From John Rittenoure
Salina, Okla. (July 9, 2016) – After winning Saturday’s Ameri-Flex Hose and Accessories / Oil Capital Racing Series sprint car main event at the Salina Highbanks Speedway, the fast 3/8’s mile oval has undoubtedly become Sheldon Barksdale’s favorite place to race.
Barksdale won here with the Ameri-Flex / OCRS sprinters on May 14th and backed it up again Saturday as part of the tracks Ameri-Flex Summertime Shootout.
It was Barksdale’s fourth OCRS victory of the season.
“This track has been pretty good to us,” Barksdale said thinking back to his first win here in May. “This is our second time here and we have got two wins out of it”.
“The track was really good tonight. They did a good job working the racetrack.”
It was that good track surface that allowed Barksdale to take a chance and grab the lead on a lap 13 restart. Sitting in third, Barksdale jumped to the outside in his Barksdale Overhead Door / Maxim Racing / Wells Racing Engines sprinter to pass second place Brett Wilson and race leader Andrew Deal.
“At the start of the race I was running the bottom and was a little snug down there,” Barksdale said. “The track was kind of coming to me then we had that restart. I am sitting there third and kind of had nothing to lose and felt I might as well try something. I jumped up there and got the lead then jumped back to the bottom and protected the win from there”.
“On a restart you don’t have your momentum up and you have a chance to get around a guy if you try a different line.”
Once in the lead, Barksdale stayed in command the final 12 laps to win over Deal. Series points leader Zach Chappell passed Wilson on lap 15 to take over third and a lap later, Whit Gastineau moved into fourth dropping Wilson back to a fifth place finish.
Wilson started on the pole in his Garnett Storage sponsored sprinter and set the pace for the first 10 laps before Deal shot underneath him in turn one of lap 11 for the lead. But Deal’s lead only lasted two laps before the yellow waved forcing a restart.
Deal was caught by surprise when Barksdale came around on the outside.
“I had no idea there was anything other then the bottom,” Deal said of the restart. “I just protected the bottom after that restart and I should have kept some momentum into the turn”.
“He took a chance and it paid off. I was just in the wrong spot at the wrong time”.
“I was better down low. But I was a little loose on the entry and had to give a lot up.”
Deal gave indication early on he was going to be a contender turning the fastest laps of the night in the Car & Fleet heat race with a clocking a 14.385 (93.847 mph).
“This car is fast. Rob Forehand has got us a good motor and it is quick,” Deal said.
Deal hopes to backup that performance with a pair of good runs next weekend at Humboldt Ks. and his home track of Caney Ks.
“This is the first time me and my wife have owned our own stuff so we don’t get to run a whole lot, but we come out here and have some fun.
“We should have got the win tonight but hopefully next week. I would like to win at Humboldt and Caney.
Ameri-Flex / OCRS Official Results
Salina Highbanks Speedway, Salina, Okla.
Saturday, July 9, 2016
Car count: 17
(Pos-Car-Driver-Start)
Drive Shafts, Inc. Heat (8 laps)
1, 20S-Sheldon Barksdale[3]. 2, 50Z-Zach Chappell[5]. 3, 1-Sean McClelland[6]. 4, 79-Tim Kent[1]. 5, 94F-Morgan Fletcher[4]. 6, 33-James
A1 Machine Shop Heat (8 laps)
1, 84-Alex DeCamp[2]. 2, 88S-Shayla Waddell[1]. 3, 5-Cameron Hagin[4]. 4, 69-Glen Passmore[5]. 5, 5X-Matt Sherrell[6].
Car and Fleet Parts Heat (8 laps)
1, 15D-Andrew Deal[2]. 2, 2W-Whit Gastineau[1]. 3, 53-Brett Wilson[4]. 4, 55-Johnny Kent[3]. 5, 8-Alex Sewell[6]. 6, 31-Casey Wills[5].
AmeriFlex Hose & Accessories A Feature (25 laps)
1, 20S-Sheldon Barksdale[2]. 2, 15D-Andrew Deal[5]. 3, 50Z-Zach Chappell[7]. 4, 2W-Whit Gastineau[6]. 5, 53-Brett Wilson[1]. 6, 8-Alex Sewell[13]. 7, 88S-Shayla Waddell[4]. 8, 31-Casey Wills[17]. 9, 5-Cameron Hagin[9]. 10, 84-Alex DeCamp[8]. 11, 5X-Matt Sherrell[15]. 12, 79-Tim Kent[10]. 13, 69-Glen Passmore[11]. 14, 94F-Morgan Fletcher[14]. 15, 33-James Estes[16]. 16, 1-Sean McClelland[3]. 17, 55-Johnny Kent[12].
Lap Leaders: Brett Wilson, 1-10; Andrew Deal, 11-12; Sheldon Barksdale, 13-25.
Contingency Award Recipients:
Drive Shaft Inc. Heat: Sheldon Barksdale
A1 Machine Heat: Alex DeCamp
Car and Fleet Parts Heat: Andrew Deal
D&E Supply Hard Luck Recipient: Johnny Kent
Action Auto Collision Hard Charger: Casey Wills +9
Wesmar Power Parts Recipient: Matt Sherrell
M&W Aluminum Products Recipient: Tim Kent
Rod End Supply Recipients: Brett Wilson, Cameron Hagin, James Estes