Calvert opens the AmeriFlex / OCRS season with his first career victory
Tops a 34-car opening night field at Southern Oklahoma Speedway
Pictured:
Nigel Calvert earns first career AmeriFlex feature victory in the 2015 season opener
Mike Howard Photo
By John Rittenoure - OCRS Web Editor
ARDMORE, Okla. (March 28, 2015) - Nigel Calvert opened the AmeriFlex Hose & Accessories / Oil Capital Racing Series season with a performance he won’t soon forget. The Broken Arrow racer won his first career AmeriFlex / OCRS feature Saturday night at Southern Oklahoma Speedway.
Calvert led the 20-car field to the green in his Aegis Oil, D&E Supply number 16 and did his best throughout the race to make sure passing him would be difficult.
The plan worked to a tee.
“I was trying to stay smooth and hit my marks,” Calvert said of his low line around the 3/8’s mile oval. “That is basically it. I was just hoping for more green flag laps then yellow.”
Calvert had no idea of what who was chasing him.
“I had no idea,” Calvert said. “A couple of times on the first few restarts I could see the black nose wing of (Sean) McClelland but after that I did not see anybody.
“I never really got off the bottom much. I did not see anybody to move and the car was working so I was not changing.”
But the one thing he did not want to happen was a yellow flag on the final lap. And it happened.
“My heart dropped on that one,” Calvert said knowing he would have to endure a final lap restart. “Seeing the white flag for my first win then you get a yellow. But it worked out.
“I wanted to go clean and green.”
Calvert had good reason to worry. Three-time series champion Sean McClelland was looking for an opportunity to pass Calvert for the lead.
“It was just hard to pass and I was waiting on him to make a mistake,” McClelland said. “He did not make a mistake. He did a really good job. He deserved it.”
McClelland could have taken a chance with a move to the high groove but chose not too.
“My car was getting a little tight,” He said. “I did not want to try it. I should have.
“I have had a couple of miserable weeks so I will take second and go on down the road.”
Close behind McClelland was Sheldon Barksdale finishing in third, Gary Owens climbed his way to 4th from a 13th starting position after winning the first B feature, and Sean’s brother Brian McClelland rounded out the top five.
A total of 34 cars filled out the opening night field resulting in two Wesmar B features. Owens won the first one over Cameron Hagin and David Stephenson. Johnny Kent earned his way into the A feature winning the second B ahead of Casey Wills and defending AmeriFlex / OCRS champion Andrew Deal.
OCRS Race Results
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Car Count: 34
(Pos-Car-Driver-Start)
Boyd Racing Engines Heat (8 laps)
1, 53-Brett Wilson[4]. 2, 22C-Cody Cothran[3]. 3, 16-Nigel Calvert[7]. 4, 03-Joe Wood, Sr. [1]. 5, 87F-Brian McClelland[8]. 6, 69-Glen Passmore[5]. 7, 7M-Chance Morton[6]. 8, 94-Dan Schnackenberg[2]. 9, 2K-John Kelly[9].
Shock Doc Heat (8 laps)
1, 4X-Robert Sellers[4]. 2, 1-Sean McClelland[9]. 3, 33-Gary Owens[2]. 4, 8M-Kade Morton[7]. 5, 9$-Kyle Clark[6]. 6, 5-Cameron Hagin[5]. 7, 25-Chuck Bellefeuille[3]. 8, 7F-Andrew Deal[8]. 9, 22-David Stephenson[1].
Drive Shafts Inc. Heat (8 laps)
1, 4-Shane Sellers[2]. 2, 5$-Danny Smith[4]. 3, 31-Casey Wills[3]. 4, 17-Brent Bates[6]. 5, 3G-Jeff Garnett[5]. 6, 76H-TJ Honkomp[1]. 7, 30-Joseph Miller[5]. 8, 007-Michael Bookout. (DNS).
Car and Fleet Parts Heat (8 laps)
1, 02-Brandon Long[5]. 2, 84-Alex DeCamp[3]. 3, 20S-Sheldon Barksdale[8]. 4, 55-Johnny Kent[6]. 5, 01-Mike Huard[1]. 6, 88S-Shayla Waddell[7]. 7, 1x-Denny Cothran[2]. 8, P78-Perry Pickard[4].
Wesmar Racing Engines B Feature 1 (12 laps - Top 4 Transfer To A-Feature)
1, 33-Gary Owens[2]. 2, 5-Cameron Hagin[6]. 3, 22-David Stephenson[11]. 4, 17-Brent Bates[1]. 5, 88S-Shayla Waddell[5]. 6, 03-Joe Wood, Sr.[3]. 7, 3G-Jeff Garnett[4]. 8, P78-Perry Pickard[10]. 9, 7M-Chance Morton[7]. 10, 30-Joseph Miller[8]. 11, 94-Dan Schnackenberg[9]. (DNS).
Wesmar Racing Engines B Feature 2 (12 laps - Top 4 Transfer To A-Feature)
1, 55-Johnny Kent[1]. 2, 31-Casey Wills[2]. 3, 7F-Andrew Deal[9]. 4, 9$-Kyle Clark[3]. 5, 76H-TJ Honkomp[6]. 6, 1x-Denny Cothran[8]. 7, 69-Glen Passmore[5]. 8, 01-Mike Huard[4]. 9, 25-Chuck Bellefeuille[7]. 10, 2K-John Kelly[10]. (DNS). 11, 007-Michael Bookout[11]. (DNS).
AmeriFlex Hose & Accessories A Feature (20 laps)
1, 16-Nigel Calvert[1]. 2, 1-Sean McClelland[3]. 3, 20S-Sheldon Barksdale[4]. 4, 33-Gary Owens[13]. 5, 87F-Brian McClelland[12]. 6, 22C-Cody Cothran[9]. 7, 7F-Andrew Deal[18]. 8, 17-Brent Bates[19]. 9, 02-Brandon Long[2]. 10, 5-Cameron Hagin[15]. 11, 22-David Stephenson[17]. 12, 53-Brett Wilson[8]. 13, 31-Casey Wills[16]. 14, 9$-Kyle Clark[20]. 15, 8M-Kade Morton[11]. 16, 55-Johnny Kent[14]. 17, 5$-Danny Smith[6]. 18, 84-Alex DeCamp[10]. 19, 4X-Robert Sellers[5]. 20, 4-Shane Sellers[7].
Lap Leaders: Calvert 1-20.
Hard Charger: Andrew Deal (+11).
D & E Supply Hard Luck: Dan Schnackenberg
About AmeriFlex 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, AmeriFlex 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. AmeriFlex 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
About D&E Supply -
D&E Supply has over 35 years of experience towards serving Oklahoma builders, architects and independent contractors as a drywall and drywall supply source. Their years of experience mean you can rest assured you are getting the best quality product for your specific needs.
D&E Supply works with some of the most cutting edge manufacturers bringing to the drywall industry a source for green products, acoustic drywall, steel framing or soundproof drywall. Tools of the trade are available as well in their contractor supply department. For your professional drywall needs, call D&E Supply at 918 621-4600.
- John Lemon on Mar 29, 2015
- Article Date: 3/29/2015 by John Lemon