By Lonnie Wheatley
TULSA, Okla. (June 6, 2011) – The Oil Medics ASCS Lone Star Region is all set for a HOT-Lone Star weekend double as the series takes to the dirt tracks in Waco and Kilgore this Friday and Saturday night.
The weekend kicks off with the annual ASCS Lone Star event at Waco’s Heart O’ Texas Speedway. Then, on Saturday night, it’s off to Kilgore’s Lone Star Speedway.
Friday’s event at Heart O’ Texas Speedway offers a $2,000 winner’s share with $1,500 for second. Saturday’s card at Lone Star Speedway includes the standard Lone Star winner’s cut of $1,500.
While The Oil Medics ASCS Lone Star Region is south of the Red River, it’s a driver from north of that border that leads the way into the weekend as 21-year-old Matt Covington of Glenpool, OK, is atop the point charts after the initial four events of the season.
Covington, who slipped from first to third in ASCS Sooner points this past weekend, still holds a 40-point advantage over Godley’s Claud Estes in the Lone Star title chase. Mesquite’s Martin Edwards has climbed to third in Lone Star points, with defending series champion Eric Baldaccini of Keller and then Flower Mound’s Justin Melton rounding out the current top five.
The balance of the current top ten in Lone Star points includes Evan Pardo (Gatesville), John Ricketts (Burleson), Junior Jenkins (Greenville), Robert Byrom (Fort Worth) and Chad Wilson (North Richland Hills).
Friday will be an opportunity for The Oil Medics ASCS Lone Star forces to get a look at Waco’s Heart O’ Texas Speedway before the July 29 showdown versus the Smiley’s Racing Products ASCS Gulf South Region atop the Waco clay. The Gulf South series took to the Heart O’ Texas in April with National contender Aaron Reutzel dropping in to take the win. Wayne Johnson topped last year’s Lone Star card at Heart O’ Texas, with Skip Wilson topping the inaugural ASCS Lone Star event at Waco in 2009.
Saturday’s marks the second ASCS Lone Star stop of the season atop the newly reconfigured Lone Star Speedway, where Gary Wright took advantage of a late caution to win the series season opener in March after Eric Baldaccini held the lead much of the way.
Friday’s racing action at Heart O’ Texas Speedway is set to go green at 8:00 p.m., with Saturday’s tilt at Lone Star Speedway firing off at 7:30 p.m.
The high-banked, 1/4-mile Heart O’ Texas Speedway clay oval is located in Waco, TX, off I-35 Exit 343, then 0.6 miles north on east frontage road. For more information, contact the track at 254-829-2294.
The high-banked, 3/8-mile Lone Star Speedway is located in Kilgore, TX, off I-20 Exit 583, then 0.5 mile north on SR 135, then one mile east on FM 1252, then 0.5 mile south. For more information, contact the track at 903-986-9731.
The Oil Medics ASCS Lone Star Region is currently slated for 15 nights of competition at eight different tracks throughout Texas and into Arkansas and Oklahoma in 2011.
Past ASCS Regional Feature Winners at Heart O’ Texas Speedway:
4/1/11 – Aaron Reutzel (Gulf South)
7/23/10 – Ray Allen Kulhanek (Gulf South vs. Lone Star)
5/14/10 – Brandon Berryman (Gulf South)
4/16/10 – Wayne Johnson (Lone Star)
7/31/09 – Tommy Bryant (Gulf South vs. Lone Star)
6/5/09 – Trey Robb (Gulf South)
4/3/09 – Skip Wilson (Lone Star)
8/22/08 – Greg Rilat (Gulf South)
5/25/08 – Ryan Hall (Gulf South)
9/14/07 – Kevin Ramey (Sooner)
8/31/07 – Brandon Berryman (Gulf South vs. Sooner)
9/15/06 – Kevin Ramey (Gulf South)
7/21/06 – Jason Johnson (Gulf South vs. Sooner Region)
10/15/04 – Kevin Ramey (Gulf South)
9/17/04 – Kevin Ramey (Gulf South)
6/18/04 – Claud Estes (Gulf South)
Past ASCS Regional Feature Winners at Lone Star Speedway:
3/12/11 – Gary Wright (Lone Star)
9/11/10 – Kolt Walker (Lone Star)
4/9/10 – Matt Covington (Lone Star with National)
5/24/09 – Brandon Berryman (Gulf South)
The 2011 season marks the 20th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing for the American Sprint Car Series, with approximately 200 nights of competition at tracks throughout the nation and into 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.