CHAMP SPRINT TEAMS – A STATE DIVIDED

OCRS Oil Capital Racing Series 2013 Logo

From John Lemon

Tulsa OK — (June 4, 2012) — In the history of sports, nothing beats a good hard fierce rivalry between participants and its fans. Baseball has the New Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox. Professional football has the Green Bay Packers vs. the Chicago Bears. Hockey has New York Rangers vs. the New Jersey Devils. The NBA has the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Boston Celtics.

The sprint cars of the Oil Capital Racing Series has the state of Oklahoma divided by East vs. West. Nowhere is that more proven than at the 4/10 mile dirt track of the Oklahoma Sports Park located in Ada, Oklahoma. There have been 13 sprint car events contested at OSP since the summer of 2007. Western teams, which are classified as sprint car teams in and around the western portion of the Turner Turnpike and beyond, have captured seven victories at OSP. Eastern teams, classified as those in and around the eastern portion of the turnpike hold six triumphs over their rivals at OSP.

This Saturday night will determine if the western foes can go “2 Up” on their counterparts or if the eastern contingent can make this series deadlocked at seven all on OSP soil. From the way the 2012 OCRS chase for the “Goodyear Tire & Rubber Championship” has played out to date, the fight is in full swing. Eastern teams fired the first shot when they opened the season with three straight wins. Three time OCRS champion, “Jammin” Jamie Passmore of Rose Oklahoma, took the first two scheduled rounds (Brill Motor Speedway / Humboldt Speedway) and that was followed up by a Danny Smith win at the Mid-America Speedway. The eastern teams were kicking tail and taking names

Just as the conquerors of the east began to sprout their wings in a prideful fashion to express their dominance, back came the rugged western gunslingers with two victories in the last three affairs. Shayla Waddell let be known that her soft spoken and mild mannered style should not be confused with her demeanor in the cockpit of a powerful sprint car as she was victorious at the Highbanks in Salina Oklahoma. Waddell became the first female to achieve a victory in OCRS history. Passmore worked in one more score at Thunderbird Speedway in Muskogee the next week then it was another western claim as Whit “Gasman” Gastineau took squatter rights from eligible victory lane seekers at the sold out event at the Caney Valley Speedway. Western saddle riders have claimed the last four victory lane real estate offerings @ OSP with Gary Owens of Pauls Valley taking the 5^th Annual “Oklahoma State Championship” last September and Gastineau taking the previous three in a row including the 2011 rendition of the “Harold Leep Jr. Memorial” last May and the 4^th Annual “Oklahoma State Championship” in the autumn season of 2010.

Oklahoma Sports Park produces exciting sprint car finishes as evidenced by not one but two extremely thrilling finishes last year. Gastineau won a feature when Owens spun in turn four of the last lap and Owens was a benefactor to win the Oklahoma State Championship event when the leader he was chasing flipped 25 yards short of the finish line. These western drivers along with their partners will look to prevail once again.

Shayla Waddell & Harli White will look to keep the western winning streak in tact this Saturday @ OSP

~~~The Opponents Strengthen Their Rosters ~~~

Both rosters have strengthened their rosters as the “Day of Reckoning” draws near and they have done so in different ways. The western roster is expected to have the “Hog Wagon” on hand with the quiet but sly Joe Wood Jr behind the reins. Wood put on quite a show in the OCRS season opener coming from 20^th to 2^nd at Brill Motor Speedway. Norman’s Danny Jennings is a frequent OSP attendee in the Goodyear Tire Special and his presence always commands respect.

If having one talented woman to win races helps a rosters clout, can you imagine two? That’s what the western clan will have at their disposal Saturday night as Lindsay’s Harli White will bring her Brand Engines / Maxim stagecoach to the shootout. Like Waddell, White isn’t coming for mere kicks. She comes to compete and to win. Early showings to date have let fans, teams and even race officials know this young lady is all business when she checks in the pits.

The eastern side of the equation has strengthened their roster by having some of their members make vast improvements over their programs from 2011. Drumright Oklahoma’s Fred Mattox has been fast and hungry and has come close on a few occasions to obtaining his first OCRS win. Sperry’s Casey Wills is off to his best start ever and currently sets in third place for the 2012 title. Wills is a mere six markers ahead of Mattox. Add Tim Kent with his 50% average of placing in the top five and the return of former series owner Kenneth Walker to the fold and the eastern players are working to stay “matched up” with their western cousins. After all, nothing like a fair fight in an oval corral.

Gary Owens (right) with father Glen after the amazing Oklahoma State Championship win last fall @ OSP

~~~ EVENT FACTS AND INFORMATION ~~~

What: Ground-pounding 360 winged sprint cars of the Oil Capital Racing Series

Where: Oklahoma Sports Park / Ada, Oklahoma

When: Saturday, June 9, 2012

Oklahoma Sports Park is home to a 4/10 mile clay oval track and is located just 10 miles northwest of Ada, Oklahoma on state highway 3W.

Track Phone: 580-332-5535 / Promoters Phone: 580-332-5383

Track website: www.oklahomasportspark.com

Oklahoma Sports Park gates will open at 5pm / Hot Laps @ 7pm / Racing starts @ 7:30pm

OCRS drivers meeting will commence at 6:15pm.

Former OCRS winners at Oklahoma Sports Park

5.19.07: Mike Goodman