Owens feels right at home at Oklahoma Sports Park
Wins third straight AmeriFlex / OCRS Harold Leep, Jr. Memorial
Pictured: Gary Owens with crew & friends in victory lane (Mike Howard Photo)
By John Rittenoure - OCRS Web Editor
ADA, Okla. (June 20, 2015) - The annual Harold Leep, Jr. Memorial race at Oklahoma Sports Park is a race Gary Owens looks forward to every year. The Pauls Valley native won the event in 2013 and again in 2014.
Saturday Owens defended his title winning for the third time in his Owens Sand and Gravel and Fields Pecan Pies sponsored sprinter. It was also Owens' first AmeriFlex Hose and Accessories Oil Capital Racing Series victory of the season.
“I really like this place,” Owens said to the crowd in victory lane. “I like it and it likes me for some reason.
“I want to thank (promoter) George Welch. With all the rain they had he had a dry track tonight.”
Owens started the 25-lap feature on the pole after drawing the number one pill in the re-draw, but it took him nine trips around before he could lead his first lap on the 4/10 mile oval. Johnny Kent drove into the early lead from the outside front row and Owens ended up giving chase.
On lap 10 Owens got the break he needed passing Kent for the lead.
“That was my first challenge,” Owens said of taking the lead. “He (Kent) was pretty fast and I got pretty lucky. He got a little high and loose. I went to the bottom and got it to stick.”
AmeriFlex / OCRS points leader Robert Sellers also got around Kent one lap later and and went after Owens.
“I knew Robert (Sellers) was pretty fast,” Owens said.” We held on.”
Shane Sellers roared into third behind his dad on lap 15. It appeared the race might end with a third place finish, but a pair of yellow flags with two laps remaining proved to be beneficial. Shane put a move on dad after the final restart and shot into second, but could not run down Owens.
“I am pretty happy with second as loose as I was,” Shane Sellers said of his cars handling. “I was expecting to run the cushion so I left my car free then we got out there and there was not a top, we had to run the bottom. I was just too loose.
“With all the problems we have had this year I am just happy to get in 25 laps.”
The move around Robert for second was not expected.
“The front three cars, we were pretty much running the same speed,” Sellers recalled. “My dad went high to try and make something work and ended up getting in the marbles and I got by him. If not for that I probably would have been third.
“Had we been on the top we would have been better. Had I known we were going to run the bottom we could have made the car better.”
After a promising start Kent spun on the lap 23 restart while running fourth and ended the night two laps down in 14th.
“We got tagged on the restart and got turned around,” Kent said of the finish. “That was just racing. It was nobody’s fault.
“We just got the car a little free and it got looser as the race went. That is just part of it.
“I was struggling getting off turn two and giving up a lot of racetrack.”
At the checkered Robert Sellers finished in third behind Shane, Whit Gastineau climbed to fourth from an eighth place start and Danny Smith rounded out the top five from his 11th place starting position.
OCRS Race Results
Oklahoma Sports Park
Saturday June 20, 2015
Car count: 20
(Pos-Car-Driver-Start)
Boyd Racing Engines Heat (8 laps)
1, 55-Johnny Kent[2]. 2, 2W-Whit Gastineau[3]. 3, 31-Casey Wills[6]. 4, 88S-Shayla Waddell[4]. 5, P78-Perry Pickard[1]. 6, 007-Michael Bookout[5]. 7, 98-Jeff Garnett[7].
Shock Doc Heat (8 laps)
1, 50Z-Zach Chappell[1]. 2, 33-Gary Owens[6]. 3, 17-Brent Bates[5]. 4, 4-Shane Sellers[7]. 5, 30-Joseph Miller[4]. 6, 53-Brett Wilson[3]. 7, 94-Dan Schnackenberg[2].
Drive Shafts Inc. Heat (8 laps)
1, 4X-Robert Sellers[1]. 2, 5-Cameron Hagin[2]. 3, 03-Joe Wood Jr.[3]. 4, 5$-Danny Smith[5]. 5, 87F-Brian McClelland[4]. DNS: 01-Mike Huard.
AmeriFlex Hose & Accessories A Feature (25 laps)
1, 33-Gary Owens[1]. 2, 4-Shane Sellers[5]. 3, 4X-Robert Sellers[4]. 4, 2W-Whit Gastineau[8]. 5, 5$-Danny Smith[11]. 6, 31-Casey Wills[7]. 7, 50Z-Zach Chappell[6]. 8, 5-Cameron Hagin[3]. 9, 17-Brent Bates[9]. 10, 87F-Brian McClelland[15]. 11, 53-Brett Wilson[17]. 12, 88S-Shayla Waddell[12]. 13, 30-Joseph Miller[14]. 14, 55-Johnny Kent[2]. 15, 03-Joe Wood Jr.[10]. 16, P78-Perry Pickard[13]. 17, 007-Michael Bookout[16]. 18, 94-Dan Schnackenberg[19]. 19, 98-Jeff Garnett[18]. DNS: 01-Mike Huard.
Lap Leaders: Kent 1-9; Owens 10-25.
Sponsor Contingency Awards:
Boyd's Racing Engines Heat: Johnny Kent.
Shock Doc Heat: Zach Chappell.
Drive Shafts Inc Heat: Robert Sellers.
D&E Hard Luck Recipient: Mike Huard.
Action Auto Collision Hard Charger Recipient: Danny Smith.
Wesmar Power Parts Recipient: Brett Wilson.
M&W Aluminum Products Recipient: Shayla Waddell.
Lightning Wings Recipient: Brian McClelland.
DSO Racing Engines Recipient: Danny Smith.
Amsoil Recipient: Casey Wills.
Rod End Supply Recipients: Danny Smith, Brent Bates, Joe Wood, Jr.
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.
Next Event: June 27, 2015 / Brill Motor Speedway / Meeker, Oklahoma
www.ocrsracing.com
- John Lemon on Jun 21, 2015
- Article Date: 6/21/2015 by John Rittenoure