By Lonnie Wheatley
TULSA, Okla. (July 5, 2011) – The action will be on the high-banked, ½-mile Devil’s Bowl Speedway clay oval this Saturday night as The Oil Medics ASCS Lone Star Region takes to the storied track in Mesquite, TX.
It marks the fourth of five scheduled ASCS Lone Star stops on Devil’s Bowl clay, with Oklahoma’s Matt Covington trying to move one step closer to taking the Lone Star title from his rivals south of the Red River.
Making the transition from the familiar black No. 95 family entry to the white No. 11c Marshala machine in recent weeks, the 21-year-old from Glenpool, OK, enters Saturday’s action with a lead that has dwindled to just 40 markers over defending series champion Eric Baldaccini of Keller, TX.
Covington’s advantage had been as much as 71 point prior to the June 17-18 double dip at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, where Baldaccini used finishes of 11th and sixth to move past Claud Estes for second in points and close in on Covington.
While Baldaccini is just 40 points off the lead pace with eight dates remaining on the schedule, Godley, Texas’ Estes is just nine more points back in third.
Flower Mound’s Justin Melton and Mesquite’s Martin Edwards, a past Devil’s Bowl Speedway track champion, round out the current top five in points with the rest of the top ten including Michael Lang (Mesquite), Evan Pardo (Gatesville), John Ricketts (Burleson), Robert Byrom (Fort Worth) and Dale Wester (Red Oak).
Through eight The Oil Medics ASCS Lone Star events thus far in 2011, seven different drivers have reached victory lane. Jason Johnson is the only driver to repeat with two wins, with single scores posted by Lang, Kevin Ramey, Gary Wright, Gary Taylor, Tony Bruce, Jr., and Joe Wood, Jr.
Saturday’s racing action goes green at 8:00 p.m.
Mesquite, Texas’ high-banked, ½-mile Devil’s Bowl Speedway clay oval is located six miles east of Dallas’ I-635 on I-20, then three miles north on Lawson Road. Lawson Road north of the track (and south off of US 80) has been closed for repair, so fans and racers are urged to use I-20 and then go north on Lawson. For more information, contact the track at 972-222-2421.
The Oil Medics ASCS Lone Star Region is currently slated for 15 nights of competition at eight different tracks throughout Texas and into Oklahoma in 2011.
Past ASCS Regional Feature Winners at Devil’s Bowl Speedway:
6/18/11 – Joe Wood, Jr. (Lone Star vs. Sooner)
6/17/11 – Tony Bruce, Jr. (Lone Star vs. Sooner)
5/7/11 – Jason Johnson (Lone Star vs. Sooner)
7/24/10 – Kolt Walker (Gulf South vs. Lone Star)
6/19/10 – Kenneth Walker (Lone Star vs. Sooner)
6/18/10 – Jason Johnson (Lone Star vs. Sooner)
9/5/09 – Gary Wright (Gulf South vs. Lone Star)
5/9/09 – Gary Wright (Lone Star vs. Sooner)
9/27/08 – Justin Spoerl (Sooner)
9/1/07 – Jason Johnson (Gulf South vs. Sooner)
7/22/06 – Larry Neighbors (Gulf South vs. Sooner)
7/16/05 – Kevin Ramey (Gulf South vs. Sooner)
10/16/04 – Kevin Ramey (Gulf South vs. Sooner)
7/12/03 – Kevin Ramey (Gulf South vs. 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.