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Adams Aces O'Reilly ASCoT
Opening Night at East Bay
Lonnie Wheatley,
TAMPA, Fla. (January 31, 2008)
Florida ace Kenny Adams made a late move around four-time and reigning
O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National champion Gary Wright to kick
off East Bay Raceway Park's 32nd Annual Winter Nationals in dramatic fashion
with a win in Thursday night's 25-lap "King of the 360's" Nationals preliminary
feature event.
Adams rallied from the ninth starting position and made the big slide around
Wright for the lead upon the completion of the 22nd lap as the O'Reilly ASCoT
National series kicked off its season-opening three-night stand at East Bay
Raceway Park, which culminates with Saturday night's $10,000 to win Ronald
Laney Memorial.
Recording what unofficially ranks as his 200th career Sprint Car feature win,
Adams scurried to the line over the final three circuits to post his second
career ASCS National Tour victory aboard the Don Ott-powered C&B
Mushrooms/B&W Trucking/Goodson Farms No. 4a Shaw, while Wright held off
fellow Texas racer Travis Rilat for runner-up honors. Indiana's Danny Smith
claimed fourth, with Oklahoma native Daryn Pittman rounding out the top five.
"When the race started, I really didn't think we could win from the fifth row,"
Adams explained afterward. "That caution (after 18 laps) probably helped us,
that gave us some open track where we could put that slide on when we
needed to without lapped cars in the way."
After winning his heat race from the pole position, Adams just missed the cut
for the redraw by ranking ninth in passing points. Wright, the night's top points
earner in heat race action, drew the front row outside while eighth point-earner
Garry Lee Maier drew the pole position.
After a pair of attempted starts were waved off, including one that eliminated
second-row starter Terry Gray and Gene Lasker, Wright got the jump on Maier
and set sail around the Tampa clay in his first outing aboard the Wright-
Cooper Wesmar-powered Richwood Construction/Carry All Services No. 01
Maxim.
Maier, fourth-starter Danny Smith and fifth-starter Dave Calaman chased
Wright in the early rounds, while Adams cracked the top five after just three
laps.
Lapped traffic came into play after just eight laps, with Maier moving in to
challenge Wright for the lead on the tenth circuit. But Wright navigated his way
around a pair of lapped cars to slip away from Maier as Adams battled with
Smith for third at the midway point.
After making his way past Smith, Adams went to work on Maier for second and
slid past the first ASCS National champion in turns three and four on the 14th
lap, setting his sights on the fleet Wright, who had slipped away to nearly a
half straightaway advantage.
But after Maier ran afoul of a lapped car and brushed the turn three wall on
the 17th lap, he was forced to a stop with a broken front axle a lap later to
bring out the race's only interruption.
With the lapped car of 2003 "King of the 360's" Nationals champion Sport Allen
separating Wright from Adams on the restart, Wright set sail once again.
Adams made quick work of Allen and reeled in the leader.
Adams executed the perfect slide job through turns three and four on the 22nd
lap and went on to record the win, with Wright fending off Rilat for the runner-
up position.
"We cut the right rear on something, it just had four pounds of the air at the
finish so it was getting awful tight at the end," Wright commented.
Charging from 16th, Rilat cracked the top ten by the fifth round, was fifth at the
15-lap mark and was in third by the time the caution flew after 18 laps. Rilat
challenged Wright on the final lap before settling for third aboard the F&J
Construction No. 29 Triple-X.
Indiana shoe Danny Smith raced among the top-five all the way and took the
checkered flag fourth aboard the Doug Williams Trucking No. 4, with Pittman
climbing from eighth to round out the top five in the Titan Racing No. 21 entry.
Two-time ASCS National Tour points runner-up Jason Johnson climbed from
12th to sixth, with local shoe Greg Leonard charging from 21st to seventh.
Terry McCarl, the 2006 "King of the 360's" Nationals winner, raced from 22nd
to eighth, with 20th-starter Wayne Johnson and Tim Crawley completing the
top ten.
