By Bryan Hulbert
Tulsa, Oklahoma (October 30, 2012) For the past two years, the November race weekend at the Southern New Mexico Speedway has been framed as a showdown between the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV and some of the best drivers with the World of Outlaws.
Presented by Las Cruces based trucking company Mesilla Valley Transportation, Speedway and MVT co-owner Royal Jones will for the third year bring Steve Kinser, Kraig Kinser, and Danny Lasoski plus a host of Outlaw regulars to the southwest for the “Battle at the Border”.
Previously a two day event in Las Cruces, the event this year will incorporate the El Paso Speedway Park located in El Paso, Texas for the Friday night program on November 9th before returning to Las Cruces for the Saturday night affair at the Southern New Mexico Speedway on November 10th.
Absent from the west Texas since 1994, the El Paso Speedway Park is a mildly banked 3/8 mile clay oval. Seated roughly ten miles east of the U.S. Army Base known as Fort Bliss, the last visit by the Lucas Oil ASCS presented by MAVTV on October 8, 1994 saw Phoenix, Arizona’s Rickey Hood victorious in the Joe Herrera owned No. 45x.
A regular at the southwest ovals in an ASCS 305 car fielded by Casey Minks Motorsports, the crafty veteran showed up a field of over forty earlier this season, sweeping the ASCS Canyon Region events in El Paso and Las Cruces on June 8th and 9th.
The home track of multi time ASCS Southwest Champion Rick Ziehl, the Southern New Mexico Speedway will play host to the Lucas Oil ASCS presented by MAVTV and ASCS Southwest Region for the third consecutive year and eighth time in the track’s history. The site of Steve Kinser’s only Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour triumph in November of 2010, the 5/16 mile oval saw Glenpool, Oklahoma’s Matt Covington come to the rescue of the ASCS record in 2011 to even up the score between the two racing entities.
Coming down to the final few night of points races, the Southern New Mexico Speedway was the beginning of a massive swing in the championship battle in 2011 after Shane Stewart saw a 137 point lead over Johnny Herrera diminished to 76 after Stewart posted 12th and 9th place runs.
Looking to avoid the same setback, 2011 ASCS Owner Champion Jason Johnson leads the overall championship standings by 97 over Oklahoma’s Wayne Johnson. Brady Bacon continues to hold third with fourth place Johnny Herrera, who grabbed the 2011 prelim victory in Las Cruces, looking for his first win of the season at the track that played an integral role on the early years of the savvy veterans career. Tony Bruce Jr. holds fifth and looks to rebound after a failed engine at the Short Track Nationals put the Kansas racer in a C-Feature and out of the $15,000 to win event.
Taking advantage of a non-point weekend in Little Rock, Brad Loyet returned home to regroup before making his second trip to the southwest. The 2011 Speedway Motors ASCS Warrior Region Champion currently rides sixth in the tour standings. Seth Bergman holds seventh with Logan Forler, Gary Wright, and Dustin Morgan making up the top ten.
Series:
Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV
When:
November 9th – El Paso Speedway Park – El Paso, TX – Gates Open @ 5pm / Racing @ 6:30pm
November 10th – Southern NM Speedway – Las Cruces, NM – Gates Open @ 5pm / Racing @ 6:30pm
Track Information: El Paso Speedway Park
Address: 14751 Marina Blvd. El Paso, TX 79938
Phone #: 915-791-8749
Website: www.epspeedwaypark.com
Past Winner: Rickey Hood (10/8/1994)
Track Information: Southern New Mexico Speedway
Address: 12125 Robert Larson Blvd. Las Cruces, NM 88007
Phone #: 575-524-7913
Website: www.snmspeedway.com
Past Winners: Tim Crawley (9/4/1994), Danny Young (10/7/1994), Chris Ikard (2/23/1997), Jack Dover (11/12/10), Steve Kinser (11/13/2010), Johnny Herrera (11/11/2011), Matt Covington (11/12/2011)
2012 Feature Winners: Jason Johnson-13, Wayne Johnson-9, Brady Bacon-7, Jeff Swindell-4, Tony Bruce Jr.-3, Danny Lasoski-2, Shane Stewart-2, Brian Brown-1, Seth Bergman-1, Jason Martin-1, Dustin Morgan-1, Danny Wood-1, Cody Baker-1, Jordan Boston-1, Brock Lemley-1, Mason Moore-1, Brad Loyet-1, Brooke Tatnell-1, Kevin Swindell-1, Justin Henerson-1, Terry McCarl-1, Jack Dover-1, Paul McMahan-1
Lucas Oil ASCS presented by MAVTV Points (top 10): 1. Jason Johnson 6,300; 2. Wayne Johnson 6,203; 3. Brady Bacon 6,069; 4. Johnny Herrera 5,695; 5. Tony Bruce Jr. 5,629; 6. Brad Loyet 5,617; 7. Seth Bergman 5,230; 8. Logan Forler 5,156; 9. Gary Wright-5,015; 10. Dustin Morgan-5,000
Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV – A Look Ahead:
November 9 – El Paso Speedway Park – El Paso, TX
November 10 – Southern NM Speedway – Las Cruces, NM
November 15 – Canyon Speedway Park – 45th Western World
November 16 – Canyon Speedway Park – 45th Western World
November 17 – Canyon Speedway Park – 45th Western World
Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV on the web:
All Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series national events are broadcast live on www.racinboys.com for anyone who is unable to attend the races live. Official results, points, and race notes are posted at www.ascsracing.com. The Lucas Oil ASCS presented by MAVTV can also be found on Facebook and Twitter @LucasOilASCS.
Lucas Oil ASCS on TV: A full schedule of tape-delayed races for the 2012 season can found at www.motorsportshour.com.
The 2012 season marks the 21st year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing for the American Sprint Car Series, which brings the best of Sprint Car racing to dozens of different tracks throughout the nation and into Canada. Anchored by the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series, ASCS also consists of ten different Regions throughout the nation.
Lucas Oil Products is the title sponsor of the American Sprint Car Series. More information can be found on Lucas Oil Products at www.lucasoil.com. MAVTV is the presenting sponsor of the American Sprint Car Series. For information regarding availability and listings in your area log onto www.mavtv.com.
Associate sponsors for the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MavTV include: Hoosier Racing Tire, Brodix, Geico, E3 Spark Plugs, General Tire, K&N Filters, PitstopUSA.com, FSR Radiators, Schoenfeld Headers, Driverwebsites.com, Weld Wheels, Maxwell Industries, Print Place, Simpson, Wesmar Racing Engines, and Hilborn Injection Systems.
Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com as well as Twitter (@LucasOilASCS) and Facebook. News and information can also be sent to you with the ASCS E-News Letter. Sign up with your Cell Phone by texting ASCS to 22828.