From Bryan Hulbert
Las Cruces, N.M. — (March 15, 2013) — Bouncing between his second starting spot and fifth for the first half of the night’s 25 lap feature event at the Southern New Mexico Speedway, Christopher Bell raced to victory in the opening night of the fourth annual ASCS 305 Sprint Car Shootout.
In a Robert Miller owned mount with Aaron Reutzel supplying the setup, Bell gave great praise to his crew in victory lane. Asked about the confidence he had with his crew, Bell replied, “It gives me a ton of confidence. I’ve learned over the past couple of months that you’re only as good as the racecar underneath you and these guys gave me a great piece.”
Stopping for an opening lap red involving the flipping Preston Peebles and Derek DeMartino, the next seven circuits saw pole sitter Kolt Walker trading the lead off and on with Kyle McCutcheon and Christopher Bell.
The caution lights blinked on Lap 10 as reigning event champion John Carney II spun running ninth, collecting Cesar Fuentes and Royal Jones in the process. The MVT No. 131 was able to return to competition.
With rubber forming in the middle groove of the Speedway, Bell sat comfortably with the lead despite a caution on Lap 19 that saw a slower car nearly collect the Norman, Okla. driver.
On the restart, Bell was unchallenged for the win with Kyle McCutcheon grabbing the runner up spot followed by Jeff Swindell and Lorne Wofford in the four transfer spots for Saturday’s $5,000 to win feature event. Jason Johnson completed the top five after winning the night’s B-Feature and starting seventeenth.
Josh Baughman was followed across the line by Brandon Schure with Harli White rebounding from a nineteenth starting spot to finish eighth. Pole sitter Kolt Walker settled for ninth with Richard Wilbee completing the top ten.
The fourth running of the ASCS 305 Sprint Car Shootout continues on Saturday, March 16 with gates opening at 5:30 P.M. and Hot Laps beginning at 6:30 P.M.
ASCS 305 Sprint Car Shootout
Southern New Mexico Speedway
Las Cruces, N.M.
March 15, 2013
Car Count: 29
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 1X-Jeff Swindell[1]; 2. 27-Cesar Fuentes[2]; 3. 11P-Preston Peebles II[4]; 4. 9K-Kyle Sager[5]; 5. 6U-Anton Salopek[3]; 6. 77-Colt Treharn[7]; 7. 99.5-Derek Demartino[6]; 8. 9J-Jesse Higginbotham[8]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 19-Wes Wofford[2]; 2. 17-Josh Baughman[4]; 3. 148-Don Grable[1]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson[3]; 5. 88-Richard Wilbee[7]; 6. 52NM-David Burns[6]; 7. 17W-Harli White[5]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 21-Christopher Bell[1]; 2. 1-Kyle McCutcheon[4]; 3. 131-Royal Jones[3]; 4. 12M-Kolt Walker[7]; 5. 05-Bill Briley III[5]; 6. 9-Robert Herrera[6]; 7. 99-Chuck Jackson[2]
Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 224-John Carney II[1]; 2. 18-Lorne Wofford[3]; 3. 21TX-Brandon Schure[4]; 4. 11-Mike Stringfield[7]; 5. 2J-Zach Blurton[6]; 6. 4-Dylan Harris[5]; 7. 98-Jerry Gonzalez[2]
B Feature (12 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson[1]; 2. 2J-Zach Blurton[2]; 3. 17W-Harli White[10]; 4. 99.5-Derek Demartino[9]; 5. 99-Chuck Jackson[12]; 6. 9-Robert Herrera[7]; 7. 52NM-David Burns[6]; 8. 9J-Jesse Higginbotham[11]; 9. 05-Bill Briley III[3]; 10. 98-Jerry Gonzalez[13]; DNF 77-Colt Treharn[4]; DNF 6U-Anton Salopek[5]; 13. 4-Dylan Harris[8]
A Feature (25 Laps): 1. 21-Christopher Bell[2]; 2. 1-Kyle McCutcheon[3]; 3. 1X-Jeff Swindell[5]; 4. 18-Lorne Wofford[8]; 5. 41-Jason Johnson[17]; 6. 17-Josh Baughman[4]; 7. 21TX-Brandon Schure[12]; 8. 17W-Harli White[19]; 9. 12M-Kolt Walker[1]; 10. 88-Richard Wilbee[16]; 11. 9K-Kyle Sager[14]; 12. 9-Robert Herrera[22]; 13. 131-Royal Jones[13]; 14. 52NM-David Burns[23]; 15. 99-Chuck Jackson[21]; 16. 19-Wes Wofford[6]; 17. 9J-Jesse Higginbotham[24]; DNF 224-John Carney II[7]; DNF 27-Cesar Fuentes[10]; DNF 148-Don Grable[15]; DNF 11-Mike Stringfield[9]; DNF 2J-Zach Blurton[18]; DNF 11P-Preston Peebles II[11]; DNF 99.5-Derek Demartino[20]
The 2013 season marks the twenty-second 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 nine different Regions throughout the nation.
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 by texting ASCS to 22828 with any mobile device.