(Image Credit: Lonnie Wheatley)
Bryan Hulbert – SAPULPA, Okla. (June 15, 2023) A return to Victory Lane that’s been 17 years, three months, and four days in the making, Tulsa’s Sean McClelland finally put the D&E Supply/David Stephenson Special No. 1 back on the front straightaway at Creek County Speedway with the American Sprint Car Series.
Winning in the tour’s 30th visit since 1993, Sean, who has several ASCS Regional wins at the Oklahoma oval, is the 23rd driver to top the National Tour at Creek County Speedway. McClelland’s only other National win came during his rookie season with the American Sprint Car Series at Houston Raceway Park in March of 2006, in which he bested Gary Wright for the win.
“I’ve been trying to win another one of these National Tour races for years. I won one a long time ago, and everyone said it wasn’t for real. Well, this one is for real, and it’s even more special that it came at my home track,” explained McClelland. “I can’t thank everyone enough. Every who supports me they were here tonight, and it means a lot.”
Besting the field of 23 on Thursday night at the quarter-mile-oval, McClelland took the green from fourth. Chasing Jordon Mallett for the runner-up spot until Lap 12, McClelland was finally able to pressure his way under the No. 14 off the fourth turn. Bringing Seth Bergman with him into third, the No. 23 would end up slipping up the track off the second turn on Lap 16, allowing several drivers to make their way by.
Still needing to chase down the Morton Excavating No. 7m of Chance Morton, the pursuit began with a 2.922-second gap to undo.
Picking away bit by bit over the next six laps, McClelland changed his line from the top of three and fourth, bottom of one and two, to finally working the gutter at both ends. Still working the top of the third and fourth turns, Morton’s advantage waned.
Charing the hub of three and four with 19-laps complete, Sean shot to the point then gaped the field by 2.369-seconds over the final ten revolutions.
On the pass, Sean said, “I knew I was going to have to try something to catch him. I felt it (rubber) down here a little bit, and I’d been sliding myself down here in three and four, so I just rolled the bottom to see how it felt. It hooked, and that was all she wrote.”
Chance Morton held on to second for his first career National podium finish. Despite fighting a flat left front tire through the last half of the A-Feature, Jordon Mallett captured third. Howard Moore moved up from ninth to finish fourth, with Jace Park making the run from 14th to fifth.
Sixth went to Brandon Anderson, followed by Kade Morton. Hard Charging in his first ASCS National A-Feature start, Lane Goodman made up 14 positions to finish eighth. Seth Bergman slipped to ninth, and it is the first time all season he’s finished off the podium. Kyler Johnson completed the top ten.
The Driver’s Project overall quick qualifier was Matt Covington at 11.990-seconds. Three AR Dyno Specialty Heat Races were won by Sean McClelland, Jordon Mallett, and Michael Day. The KSE Hard Charger of the night was Lane Goodman.
The weekend for the American Sprint Car Series continues at Humboldt Speedway on Friday, June 16, then 81-Speedway in Park City, Kan. on Saturday, June 17.
The 2023 season will mark the 32nd year of competition for the American Sprint Car Series. Spearheaded by the American Sprint Car Series National Tour, the ASCS Nation includes Regional Tours that encompass both wing and non-wing competition.
Live coverage of the American Sprint Car Series can be found at http://www.racindirt.com.
For other news, notes, and information on any of the tours under the ASCS banner, log onto http://www.ascsracing.com, follow on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@ASCSRacing).
RACE RESULTS:
ASCS National
Creek County Speedway (Sapulpa, Okla.)
