From David Smith Jr.
ARDMORE, Ok. (April 28, 2018) – Danny Jennings with stood race long challenges by defending series champion Jeremy Campbell to claim a hard-fought victory during the National Championship Racing Association of Park City, Kansas presented by Precise Racing Products sprint car divisions inaugural appearance at Southern Oklahoma Speedway in Ardmore on Saturday night in a challenge event with the NCRA Sprint Car Bandits presented by Blaine’s Motor Supply.
Jennings and Sprint Car Bandits touring regular Michael Lang started on the front row for the twenty-five-lap feature with Jennings taking the lead as the green flag fell. Third starting Campbell, Don Droud, Jr., Lang and Michael Day were the top five after the first lap was complete.
Jennings opened a quick ten-car-length lead over Campbell before the leaders approached the rear of the field on lap four which allowed Campbell to close the distance.
The first and only caution of the feature finale fell on lap five when current SCB point leader Michael Day came to a stop at the top of turn two and would retire to the pit area.
The final restart set up for some of the wildest racing up front as Jennings would get the jump on the start with Campbell close behind. The three-time and defending tour champion dove low entering turns three and four on lap eleven to pull slightly ahead of Jennings, only to see the Norman, Oklahoma veteran power back out front exiting turn four to maintain the lead.
Droud and Lang would wage their own battle for the third position with Lang taking over the spot, on lap sixteen, only to see Droud return the favor one lap later.
Back up front lapped traffic again waited for the leaders with top the four dicing their way through the slower cars. Campbell would pull several sliders, only to see Jennings power back out front each lap.
With one lap to go, Campbell got yet another run entering turns three and four and looked to make a last lap pass for victory. But Jennings, aboard his Peterson Elite powered/ Maxim chassis sponsored by David Grace Motorsports #1j sprinter would again come out of turn four the leader and would take the $2000 victory by three car lengths over Campbell. For being the highest-finishing driver from Oklahoma, Jennings also picked up an extra $100 from Fred Summers and FixYourGenerator.com.
Campbell and his Schroeder Racing Engines powered, Maxim chassis brought home his family owned Dan’s Cycles, Scotts Well Service, BEPC, Knoche Farms, JP Agronomy, HRP, DMI, Penske sponsored #10c sprinter home second while Droud and the MAP Inc., Ruff Bailey Cattle Co., Heeke Farms, Jennifer Ann Designs sponsored/Ochs Brothers Racing #1x came home third. Lang settled for a strong fourth place finish while sixth starting J.D. Johnson brought his familiar #98 Auto Craft, Evans, Relloy USA, Andale Construction, Alternative Pest Control sponsored sprinter to a fifth-place finish.
The three, eight lap heat races for the twenty-three- car field were won by Johnson, Lang and Campbell.
Next up for the NCRA 360-ci sprint car division will be over the Memorial Day weekend; Saturday and Sunday night, May 26-28, and another challenge event with the NCRA Sprint Car Bandits as they will be the headline event for 81 Speedway’s second annual “Sprint Car Maynia.”
NCRA Sprints/NCRA Sprint Car Bandits
Southern Oklahoma Speedway/Ardmore, Oklahoma
April 28, 2018
23 Cars
1st Heat (8 Laps): 1) J.D. Johnson, 2) Jake Greider, 3) Don Droud, Jr., 4) Fred Mattox, 5) Ray Seeman, 6) Charles McManus, 7) Cody Stacy, DNS) Josh McCord
2nd Heat (8 Laps): 1) Michael Lang, 2) Danny Jennings, 3) Colby Estes, 4) J.R. Topper, 5) Dalton Stevens, 6) D.J. Estes, 7) Michelle Decker, 8) Chas Koch
3rd Heat (8 Laps): 1) Jeremy Campbell, 2) Michael Day, 3) Jeff Stasa, 4) Kaden Taylor, 5) Sterling Hoff, 6) Scott Evans, 7) Chance McCrary
A Feature (25 Laps): 1) Danny Jennings (1), 2) Jeremy Campbell (3), 3) Don Droud, Jr. (4), 4) Michael Lang (2), 5) JD Johnson (6), 6) Dalton Stevens (14), 7) Fred Mattox (8), 8) Jake Greider (7), 9) Jeff Stasa (12), 10) JR Topper (9), 11) Ray Seeman (16), 12) Sterling Hoff (15), 13) Colby Estes (11), 14) Scott Evans (17), 15) Charles McManus (18), 16) Michelle Decker (21), 17) Daniel Estes, Jr. (13), 18) Chance McCrary (20), 19) Kaden Taylor (10), 20) Michael Day (5), 21) Cody Stacy (19), DNS) Chad Koch
Lap Leaders: Jennings 1-25