Andrew Kunas / Bryan Hulbert - RATHDRUM, Idaho - With a brand new points leader following the recent Lucas Oil ASCS presented by MAVTV American Real events, the ASCS Frontier Region tour of the returns to action this weekend with races at Gallatin Speedway in Belgrade on Friday, July 25 and Billings Motorsports Park on Saturday, July 26.
After a rough weekend for Idaho's Joe Ramaker, Alberta's Kelly Miller emerged from the the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour races as the new leader for the ASCS Frontier Region, holding an 11-point edge over Ramaker.
Miller was the highest finishing Frontier Region regular in the July 12th National Tour race with a ninth place finish at Billings Motorsports Park, earning first place Frontier Region points while Ramaker was unable to start the B-Feature after suffering severe rear end damage in his car during his heat race earlier in the evening.
Miller, who is still searching for his first ASCS Frontier Region victory of 2014, will now look to add a little cushion between himself and Ramaker, who started the season red hot with three wins in four starts.
For Gallatin Speedway, this will be the Frontier Region's second attempt this season to run the three-tenths mile clay oval near Bozeman. June 13 was cancelled by persistent rain fall.
Ramaker won the next night's race at Billings. This weekend is the second of three Gallatin/Billings pairings this season. The next will be August 15 and 16.
Ramaker dominated at Gallatin Speedway in 2013, winning three times and earning a runner-up finish in five visits to the track last year, including September's Big Sky Super Nationals. Reigning Frontier Region champion Phil Dietz of Laurel, Mont. also performed well at Gallatin, having a win on July 19 along with three other podium finishes. David Hoiness of Billings was also victorious at Gallatin in 2013.
Like Miller, Dietz and Helena, Mont.'s Trever Kirkland also gained ground due to Ramaker's misfortunes in the National Tour races on July 11 and 12.
Kirkland, another former Montana sprint car champion, now sits third in the standings and is only 46 points back of Miller and is coming off a pair of podium finishes in the most recent regular Frontier Region races in June and looked very strong at times when the National Tour was in Montana this month. Dietz is 62 points back of the lead and is also coming off a pair of Top 5 finishes in the last regular Frontier Region races.
Friday night's event at Gallatin Speedway will see the ASCS Frontier Region sprint cars supported by local Modified, Super Stock and Street Stock classes. Saturday's show at Billings Motorsports Park will be supported by Modifieds, B-Modifieds and Street Stocks.
The Frontier Region of the American Sprint Car Series, presented in part by Speedmart Inc. is a winged 360 sprint car tour racing around the state of Montana and beyond.
More information on the ASCS Frontier Region can be found online at frontier.ascsracing.com or you can also follow the series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ascsfrontier. The national website of the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour presented by MAVTV is www.ascsracing.com.
Upcoming ASCS Frontier Region events
July 25 - Gallatin Speedway - Belgrade, MT
July 26 - Billings Motorsports Park - Shepherd, MT
August 15 - Gallatin Speedway - Belgrade, MT
August 16 - Billings Motorsports Park - Shepherd, MT
August 29 - Electric City Speedway - Great Falls, MT
August 30 - Electric City Speedway - Great Falls, MT
August 31 - Electric City Speedway - Great Falls, MT
ASCS Frontier Region - 2014 Top 10 points:
- Kelly Miller, 853
- Joe Ramaker, 842
- Trever Kirkland, 807
- Phil Dietz, 791
- Paxton Lambrect, 736
- Jerry Brey, 712
(tie) Jeremy McCune, 712
- Damon McCune, 675
- Shad Petersen, 637
- Joe Perry, 608
ASCS Frontier Region - 2013 Gallatin Speedway winners
June 21 - Joe Ramaker
July 19 - Phil Dietz
August 2 - Joe Ramaker
August 23 - David Hoiness
September 7 - Joe Ramaker
ASCS Frontier Region - 2014 season winners
May 16: Joe Ramaker at Electric City Speedway
May 17: T.J. Hartman at Electric City Speedway
June 13: RAINED OUT at Gallatin Speedway
June 14: Joe Ramaker at Billings Motorsports Park
June 20: RAINED OUT at Electric City Speedway
June 21: Joe Ramaker at Electric City Speedway
July 11: Brad Loyet at Electric City Speedway (National Tour)
July 12: Jeff Swindell at Billings Motorsports Park (National Tour)
July 18: Brad Loyet at Black Hills Speedway (National Tour, non-points for Frontier Region)
American Sprint Car Series - Frontier Region
frontier.ascsracing.com
ASCS Frontier Region on Facebook
www.facebook.com/ascsfrontier
Speedmart Inc. - presenting sponsor of ASCS Frontier Region
www.speedmartinc.com
Gallatin Speedway - Belgrade, MT
www.gallatinspeedway.com
Billings Motorsports Park - Shepherd, MT
www.billingsmotorsportspark.com
- Bryan Hulbert on Jul 23, 2014
- Article Date: 7/23/2014