Gastineau tops star-studded field to win Harold Leep Classic
Five past champions, 32 competitors were in the field
Pictured:
Whit Gastineau basking in victory lane
Mike Spivey Photo
By John Rittenoure
OKTAHA, Okla. (August 28, 2015) - With five former OCRS champions on hand it was like a who's who of racing for the AmeriFlex Hose and Accessories / OCRS Harold Leep Classic presented by Carter-Maxwell Friday at Outlaw Motor Speedway.
A total of 32 competitors, including five previous champions representing over 80 career OCRS victories, signed in for the show that paid added purse money, $2,500 in lap money and a special Dash for Cash race. But none of that was enough to stop Whit Gastineau from winning his third main event of the season.
“It ended up being a pretty good race and I was happy to win it with all the good competition that was there,” Gastineau said.
The competition was fierce in the 25-lap feature as the top four were consistently jockeying for position. Zach Chappell led the first 17 laps before Gastineau finally was able to pass him for the lead. But second through fourth positions were changing throughout the hotly contested race giving Gastineau more to worry about then just Chappell.
“First Sean (McClelland) went by us on the top, but I knew I was not going anywhere up there so I just started following Zach (Chappell),” Gastineau said of McClelland passing him for second on lap on lap five. “I reeled Sean back in and got by him then I felt like I had a chance to pass Zach. I tried to go around him and Jamie (Passmore) got by me. I went back to the bottom and drove under him then a lap or two later Zach tried to go around a lap car and I drove under him.”
On lap nine Gastineau took second back from McClelland till lap 15 when Passmore, a four-time OCRS champion, slipped around Gastineau for the runner-up position. That only lasted two laps then Gastineau roared around Chappell and Johnny Kent moved into second for one lap giving way to Chappelll on lap 19.
“I knew from driving both the top and bottom where I wanted to be,” Gastineau said of his move into the lead. “They had not done it yet and I was the first one to try it there.”
Chappell turned in his best finish of the season with a runner-up finish.
“I tried to go around a lapped car and he stayed tucked in behind him,” Chappell said of Gastineau running behind him. “I got a little impatient. I saw his number on the scoreboard and knew I had to get going.
“We got in lapped traffic and it is hard to time a car and pass on a rubbered track.”
Chappell tried to challenge Gastineau in the final laps and crossed the finish line 1.620 seconds behind Gastineau.
“I got underneath him a couple of times and he chopped me twice,” Chappell said. “I finally got the courage to try and pass him on the outside, but it was just too slick. Three cars got around me and I got two of them back.
“I used all my tires up trying to get back to Whit. After the last caution I was done.”
Three-time OCRS champion Mike Goodman, in his first OCRS race of the season, finished third after taking over the show position on lap 19, Kent finished fourth and three-time OCRS champion McClelland was fifth.
A Dash for Cash was run in conjunction with the Harold Leep Classic with 10 invited competitors going 10-laps for nearly $1,000 in prize money. Brian McClelland took home the winners prize money. Casey Wills, Brent Bates, Zach Chappell and Michael Bookout finished behind McClelland.
AmeriFlex / Oil Capital Racing Series
Outlaw Motor Speedway - Muskogee, Okla.
Saturday, August 28, 2015
Car count: 32
(Pos-Car-Driver-Start)
Boyd Racing Engines Heat (8 laps) - 1, 1-Sean McClelland[2]. 2, 94F-Morgan Fletcher[5]. 3, 17-Brent Bates[6]. 4, 007-Michael Bookout[8]. 5, 5-Cameron Hagin[3]. 6, 18K-Dalton Ragsdale[7]. 7, 9$-Kyle Clark[1]. 8, 30-Joseph Miller[4]. (DNS).
Shock Doc Heat (8 laps)- 1, 4-Shane Sellers[2]. 2, 33-Gary Owens[8]. 3, 53-Brett Wilson[1]. 4, 16-Nigel Calvert[6]. 5, 5$-Danny Smith[7]. 6, 7F-Andrew Deal[5]. 7, 88S-Shayla Waddell[3]. 8, 3-Brian Gramm[4].
