Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (November 7, 2010) – It’s been more than six years since the ASCS National Tour has invaded the Land of Enchantment. And, it's been even longer, more than 13 years, since the series has seen action in Las Cruces.
That changes this weekend, as the Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters National series takes to the high-banked, 5/16-mile Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces for two full nights of competition on Friday and Saturday.
And, what a grand return it will be, as Jason Johnson tries to tighten his grip on a possible second Lucas Oil ASCS National title on the same weekend that Steve Kinser makes his first career ASCS National start.
This weekend’s Southern New Mexico Speedway double, which includes a $6,000 winner’s share to the winner of Saturday night’s feature, kicks off a three weekend swing through the Southwest that puts the wraps on the 2010 season for the Lucas Oil ASCS National series. USA Raceway’s $15,000-to-win 43rd Annual Western World Championships in Tucson follow on November 18-20, with the season concluding the following weekend with the Las Vegas Sprint Car Super Nationals on November 26-27.
Vying for a second $60,000 series championship after settling for runner-up honors to Shane Stewart last year, Jason Johnson carries a 72-point lead into this weekend’s Southwest Swing opener. Seventy-two points and a slight margin of error. A very slight one, as up to 64 points can be gained or lost between a first and 24th place feature finish. One miscue though, and 20-year-old Brady Bacon can be right back in the mix, with defending series champion Stewart holding out hope as well.
A native of Eunice, LA, “The Ragin’ Cajun” also carries the luxury of all four provisionals into the final three weekends of the season. Broken Arrow, Oklahoma’s Bacon has just two provisionals left at his disposal, while Bixby, OK, native Stewart is down to just one.
While Johnson, Bacon and Stewart hold down the top three positions, another dozen drivers continue to battle their portion of the $250,000 points fund that will be distributed at the Lucas Oil ASCS Awards Banquet in Tulsa, OK, on December 12.
Four-time series champion Tim Crawley, a winner of three series events since late August, enters the weekend ranked fourth, just 21 points ahead of 20-year-old Nebraskan Jack Dover. Dover topped the recent Devil’s Bowl Winter Nationals.
Liberal, KS, native Tony Bruce, Jr., enters the weekend ranked sixth, with Zach Chappell (Talala, OK), Kyle Hirst (Loomis, CA), Danny Wood (Norman, OK) and Ricky Logan (Little Rock, AR) the balance of the top ten.
Other full-time Lucas Oil ASCS National contenders include Matt Covington (Glenpool, OK), Darren Long (Elida, OH), Dustin Morgan (Tulsa, OK) and Channin Tankersley (Highlands, TX), while Gary Wright has climbed back up to 15th in points after missing the North by Northwest tour in July.
Hirst holds the edge in the Brodix Rookie of the Year chase over fellow Rookie contenders Covington, Morgan and Tankersley.
While this weekend’s action will prove pivotal in Lucas Oil ASCS National points, plenty of other top contenders will be in action with the long-running Steve Kinser vs. Sammy Swindell rivalry shifting to ASCS action in Las Cruces.
The weekend also awards ASCS Southwest points, as Las Cruces native Rick Ziehl tries to close in on a third consecutive ASCS Southwest title. Ziehl holds a 97-point edge over Knoxville, IA, resident Calvin Landis, with John Gaston, Joshua Hodges and Joshua Williams rounding out the current top five in ASCS Southwest points.
The Series:
Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters
When & Where:
Friday night, November 12 at 7:45 p.m. – Southern New Mexico Speedway
Saturday night, November 13 at 7:45 p.m. – Southern New Mexico Speedway
Track Information:
Southern New Mexico Speedway (Las Cruces, NM) – 5/16-mile, high-banked clay oval located west of I-25 on I-10 to Exit 132, then south to frontage road, then 3.1 miles west on Robert Larson Boulevard (pits are 3.4 miles). Track phone: 575-524-7913.
Lucas Oil ASCS Southern New Mexico Speedway History:
Series history at SNMS is somewhat ancient with a pair of events in the third year of ASCS operation (1994) won by Tim Crawley and Danny Young, with Chris Ikard claiming his only career National victory the last time an ASCS National event took place at Las Cruces in 1997. Crawley’s win on September 4, 1994, was his fourth in ASCS National action. Crawley now has 42 National wins after his most recent score, the Rock ‘N Roll 50 at Riverside International Speedway on October 2.
Southern New Mexico Speedway Lucas Oil ASCS winners include: Tim Crawley 1, Chris Ikard 1, Danny Young 1.
Southern New Mexico Speedway Lucas Oil ASCS Race-by-race Winners: Tim Crawley (9/4/94), Danny Young (10/7/94), Chris Ikard (2/23/97).
Current Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters National Points:
Top Twenty: 1. Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA) 3,019, 2. Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, OK) 2,947, 3. Shane Stewart (Bixby, OK) 2,880, 4. Tim Crawley (Benton, AR) 2,743, 5. Jack Dover (Springfield, NE) 2,722, 6. Tony Bruce, Jr. (Liberal, KS) 2,673, 7. Zach Chappell (Talala, OK) 2,604, 8. Kyle Hirst (Loomis, CA) 2,497, 9. Danny Wood (Norman, OK) 2,479, 10. Ricky Logan (Little Rock, AR) 2,464, 11. Matt Covington (Glenpool, OK) 2,368, 12. Darren Long (Elida, OH) 2,203, 13. Dustin Morgan (Tulsa, OK) 2,195, 14. Channin Tankersley (Highlands, TX) 2,119, 15. Gary Wright (Hooks, TX) 1,790, 16. Justyn Cox (Clarksburg, CA) 1,513, 17. Brian Brown (Grain Valley, MO) 1,390, 18. Austen Wheatley (Lake Stevens, WA) 1,344, 19. Travis Rilat (Forney, TX) 1,152, 20. Andrew Marshala (Shawnee, OK) 923.
