5/14/2017
RacinBoys
Shouse repeats in Sprint Series of Oklahoma action
By David Smith, Jr., OKTidbits PR (Elk City, OK) -- Defending series champion Andy Shouse from Mustang, Oklahoma started on the pole and led every lap in claiming his second straight Sprint Series of Oklahoma IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car Series presented by Smiley’s Racing Products feature of the season as the tour made their first of two appearances of the year at Elk City Speedway in Elk City, Oklahoma on Saturday night.
PHOTO CREDIT: Mike Howard
By virtue of the redraw, Shouse and Jerry Jumper started on the front row for the twenty-lap feature with Shouse having taken the lead as the green flag fell. The race quickly went caution when Brandon Long spun at the top of turn four.
On the complete restart, Shouse again jumped out into the lead with fourth starting Steven Shebester, Tristan Oakes, Chad Koch and Blake Dacus the top five after the first lap was complete.
The night’s final caution flag fell on lap five when Long and Cody Jarvis got together entering turns one and two with both drivers suffering a DNF.
Shouse again throttled away from the field on the final restart with Shebester and Oakes continuing their battle for the runner-up position. Shebester, making only his second start aboard the Pete Haskins owned #16s sprinter, would fall back to fifth when he executed a 360 spin in turns three and four on lap eight.
At the races midway point it was still Shouse holding a full straightaway advantage over Oakes while Dacus and Koch battled for the third position. Slower cars would look to pose a challenge to the leader but the reigning IMCA National Sprint Car champion never missed a beat and went on to cruise to his second straight series victory and third career with SSO.
Oakes and Dacus finished a career best second and third respectively with eighth starting Chad Koch coming home fourth. Shebester would settle for a fifth-place finish.
Jake Martens of Fairview, who came into the night with a slim 14-point lead over Long despite not reaching victory lane, struggled during his heat race causing him to start 18th. Martens had his Myers Racing Engines powered Eagle chassis set up perfectly as he worked his way through the field to finish sixth.
The three, eight lap heat races for the nineteen-car field were won by Koch, Waddell and Shebester.
For the fourth week in a row, the Sprint Series of Oklahoma IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car Series presented by Smiley’s Racing Products will be in action, coming up this Friday night, May 19, at Southern Oklahoma Speedway in Ardmore in a co-sanctioned event with the Sprint Series of Texas.
SSO officials would like to welcome Smiley’s Racing Products for becoming presenting partner with the series as they will be giving $1000 cash to the 2017 SSO champion.
The series would also like to thank the following for climbing aboard as contingency partners with the series for 2017: Hoosier Racing Tires, Danny Holloway, Martens Machine Shop, Saldana Racing Products, Pyrotech Race Cells, Outlaw Wings, Keizer Wheels, Bishops Racing Products and Messmer Racing.
Sprint Series of Oklahoma
Elk City Speedway/Elk City, Oklahoma
May 13, 2017
19 Cars
1st Heat: 1) Chad Koch, 2) Andy Shouse, 3) Tyler Schwartz, 4) Cody Whitworth, 5) Blake Green, 6) Loyd Clevenger, 7) Chase Smith
2rd Heat: 1) Shayla Waddell, 2) Brandon Long, 3) Blake Dacus, 4) Jerry Jumper, 5) Warren Fields, 6) Justin Mowery
3rd Heat: 1) Steven Shebester, 2) Tristan Oakes, 3) Blake Scott, 4) Justin Fisk, 5) Cody Jarvis, 6) Jake Martens
A Feature (25 Laps): 1) Andy Shouse (1), 2) Tristan Oakes (5), 3) Blake Dacus (6), 4) Chad Koch (8), 5) Steven Shebester (4), 6) Jake Martens (18), 7) Shayla Waddell (7), 8) Cody Whitworth (11), 9) Blake Scott (9), 10) Blake Green (12), 11) Loyd Clevenger (16), 12) Justin Fisk (14), 13) Todd Schwartz (10), 14) Jerry Jumper (2), 15) Warren Fields (15), 16) Chase Smith (19), 17) Cody Jarvis (13), 18) Brandon Long (3), 19) Justin Mowery (17)
Lap leaders: Shouse 1-20
Saldana Racing Products: Steven Shebester
Keizer Wheels: Jake Martens
Pyrotech Fuel Cells: Chad Koch
Competition Suspension Inc.: Shayla Waddell
Submitted By: Kirk Elliott
