By John Rittenoure - PRYOR CREEK, Okla. (May 28, 2022) - Over the past four years Salina Highbanks Speedway has become one of Alex Sewell’s favorite places to race. But that has not always been the case.
Saturday the 2018 AmeriFlex / OCRS IMCA Sprint Car champion won for the fifth time in six straight trips to the Highbanks.
“Use to when we came here we kind of dreaded it, but now we look forward to it,” recalled Sewell.
In 2019 Sewell won at the one event held that year at the highbanks. Sewell swept both Salina races in 2020 and won again early in 2021 before losing the AmeriFlex Challenge VI to Blake Hahn in September.
Saturday Sewell got off to a slow start but came on strong in the final laps for the win.
“When they dropped the green I did not get off to a very good start,” said Sewell. “When we had that yellow we had 17 or 18 laps left and I knew it was go time.”
Sewell chased down second place Zach Chappell and passed him midway of the 20-lap main event. With his car getting faster with each passing lap Sewell closed on race-long leader Joe Wood, Jr. and wheeled inside of him on lap 17 for the lead.
“It looked like he missed the rubber or something, but I got by Chappell and I was hoping for a yellow,” Sewell said of his hopes of catching Wood. “I could tell I was pulling Joe Wood down a little bit. I knew five laps to go was coming and I felt I had to go for it and try as hard as I can. Luckily we got to him and got by him.
“My car was really good and I think he (Wood) was a little tight and having trouble with lapped traffic.”
“Experience from past wins played to Sewell’s late race performance.
“It was moving down and I figured it would get hard to pass but my dad (Andy) and Rob (Forehand) had the car really really good,” explained Sewell of the racing groove.
Wood remained in second followed by Chappell in third. Whit Gastineau climbed from 11th to fourth earning him the D&G Contracting Hard Charger award, and points leader Blake Edwards finished fifth.
The next event for the AmeriFlex / OCRS IMCA Sprint Cars is June 11 at Enid Speedway.
AmeriFlex / OCRS IMCA Sprint Cars
Salina Highbanks Speedway - Pryor Creek, Okla.
May 28, 2022
AmeriFlex Hose Accessories A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 8-Alex Sewell[3]; 2. 28-Joe Wood Jr[2]; 3. 50Z-Zach Chappell[4]; 4. 2C-Whit Gastineau[11]; 5. 17E-Blake Edwards[5]; 6. 5-Joe Bob Lee[8]; 7. 31-Casey Wills[6]; 8. 55-Johnny Kent[14]; 9. 26M-Fred Mattox[9]; 10. 88-Terry Easum[7]; 11. 20S-Sheldon Barksdale[10]; 12. 8R-Ryker Pace[15]; 13. 22M-Rees Moran[12]; 14. 22T-Frank Taft[16]; 15. 62-James Shoun[13]; 16. 2L-Brandon Leland[18]; 17. 78-Dean Drake Jr[17]; 18. 77-Kale Drake[1]
Schure Built Suspensions Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 28-Joe Wood Jr[1]; 2. 50Z-Zach Chappell[3]; 3. 77-Kale Drake[9]; 4. 31-Casey Wills[6]; 5. 26M-Fred Mattox[8]; 6. 22M-Rees Moran[5]; 7. 55-Johnny Kent[4]; 8. 8R-Ryker Pace[7]; 9. 78-Dean Drake Jr[2]
Lightning Wings Powder Coating Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 8-Alex Sewell[3]; 2. 17E-Blake Edwards[1]; 3. 88-Terry Easum[5]; 4. 5-Joe Bob Lee[7]; 5. 2C-Whit Gastineau[6]; 6. 20S-Sheldon Barksdale[9]; 7. 62-James Shoun[8]; 8. 22T-Frank Taft[4]; 9. 2L-Brandon Leland[2]??
Lap Leaders: Joe Wood, Jr. 1-16, Alex Sewell 17-20.?
Margin of victory: 0.898.?
D&G Contracting Hard Charger: Whit Gastineau +7
Top 10 Standings: 1. Blake Edwards 1046; 2. Rees Moran 970; 3. Terry Easum 893; 4 Sheldon Barksdale 869; 5. Whit Gastineau 765; 6. Joe Bob Lee 672; 7, Johnny Kent 671; 8. Steven Shebester 651; 9. Elizabeth Phillips 604; 10. Fred Mattox 577.
2022 Winners: 3/4 - Steven Shebester (Red Dirt Raceway); 3/5 - Tyler Drueke (Red Dirt Raceway); 3/19 - Blake Edwards (Creek County Speedway); 3/25 - John Carney II (Thunderbird Speedway); 3/26 - Tanner Conn (Lawton Speedway); 4/9 - Terry Easum (Oklahoma Sports Park); 4/23 - Johnny Kent (Creek County Speedway); 5/20 - Danny Smith (Tulsa Speedway); 5/21 - Steven Shebester (81 Speedway); 5/28 - Alex Sewell (Salina Highbanks Speedway).
About the AmeriFlex / OCRS Series -
?Established in 2002, the Tulsa OK based AmeriFlex / OCRS series sanctions dirt track sprint car racing in the southern region of the central plains. Fan appeal and quality race teams, combined with our solid core of supporting sponsors are the nucleus of the series. Thrilling competition providing the ultimate quality family entertainment is the essence of what the AmeriFlex / OCRS series is all about.
Website: www.ocrsracing.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/oil.series
About Ameri-Flex Hose & Accessories -
Located in Tulsa OK, AmeriFlex Hose & Accessories is a family owned and operated company. From food grade hose to hoses for the petroleum industry, Ameri-Flex will strive to fill your needs. AmeriFlex can build a hose to your specifications or we will assist you in creating what you have designed while you wait. Ameri-Flex has several hard to find items that some vendors can’t get or find. Product can be shipped quickly and efficiently. If we do not have what you are looking for, we will direct you on where to find it. Give us a try, after all…………..
AmeriFlex Has The Stuff That Keeps You Going!
Website: www.AmeriFlexHose.com
AmeriFlex / OCRS IMCA Contingency Sponsors
AmeriFlex Hose & Accessories, Hoosier Racing Tires, Smileys Racing Products, Schoenfeld, Brodix, Lucas Oil, RacinDirt.TV, Schure Built Suspension, Lightning Wings & Powder Coating, Smith Titanium, MyRacePass.
Photo by Richard Bales
- administrator on May 29, 2022
- Article Date: 5/29/2022 by John Rittenoure