Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (November 1, 2010) – The American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region will try to finish off the 2010 season once again with Saturday night’s return to Muskogee’s historic ½-mile Thunderbird Speedway clay oval.
Postponed by rain from the originally scheduled date of October 23, Saturday night’s ASCS Sooner Region season finale will mark the first American Sprint Car Series event at Thunderbird Speedway since Wayne Johnson claimed a National win on the half-mile in June of 2000.
Tulsa’s Sean McClelland, who looked to finish off his second ASCS Sooner Region title run two weeks ago, will try again Saturday night after a tumultuous Little Rock weekend. After destroying a car in Thursday’s qualifying action, McClelland and crew thrashed to put another car together in time for Saturday’s STN finale and will be set to go Saturday night at Thunderbird Speedway.
McClelland, also the ASCS Sooner Region champion in 2005, carries a solid 132-point lead into the season finale on the strength of nine top-fives and eleven top-tens in a dozen ASCS Sooner events this season including wins at Lawton Speedway (July 10) and South Coffeyville’s Mid-America Speedway (September 11).
In McClelland’s wake, 2009 ASCS Sooner champion Joe Wood, Jr., of Oklahoma City is just 40 points ahead of fellow OKC shoe Andy Shouse in the battle for second. Shouse was a Sooner Region co-champion in 2004.
Shouse is just four points ahead of Sapulpa’s Kenneth Walker, who made his way back to the Sooner circles in 2010 after three years of Lucas Oil ASCS National competition.
Third-generation shoe Donnie Ray Crawford of Broken Arrow, OK, enters the finale ranked fifth in points, with fellow series contenders such as two-time champion Brian McClelland of Tulsa and Guthrie’s Michelle Decker taking on all variety of invaders.
Thunderbird Speedway hosted four ASCS National events from 1998 to 2000, with Gary Wright winning the first three events before Wayne Johnson reached victory lane on June 9, 2000.
Saturday night’s American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region action at Muskogee’s Thunderbird Speedway is set to get under way at 7:00 p.m.
Thunderbird Speedway is located in Muskogee, OK, 2.1 miles east of US 69 on Okmulgee Street to B Street, then 0.9 miles south. For more information, contact the track at 918-869-6955 or 918-682-7977.
Saturday marks the 13th night of 2010 competition for the American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region at nine different tracks throughout Oklahoma, Texas and Missouri.
Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com.
- Lonnie Wheatley on Nov 02, 2010
- Article Date: 11/2/2010