6/22/2014
ASCS
Ramaker Holds on for Electric City Speedway Victory
(Photo Credit: Vikki Higginbotham)
Andrew Kunas / Bryan Hulbert (June 21, 2014) GREAT FALLS, Mont. - Joe Ramaker's early dominance of the 2014 ASCS Frontier Region season continued Saturday with victory at the Electric City Speedway.
Further padding his points lead, it was Ramaker's third win in four starts.
The Boise, Idaho driver, who considers Electric City Speedway his home track as he grew up in nearby Choteau, had luck on his side as the bleeder in the Left Rear Wheel broke in the late stages of the race, expelling all but two pounds of air pressure when the checkered flag dropped.
Despite the tire mishap, Ramaker was pleased with his car.
"I really can't say it's me. We did a lot of testing last year that helped a lot. It's really the car and I'm just along for the ride," said Ramaker, who has had a long run of success at the track. "I've had a lot of laps here also, and that helps too."
Ramaker won the season opening event at the same track on May 16.
Outside pole sitter, Trever Kirkland, took the lead on the initial start and led a number of laps, but for the second straight week brake problems on his car hampered his efforts.
Like previous Saturday's race at the Billings Motorsports Park, Kirkland struggled to work his way through traffic as the race went green for 15 laps, making it impossible to maintain his line at the top of the race track, where he said brakes would've been helpful.
Despite the brake problems, Kirkland took advantage of the intense racing for position behind him and managed to hold on to second.
"It's frustrating," Kirkland admitted. "We've led every night other than our crash (opening night on May 16th). Everytime we had a good run the brakes had problems. It's not our program. It's a brake problem we just can't find and it's cost us a win two weeks in a row. We're fast enough. We just need the breaks to come our way and we can finish (win) one of these. The guys have worked real hard and our sponsors have been so supportive."
Kirkland briefly lost second to Lethbridge, Alberta visitor Kelly Miller, but the pass was negated by a yellow flag.
After the restart Miller had his hands full, holding back Washington's Rick Fauver, former Montana sprint car champions Phil Dietz, and Joe Perry. All drivers frequently swapped positions over the latter half of the 25-lap event.
Perry, who started 14th, made a late run and passed both Miller and Fauver on the final lap to finish third in the Chuck Perry No. 28 Santos & Sons-powered Maxim. In the double opener at the same track in May, Perry crashed the first night and did not run the second night. It was a dramatic reversal from May's events for the Billings driver.
"Fourteenth to third. It was a good run. We could've used a caution towards the end maybe," Perry said. "It felt real good after what happened here last month."
Fauver crossed the finish line fourth but was disqualified for not reporting to the scales following the race. Miller was credited with fourth in the KDM Motorsports No. 44k AMS-powered Schnee. Tenth starting Dietz, was fifth in the Prevost Racing No. 72 RFast-powerd GF1. T.J. Hartman, polesitter Sean MacDonell, Jerry Brey, Jeremy McCune and Rocky Borys rounded out the Top 10.
For the second straight week, Damon McCune won a B-Feature event, transferring to the A-Feature with Leroy Brush, Cody Masse and Shane Ainscough. Heat races were won by Paxton Lambrect, Fauver, Ramaker and Hartman.
The next races for the ASCS Frontier Region are Friday and Saturday, July 11 and 12, when the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV American Real visits the Electric City Speedway on Friday, July 11 then Billings Motorsports Park on Saturday, July 12.
More information on the Frontier Region of the American Sprint Car Series can be found online at frontier.ascsracing.com.
ASCS Frontier Region
Electric City Speedway - Great Falls, Mont.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Car Count: 26
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 7X-Paxton Lambrecht; 2. 0J-Jeremy McCune; 3. 12-Jerry Brey; 4. 1-Bill Boyce; 5. 81-Darren Smith; 6. 35M-Cody Masse; 7. 4N-John Nelson
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 23N-Rick Fauver; 2. 72-Phil Dietz; 3. 44K-Kelly Miller; 4. 28-Joe Perry; 5. 44M-Damon McCune; 6. 24-Leroy Brush; 7. 1X-Vernon Hill
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 98-Joe Ramaker; 2. 37-Trever Kirkland; 3. 3J-Jordan Milne; 4. 65-Allen Michelle; 5. 3-Shane Ainscough; 6. 77-Mark Sweet
Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 19-T.J. Hartman; 2. 9-Sean MacDonell; 3. 2-Shad Peterson; 4. 7A-Rocky Borys; 5. 11-Cliff Nelson; 6. 4-Cliff Nelson Jr.
B Feature 1 (12 Laps): 1. 44M-Damon McCune[3]; 2. 24-Leroy Brush[2]; 3. 35M-Cody Masse[7]; 4. 3-Shane Ainscough[5]; 5. 11-Cliff Nelson[1]; 6. 81-Darren Smith[4]; 7. 4N-John Nelson[8]; 8. (DNF) 4-Cliff Nelson Jr.[6]; DNS 77-Mark Sweet; DNS 1X-Vernon Hill
A Feature (25 Laps): 1. 98-Joe Ramaker[4]; 2. 37-Trever Kirkland[2]; 3. 28-Joe Perry[14]; 4. 44K-Kelly Miller[6]; 5. 72-Phil Dietz[10]; 6. 19-T.J. Hartman[3]; 7. 9-Sean MacDonell[1]; 8. 12-Jerry Brey[11]; 9. 0J-Jeremy McCune[7]; 10. 7A-Rocky Borys[16]; 11. 7X-Paxton Lambrecht[5]; 12. 44M-Damon McCune[17]; 13. 11-Cliff Nelson[20]; 14. 2-Shad Peterson[15]; 15. 35M-Cody Masse[18]; 16. 3J-Jordan Milne[9]; 17. 3-Shane Ainscough[19]; 18. 65-Allen Michelle[13]; 19. (DNF) 1-Bill Boyce[12]; 20. 23N-Rick Fauver[8]
Submitted By: Bryan Hulbert
