[b Wright Rolls to ASCS Regional Clash Victory at Devil’s Bowl]
[i Lonnie Wheatley, MESQUITE, Texas (September 5, 2009)]
Devil’s Bowl Speedway has been kind to Gary Wright over the years. “The Texan” added yet another win atop the fabled ½-mile clay oval by topping Saturday night’s 25-lap American Sprint Car Series Gulf South vs. Lone Star Clash main event.
Starting outside the second row, Wright wrestled the lead away from Gulf South Iron-man Greg Rilat on the fifth round and never looked back en route to his seventh overall ASCS feature win of the year aboard Scott Brown’s ASI-powered Lubbock Wrecker Service/Richwood Construction No. 9x Maxim.
Wright also won the ASCS Lone Star vs. Sooner Challenge event at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in May.
After a late red flag for a turn two tumble including sixth-running Sean McClelland and Kent Lewis, Jr., the four-time Lucas Oil Sprint Car national champion checked out over the final circuits to take the checkered flag in front of Travis Rilat.
Rilat, who started alongside his father Greg Rilat on the front row, took over second when the elder Rilat slipped off the top of turn two on the sixth circuit to bring out a quick caution.
Current Lucas Oil Sprint Car national points leader Jason Johnson worked from eighth to claim the show position behind Wright and Rilat, with current ASCS Lone Star points leader Kevin Ramey and Michael Lang rounding out the top five.
Eric Baldaccini was sixth, with Justin Spoerl, ASCS Gulf South points leader Aaron Reutzel, Tommy Bryant and 23rd-starter Scottie McDonald competing the top ten.
Ramey, Johnson, Lang, Travis Rilat and Channin Tankersley topped heat race action for Saturday night’s 42-car field, with Brian McClelland and Kent Lewis, Jr., winning the twin “B” Mains.
ASCS Gulf South vs. Lone Star Results from Devil’s Bowl Speedway:
Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 2. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 3. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 4. 17w-Brad Welborn, 5. 1b-Kent Lewis, Jr., 6. 11-Justin Melton, 7. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 8. 76-John Ricketts, 9. 87x-Billy Melton.
Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson, 2. 1-Sean McClelland, 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 4. 6-Justin Spoerl, 5. 25-Brian McClelland, 6. 5m-Glenn Martin, 7. 2-Joe Zierolf, 8. 5c-Chris Coker, 9. 20k-Ray Allen Kulhanek.
Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 14-Michael Lang, 2. 35-Greg Rilat, 3. 9-Brian Parker, 4. 45x-Martin Edwards, 5. 45-J.P. Bailey, 6. 87a-Andrew Marshala, 7. 71T-Shane Thompson, 8. 74e-Claud Estes.
Heat Four (8 Laps): 1. 29-Travis Rilat, 2. 21T-Tommy Bryant, 3. 1r-Scott Reneau, 4. 12w-Dale Wester, 5. 3-Gary Watson, 6. 65-Skip Wilson, 7. 81au-Gavin Punch, 8. 15T-Travis Elliott.
Heat Five (8 Laps): 1. 71-Channin Tankersley, 2. 9x-Gary Wright, 3. 24-David Gailley, 4. 31-Brandon Berryman, 5. 88-Scottie McDonald, 6. 19-Klint Angelette, 7. 30x-Bean Elliott, 8. 69-Larry Howery.
First “B” Feature (10 Laps): 1. 25-Brian McClelland, 2. 3-Gary Watson, 3. 88-Scottie McDonald, 4. 20k-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 5. 69-Larry Howery, 6. 30x-Bean Elliott, 7. 2-Joe Zierolf, 8. 31-Brandom Berryman, 9. 65-Skip Wilson, 10. 5m-Glenn Martin, 11. 71T-Shane Thompson. DNS: 87x-Billy Melton.
Second “B” Feature (10 Laps): 1. 1b-Kent Lewis, Jr., 2. 12w-Dale Wester, 3. 45-J.P. Bailey, 4. 19-Klint Angelette, 5. 74e-Claud Estes, 6. 87a-Andrew Marshala, 7. 76-John Ricketts, 8. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 9. 5c-Chris Coker, 10. 81au-Gavin Punch, 11. 11-Justin Melton. DNS: 15T-Travis Elliott.
“A” Feature (25 Laps): 1. 9x-Gary Wright, 2. 29-Travis Rilat, 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 4. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 5. 14-Michael Lang, 6. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 7. 6-Justin Spoerl, 8. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 9. 21T-Tommy Bryant, 10. 88-Scottie McDonald, 11. 45-J.P. Bailey, 12. 35-Greg Rilat, 13. 12w-Dale Wester, 14. 9-Brian Parker, 15. 1-Sean McClelland, 16. 1b-Kent Lewis, Jr., 17. 45x-Martin Edwards, 18. 3-Gary Watson, 19. 71-Channin Tankersley, 20. 25-Brian McClelland, 21. 24-David Gailley, 22. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 23. 1r-Scott Reneau, 24. 17w-Brad Welborn.
ASCS Gulf South Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Aaron Reutzel 2,782, 2. Tommy Bryant 2,720, 3. Channin Tankersley 2,632, 4. Scottie McDonald 2,576, 5. Kent Lewis, Jr. 2,534, 6. Brandon Berryman 2,501, 7. Greg Rilat 2,459, 8. Ray Allen Kulhanek 2,346, 9. Gary Watson 2,337, 10. Jimmy Brooks 2,273.
ASCS Lone Star Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Kevin Ramey 1,970, 2. Brad Welborn 1,803, 3. Justin Melton 1,772, 4. Eric Baldaccini 1,751, 5. Claud Estes 1,737, 6. Michael Lang 1,704, 7. Matt Clevenger 1,626, 8. Scott Reneau 1,606, 9. Brian McClelland 1,594, 10. John Ricketts 1,508.
