By Lonnie Wheatley
TULSA, Okla. (June 27, 2011) – The fireworks start early for the Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest Region as the series takes to a pair of Nebraska dirt ovals on Thursday and Friday.
The Fourth of July holiday weekend’s racing action gets off to an early start Thursday night at McCool Junction’s Junction Motor Speedway before moving on to Greenwood’s I-80 Speedway on Friday night.
Thursday’s McCool tilt offers up a $2,000 winner’s share, with Friday’s action paying $3,000 to win provided the winner competed at Junction Motor Speedway the previous night. If Friday’s winner was not in action Thursday, the winner’s cut will be $1,500.
With the series initial six events of the season in the books for the Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest Region, Oklahoma native Wayne Johnson holds a slim 5-point lead over Springfield, Nebraska’s Jack Dover, the 2008 ASCS Midwest champion that comes off a recent Lucas Oil ASCS National win in the Eagle Nationals.
Missouri’s Brian Brown, who has topped two of three previous ASCS Midwest events at I-80 this season, enters the weekend ranked third in points. Brown has nine career Midwest wins at I-80 Speedway alone and ranks as the only driver to post multiple series visits to victory lane at the semi-banked, 3/8-mile Junction Motor Speedway dirt oval, though it’s been nearly three years since his last McCool Junction glory.
Jordan Boston and Bryan Gossel round out the current top five in ASCS Midwest points, with the rest of the top ten including Don Droud, Jr., Lee Grosz, Ryan Roberts, Danny Lasoski and Trevor Grossenbacher. Lasoski topped the series event at Junction Motor Speedway over Memorial Day weekend.
Thursday’s action at Junction Motor Speedway fires off at 7:30 p.m., with Friday’s green flag at I-80 Speedway flying at 7:00 p.m.
Junction Motor Speedway is located 5.6 miles south of York, NE, off I-80 Exit 353 on US 81, then 0.3 miles west on CR 4. For more information, contact the track at 402-773-5538 or on race day only at 402-724-3100.
Nebraska Raceway Park’s I-80 Speedway is located in Greenwood, NE, between Lincoln and Omaha off I-80 Exit 420, then 0.4 mile north on SR 63 then west. For more information, contact the track at 402-659-3301 or 402-342-3453.
The Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest Region is slated for 21 nights of competition at a seven throughout Nebraska and the surrounding areas of Missouri, South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota.
Past ASCS Midwest Region Winners at Junction Motor Speedway:
5/27/11 – Danny Lasoski
9/11/10 – Jason Johnson
7/1/10 – Chad Humston
5/28/10 – Ryan Roberts
5/22/09 – Shane Stewart
6/27/08 – Brian Brown
6/29/07 – Brian Brown
5/25/07 – Garry Lee Maier
6/30/06 – Brian Brown
5/26/06 – Jake Peters
5/27/05 – Jason Danley
Past ASCS Midwest Regional Winners at I-80 Speedway:
5/26/11 – Brian Brown
4/9/11 – Brian Brown
4/8/11 – Seth Bergman
9/24/10 – Billy Alley
9/3/10 – Brian Brown
7/2/10 – Brian Brown
5/27/10 – Shane Stewart
4/17/10 – Jack Dover
4/16/10 – Dustin Morgan
7/2/09 – Brian Brown
5/21/09 – Chad Humston
4/11/09 – Jonathan Cornell
4/10/09 – Billy Alley
8/14/07 – Jack Dover
4/15/07 – Chuck Swenson (Midwest vs. Northern Plains)
4/14/07 – Brian Brown (Midwest vs. Northern Plains)
8/15/06 – Billy Alley
7/3/06 – Jake Peters (Midwest vs. Northern Plains)
4/8/06 – Brian Brown (Midwest vs. Northern Plains)
8/3/05 – Brian Brown (Midwest vs. National)
7/8/05 – Brian Brown
4/15/05 – Terry McCarl
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.