Drive Shafts Inc. Heat (8 laps) - 1, 81W-Danny Wood[1]. 2, 50Z-Zach Chappell[3]. 3, 4AM-Mike Goodman[4]. 4, 55-Johnny Kent[8]. 5, 13-Strike Hill[2]. 6, P78-Perry Pickard[7]. 7, 94-Dan Schnackenberg[6]. 8, 69-Glen Passmore[5]. (DNS).
Car and Fleet Parts Heat (8 laps) - 1, 4J-Jamie Passmore[4]. 2, 4X-Robert Sellers[3]. 3, 2W-Whit Gastineau[8]. 4, 87F-Brian McClelland[7]. 5, 31-Casey Wills[1]. 6, 23A-Travis Ashwood[6]. 7, 98-Jeff Garnett[2]. 8, 6-David Baxter[5].
Harold Leep Dash - 1, Brian McClelland[4]. 2, Casey Wills[3]. 3, Brent Bates[8]. 4, Zach Chappell[9]. 5, Michael Bookout[5]. 6, Cameron Hagin[2]. 7, Brett Wilson[10]. 8, Shayla Waddell[6]. 9, Perry Pickard[1]. 10, Joseph Miller[7].
Wesmar Racing Engines B Feature (12 laps, top 4 transfer) - 1, 4AM-Mike Goodman[1]. 2, 53-Brett Wilson[2]. 3, 87F-Brian McClelland[3]. 4, 13-Strike Hill[4]. 5, 30-Joseph Miller[10]. 6, P78-Perry Pickard[6]. 7, 18K-Dalton Ragsdale[5]. 8, 98-Jeff Garnett[7]. 9, 88S-Shayla Waddell[8]. 10, 3-Brian Gramm[9].
Wesmar Racing Engines B Feature (12 laps, top 4 transfer) - 1, 69-Glen Passmore[10]. 2, 31-Casey Wills[4]. 3, 9$-Kyle Clark[7]. 4, 16-Nigel Calvert[1]. 5, 7F-Andrew Deal[5]. 6, 5-Cameron Hagin[3]. 7, 23A-Travis Ashwood[6]. 8, 6-David Baxter[9]. 9, 94-Dan Schnackenberg[8]. 10, 5$-Danny Smith[2]. (DNS).
AmeriFlex Hose & Accessories A Feature (25 laps) - 1, 2W-Whit Gastineau[2]. 2, 50Z-Zach Chappell[1]. 3, 4AM-Mike Goodman[13]. 4, 55-Johnny Kent[11]. 5, 1-Sean McClelland[4]. 6, 87F-Brian McClelland[17]. 7, 4-Shane Sellers[7]. 8, 33-Gary Owens[8]. 9, 69-Glen Passmore[14]. 10, 9$-Kyle Clark[18]. 11, 53-Brett Wilson[15]. 12, 94F-Morgan Fletcher[6]. 13, 007-Michael Bookout[10]. 14, 4X-Robert Sellers[9]. 15, 4J-Jamie Passmore[3]. 16, 17-Brent Bates[12]. 17, 31-Casey Wills[16]. 18, 16-Nigel Calvert[20]. 19, 13-Strike Hill[19]. 20, 81W-Danny Wood[DQ].
Lap Leaders: Zach Chappell, 1-17; Whit Gastineau, 18-25.
Boyd's Racing Engines Heat: Sean McClelland
Shock Doc Heat: Shane Sellers.
Drive Shafts Inc Heat: Danny Wood
Car and Fleet Parts Heat: Jamie Passmore
D&E Hard Luck Recipient: Casey Wills
Action Auto Collision Hard Charger Recipient: Brian McClelland (+11)
Wesmar Power Parts Recipient: Mike Goodman, Glen Passmore
M&W Aluminum Products Recipient: Joseph Miller, Andrew Deal
Lightning Wings Recipient: Kyle Clark
Rod End Supply Recipients: Sean McClelland, Glen Passmore, Jamie Passmore
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: http://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.
http://www.ocrsracing.com
- John Lemon on Aug 30, 2015
- Article Date: 8/30/2015 by John Rittenoure