Wood Wins Again; Makes it Three

ASCS Sooner Scores in a Row with KSP Triumph

 

Lonnie Wheatley, KENNEDALE, Texas (July 25, 2008) – Oklahoma City's Joe Wood, Jr., snared his third consecutive American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region feature win by topping Friday night's 25-lap main event at Kennedale Speedway Park.

 

Wood took quick advantage of race long leader Michael Lang's mid-race misfortune to assume the lead and then checked out over the final 13 circuits to secure the win aboard the Wesmar-powered J&W Oilfield Services/Signfxr No. 03 Maxim. 

"We got a little lucky on that one, but we'll take it," Wood commented afterward.  "I didn't know if anyone was close or not at the end, I just kept racing hard as I could until I saw the checkered flag."

While Wood led the feature field to the green flag from the pole position, it was front row outside starter Lang gunning into the lead at the outset.  And for the first half of the race, it appeared that Lang might well race to his first career ASCS Sooner Region win.

 

Circling the sticky KSP clay in rapid fashion, Lang reached the tail of the field by the fifth lap as Wood and fourth-starter Gary Taylor gave chase.
Joe Wood, Jr., and crew celebrate their third consecutive American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region feature win after Friday night's triumph at Kennedale Speedway Park near Fort Worth, TX.

Joe Wood, Jr., and crew celebrate their third consecutive American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region feature win after Friday night's triumph at Kennedale Speedway Park near Fort Worth, TX.

 

Lang successfully navigated his way around several lapped cars with nearly a half straightaway advantage until his luck soured upon the completion of lap 13 when he tangled with J.P. Bailey.  The pair of cars became entangled at the flag stand and skittered to a stop in turn one, with Lang's mount on its side.  Both were done for the night.

 

Wood assumed the lead on the restart with a pair of lapped cars between himself and Taylor, who was struggling with left rear shock woes.

 

Wood opened up a full half-lap advantage by the time he reached lapped traffic on the 17th round and held that margin the rest of the way. 

Taylor held off 11th-starter Michael Brown over the final rounds to secure the runner-up position, explaining that with his ill-handling mount, "It was a different adventure in every corner, I was just putting in laps."

Brown claimed the show position despite nose wing issues, with Marvin Lough and Justin Melton rounding out the top five.

 

John Ricketts crossed the stripe sixth, with, Matt Covington, current series points leader Brian McClelland, Johnny Miller and Charlie Brown completing the top ten.

 

Aaron Reutzel, Lough, Ricketts and Melton topped heat race action, with Miller victorious in the 12-lap "B" Main.

 

Kolt Walker flipped in turn four midway through the fourth heat race.  Walker returned to earn a transfer position through "B" Main action before finishing 13th.

 

Rodney Henderson slapped the turn four wall and flipped in the "B" Main.  He was uninjured.

 

American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region

Results from Kennedale Speedway Park: 

Heat One (8 Laps):  1. 87a-Aaron Reutzel, 2. 74e-Claud Estes, 3. 87x-Billy Melton, 4. 66-Nick Clinkenbeard, 5. 14b-Robert Byrom, 6. 12-Shawn Mize, 7. 68-Andy Rea.

 

Heat Two (8 Laps):  1. 39-Marvin Lough, 2. 95-Matt Covington, 3. 15b-Michael Brown, 4. 87-Brian McClelland, 5. 45-J.P. Bailey, 6. 45x-Martin Edwards, 7. 67-Rodney Henderson.

 

Heat Three (8 Laps):  1. 76-John Ricketts, 2. 14-Michael Lang, 3. 72x-Charlie Brown, 4. 64J-Johnny Miller, 5. 13-Kathryne Minter, 6. 11F-Darrell Fletcher, 7. 1r-Scott Reneau.

 

Heat Four (8 Laps):  1. 11-Justin Melton, 2. 03-Joe Wood, Jr., 3. 5*-Gary Taylor, 4. 17w-Brad Welborn, 5. 72-Sherman Davis, 6. 45k-Kolt Walker.

 

"B" Feature (12 Laps):  1. 64J-Johnny Miller, 2. 17w-Brad Welborn, 3. 45-J.P. Bailey, 4. 13-Kathryne Minter, 5. 72-Sherman Davis, 6. 45k-Kolt Walker, 7. 12-Shawn Mize, 8. 68-Andy Rea, 9. 11F-Darrell Fletcher, 10. 67-Rodney Henderson, 11. 45x-Martin Edwards, 12. 14b-Robert Byrom. 

DNS: 1r-Scott Reneau.

 

"A" Feature (25 Laps):  1. 03-Joe Wood, Jr., 2. 5*-Gary Taylor, 3. 15b-Michael Brown, 4. 39-Marvin Lough, 5. 11-Justin Melton, 6. 76-John Ricketts, 7. 95-Matt Covington, 8. 87-Brian McClelland, 9. 64J-Johnny Miller, 10. 72x-Charlie Brown, 11. 87a-Aaron Reutzel, 12. 17w-Brad Welborn, 13. 45k-Kolt Walker, 14. 74e-Claud Estes, 15. 87x-Billy Melton, 16. 66-Nick Clinkenbeard, 17. 72-Sherman Davis, 18. 14-Michael Lang, 19. 45-J.P. Bailey, 20. 13-Kathryne Minter.

 

American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region Points

(Top Ten):  1. Brian McClelland 1,577, 2. Kolt Walker 1,532, 3. Gary Taylor 1,506, 4. Joe Wood, Jr. 1,494, 5. Matt Covington 1,420, 6. Michael Brown 1,339, 7. Justin Melton 1,296, 8. Sherman Davis 1,059, 9. Eric Baldaccini 975, 10. Sheldon Barksdale 756.


Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com .

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