From Bryan Hulbert
QUEEN CREEK, AZ (November 27, 2020) – Kicking off the 2020 Copper Classic at Arizona Speedway, the San Tan Ford ASCS Desert Non-Wing Series welcomed a stout field of 30 drivers with Stevie Sussex capturing his fifth career victory with the Arizona based non-wing tour.
Starting off with the front row tangling and collecting three other cars in the process, with everyone managing to stay upright, the second shot at the start was also a no go as a driver came to a stop on the backstretch as the field went green.
Needing two more chances to get rolling, Tyler Most took off with the race lead while Gile and Sussex pursued through the opening laps. Working top shelf over Sussex, the No. 13 of Gile began reeling in the No. 13 to take the point by 0.004-seconds on Lap five.
Slowed with seven laps complete, Most shot to the bottom on the restart but Gile would hold the spot with Stevie Sussex following to second. Shifting lines on Lap 9, Stevie rolled the hub of the first and second turns. Getting the bite needed, the No. 12 took the point as the field completed the tenth lap.
Low in one and two, high in three and four, Stevie moved his advantage to over two seconds as slower traffic came into play with just under ten laps to go.
Fighting with lapped cars, but still maintaining a comfortable lead, the dynamic changed as the caution lights came back on Lap 18. Slowed again a lap later, Most tried the bottom to no avail as Gile and Cling raced by.
Slowed one final time with three laps to run as R.J. Johnson and Tyler Most saw their night’s end with failed tires, the restart yielded much of the same for Stevie Sussex. Taking the white, the coming checkered flag would have to wait for one last caution. Keeping the field at bay for two more laps, Sussex grabbed the win by 1.506-seconds.
Racing hard for second, Sterling Cling and Dennis Gile made contact with both able to keep rolling through the final lap. Cling held on for second with Shon Deskins third from 14th. Rolling from 18th, Aaron Jones grabbed fourth with Randy Nelson going from 11th to fifth.
Dennis Gile ended up sixth with Joshua Shipley seventh. Joe Scheopner, Mason Keefer, and Jonas Reynolds completed the top ten.
The Copper Classic continues Saturday, November 28 with racing getting underway at 6:00 P.M. (MT). Admission is $25 for adults and $10 for youth 7-12. Pit Passes are $40.
Fans not able to attend can see all the action live on https://www.floracing.com.
Arizona Speedway is located at 47346 N Ironwood Rd. More information on the facility can be found online at http://www.arizonaspeedway.net as well as on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Arizona-Speedway-211954742150175. Fans can also email info@arizonaspeedway.net or call (480) 926-6688.
For other news, notes, and information on the American Sprint Car Series, from the National Tour to any of the nine Regional Tours that make up ASCS Nation in 2020, log onto http://www.ascsracing.com, follow on Facebook, on Instagram, and Twitter (@LucasOilASCS).
ASCS Desert Non-Wing
Arizona Speedway
Queen Creek, Arizona
5th annual Copper Classic – Night 1
Friday, November 27, 2020
Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 3-Tyler Most[5]
2. 7X-Ryan Murphy[7]
3. 25AZ-Rick Shuman[2]
4. 43-Ryan Oerter[3]
5. 21C-Brian Chamberlain[8]
6. 50S-Patrick Kop[6]
7. 34-Dustin Burkhart[4]
8. 88-Philip Deeney[1]
Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 51-Ronald Webster[2]
2. 7K-Bruce St James[5]
3. 20-Shon Deskins[1]
4. 4T-Josh Castro[4]
5. 17-Joe Scheopner[3]
6. 22G-Aaron Jones[6]
7. 3K-Patrick Krob[7]
8. 91-Dean Colquette[8]
Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 13-Dennis Gile[3]
2. 2-Joshua Shipley[2]
3. 34C-Sterling Cling[5]
4. 30-RJ Johnson[4]
5. 3Y-Pete Yerkovich[1]
6. 72-AJ Hernandez[6]
7. 7-Mason Keefer[7]
Heat Race #4 (8 Laps)
1. 12-Stevie Sussex[3]
2. 9-Josh Pelkey[4]
3. 0-Jonas Reynolds[5]
4. 9X-Randy Nelson[6]
5. 8K-Kala Keliinoi[1]
6. 7W-Wayne Siddle[2]
DNS: 7OH-Bryan Ledbetter Jr
B-Main (12 Laps)
1. 17-Joe Scheopner[2]
2. 22G-Aaron Jones[6]
3. 3Y-Pete Yerkovich[3]
4. 7W-Wayne Siddle[8]
5. 7-Mason Keefer[10]
6. 34-Dustin Burkhart[12]
7. 72-AJ Hernandez[7]
8. 8K-Kala Keliinoi[4]
9. 50S-Patrick Kop[5]
10. 43-Ryan Oerter[1]
DNS: 7OH-Bryan Ledbetter Jr
DNS: 3K-Patrick Krob
DNS: 91-Dean Colquette
DNS: 88-Philip Deeney
A-Main (25 Laps)
1. 12-Stevie Sussex[3]
2. 34C-Sterling Cling[9]
3. 20-Shon Deskins[14]
4. 22G-Aaron Jones[18]
5. 9X-Randy Nelson[11]
6. 13-Dennis Gile[4]
7. 2-Joshua Shipley[10]
8. 17-Joe Scheopner[17]
9. 7-Mason Keefer[21]
10. 0-Jonas Reynolds[6]
11. 3Y-Pete Yerkovich[19]
12. 8K-Kala Keliinoi[24]
13. 7X-Ryan Murphy[1]
14. 21C-Brian Chamberlain[12]
15. 4T-Josh Castro[15]
16. 3-Tyler Most[2]
17. 30-RJ Johnson[16]
18. 9-Josh Pelkey[5]
19. 51-Ronald Webster[7]
20. 72-AJ Hernandez[23]
21. 7K-Bruce St James[8]
22. 25AZ-Rick Shuman[13]
23. 7W-Wayne Siddle[20]
24. 34-Dustin Burkhart[22]