2/11/2012
Andrew Felker
Cowtown Speedway with Felker
Cody Morris, KENNEDALE, TEXAS (02-11-2012) - A series' record 132 Lucas Oil American Small Car Series race teams checked into Cowtown Speedway confines for the 5th Annual Big Chill.
The 2012 season opener held much contrast to those in attendance. Friday's frigid opening night of the two day event was but a preview to the Arctic blast that would meet patrons for a Saturday finale that saw daytime high temperature's not escape the 30's before devolving into painful nighttime wind chill values in the mid-teens.
But that was everywhere outside of the highbanked 1/4 mile racing surface, where nearly every painful movement of frozen air was met with a chess match of high speed and daring maneuvre. Such high quality racing has fast become signature for Cowtown Speedway.
A trio of preliminary night winners had opportunity for 5th Annual Big Chill sweeps, and as the adage goes, 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
In headlining Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw competition, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma's Scott Sawyer paced the field from the pole position for the 2nd night in a row, as well as leading the first of 20 main event laps before a red flag for Tennessee native Howard Moore's turn 4 tumble stopped event progress entirely.
Sawyer led Missouri's former ASCS2 and POWRi Outlaw Champion Andrew Felker with Osceola, Arkansas' preliminary night winner Travis Senter up from his outside 2nd row starting spot. Senter would rocket into first challenger status immediately upon restart and offer duel to Sawyer by the 5th circuit, while an intense battle for 3rd developed between Felker and Pryor, Oklahoma's "Legendary Blue Wazoo" Frank Flud.
Senter's assault grew more progressive as the race steadily neared the halfway point, with Senter slipping by Sawyer as the duo drag raced out of turn 4 to take the halfway flag. Sawyer stayed within range until Senter reached lapped traffic on lap 13, which the crafty veteran then picked apart with clinical precision.
With no late race stoppages, Senter crossed the final stripe with nearly a half lap advantage en route to his 5th Annual Big Chill sweep of Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw competition aboard the Wren Motorsports and Accurate Machine Works sponsored no. 4w.
A late race battle for the 2nd spot between Sawyer and Flud quickly dissipated when Flud pulled into the infield with motor woes with 2 laps remaining. Sawyer crossed the finish line in a very distant runner up spot, with Longview, Texas native and perennially competitive Tyson Hall claiming show position honors. Andrew Felker crossed the stripe 4th with Steven Shebester rounding out the top 5 running order to garner his 2nd top 5 Outlaw finish in as many nights, albeit this time without a collision into the front straight wall as he crossed the final stripe.
Sapulpa, Oklahoma's Blake Hahn overcame mechanical woes that kept him from heat race competition. Hahn's comeback began with a push from last to the 3rd and final transfer spot in the 1st of 2 twelve lap B Feature's. Hahn shot from 23rd to 8th in the 20 lap Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw main event (with just 1 race stoppage and that coming on the 2nd lap). The reigning two time Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw Champion's effort would garner him Hard Charger honors.
Frank Flud, Tyler Courtney, Chance Morton, Caleb Lovelady, and Tyler Thomas took heat race honors over the exceptionally stout 48 car Lucas Oil ASCS2 Outlaw field, with Howard Moore and Kyle Keeler taking winning-style transfer's in the two 12 lap Outlaw B Mains.
In Lucas Oil Non Wing action at the 5th Annual Big Chill finale, Longview, Texas' Tyson Hall would lead the 24 car field to the start of the 20 lap main event. The first couple attempts would be nullified due to a Taylor Smitherman turn one rollover, before a pair of cars spun to a stall to avoid the broken pace of the polesitter Hall as he slowed with mechanical issues.
The 3rd attempt would prove succesful, with 2011 Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour Rookie of the Year Aaron Reutzel piloting the Wren Motorsports stock entry into the lap one lead. Preliminary night Non Wing winner and reigning Lucas Oil ASCS2 Non Wing Champion Steven Shebester immediately offered challenge, advancing from his 2nd row starting spot.
An early race battle would emerge between Reutzel and Shebester, as the former graced the famed high side of Cowtown and the latter claiming his preferred low line with Retta, Texas' rising contender Keith Martin following behind Shebester.
A pair of caution's just before the halfway point did not change the top running order, but the action would heat up just past the halfway point of the 20 lap affair. Shebester's low line through the turns improved to the point he was alongside the leader for a drag down each straightaway for several laps before slipping underneath with 5 laps to go.
