By Lonnie Wheatley
TULSA, Okla. (June 27, 2011) – The American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region forces have already tangled with their Lone Star foes to the south of the Red River on three occasions this season.
This Saturday night, Sooner attention shifts to the Show Me State as the ASCS Sooner Region mixes it up with the Speedway Motors ASCS Warrior Region atop the high-banked, ¼-mile Springfield Raceway clay oval in Springfield, MO.
It marks the first Sooner tussle with the Missouri-based Warrior Region.
Oklahoma City’s Joe Wood, Jr., the 2009 series champion, leads the Sooner forces into the event with a 74-point advantage over Guthrie’s Michelle Decker, with Oklahoma City’s Andy Shouse just two more points back in third.
Glenpool’s Matt Covington is just seven more points back in fourth, with Godley, TX, shoe Claud Estes rounding out the current top five in Sooner points.
The American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region has featured seven different winners in as many events thus far in 2011 including Wood, Jr., Covington, Tony Bruce, Jr., Brady Bacon, Sean McClelland, Jason Johnson and Jack Dover. Wood, Jr., topped the most recent event at Devil’s Bowl Speedway versus the Lone Star Region on June 18.
Brad Loyet of Sunset Hills, MO, leads the Speedway Motors ASCS Warrior forces into the card with four-time Warrior champion Randy Martin (California, MO), Kyle Bellm (Nixa, MO), Cody Baker (Lone Jack, MO) and Mark Shirshekan (Farmington, MO) the rest of the top five.
Springfield first hosted an ASCS Regional event in 2009 with two-time Sooner champion Brian McClelland reaching victory lane. Another Okie, Nick Smith, was victorious at Springfield last May before Farmington, Missouri’s Dustin Barks pulled off his first win under the ASCS banner on July 31.
Saturday’s racing action at Springfield Raceway is slate to go green at 7:00 p.m.
Missouri’s Springfield Raceway is located off I-44 Exit 75, then south to Kearney Hwy., then one mile west to Westgate, then 0.3 miles south. For more information, contact the track at 417-863-0097.
The American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region is slated for 14 nights of racing action at seven different tracks throughout Oklahoma and neighboring areas of Kansas, Texas and Missouri in 2011.
The inaugural season of Speedway Motors Warrior Region action under the ASCS banner currently consists of 17 nights of competition at nine different tracks throughout Missouri and into Kansas.
Past ASCS Regional Feature Winners at Springfield Raceway:
7/31/10 – Dustin Barks (Sooner)
5/8/10 – Nick Smith (Sooner)
6/20/09 – Brian McClelland (Sooner)
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.