Brown, 3. 64j-Johnny Miller, 4. 54-Evan Pardo, 5. 33-Mark Huddleston, 6. 1-Ty Williams, 7. 11-Justin Melton, 8. 20-Chad Wilson, 9. 20x-Mike George, 10. 76-John Ricketts. DNS: 58-Gary Floyd.
“A” Feature (25 Laps): 1. 1x-Gary Taylor, 2. 99-Brady Bacon, 3. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., 4. 36-Andy Shouse, 5. 74e-Claud Estes, 6. 6-Justin Spoerl, 7. 54-Evan Pardo, 8. 95-Matt Covington, 9. 30-Brandon Corn, 10. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 11. 45-Martin Edwards, 12. 14b-Robert Byrom, 13. 15b-Michael Brown, 14. 66-Nick Clinkenbeard, 15. 64j-Johnny Miller, 16. 40-Junior Jenkins, 17. 2-Logan Payne, 18. 50-Cody Whitworth, 19. 79-Ryan Hall, 20. 14-Michael Lang (DNS).
The Oil Medics ASCS Lone Star Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Matt Covington 258, 2. Eric Baldaccini 235, 3. Claud Estes 233, 4. Martin Edwards 227, 5. Junior Jenkins 200, 6. Johnny Miller 190, 7. (tie) Evan Pardo and Michael Lang 184, 9. Justin Melton 175, 10. Robert Byrom 171.
Photo Gallery
