From John Lemon
Salina, OK — (August 24, 2013) — Andrew Deal is a name that many associate with as being one of the top open wheel talents in the region. As that may be, one goal has eluded Deal and that is a win on the Oil Capital Racing Series sprint car circuit. In Deal’s 38th OCRS appearance, that has now been conquered as Deal scored a decisive win in tonight’s 25-lap A-Feature in the Wade Cagle owned #25 C&P Racing Supply / Jennings Engines / ART sprinter at the Salina Highbanks Speedway. It is also Deal’s first sprint car victory at any level of competition.
Staring second row inside, Deal quickly moved past front row starter Donny McConnell and fellow front row inhabitant Michael Bookout and led the opening lap. Deal would have to endure multiple restart attacks from his fellow competitors throughout the feature, but he would score the win by leading all 25-laps.
Behind Deal, the race was filled with scores of slide jobs, some of which were in a “darting” fashion that made for great viewing. Shayla Waddell has a knack for the Highbanks having won on the here last year and she was second last month to Casey Wills. Staring in the sixth position, Waddell was third by the second lap and went to work on Kyle Clark looking to take a way the second position. She would do so on lap six and was looking ahead to a battle with Deal until a red flap stopped action two laps later.
Initially, there was just going to be a yellow flag as Chance Morton spun in turn four. However, across the track in the second turn, Kade Morton and Perry Pickard were both dead on the track after making contact with one another and then comes Dan Schnackenberg who rams the stalled Pickard at speed and begins to execute a series of barrel rolls along the back straight. While the car was worse for wear, Schnackenberg was OK and received the Dyno Services of Oklahoma ‘Hard Luck’ award. Both Morton’s would restart while Pickard went pitside.
The restart would see Deal up front with the lapped car of Michael Tyre next followed by Waddell, Clark, Alex Decamp, Alex Sewell, Casey Wills, Danny Smith and Harli White. Working the ninth lap, it would be the “Alex and Alex Show” as Sewell would pass DeCamp heading into turn one only to have DeCamp take the spot right back as the boys worked their way out of turn two. Sewell would pass DeCamp in turn four but DeCamp would lay the power to the ground and he sped right back by Sewell and retained the fourth spot by six feet at the line.
Sewell would eventually get by DeCamp while Smith decided to get into the act and went by DeCamp on the backstretch on the tenth lap and set his sights on Sewell and Clark. White would also get by DeCamp in turns three and four on lap eleven. Action would be halted at this point, as Kade Morton would stall in turn two.
On lap 17, Smith made a move to get under Clark and at the same moment, Tyre spun in turn four to bring out another yellow. Restarting the 17th lap, White made a move to get by Sewell in turn one and took the position away. Sewell then got a big burst of momentum going down the back straight and executed a huge slider on both White and Waddell in turns three and four to move into the fourth spot. As the ladies were fighting for position, contact was made in turn four. The end result was a flat left rear tire for Waddell and she had to retire to the infield.
On lap 20, Johnny ‘Hotrod’ Kent brought out the last caution when we went off the track in turn three. Deal, as he had done all night, would open up considerable car lengths between him and the field on the restart and he would lead the way to the finish. Clark held on for second in the getcngnow.com / DSO Engines / ART car with teammate Smith, who was the AmeriFlex Hose and Accessories ‘Hard Charger’, coming home third in the Same Day Auto Repair / DSO Engines / XXX chassis. Sewell had an outstanding run and put on quite a show for the fans in the Action Auto Collision / Sewell Mechanical / Forehand Engines / ART chassis. Point leader White would get another top five in the Jerry Tucker Roustabout / Terraco Soil Farming / Boyd Racing Engines / Maxim.
“They (Salina Staff) really did a good job on the track tonight,” said Deal. “We got to get around the top a little bit and its fun when it’s like that. Even when you’re out front by yourself, it still can be a challenge to run around the top. I was getting really good restarts and if someone was going to pass me, they were going to have to pass me pretty good. As long I didn’t stumble getting into (turn) number one, we were going to be alright.”
With his Highbanks victory, Deal becomes the 11th different winner on the OCRS 2013 tour. The next event for the OCRS warriors will be next Saturday night as the series rolls back onto the Caney Valley Speedway for the third and final time in 2013 for a night of battle on Kerry Gorby’s ¼-mile arena.
For more information on the OCRS sprint car series including updates, stories, photos, complete 2013-point standings and future schedules, log onto: www.ocrsracing.com
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OCRS Race Results
Salina Highbanks Speedway / Salina Oklahoma
Date of Race: Saturday August 24, 2013
Event number 17
Car count: 16
(Pos-Car-Driver-Start)
AmeriFlex Hose and Accessories Heat:
1- Harli White 17w (4), 2- Kyle Clark 9$ (1), 3- Alex Sewell 8 (6)
4- Andrew Deal 25 (8), 5- Casey Wills 31 (5), 6- Kade Morton 8m (6), 7-Perry Pickard 78 (7) 8- Michael Tyre 11 (2)
Bob Hurley Auto Family Heat
1- Alex DeCamp 84 (1), 2- Shayla Waddell 88s (6), 3- Danny Smith 5$ (3), 4- Chance Morton 7m (8), 5- Donny McConnell 77 (5), 6- Michael Bookout 007 (4), 7- Dan Schackenberg 94 (7), 8- Johnny Kent 55 (2)
OCRS A-Feature
1- Andrew Deal 25 (3), 2- Kyle Clark 9$ (4), 3- Danny Smith 5$ (11), 4- Alex Sewell 8 (9), 5- Harli White 17w (12), 6- Alex DeCamp 84 (10), 7- Casey Wills 31 (7), 8- Johnny Kent 55 (16), 9- Chance Morton 7m (5), 10- Kade Morton 8m (8), 11- Donny McConnell 77 (1), 12- Michael Tyre 11 (15), 13- Michael Bookout 007 (2), 14- Shayla Waddell 88s (6), 15- Perry Pickard 78 (13), 16- Dan Schnackenbrg 94 (14)
AmeriFlex Hose and Accessories “Hard Charger”: Danny Smith +8
Dyno Services of Oklahoma Hard Luck award: Dan Schackenberg