By Bryan Hulbert
TULSA, Okla. (April 21, 2014) – This past Easter Weekend, the American Sprint Car Series saw regional competition headlining four ovals in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas with the American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region, Griffith Truck and Equipment Gulf South Region, and Speedway Motors Warrior Region.
Through Saturday, the ASCS Nation has seen 19 race nights contested, accounting for 24 sanctioned events this season at 14 tracks in seven states (AR, AZ, NE, MO, NM, OK, and TX). Fifteen drivers have an A-Feature win in 2014 while four drivers have multiple victories.
The Winners
• Blake Hahn – The grandson of series founder Emmett Hahn found victory on Friday, April 18 at the Heart O’ Texas Speedway, and according to the report submitted by Gulf South Director, Keith Johnson, did it in dramatic style. Nearly getting upside down on the fifteenth lap, Hahn recovered and between he and Brandon Berryman, brought a capacity crowd to their collective feet with a last lap shootout. The win counts as Hahn’s first of the season.
• Seth Bergman – The Washington native’s second ASCS triumph of the season, Seth Bergman topped the American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region’s opener at the West Siloam Speedway; working past Morgan Turpen after a Lap 21 red flag. This marks the second year in a row that Bergman has won the Sooner Region opener, doing so in 2013 at the Creek County Speedway.
• Sean McClelland – The Springfield Raceway offered up a slick surface for drivers in the ASCS Sooner and Warrior Regions on Saturday, and the race unfolded with plenty of drama; especially at the end. After a Lap 21 caution, fifth running Dustin Morgan was quickly second running Dustin Morgan, and was running down Sean McClelland. Working to the outside of the No. 1, Morgan had the run coming to the white flag, but found the right rear of McClelland suddenly blocking the road to victory. While some displeasure was shown after the checkered flag, post race interviews were very respectful as each driver paid complements to one another, stating if the roles were reversed, the same move would have been utilized. The win was Sean’s first of the season.
• Aaron Reutzel – For the third time in as many years, Aaron Reutzel picked up the Nolan Wren Memorial at the Gator Motorplex. Leading flag to flag, the win is Reutzel’s second ASCS victory of the season, and first of the year with the Gulf South Region. His fifth podium finish of the year, Reutzel finished third the night before at the Heart O’ Texas Speedway.
The rest of the weekend:
• Speaking of Reutzel – The driver of the No. 87 may have pulled off bronze and gold medal runs over the weekend, but the start was anything less than wonderful. Scattering an engine during his Heat Race at the Heart O’ Texas Speedway, Reutzel and crew chief, Ryan Beechler, thrashed to swap things out for Friday’s A-Feature. Gridding the No. 87 eighteenth, all that hard work was worthwhile as Reutzel tore a path to the front.
• Introducing…Zane Lawrence – What do most 14 year olds do these days to occupy their time on a Friday or Saturday night? For Zane Lawrence, driving Sprint Cars sounds like a great idea as the Lillian, Texas teenager pulled off his best finish ever in ASCS competition at the Gator Motorplex, finishing second to Aaron Reutzel. In fact, Zane has raced three times with the Griffith Truck and Equipment Gulf South Region in 2014 and has not finished outside the top-ten.
• Brandon Berryman – Towards the end of the 2013 season, Brandon Berryman had to undergo surgery to have a Pacemaker installed. This past weekend, he got behind the wheel for the first time in 2014 to put his ticker’s new metronome to the test. He nearly pulled off the win at the Heart O’ Texas Speedway and the hard charger the following night at the Gator Motorplex with a fifth place finish.
• Casey Wills – The driver of the No. 31 took a very hard ride on Friday at the West Siloam Speedway. Wills landed outside the wall that lines turns one and two. He was taken by ambulance for treatment, but has been reported to be okay, just sore.
• Headset to Helmet – It’s not often that Matt Ward gets to race. A former Micro and Midget driver, the National Coordinator for the American Sprint Car Series, Tulsa Shootout, and Chili Bowl Nationals did however get to play this past weekend with the ASCS Sooner Region and fared well, earning Hard Charger on Friday with a run from eighteenth to ninth, followed by a sixth on Saturday.
On Deck: ASCS Regional competition will again be the highlight of the coming weekend as the Smiley’s Racing Products Lone Star Region heads for the Lubbock Speedway on Friday, April 25 then the Abilene Speedway on Saturday, April 26.
The 2014 season marks the twenty-third 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. 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. Log onto www.mavtv.com for information regarding availability and listings in your area.
Associate sponsors for the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV include: Hoosier Racing Tire and Brodix.
Team Lucas Sponsors for the American Sprint Car Series consist of Protect the Harvest, iON Camera, Smokey Mountain Moonshine, C&R Radiator, Hawk Performance Products, Geico, E3 Spark Plugs, and General Tire.
Product and Contingency Sponsorship provided by: K&N Filters, KSE Racing Products, SpeedMart, Competition Suspension, Engler Machine and Tool, FSR Radiator and Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Driverwebsites.com, Weld Wheels, Saldana Racing Products, Maxwell Industries, Print Place, Simpson, The Joie of Seating, Wesmar Racing Engines, Hinchman Indy Racewear, Rod End Supply, Smiley’s Racing Products, Speedway Motors, 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 by texting ASCS to 22828 with any mobile device.