Terry Gray, Wright, D. Smith, Adams, Danny Martin, Jr., Crawley and Calaman
topped heat race action for the 55-car field, with Dustin Morgan, W. Johnson
and Leonard winning the 12-lap "B" Mains.
Canadian Michael Parent turned over in turn three on the opening lap of the
seventh heat race, but was able to return for "B" Main action. New York's
Adam Gordon got turned upside down as the green flag flew on the third "B"
Main, escaping injury as well.
Don Young checked out in the Strawberry Dash for Cash, leading a Memphis
one-two sweep in front of Chris Williams.
Action at the Tenth Annual "King of the 360's" Nationals at East Bay Raceway
Park's 32nd Annual Winter Nationals resumes on Friday night for the O'Reilly
American Sprint Cars on Tour National series. The top six in combined points
from Thursday and Friday night's preliminary action will be locked into
Saturday night's $10,000-to-win Ronald Laney Memorial.
O’Reilly ASCoT East Bay Raceway Park "King of the 360's" Nationals
Preliminary Night One Results:
Heat Races (Top 18 in passing points to “A” Main; Balance to 3 "B" Mains)
Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 10-Terry Gray (Bartlett, TN), 2. 19T-Matt Tiffany
(Daytona Beach, FL), 3. 21-Daryn Pittman (Owasso, OK), 4. 21T-T.J. Luedke
(Plymouth, WI), 5. 3bx-Joey Biasi (Mary D, PA), 6. 00T-Doug Day (Winder,
GA), 7. 93-Bob Schaeffer (New Castle, CO), 8. 15c-Anthony Cain (Fairfax, VT).
Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 01-Gary Wright (Hooks, TX), 2. 7s-Jason Sides (Bartlett,
TN), 3. 4c-Tyler Godwin (Lutz, FL), 4. 94-Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City,
OK), 5. 3-Sport Allen (Pinellas Park, FL), 6. 6s-Mike Schroeder (Southwest
Ranches, FL), 7. d12-Doc Sloan (Imperial, MO), 8. w20-Greg Wilson (Benton
Ridge, OH).
Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 4-Danny Smith (Danville, IN), 2. 63-Josh Weller
(Mertztown, PA), 3. 29-Travis Rilat (Forney, TX), 4. 6-Mike Schroeder
(Southwest Ranches, FL), 5. 12-Tim Kelly (Dundee, NY), 6. 20-Frank Carlsson
(Oxford, CA), 7. 8x-Chris Williams (Memphis, TN), 8. 14-Coleman Gulick
(Binghamton, NY).
Heat Four (8 Laps): 1. 4a-Kenny Adams (Malabar, FL), 2. 41-Jason Johnson
(Eunice, LA), 3. 13-Kathryne Minter (Bedford, TX), 4. 3x-Brian Maddox
(Brandon, FL), 5. 91-Don Droud, Jr. (Lincoln, NE), 6. 11s-Brian Smith
(Mooresville, NC), 7. 34-Luke Hall (Ludlow Falls, OH), 8. 18-Shane Butler
(Bushnell, FL).
Heat Five (8 Laps): 1. 00-Danny Martin, Jr. (Sarasota, FL), 2. 27-Andy Shouse
(Oklahoma City, OK), 3. a12-Tim Shaffer (Aliquippa, PA), 4. 02-Gene Lasker
(Tampa, FL), 5. 75-Don Young (Memphis, TN), 6. 17-Samantha Taylor
(Bonney Lake, WA), 7. 3b-Brad Greer (Coultierville, IL), 8. 51-John Sauermilch
(Elkhart Lake, WI).
Heat Six (8 Laps): 1. 88-Tim Crawley (Benton, AR), 2. X-Chuck Swenson
(Watertown, SD), 3. 8h-Dustin Morgan (Tulsa, OK), 4. b4-Eric Baldaccini
(Keller, TX), 5. 1m-Terry McCarl (Altoona, IA), 6. 2-Joey Saldana (Brownsburg,
IN), 7. 79-Dakotah Stephens (Brandon, FL). DNS: 97-Aaron Schipper
(Plymouth, WI).
