Cody Morris, Apache Junction, Arizona (6-2-2012) - The only non-winged sprint car studs of the American Sprint Car Series, the ASCS Canyon Region, made their way to Apache Junction’s Arizona Speedway for the third time of the 2012 season (Terry Shaw Photo / TKA Photography).
Tucson, Arizona’s Ronnie Clark took advantage of good fortune late in the 30 lap main event to take his first ASCS Canyon Region win of the season aboard the RCM no. 6.
Polesitter Brian Hosford took immediate command of a main event that went absolutely sideways in the latter half of the 30 lapper. With the 3/8 mile oval taking rubber in the beginning stages, a high speed battlefield ensued until a lap 18 caution for the first blown tire began to betray the reality of the rubber down racing surface.
A two time ASCS Canyon Region champion and Canyon point leader entering Saturday night’s solo outing at ET-Motopark’s Arizona Speedway, Charles Davis Jr. was the first victim as his right rear tire exploded on lap 18. Approximately 8 entries would suffer blown tires in the final 12 laps, including the leader.
Brian Hosford had led 28 laps until he became the eighth and final victim, sending Hosford’s hope for his first Canyon Region win of the season home on the hook for a 14th place finish.
Clark inherited the lead for a green-white-checkered finish and was hounded by Phoenix native R.J. Johnson, but Clark held on to become the sixth different Canyon Region winner in 8 early season events of a 2012 campaign that features 24 night’s of action for the only wingless ASCS sprint car series.
Johnson settled for runner up honors with Las Cruces, New Mexico’s reigning five time ASCS Southwest champion Rick Ziehl taking show position honors at the finish line. Chris Bonneau advanced a half dozen positions to claim fourth at the finish line with Josh Pelkey coming from 13th to complete the top five finishing order.
Official Hard Charger honors went to Mesa, Arizona’s Kyle Danielson. The last transfer car in the night’s 8 lap B Feature, Danielson advanced nine spots forward for a 11th place finish. Pelkey’s run from 13th to fifth was accompanied by a Tucson, Arizona’s Cody Cambensey charge from 17th to ninth for honorable Hard Charger mentions.
James Aragon, Rick Ziehl, and Ronnie Clark took heat race wins over the 24 car ASCS Canyon field, with Cody Cambensey taking the winning transfer in the night’s sole 8 lap B Feature.
The 2012 ASCS Canyon Region campaign ventures to two new ovals next weekend with a Friday night outing in El Paso, Texas followed by a Saturday night stand at Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces, New Mexico’s. The weekend marks the first visit of the wingless ASCS Canyon Region to either venue.
ASCS Canyon Region / 24 cars
June 2nd, 2012 / Round 8 of 24
Arizona Speedway / Apache Junction, Arizona
A Feature (30 Laps): 1. 6-Ronnie Clark[2]; 2. 51-R.J. Johnson[7]; 3. 41w-Rick Ziehl[8]; 4. 78-Chris Bonneau[10]; 5. 5x-Josh Pelkey[13]; 6. 94-James Aragon[5]; 7. 9-Ryan Linder[14]; 8. 50-Charles Davis Jr[6]; 9. 51x-Cody Cambensy[17]; 10. 7k-Bruce St. James[3]; 11. 17k-Kyle Danielson[20]; 12. 14-Darrell Sickles[16]; 13. 8-Bob Ream Jr[4]; 14. 32B-Brian Hosford[1]; 15. 2-Josh Shipley[18]; 16. 77-Dalten Gabbard[12]; 17. 93-Justin Quinn[11]; 18. 29-Michael Bonneau[9]; 19. 19-Andy Reinbold[19]; 20. XXX-Zach Sawyers[15]
Lap Leaders: Hosford 1-28, Ronnie Clark 29-30
B Feature (8 Laps): 1. 51x-Cody Cambensy[1]; 2. 2-Josh Shipley[5]; 3. 19-Andy Reinbold[6]; 4. 17k-Kyle Danielson[3]; 5. 53-Tom Lee[8]; 6. 6JT-Michael Curtis[4]; 7. 22-Mike Rux Jr[7]; 8. 3-Leland Fuller[2]
Top 4 advance to A Feature
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 94-James Aragon[1]; 2. 32B-Brian Hosford[2]; 3. 29-Michael Bonneau[3]; 4. 51-R.J. Johnson[7]; 5. 14-Darrell Sickles[5]; 6. 51x-Cody Cambensy[4]; 7. 17k-Kyle Danielson[6]; 8. 53-Tom Lee[8]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 41w-Rick Ziehl[1]; 2. 50-Charles Davis Jr[8]; 3. 7k-Bruce St. James[5]; 4. 9-Ryan Linder[2]; 5. 77-Dalten Gabbard[7]; 6. 3-Leland Fuller[3]; 7. 6JT-Michael Curtis[6]; 8. 19-Andy Reinbold[4]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 6-Ronnie Clark[1]; 2. 8-Bob Ream Jr[2]; 3. 78-Chris Bonneau[3]; 4. 93-Justin Quinn[5]; 5. 5x-Josh Pelkey[7]; 6. XXX-Zach Sawyers[8]; 7. 2-Josh Shipley[4]; 8. 22-Mike Rux Jr[6]
2012 ASCS Canyon Region point standings (top 15):
1. Charles Davis Jr. 1,021; 2. R.J. Johnson 978; 3. Dalten Gabbard 932; 4. Bruce St. James 909; 5. Rick Ziehl 866; 6. Brian Hosford 865; 7. Justin Quinn 818; 8. Chris Bonneau 807; 9. Ryan Linder 806; 10. Bob Ream Jr. 794; 10. Andy Reinbold 794; 12. Mike Bonneau 755; 13. Josh Pelkey 743; 14. Mike Martin 684; 15. Mike Colegrove 667