Caney, KS — (October 4, 2014) — The OCRS season came to a close on Saturday at Osage Casino Caney Valley Speedway and Kenneth Walker picked up the victory to become the 14th different winner in the 22-race season.
While Walker was working to maintain his lead in the 30-lapper, Andrew Deal was racing for the points championship. Deal finished sixth which was more then good enough to secure the 2014 OCRS Sprint Car Title. Deal will be presented with the Harold Leep Championship Trophy at the annual Awards Banquet.
Walker, who started outside front row, felt the track condition favored a veteran driver.
“That was a good track for an older guy,” smiled Walker. “Nice and smooth and slow and easy on the throttle. You have to be smooth with the throttle. I waited for the rubber to come in then you could run it in deeper and get in the throttle a lot sooner and harder.”
After racing into an early lead, Walker kept his car down low with pole sitter Michael Bookout giving chase. Bookout was unable to challenge and gave up the runner-up position to Johnny Kent with two laps remaining. Bookout held on to finish third.
“It was real slick and I predicted it would rubber up within about five laps,” Walker said. “I am glad that everyone else thought the same thing because I think everyone was just spinning their wheels early on.
“The last five laps I felt we got really fast as it did start to lay a little rubber.”
Walker was glad he was fortunate enough to start on the front.
“Track position means a lot and starting on the front probably won the race,” Walker said. “I don’t think I could have won it from the back.
“I want to thank our sponsors, B and V Specialist, POPS Performance Engines and WESMAR.”
Mickey Walker, who ran as high as third in the early going, was looking to make a run at his dad but settled for a fourth place finish.
“I was trying to make it a 1-2 finish before the end of the season,” said Mickey of his hopes for a team Walker 1-2 finish.
“I was hoping he would get up there and run for the win but a top four is exciting. That is probably our best run together on the same night,” said Kenneth of his son, Mickey.
Mickey knew catching his dad, who has won his share of sprint car and street stock titles, would be a tall order.
“Once we got going he was checked out,” said Mickey. “Seems like every time I would get a run on somebody we would get a yellow. I just settled for a top five. I did not want to crash and tear up anything.”
Deal earns 2014 points championship
Wrapping up the 2014 OCRS points championship and doing it at your hometown track was very special to Deal.
“We set out to win this and we got it. I am happy about that,” smiled Deal who won over Danny Smith who led the points race for most of the season.
“It was kind of a nerve racking race. I just took it easy and tried to finish in the top five. I was just being patient. I was not going to try and force anything on the bottom. I did not want to get into one of those tires.”
Deal was glad that he had not led the points race till late in the season.
“That definitely worked out good for us,” said Deal who took over the lead on Sept. 13 at Oklahoma Sports Park. “I much rather chase then be chased.”
But the championship would not mean anything without the support of family, friends and especially car owner Wade Cagle.
“It means a lot to me and my family,” Deal said. “This is Wade (Cagle’s) car and he has paid the bills all year. My dad and Blake and my girlfriend and my mom, we all work at it together. It has been a lot of work.”
OCRS Race Results
Osage Casino Caney Valley Speedway
October 4, 2014
24 Cars
(Pos-Car-Driver-Start)
AmeriFlex Hose and Accessories Heat
1, 55-Johnny Kent[5]. 2, 2-Mickey Walker[1]. 3, 87F-Brian McClelland[7]. 4, 2W-Kenneth Walker[2]. 5, 53-Brett Wilson[6]. 6, 17-Brent Bates[4]. 7, 16-Nigel Calvert[8]. 8, 8M-Kade Morton[3].
Bob Hurley Auto Family Heat
1, 5$-Danny Smith[1]. 2, 15D-Andrew Deal[2]. 3, 24-Tim Kent[3]. 4, 7M-Chance Morton[5]. 5, 17E-Blake Edwards[5]. 6, 5-Cameron Hagin[6]. 7, 94-Dan Schnackenberg[7]. 8, 13-Len Larkin[4].
Drive Shafts Inc. Heat
1, 69-Glen Passmore[5]. 2, 22-Kyle Clark[4]. 3, 31-Casey Wills[7]. 4, 007-Michael Bookout[3]. 5, 54$-Will Scribner[6]. 6, 22T-Frank Taft[2]. 7, 4PM-Travis Jenkins[8]. 8, 25-Chuck Bellefeuille[1].
Wesmar Racing Engines B Feature
1, 54$-Will Scribner[2]. 2, 17-Brent Bates[12]. 3, 53-Brett Wilson[9]. 4, 17E-Blake Edwards[7]. 5, 16-Nigel Calvert[10]. 6, 4PM-Travis Jenkins[8]. 7, 8M-Kade Morton[11]. 8, 5-Cameron Hagin[5]. 9, 25-Chuck Bellefeuille[6]. 10, 13-Len Larkin[1]. 11, 22T-Frank Taft[3]. 12, 94-Dan Schnackenberg[4].
OCRS A Feature (30 laps)
1, 2W-Kenneth Walker[2]. 2, 55-Johnny Kent[10]. 3, 007-Michael Bookout[1]. 4, 2-Mickey Walker[6]. 5, 22-Kyle Clark[4]. 6, 15D-Andrew Deal[11]. 7, 7M-Chance Morton[5]. 8, 24-Tim Kent[12]. 9, 5$-Danny Smith[9]. 10, 4PM-Travis Jenkins[18]. 11, 5-Cameron Hagin[20]. 12, 31-Casey Wills[3]. 13, 8M-Kade Morton[19]. 14, 17-Brent Bates[14]. 15, 54$-Will Scribner[13]. 16, 17E-Blake Edwards[16]. 17, 16-Nigel Calvert[17]. 18, 53-Brett Wilson[15]. 19, 87F-Brian McClelland[8]. 20, 69-Glen Passmore[7].
Lap Leaders: Kenneth Walker, 1-30.
AmeriFlex Hose & Accessories Hard Charger: Cameron Hagin +9.
D&E Supply Hard Luck Recipient: Chuck Bellefeuille.