By Lonnie Wheatley
TULSA, Okla. (July 11, 2011) – The three previous rounds of this year’s Red River Clash pitting the ASCS Lone Star Region versus the ASCS Sooner Region have all taken place south of the Red River.
This weekend, the Clash shifts to Sooner soil as The Oil Medics ASCS Lone Stars tangle with the American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooners atop Lawton Speedway’s ¼-mile red clay oval on Saturday night.
While Oklahoma City’s Joe Wood, Jr., leads the Sooner forces into Saturday’s tilt, Glenpool, Oklahoma’s Matt Covington holds the Lone Star points lead entering the event. Covington topped a Sooner feature at Lawton in May.
Wood, Jr., the 2009 series champion, topped Round Three of the Red River Clash with a Devil’s Bowl win on June 18 after Jason Johnson (May 7) and Tony Bruce, Jr. (June 17) topped the previous two rounds.
Vying for a second Sooner title, Wood, Jr., enters Saturday’s action with an 86-point advantage over Guthrie’s Michelle Decker in the Sooner chase with Covington another 14 points back in third. Oklahoma City’s Andy Shouse is currently fourth, with 17-year-old rookie contender Cameron Hagin of Tulsa, OK, up to fifth in points just ahead of California native Rick Wright, Jr.
On the Lone Star side of the ledger, Covington extended his point lead to 78 points with a runner-up finish at Devil’s Bowl this past weekend. Claud Estes of Godley, TX, moved back into the second spot ahead of defending Lone Star champion Eric Baldaccini of Keller, TX, with Mesquite, TX, shoes Michael Lang and Martin Edwards rounding out the current top five.
Tulsa’s Sean McClelland, a two-time ASCS Sooner Region champion, topped the most recent Sooner event at Lawton Speedway on June 4 and won last year’s Lone Star vs. Sooner clash atop Lawton clay.
Saturday’s action at Lawton Speedway fires off at 8:00 p.m.
Lawton Speedway is located in Lawton, OK, off I-44 Exit 36, then 2.5 miles west on Lee Boulevard, then 1.4 miles south on Sheridan Road. For more information, contact the track at 580-355-6417.
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.
The American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region is slated for 13 nights of racing action at six different tracks throughout Oklahoma and neighboring areas of Kansas, Texas and Missouri in 2011.
Past ASCS Regional Feature Winners at Lawton Speedway (Sooner Region only unless specified):
6/4/11 – Sean McClelland
5/14/11 – Matt Covington
10/2/10 – Andy Shouse
7/10/10 – Sean McClelland (vs. Lone Star Region)
6/5/10 – Robert Sellers
8/22/09 – Jason Johnson
7/18/09 – Brady Bacon
8/16/08 – Robert Sellers
6/14/08 – Joe Wood, Jr.
4/12/08 – Gary Taylor
9/8/07 – Kevin Ramey
8/19/06 – Kevin Ramey
4/22/06 – Sean McClelland
9/17/05 – Kevin Ramey
7/2/05 – Sean McClelland
4/30/05 – Sean McClelland
9/11/04 – Danny Wood
7/3/04 – Danny Wood
5/1/04 – Travis Rilat
9/20/03 – Kevin Ramey
7/5/03 – Nick Smith
5/3/03 – Kevin Ramey
9/14/02 – Danny Jennings
8/3/02 – Zach Chappell
7/6/02 – Foster Landon
8/18/01 – Danny Jennings
8/4/01 – Danny Jennings
7/7/01 – Robert Sellers
6/2/01 – Travis Scott
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.