Mike Howard Photo)
Oktaha, OK — (April 11, 2015) — Lady Luck plays a big part in a racers performance at the racetrack and in just two weeks time Robert Sellers has already experience both sides of the coin.
After falling out of the AmeriFlex Hose and Accessories Oil Capital Racing Series season opener on the first lap at Southern Oklahoma Speedway in Ardmore on March 28, Sellers combined some good luck and driving skill to win his first AmeriFlex / OCRS feature Saturday at Outlaw Motor Speedway.
“It is nice to have a little bit of luck going our way especially since we plan to do this most of the year,” Sellers said of his plans to race with OCRS this season. “Two weeks ago in Ardmore we had a pretty good starting spot but we had a shock pin break on us on the first lap and it took us out.”
The result was a 19th place finish. But Saturday Sellers started on the pole thanks to the luck of the feature re-draw and no mechanical issues, he was able to put his Checkered Flag Trucking / Donnie Coleman Racing sponsored sprinter into victory lane.
“We needed the win,” said Sellers. “When you have a front row start like we did last night it is nice to come out with a win.
“There was some pretty tough competition. No matter where you are at in the field it is nice to get a win.”
Sellers beat rookie Brett Wilson to the line to lead the opening lap then rode the cushion while several drivers tried to reel him in.
Wilson held the runner-up slot till lap three giving way to Sheldon Barksdale. Barksdale could not close ground on the leader and eventually gave second up to Sean McClelland on lap 12.
McClelland was also not able to challenge until the only caution of the race waved on lap 23. That caused Sellers a little worry.
“We got that late race caution and I saw the 1 car (Sean McClelland) behind me,” recalled Sellers. “I have raced with Sean quite a bit over the years and he is a great driver. He is not one you want behind you on a restart.”
Sellers was confident in his line but knew what could happen on the restart.
“I was running the cushion but about the 15th lap I started bringing the car down toward the middle exiting the turn,” Sellers said. “I never really got down low. With the car running as well as it was on the cushion I just kept it there.
“I have been in this position before and changed lines and screwed up. So I told myself I would never change lines in the lead. If I get passed I get passed.
“I was hoping he wouldn’t try a slider on me. When you run on the cushion that is when these sliders start taking place. If anyone can pull one off it would be Sean.”
As luck would have it Sellers continued to pace the field from his high line for the final two laps leaving McClelland with a second place finish. McClelland’s second straight second place finish was good enough to put him into the series points lead after two events of the young 2015 season. Barksdale finished in third, Whit Gastineau was fourth in his first run of the season and Shane Sellers rounded out the top five. When it was all said and done, western Oklahoma drivers finished in four of the top five spots.
In B feature action, Casey Wills led Danny Smith, Fred Mattox and Nigel Calvert across the line for the win. All four transferred into the 25-lap A main.
Glen Passmore won the second B over Cameron Hagin, Mike Huard and rookie Dalton Ragsdale.
Johnny Kent earned the D&E Supply Hard Luck award and Danny Smith was Hard Charger of the night advancing 8 positions in the A feature.
OCRS Race Results
Date of Race: Saturday, April 11, 2015
Car Count: 29
(Pos-Car-Driver-Start)
Boyd Racing Engines Heat (8 laps)
1, 20S-Sheldon Barksdale[1]. 2, 4-Shane Sellers[5]. 3, 16-Nigel Calvert[2]. 4, 9$-Kyle Clark[7]. 5, 6-Terry DeVeny[4]. 6, 5$-Danny Smith[8]. 7, 30-Joseph Miller[6]. 8, 24-Ben Frey[3].
Shock Doc Heat (8 laps)
1, 4X-Robert Sellers[6]. 2, 007-Michael Bookout[2]. 3, 31-Casey Wills[3]. 4, 69-Glen Passmore[5]. 5, 26M-Fred Mattox[4]. 6, 13W-Grant Wresche[7]. 7, 18K-Dalton Ragsdale[1].
Drive Shafts Inc. Heat (8 laps)
1, 87F-Brian McClelland[1]. 2, 53-Brett Wilson[2]. 3, 7F-Andrew Deal[5]. 4, 22-David Stephenson[6]. 5, 01-Mike Huard[3]. 6, P78-Perry Pickard[4]. 7, 97-Kevin Cummings (DNS).
Car and Fleet Parts Heat (8 laps)
1, 33-Gary Owens[1]. 2, 1-Sean McClelland[2]. 3, 2W-Whit Gastineau[5]. 4, 55-Johnny Kent[3]. 5, 17-Brent Bates[4]. 6, 5-Cameron Hagin[6]. 7, 88S-Shayla Waddell[7].
Wesmar Racing Engines B Feature #1 (12 laps top 4 transfer to the A Feature)
1, 31-Casey Wills[2]. 2, 26M-Fred Mattox[4]. 3, 5$-Danny Smith[3]. 4, 16-Nigel Calvert[1]. 5, 88S-Shayla Waddell[8]. 6, 17-Brent Bates[5]. 7, 30-Joseph Miller[7]. 8, P78-Perry Pickard (DNS). 9, 97-Kevin Cummings[DNS].
Wesmar Racing Engines B Feature #2 (12 laps top 4 transfer to the A Feature)
1, 69-Glen Passmore[1]. 2, 5-Cameron Hagin[6]. 3, 01-Mike Huard[4]. 4, 18K-Dalton Ragsdale[7]. 5, 6-Terry DeVeny[3]. 6, 13W-Grant Wresche[5]. 7, 24-Ben Frey[8]. 8, 55-Johnny Kent[2].
AmeriFlex Hose & Accessories A Feature (25 laps)
1, 4X-Robert Sellers[1]. 2, 1-Sean McClelland[8]. 3, 20S-Sheldon Barksdale[3]. 4, 2W-Whit Gastineau[11]. 5, 4-Shane Sellers[2]. 6, 33-Gary Owens[5]. 7, 87F-Brian McClelland[4]. 8, 69-Glen Passmore[14]. 9, 5$-Danny Smith[17]. 10, 31-Casey Wills[13]. 11, 7F-Andrew Deal[10]. 12, 26M-Fred Mattox[15]. 13, 007-Michael Bookout[6]. 14, 16-Nigel Calvert[19]. 15, 5-Cameron Hagin[16]. 16, 18K-Dalton Ragsdale[20]. 17, 53-Brett Wilson[7]. 18, 9$-Kyle Clark[9]. 19, 01-Mike Huard[18]. 20, 22-David Stephenson[12].
Lap Leaders: Sellers 1-25.
Hard Charger: Danny Smith (+8).
D & E Supply Hard Luck: Johnny Kent.