A lap 15 caution for Indianapolis native Tyler Courtney would see the final stoppage of the event and at opportune timing for Shebester as he had shown what had become the best groove through each turn.
Shebester took a 6 car length advantage across the final stripe for a complete sweep of the weekend's Lucas Oil ASCS2 Non Wing action at Cowtown Speedway's 5th Annual Big Chill aboard the Concept Chassis, Infinity Structures, Wrap Experts, Metric Cycles, Afco Shocks, and Bishop Racing Components sponsored no. 82.
Martin slipped by Reutzel late to net runner up honors, with Reutzel closing out the podium for the 2nd consecutive night to complete a very succesful weekend of action for the Wren Motorsports 4w racing team.
Oklahoma City native Trey Marcham raced from 11th to claim 4th at the final line, with Owasso, Oklahoma's Matt Sherrell making a hellacious run from the dead last 24th starting spot to complete the top 5 running order and earn Non Wing Hard Charger honors.
Brian Debrick, Tyson Hall, Taylor Smitherman, Ryan Jaisle, Billy Lawhead, and Scotty Evans each claimed heat race bragging rights over a staggering 58 car Lucas Oil ASCS2 Non Wing field, with George White, Bobby Springer, and Josh Marcham earning winning advances in the three 12 lap B Feature events.
In Lucas Oil ASCS2 Restricted action at Cowtown's 5th Annual Big Chill finale, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma's Jason McDougal paced the field the start of the 20 lap Restricted main event.
McDougal would lead a single lap under green before leading a couple dozen under caution after a lap two stoppage for a Austin Lambert spin. McDougal would pick up where he left off, only to deal with several stoppages in the first few laps, the most notable being a rather nasty tumble of preliminary night winner Dylan Fox onto turn 3 of the 1/4 track. Fox would emerge both safely and dejected.
The pack would once again get underway with 4 of 20 laps completed. McDougal clearly showed himself the car to beat as he crossed the halfway point with McKenzie Ramey and Aaron Dromgoole in tow.
McDougal's pace would be somewhat troubled by lapped traffic starting on the 12th circuit, but a lap 15 Trey Lambert spin would provide both a close call for the leading pack immediately behind, but more importantly give McDougal the clean air his Factor One glided so cleanly in.
Jason McDougal put away the final 5 laps with little challenge en route to the first Lucas Oil ASCS2 Restricted triumph of his young and blossoming racing career aboard the Factor One, Paul Albers Performance Plus, Lightning Wings, ButlerBuilt, and CSI sponsored no. 73 machine.
Local Fort Worth native McKenzie Ramey took runner up honors with Euless, Texas' Aaron Dromgoole claiming show position honors for the 2nd consecutive night. Sapulpa, Oklahoma's Mickey Walker crossed the final stripe 4th with Piedmont, Oklahoma native Grady Chandler making a late race pass to complete the top 5 running order.
Payton Pierce and Grady Chandler took head race honors over the 20 car Lucas Oil ASCS2 Restricted field, with Midlothian, Texas native Trevor Goad netting hard charger honors after advancing from his 20th starting spot to finish 13th.
The Lucas Oil American Small Car Series shares the warmest of thanks to Cowtown Speedway for an extremely succesful 5th consecutive running of this event, while also looking forward to 2 more weekends of Lucas Oil ASCS2 action at Cowtown confines in October and November.
Also, we could hardly thank the competing race teams more. A record breaking field in such frozen conditions as we had this weekend speaks volumes to the commitment of regional racing teams that are unquestionably among the best in the nation. You all light a bright path forward for the Lucas Oil American Small Car Series, Cowtown Speedway, and the southern Mini Sprint Nation. With the warmest thanks to each of the 132 teams in Lucas Oil ASCS2 competiton at the 5th Annual Big Chill, we look forward to seeing all of you again in the 2012 campaign, albeit in more positive weather conditions.
The Lucas Oil American Small Car Series is currently slated to resume the 2012 season campaign on Friday, April 13th at the newly reopened Will Rogers Raceway in Claremore, Oklahoma.
Discussions continue to keep a traditional date on the schedule before then and if succesful, widespread announcement will be made in short order.
For further information or inquiry of the 2012 Lucas Oil American Small Car Series campaign, please visit www.ascs2racing.com or contact ASCS Headquarters at 918.838.3777
Submitted By: Admin Account
