From Cody Morris
Mesquite, TX — (June 2, 2012) — The American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region and Oil Medics ASCS Lone Star Regions collided for the second round of the Inaugural Red River Rumble Saturday night at Devils Bowl Speedway.
Located in Mesquite, Texas; the famed ½ mile oval delivered their second installment of Sooner vs. Lone Star action following a May 19th Rumble won by defending Oil Medics ASCS Lone Star Region champion Matt Covington.
A Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour veteran and nearby Forney, Texas native Travis Rilat took command sixteen circuits into the 25 lap affair to snare his first ASCS victory of the season aboard the Shark powered ShopTheBoss.com no. 29 XXX.
The most recent ASCS Sooner Region winner in Lawton Speedway action and a former 2001 ASCS Sooner titlist, Danny Jennings maintained an early lead with Mustang, Oklahoma’s Andy Shouse closing in fast.
A lap seven red flag for a Michelle Decker tumble shortened the field up on the following restart, allowing Shouse opportunity for a monster slide job that netted Shouse the lap 9 lead.
By the midway stages of the 25 lap main event, Rilat had worked his way by Jennings for the runner up spot and found the rubber shortly after, completing what proved to be the winning move on the 16th round.
By the numbers, the victory was Rilat’s first of the season in either ASCS Sooner or ASCS Lone Star competition and first career Sooner vs. Lone Star win in the 13th meeting between the two ASCS regional rivals.
The victory was also Rilat’s fourth consecutive top five finish in a trio of weekends’ of ASCS competition that started with a fourth place showing in the first Red River Rumble event at Devils Bowl on May 19th before the ASCS veteran headed to the pacific northwest for a pair of ASCS Northwest Region events at Elma, Washington’s Grays Harbor Raceway. Rilat placed fifth before a show position finish in the Sunday finale at Grays Harbor.
Rilat’s fourth ASCS run in the short time span proved the most successful, earning the $2,000 winners loot that featured the added benefit of placing Rilat in a tie with Matt Covington for the midway lead of the Inaugural Red River Rumble.
Shouse held on for runner up honors with Jennings netting show position honors for his second consecutive ASCS podium finish in as many weeks. Matt Covington finished fourth with Oklahoma City’s Joe Wood Jr. completing the top five finishing order.
Transferring through B Main action, Joe Wood Jr. earned the Bishop Racing Components Hard Charger Award with an electrifying drive from 19th to fifth.
Robert Byrom, Danny Jennings, Travis Rilat, and Martin Edwards each topped 8 lap heat race action over the 33 car field, with Joe Wood Jr. taking the winning transfer in the night’s sole 12 lap B Feature.
Covington’s fourth place finish keeps the Glenpool, Oklahoma pilot in solid early leads in both American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region and Oil Medics ASCS Lone Star Region point standings, while also keeping the defending Lone Star champ tied with Rilat for the halfway lead in the Inaugural Red River Rumble.
The Red River Rumble encompasses the four ASCS Sooner vs. Lone Star races of the 2012 campaign. With Devils Bowl hosting rounds one and two, the final pair of Rumble events take place July 21st at Cowtown Speedway before heading to Oklahoma one week later for the Red River Rumble finale at Lawton Speedway.
In an effort headed by the Oil Medics; MANA Fleet, City Vending, TBJ Promotions, Pro Tech Services, and the Auto Center of Burleson have each pitched in to showcase the Inaugural Red River Rumble purse that doles out $500 to the top point earner of the four Rumble events. The runner up team earns a $350 bonus with $250 going to the third place team.
Red River Rumble Tee Shirts will be available at the final pair of Rumble events at Cowtown Speedway and Lawton Speedway. Half of the proceeds of each shirt sold will be donated to the Steve King Foundation.
