[i Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (July 28, 2009)]
The ASCS Gulf South Region has been bringing top-flight Sprint Car racing to the Gulf Coast and beyond since 2002, while the ASCS Lone Star Region is flourishing in its inaugural year of action in North Texas.
This weekend, a new tradition breathes to life with the ASCS Gulf South and Lone Star Regions squaring off for a pair of $2,000-to-win events in Texas.
On Friday night, Waco's Heart O' Texas Speedway hosts the opening leg of the ASCS Gulf South vs. Lone Star Challenge. Then, on Saturday night, it's on to the famed Devil's Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, TX, for Round Two.
Leading the way into the weekend for the ASCS Lone Star Region is past Sooner champ Kevin Ramey of Fort Worth, TX, while 19-year-old Aaron Reutzel leads the Gulf South forces after taking in the annual Texas Mosquito Festival this past weekend in his hometown of Clute.
Ramey, who topped the opening three editions of the ASCS Sooner vs. Gulf South Shootout at Devil's Bowl Speedway from 2003 to 2005, leads the inaugural Lone Star title chase by 72 markers on the strength of three series wins thus far in 2009. Ramey, who also won the most recent Gulf South event at Houston Raceway Park on July 18, holds the lead over Brad Welborn, with Justin Melton, Matt Clevenger and Claud Estes rounding out the current top five.
Riding a Gulf South record streak of 15 consecutive top-ten feature finishes, including his first career series win at Beaumont on July 17, Reutzel has amassed an identical 72-point advantage over Tommy Bryant, with Channin Tankersley, Ray Allen Kulhanek and Scottie McDonald completing the current top five.
Newly reconfigured prior to this season, the racy Heart O' Texas Speedway was conquered by Skip Wilson in the inaugural ASCS Lone Star event on April 9.
In addition to the pair of Lucas Oil Sprint Car events in March, Devil's Bowl Speedway hosted a Lone Star vs. Sooner Region event in May with Gary Wright finding his way to victory lane.
The semi-banked, 1/3-mile Heart O' Texas Speedway clay oval is located in Waco, TX, off I-35 Exit 343, then 0.6 miles north on east frontage road. For more information, contact the track at 254-829-2294.
The ½-mile high-banked Devil's Bowl Speedway clay oval is located six miles east of Dallas’ Loop I-635 on US 80, then three miles south on Lawson Road. For more information, contact the track at 972-222-2421.
The ASCS Gulf South Region is set for 27 nights of racing action at eleven different tracks throughout Texas in 2009.
The inaugural slate of ASCS Lone Star Region competition consists of 18 events at nine different tracks throughout North Texas in addition to one venture north of the Red River to Oklahoma City's State Fair Speedway.
[b Past ASCS Regional Feature Winners at Heart O' Texas Speedway:]
4/3/09 – Skip Wilson (Lone Star)
8/22/08 – Greg Rilat (Gulf South)
5/25/08 – Ryan Hall (Gulf South)
9/14/07 – Kevin Ramey (Sooner)
8/31/07 – Brandon Berryman (Gulf South vs. Sooner)
9/15/06 – Kevin Ramey (Gulf South)
7/21/06 – Jason Johnson (Gulf South vs. Sooner Region)
10/15/04 – Kevin Ramey (Gulf South)
9/17/04 – Kevin Ramey (Gulf South)
6/18/04 – Claud Estes (Gulf South)
[b Past ASCS Regional Feature Winners at Devil's Bowl Speedway:]
5/9/09 – Gary Wright (Lone Star vs. Sooner)
9/27/08 – Justin Spoerl (Sooner)
9/1/07 – Jason Johnson (Gulf South vs. Sooner)
7/22/06 – Larry Neighbors (Gulf South vs. Sooner)
7/16/05 – Kevin Ramey (Gulf South vs. Sooner)
10/16/04 – Kevin Ramey (Gulf South vs. Sooner)
7/12/03 – Kevin Ramey (Gulf South vs. Sooner)
The American Sprint Car Series, in its 18th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing events, brings the best of Sprint Car racing to nearly 100 different tracks throughout 25 states and Canada in 2009. Anchored by the Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of a dozen different Regions throughout the nation.
Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com.
- Lonnie Wheatley on Jul 28, 2009
- Article Date: 7/28/2009