From Bryan Hulbert
Salina, KS — (May 30, 2014) — The Salina Speedway played host to the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV American Real on Friday night, where Jeff Swindell captured his first Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour win of 2014, and became the third different Lucas Oil ASCS A-Feature winner at the Kansas oval; but it wasn’t without it’s close call.
Racing under the white flag with a comfortable margin over the Stenhouse, Jr. Racing / Curb-Agajanian Performance Group No. 41, Swindell nearly lost the race trying to maneuver around a slower car.
“They were running the top the whole time getting to them. They’re fast cars; they just got hung up back there for some reason. [Blake] Hahn usually runs good with us all the time and they stayed on the top the whole time. I don’t know why he turned and dove to the bottom down there, I thought I was going to loop it in turn two,” commented Swindell of the close call. “I couldn’t find the cushion quick enough to get the right-rear leaned into it, and I knew someone had to be breathing down my neck.”
That person was Jason Johnson.
Finding Swindell nearly stalled in the center of turns one and two, Johnson made a quick bid for the lead, drag racing Swindell into the final turns.
Asked about the final lap, Johnson replied, “We needed lapped cars to do anything, and we only got to one lapped car. He tried to slide him, and I got a good run down the back straight-a-way and we were going to run out of real estate going into turn three if I’d pushed a little harder so; sometimes you just have to finish second.”
Having to fend off several drivers on restarts, Brad Loyet crossed third, “It was a heck of a race. Hats off to Jeff Swindell, I knew he was going to be tuff coming off the pole. It just shows why his crew is a championship contending team. We’re right there in points with Jason, so finishing right behind him, we’ll take it.”
Eighth starting Johnny Herrera crossed fourth with Aaron Reutzel completing the top five after the pair exchanged slide jobs over the last five laps.
Tony Bruce, Jr. came from ninth to finish sixth with Sam Hafertepe, Jr. seventh after being as high as fifth at the half-way point of the A-Feature. Brandon Hanks came from twelfth to eighth with Brian Brown clawing to ninth after starting twentieth. Jeremy Campbell from fifteenth completed the top ten.
Jason Johnson extended his advantage over Loyet to 18 from 11. Swindell’s win was enough to shoot the Tennessee veteran to third from fifth in the Lucas Oil ASCS driver standings with Johnny Herrera and Sam Hafertepe, Jr. making up the top five.
A field of 31 drivers took to the three-eighths mile Salina Speedway, providing four Heat Races won by Brandon Hahn, Jeff Swindell, Sam Hafertepe, Jr., and Seth Bergman. The night’s B-Feature was won by Don Droud, Jr.
Paired with the Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest Region, Brian Brown earned top points for the region.
The Lucas Oil ASCS presented by MAVTV American Real heads for the Eagle Raceway in Eagle, Neb. on Saturday, May 31 for the Hinchman Racewear Eagle Nationals presented by TBJ Promotions. Online PPV will be offered for $22.00 at http://www.racinboys.com. For updates, news, and more log onto http://www.ascsracing.com.
Lucas Oil ASCS presented by MAVTV American Real
Salina Speedway – Salina, Kan.
Friday, May 30, 2014
Car Count: 31
Heat Races presented by SpeedMart – 8 Laps, winners plus top 12 in passing points to A-Feature.
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 29-Brandon Hahn[1]; 2. 05-Brad Loyet[6]; 3. 10C-Jeremy Campbell[2]; 4. 3-Billy Alley[4]; 5. 17-Blake Hahn[3]; 6. 98-J.D. Johnson[7]; 7. 72-Raymond Seemann[5]; 8. 16K-Kaden Taylor[8]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 94-Jeff Swindell[2]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson[4]; 3. 95-Matt Covington[3]; 4. 1X-Don Droud Jr[1]; 5. 1B-Jordan Boston[8]; 6. 48-Jake Martens[5]; 7. 21-Brian Brown[7]; 8. 11W-Wyatt Burks[6]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[3]; 2. 12-James Mosher[1]; 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel[7]; 4. 2A-Randy Hibbs[2]; 5. 3H-Brandon Hanks[8]; 6. E85-Luke Cranston[5]; 7. 2J-Zach Blurton[6]; 8. (DNF) 45-C.J. Johnson[4]
Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 23-Seth Bergman[2]; 2. 45X-Johnny Herrera[6]; 3. 17X-Josh Baughman[3]; 4. 18-Tony Bruce Jr[7]; 5. 81-Jon Freeman[4]; 6. 91-Jeff Stasa[1]; 7. (DNF) 8-Danny Lasoski[5]
Smiley’s Racing Products B-Features – Top 6 advance to the A-Feature.
B Feature 1 (12 Laps): 1. 1X-Don Droud Jr[2]; 2. 17-Blake Hahn[5]; 3. 2A-Randy Hibbs[1]; 4. 21-Brian Brown[8]; 5. 98-J.D. Johnson[4]; 6. E85-Luke Cranston[7]; 7. 81-Jon Freeman[3]; 8. 45-C.J. Johnson[15]; 9. 11W-Wyatt Burks[14]; 10. 48-Jake Martens[6]; 11. 2J-Zach Blurton[10]; 12. 91-Jeff Stasa[9]; 13. 72-Raymond Seemann[11]; 14. 16K-Kaden Taylor[13]; DNS 8-Danny Lasoski
Protect the Harvest A-Feature
A Feature (30 Laps): 1. 94-Jeff Swindell[1]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson[6]; 3. 05-Brad Loyet[3]; 4. 45X-Johnny Herrera[8]; 5. 87-Aaron Reutzel[5]; 6. 18-Tony Bruce Jr[9]; 7. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[7]; 8. 3H-Brandon Hanks[12]; 9. 21-Brian Brown[20]; 10. 10C-Jeremy Campbell[15]; 11. 1B-Jordan Boston[11]; 12. 1X-Don Droud Jr[17]; 13. 95-Matt Covington[13]; 14. 17X-Josh Baughman[14]; 15. 17-Blake Hahn[18]; 16. (DNF) 23-Seth Bergman[2]; 17. (DNF) 3-Billy Alley[16]; 18. (DNF) 98-J.D. Johnson[21]; 19. (DNF) 12-James Mosher[10]; 20. (DNF) E85-Luke Cranston[22]; 21. (DNF) 2A-Randy Hibbs[19]; DNS 29-Brandon Hahn
Lap Leader(s): Jeff Swindell 1-30
FSR High Point: Brad Loyet
KSE Hard Charger: Brian Brown +11
Hawk Performance Fastest Lap: N/A
CSI Rebound: Brandon Hahn
Provisional(s): N/A
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2014 A-Feature Winner(s): Aaron Reutzel -2, Rico Abreu – 2, Tony Bruce, Jr. – 1, Patrick Stasa – 1, Derek Hagar – 1, Jeff Swindell – 1
2014 Lucas Oil ASCS Driver Standings (Top 10): 1. Jason Johnson 980; 2. Brad Loyet 962; 3. Jeff Swindell 348; 4. Johnny Herrera 935; 5. Sam Hafertepe, Jr. 919; 6. Aaron Reutzel 906; 7. Tony Bruce, Jr. 903; 8. Seth Bergman 852; 9. Mat Covington 849; 10. Blake Hahn 826;
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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.