Thursday, June 15, 2023
Car Count: 23
The Driver’s Project Group Qualifying (Top 4 in each group invert into Heat Races)
The Drivers Project Qualifying 1 (3 Laps): 1. 95-Matt Covington, 11.990[4]; 2. 3-Howard Moore, 12.118[2]; 3. 1-Sean McClelland, 12.186[6]; 4. 10-Landon Britt, 12.373[3]; 5. 45X-Kyler Johnson, 12.418[7]; 6. 3X-Tanner Conn, 12.456[5]; 7. 25-Kyle Admire, 14.130[8]; 8. 1H-Hank Davis[1] NT
The Drivers Project Qualifying 2 (3 Laps): 1. 31-Casey Wills, 12.167[2]; 2. 23-Seth Bergman, 12.252[3]; 3. 8M-Kade Morton, 12.262[4]; 4. 14-Jordon Mallett, 12.557[5]; 5. 55B-Brandon Anderson, 12.566[1]; 6. 29-Lane Goodman, 12.806[8]; 7. 87J-Jace Park, 13.136[7]; 8. 7F-Noah Harris[6] NT
The Drivers Project Qualifying 3 (3 Laps): 1. 36-Jason Martin, 12.667[2]; 2. 7M-Chance Morton, 12.735[7]; 3. 15D-Andrew Deal, 13.227[4]; 4. 91-Michael Day, 13.298[1]; 5. 938-Bradley Fezard, 13.417[5]; 6. 26M-Fred Mattox, 13.643[3]; 7. 6-Christopher Townsend[6] NT
AR Dyno Specialty Heat Races (All drivers advance to the A-Feature)
AR Dyno Specialty Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 1-Sean McClelland[2]; 2. 95-Matt Covington[4]; 3. 3X-Tanner Conn[6]; 4. 3-Howard Moore[3]; 5. 45X-Kyler Johnson[5]; 6. 10-Landon Britt[1]; 7. 25-Kyle Admire[7]; 8. 1H-Hank Davis[8]
AR Dyno Specialty Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 14-Jordon Mallett[1]; 2. 23-Seth Bergman[3]; 3. 8M-Kade Morton[2]; 4. 55B-Brandon Anderson[5]; 5. 87J-Jace Park[7]; 6. 7F-Noah Harris[8]; 7. 31-Casey Wills[4]; 8. 29-Lane Goodman[6]
AR Dyno Specialty Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 91-Michael Day[1]; 2. 36-Jason Martin[4]; 3. 7M-Chance Morton[3]; 4. 938-Bradley Fezard[5]; 5. 6-Christopher Townsend[7]; 6. 26M-Fred Mattox[6]; 7. 15D-Andrew Deal[2]
A-Feature
RacinDirt A-Main (30 Laps): 1. 1-Sean McClelland[4]; 2. 7M-Chance Morton[2]; 3. 14-Jordon Mallett[1]; 4. 3-Howard Moore[9]; 5. 87J-Jace Park[14]; 6. 55B-Brandon Anderson[11]; 7. 8M-Kade Morton[10]; 8. 29-Lane Goodman[22]; 9. 23-Seth Bergman[3]; 10. 45X-Kyler Johnson[15]; 11. 3X-Tanner Conn[8]; 12. 31-Casey Wills[17]; 13. 95-Matt Covington[6]; 14. 6-Christopher Townsend[13]; 15. 10-Landon Britt[23]; 16. 938-Bradley Fezard[12]; 17. 91-Michael Day[7]; 18. 15D-Andrew Deal[21]; 19. 7F-Noah Harris[16]; 20. 26M-Fred Mattox[18]; 21. 36-Jason Martin[5]; 22. (DNS) 25-Kyle Admire; 23. (DNS) 1H-Hank Davis
Lap Leader(s): Chance Morton 1-19; Sean McClelland 20-30
KSE Hard Charger: Lane Goodman +14
Driver’s Project Quick Time: Matt Covington 11.990-seconds
High Point Driver: Matt Covington
Provisional(s): N/A
ASCS Online:
American Sprint Car Series: http://www.ascsracing.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/americansprintcarseries
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ascsracing [@ascsracing]
Broadcast: http://www.racindirt.com
Live-Scoring: My Race Pass App
ASCS Drivers Online:
3 Howard Moore (Memphis, TN) R
6 Christopher Townsend (La Porte, TX) R
10 Landon Britt (Memphis, TN)
14 Jordon Mallett (Greenbrier, AR)
23 Seth Bergman (Snohomish, WA)
36 Jason Martin (Liberal, KS)
45X Kyler Johnson (Quinter, KS)
55B Brandon Anderson (Glenpool, OK)
71 Brady Baker (Alexander, AR) R
91 Michael Day (Farmersville, TX) R
95 Matt Covington (Glenpool, OK)
R denotes a driver running for the Brodix National Rookie of the Year
2023 Race Winners: Jason Martin – 4 (4/20 – Jackson Motor Speedway; 4/22 – Boothill Speedway; 5/20 – Longdale Speedway; 5/28 – Lake Ozark Speedway); Seth Bergman – 2 (4/21 – Longdale Speedway; 6/2 – Outlaw Motor Speedway); Austin McCarl – 1 (5/26 – Lakeside Speedway); Joe B. Miller – 1 (5/17 – Lake Ozark Speedway); Sean McClelland – 1 (6/15 – Creek County Speedway);
2023 Driver Points (Top 10): 1. Seth Bergman 1,237; 2. Jason Martin 1,167; 3. Matt Covington 1,097; 4. Brandon Anderson 1,064; 5. Howard Moore 1,049; 6. Landon Britt 1,041; 7. Jordon Mallett 1,032; 8. Kyler Johnson 935; 9. Michael Day 874; 10. Christopher Townsend 857;
Support of the American Sprint Car Series is brought to you by AR Dyno Specialty, BMRS, The Driver’s Project, Schoenfeld, Brodix, Kinsler Fuel Injection, Smiley’s Racing Products, Impact Signs, Hoosier Tire, RacinDirt.com, and MyRacePass.com.