Brodix Rookie of the Year Points: 1. Kyle Hirst (Loomis, CA) 2,497, 2. Matt Covington (Glenpool, OK) 2,368, 3. Dustin Morgan (Tulsa, OK) 2,195, 4. Channin Tankersley (Highlands, TX) 2,119, 5. Justyn Cox (Clarksburg, CA) 1,513, 6. Austen Wheatley (Lake Stevens, WA) 1,344.
Owner Points (Top Twenty): 1. JJR 41 – 3,019, 2. Tel-Star 99 – 2,947, 3. Silva 57 – 2,880, 4. Ward 88 – 2,743, 5. Dover 53 – 2,722, 6. Bruce Racing 18 – 2,673, 7. Chappell 50z – 2,604, 8. Perkins 6 – 2,497, 9. Hammers 94 – 2,479, 10. Logan 10a – 2,464, 11. Covington 95 – 2,368, 12. Gaerte 3g – 2,203, 13. Morgan 93 – 2,195, 14. Tankersley 71 – 2,119, 15. Brown 9x – 1,790, 16. Van Dyke 5h – 1,766, 17. Brown 21 – 1,390, 18. Wheatley 44w – 1,344, 19. Rilat 29 – 1,252, 20. Marshala 87a – 1,053.
Current ASCS Southwest Points:
Top Ten: 1. Rick Ziehl (Las Cruces, NM) 1,600, 2. Calvin Landis (Knoxville, IA) 1,503, 3. John Gaston (Peoria, AZ) 1,448, 4. Joshua Hodges (Tijeras, NM) 1,382, 5. Joshua Williams (Glendale, AZ), 6. Steve Stone (Mesa, AZ) 1,298, 7. Koty McGullam (Marana, AZ) 1,229, 8. J.T. Imperial (Mesa, AZ) 1,071, 9. Lance Norick (Scottsdale, AZ) 970, 10. Mike Rux, Jr. (Mesa, AZ) 912.
2010 Lucas Oil ASCS National Feature Winners:
Jason Johnson 5, Brady Bacon 4, Shane Stewart 4, Tim Crawley 3, Zach Chappell 2, Brad Sweet 2, Brian Brown 1, Tony Bruce, Jr. 1, Matt Covington 1, Jack Dover 1, Sam Hafertepe, Jr. 1, Jerrod Hull 1, Sammy Swindell 1, Danny Wood 1.
Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters – A Look Ahead:
November 18 – USA Raceway (Tucson, AZ)
November 19 – USA Raceway (Tucson, AZ)
November 20 – USA Raceway (Tucson, AZ) - $15,000 to win
November 26 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Las Vegas, NV)
November 27 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Las Vegas, NV)
Lucas Oil ASCS on the Web:
Those unable to catch all the action in person can listen to every Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters live at www.racinboys.com.
Also, the Lucas Oil ASCS Show airs on www.racinboys.com each Tuesday night at 8:00 p.m. ET, recapping the previous week's events while also previewing upcoming action.
Official results, championship point updates, photos and race notes will be available at www.ascsracing.com.
Lucas Oil ASCS on TV:
The Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters will be featured in ten one-hour shows broadcast on a tape-delayed basis on the VERSUS Network and MavTV.
Events to be aired on VERSUS and MavTV include the following:
Event Date – Track (Location) – VERSUS Air Date & Time (All Times Eastern & Subject to Change):
March 19 – Devil's Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, TX) – 6/6/10 @ 6:00 p.m.
March 20 – Devil's Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, TX) – Rained Out
June 11 – Eagle Raceway (Eagle, NE) – 9/4/10 @ 6:00 p.m.
June 12 – Eagle Raceway (Eagle, NE) – 10/3/10 @ 5:00 p.m.
September 25 – Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, MO) – 11/21/10 @ 6:00 p.m.
October 1 – Riverside Speedway (W. Memphis, AR) – 11/28/10 @ 6:00 p.m.
October 2 – Riverside Speedway (W. Memphis, AR) – 12/5/10 @ 5:00 p.m.
October 28 - I-30 Speedway (Little Rock, AR) – 12/5/10 @ 6:00 p.m.
October 29 – I-30 Speedway (Little Rock, AR) – 12/11/10 @ 6:00 p.m.
October 30 – I-30 Speedway (Little Rock, AR) – 12/12/10 @ 6:00 p.m.
The Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters is currently slated for 35 nights of racing action at 17 different tracks throughout the nation, with the country's top Sprint Car drivers set to battle it out for their share of the $250,000 points fund.
In its 19th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing, the American Sprint Car Series brings the best of Sprint Car racing to approximately 100 different tracks throughout 30 states and Canada. Anchored by the Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of ten different Regions throughout the nation.
Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com.
- Lonnie Wheatley on Nov 08, 2010
- Article Date: 11/8/2010