ASCS Sooner vs. Lone Star / 33 cars
June 2nd, 2012 / Red River Rumble Round two of four
Devils Bowl Speedway / Mesquite, Texas
A Feature
(25 Laps): 1. 29-Travis Rilat[8]; 2. 27-Andy Shouse[4]; 3. 1J-Danny Jennings[2]; 4. 11c-Matt Covington[7]; 5. 03-Joe Wood Jr[19]; 6. 50z-Zach Chappell[15]; 7. 45K-Kolt Walker[14]; 8. 69-Larry Howery[11]; 9. 11s-Patrick Stasa[3]; 10. 74E-Claud Estes III[21]; 11. 12w-Dale Wester[20]; 12. 14-Michael Lang[16]; 13. 36-Robert Sellers[9]; 14. 54-Evan Pardo[17]; 15. 11-Justin Melton[22]; 16. 65L-Nicholas Lucito[13]; DNF 7s-Shane Sellers[12]; DNF 14B-Robert Byrom[1]; DNF 27x-Jesse Frazier[23]; DNF 81au-Gavin Punch[18]; DNF 7-Michelle Decker[10]; DNF 45-Martin Edwards[5]; DNF 76-John Ricketts[24]; DNF 10-George White[6]
Lap Leaders: Danny Jennings (1-7), Andy Shouse (8-14), Travis Rilat (15-25)
B Feature
(12 Laps): 1. 03-Joe Wood Jr; 2. 12w-Dale Wester; 3. 74E-Claud Estes III; 4. 11-Justin Melton; 5. 27x-Jesse Frazier; 6. 76-John Ricketts; 7. 5-Joe Bob Lee; 8. 35-Barry Gifford; 9. 4x-Shawn Petersen; 10. 57-Kyle Chady; 11. 22-Koby Barksdale; 12. 4J-John James; DNF 13-Bud Johnson; DNF 22K-Kevin Barksdale; DNS 22a-Dan Adkins
Top 6 transfer to A-Feature
Heat 1
(8 Laps): 1. 14B-Robert Byrom; 2. 7-Michelle Decker; 3. 65L-Nicholas Lucito; 4. 11s-Patrick Stasa; 5. 54-Evan Pardo; 6. 12w-Dale Wester; 7. 13-Bud Johnson; DNS 22K-Kevin Barksdale; DNS 22a-Dan Adkins
Heat 2
(8 Laps): 1. 1J-Danny Jennings; 2. 10-George White; 3. 27-Andy Shouse; 4. 4J-John James; 5. 5-Joe Bob Lee; DNF 27x-Jesse Frazier; DNF 4x-Shawn Petersen; DNF 11-Justin Melton
Heat 3
(8 Laps): 1. 29-Travis Rilat; 2. 69-Larry Howery; 3. 14-Michael Lang; 4. 36-Robert Sellers; 5. 45K-Kolt Walker; 6. 74E-Claud Estes III; 7. 76-John Ricketts; 8. 57-Kyle Chady
Heat 4
(8 Laps): 1. 45-Martin Edwards; 2. 7s-Shane Sellers; 3. 11c-Matt Covington; 4. 81au-Gavin Punch; 5. 50z-Zach Chappell; 6. 22-Koby Barksdale; 7. 03-Joe Wood Jr; 8. 35-Barry Gifford
2012 Oil Medics ASCS Lone Star Region point standings (top ten):
1. Matt Covington 679; 2. Martin Edwards 636; 3. Claud Estes III 588; 4. Justin Melton 580; 5. Dale Wester 554; 6. Evan Pardo 552; 7. Michael Lang 546; 8. Andy Shouse 536; 9. Robert Byrom 503; 10. John Ricketts 500
2012 American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region point standings (top ten):
1. Matt Covington 662; 2. Shane Sellers 606; 3. Joe Wood Jr. 601; 4. Michelle Decker 563; 5. Danny Jennings 534; 6. Andy Shouse 527; 7. Robert Sellers 523; 8. Jesse Frazier 508; 9. Joe Bob Lee 498; 10. Koby Barksdale 494
2012 ASCS Sooner Region Car & Fleet Rookie of the Year:
1. Shane Sellers 606; 2. Jesse Frazier 508; 3. Joe Bob Lee 498; 4. Kyle Chady 472; 5. Nicholas Lucito 371; 6. John James 349; 7. Brandon Hahn 347
Inaugural Red River Rumble point standings Top Fifteen (with two of 4 events complete):
1. Travis Rilat 280; 1. Matt Covington 280; 3. Joe Wood Jr. 267; 4. Andy Shouse 258; 5. Patrick Stasa 226; 6. Danny Jennings 222; 7. Michael Lang 215; 8. Dale Wester 214; 8. Michelle Decker 214; 10. Justin Melton 210; 10. Martin Edwards 210; 12. Zach Chappell 208; 12. Claud Estes III 208; 14. Robert Sellers 204; 14. Evan Pardo 204