Cody Morris, Tulsa, Oklahoma (5-21-2012) - As patrons of all forms of circle track racing well know, few things hold more tradition than Memorial Day and racing. With dirt ovals around the country preparing for one of the truly special weekends on the racing calendar, the American Sprint Car Series will showcase the highest quality of winged sprint car racing to tens of thousands of race fans across the nation (Thriller Photography/Michael Jackson Photo).
Headlined by four Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour events, seven regions of the American Sprint Car Series will combine for fourteen regional dazzlers to total approximately 18 ASCS events scheduled for the 2012 Memorial Holiday Weekend.
The 14 Regional ASCS events will be showcased at a dozen tracks spread across seven states. Showcasing the most action of any dirt track racing organization in the United States this Memorial Day Weekend, below is the ASCS Regional Guide to assist sprint car fans in keeping up with the action.
However, before viewing the ASCS Regional Guide, all viewers take note that official pre-race and post-race coverage of each ASCS Regional event is to be accessed on the ASCS website by visiting the individual regional tabs. Each region of the American Sprint Car Series possess their own network within the ASCS website and their links are featured on the front page toolbar.
With 18 events on tap for the American Sprint Car Series this weekend, please follow the Regional links on the ASCS homepage at www.ascsracing.com to access complete pre-race and post-race coverage for each of the fourteen ASCS Regional events.
With that important point shared, the following is the short sell of the seven ASCS Regions in action.
The Griffith Truck & Equipment ASCS Gulf South Region:
Featuring their annual tripleheader of Memorial Holiday Weekend action, the ASCS Gulf South Region takes to Beaumont, Texas’ Golden Triangle Raceway Park on Friday, May 25th before a Saturday night card at the Gator Motorplex in Willis, Texas. Corpus Christi’s South Texas Speedway on Sunday provides the final site of a tripleheader that features $2,000 to win each event and an added prize structure that will pay $1,000 to any team that can sweep the weekend, or $500 to the team that can capture two of three events.
Sunday night’s South Texas card at Corpus Christi marks the halfway point of the 26 race ASCS Gulf South campaign. A winner of two consecutive ASCS Gulf South titles, Danbury, Texas pilot Ray Allen Kulhanek will take an 86 point advantage into what could prove to be the most pivotal weekend in his bid for a third consecutive Gulf South crown.
The Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest Region:
Following a Thursday night duel with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour presented by MavTV, the Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest Region will go it alone for a Friday, May 25th one night stand at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Nebraska.
Waverly, Nebraska’s Stu Snyder takes a slight advantage into the Thursday/Friday pairing over Lee Grosz. Eight pilots are within Snyder’s pace, turning the Midwest double into a critical point in the 2012 campaign. Friday’s event marks the 1st of two scheduled ASCS Midwest appearances at Junction this season and the sixth event overall on their 18 race 2012 calendar.
The Engine Pro ASCS Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP:
Ready to storm forward in their 33rd season of action in the Great Lakes area, the SOD will battle their southern NRA rivals at a trio of Ohio racetracks beginning with Limaland Motorsports Park in Lima, Ohio. The battle then shifts to Waynesfield, Ohio before the Sunday night conclusion of the ASCS Sprints on Dirt vs. National Racing Alliance tripleheader at the famed Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.
While Dustin Daggett has been utterly dominant since the Sprints On Dirt series joined the ASCS family in 2006, he didn’t earn his first Engine Pro ASCS Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP Championship until last season. The ASCS Sprints On Dirt are hungry for action heading into the Ohio tripleheader versus the NRA, the ASCS Sprints on Dirt have been idle for nearly a month following the season opener in Crystal, Michigan. The tripleheader will kick the 24 event ASCS Sprints On Dirt season into high gear.
ASCS Canyon Region:
Peoria, Arizona’s Canyon Speedway Park will host approximately half of the 24 ASCS Canyon Region wingless events in the 2012 campaign. CSP is set to host the third and fourth editions of that dozen this weekend at the First Annual Salute to Indy.
While running a limited schedule this season, defending champion Jeremy Sherman nonetheless took his first Canyon score of the season in most recent Canyon action at CSP, but make no mistake who is in command of this series. Buckeye, Arizona’s former two-time Canyon titles Chargin’ Charles Davis Jr. already has three Canyon wins to his credit in only five attempts thus far in the season. The first of the three came in season opening action at CSP, but the past two have been in sensational last lap/last turn fashion in inaugural wingless ASCS Canyon action at Arizona Speedway (Apache Junction, Arizona) and Cocopah Speedway (Somerton, Arizona).
Speedway Motors ASCS Warrior Region:
Following a mid week duel with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour presented by MavTV, the Speedway Motors ASCS Warrior Region will bounce back into to action for a Saturday/Sunday finale to their Memorial Day Weekend action.
The ASCS Warriors take to LA Raceway in LaMonte, Missouri on Saturday night before a Sunday night finale at California, Missouri’s Double X Speedway. With 24 races on their 2012 slate, the ASCS Warrior Region looks to complete events no. 3,4, and 5 as their season begins to take serious shape. Following Jonathon Cornell’s season opening win, former multi-time series’ champion Randy Martin took an extremely narrow victory in most recent Warrior action at Lucas Oil Speedway. Grain Valley’s “Blackjack” Brian Brown currently sits atop a rugby scrum in Warrior points, as 14 teams enter the event within 100 points of the leading pace.
American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region:
The ASCS Sooner Region jumpstarted three consecutive weeks of action this past Saturday night at the inaugural Red River Rumble at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. Following that raucous affair against their Lone Star rivals, the Sooner Region now heads to another Lanny Edwards’ owned and operated racetrack at the historic Lawton Speedway in Lawton, Oklahoma.
The Saturday night Memorial Day Weekend Sooner Region solo will feature second of 4 Sooner visit to Lawton and the fourth overall event of the 16 race Sooner season. Sitting top dog in both ASCS Sooner and Lone Star divisions, the defending Lone Star champ has a trio of challengers within 10 points of his early pace. A pair of Mustang, Oklahoma natives in Andy Shouse and Car & Fleet Rookie of the Year leader Shane Sellers shadow Covington while two-time and defending American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region Champion Joe Wood Jr. eyes all three racers.
ASCS Northwest Region:
The ASCS Northwest Region begins their fourteen race 2012 campaign this weekend with a pair of bust outs at Gray’s Harbor Raceway in Elma, Washington. It will be a streaky campaign for the Northwest Region, with a Cottage Grove, Oregon double precluding the annual ASCS Northwest Speedweek. Five of the annual Speedweek sensations will be against the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour presented by MavTV. Burlington, Washington native Jason Solwold completed a season sweep of Memorial Day Weekend action at Grays Harbor in 2011, while Medford, Oregon’s Roger Crockett ultimately outlasted Henry Van Dam for his second ASCS Northwest Region Championship. Stay tuned to this one race fans, as this region has been home to several emerging National sprint car talents in recent years.
Fourteen races. Twelve tracks. Seven states. That is the ASCS Regional support for the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour presented by MavTV quadruple header that begins Wednesday with Bryan Hulbert on the call at Valley Speedway.
Please check back often to www.ascsracing.com to get the goods on a truly massive 2012 Memorial Day Weekend of American Sprint Car Series action, and please remember to visit each individual ASCS region on the front page toolbar to access complete pre-race and post-race coverage.
The ASCS family wishes all race fans nationwide a safe and pleasant Memorial Holiday Weekend.