Heat Seven (8 Laps): 1. 5-Dave Calaman (Carlisle, PA), 2. 11x-Garry Lee
Maier (Cimarron, KS), 3. 17b-Ryan Bickett (Ramona, SD), 4. 29T-Leigh
Thomas (Duluth, MN), 5. 50z-Zach Chappell (Talala, OK), 6. 18x-Adam
Gordon (Suffern, NY), 7. 25-Michael Parent (Quebec, CAN).
"B" Mains – Top 2 From Each Advance to “A” Main
First "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 8h-Dustin Morgan (Tulsa, OK), 2. 1m-Terry
McCarl (Altoona, IA), 3. 8x-Chris Williams (Memphis, TN), 4. 17b-Ryan Bickett
(Ramona, SD), 5. 3x-Brian Maddox (Brandon, FL), 6. 93-Bob Schaeffer (New
Castle, OK), 7. 12-Tim Kelly (Dundee, NY), 8. 14-Coleman Gulick
(Binghamton, NY), 9. 25-Michael Parent (Quebec, CAN), 10. 17-Samantha
Taylor (Bonney Lake, WA), 11. 6s-Mike Schroeder (Southwest Ranches, FL),
12. 97-Aaron Schipper (Plymouth, WI). DNS: 21T-T.J. Luedke (Plymouth, WI).
Second "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 94-Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City, OK), 2.
91-Don Droud, Jr. (Lincoln, NE), 3. 4c-Tyler Godwin (Lutz, FL), 4. 2-Joey
Saldana (Brownsburg, IN), 5. 34-Luke Hall (Ludlow Falls, OH), 6. 75-Don
Young (Memphis, TN), 7. 29T-Leigh Thomas (Duluth, MN), 8. d12-Doc Sloan
(Imperial, MO), 9. 15c-Anthony Cain (Fairfax, VT), 10. 20-Frank Carlsson
(Oxford, FL), 11. 3bx-Joey Biasi (Mary D, PA), 12. 18-Shane Butler (Bushnell,
FL).
Third "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 6-Greg Leonard (Apollo Beach, FL), 2. 3-Sport
Allen (Pinellas Park, FL), 3. 50z-Zach Chappell (Talala, OK), 4. 11s-Brian
Smith (Mooresville, NC), 5. w20-Greg Wilson (Benton Ridge, OH), 6. 13-
Kathryne Minter (Bedford, TX), 7. 51-John Sauermilch (Elkhart Lake, WI), 8.
3b-Brad Greer (Coultierville, IL), 9. b4-Eric Baldaccini, 10. 18x-Adam Gordon
(Suffern, NY), 11. 79-Dakotah Stephens (Brandon, FL). DNS: 00T-Doug Day
(Winder, GA).
Strawberry Dash:
Strawberry Dash (10 Laps): 1. 75-Don Young (Memphis, TN), 2. 8x-Chris
Williams (Memphis, TN), 3. 14-Coleman Gulick (Binghamton, NY), 4. 34-Luke
Hall (Ludlow Falls, OH), 5. 20-Frank Carlsson (Oxford, FL), 6. 17-Samantha
Taylor (Bonney Lake, WA), 7. 18-Shane Butler (Bushnell, FL), 8. 97-Aaron
Schipper (Plymouth, WI), 9. 13-Kathryne Minter (Bedford, TX), 10. 4c-Tyler
Godwin (Lutz, FL).
O’Reilly ASCoT "A" Main Event:
“A” Feature (25 Laps): 1. 4a-Kenny Adams (Malabar, FL), 2. 01-Gary Wright
(Hooks, TX), 3. 29-Travis Rilat (Forney, TX), 4. 4-Danny Smith (Danville, IN), 5.
21-Daryn Pittman (Owasso, OK), 6. 41-Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA), 7. 6-Greg
Leonard (Apollo Beach, FL), 8. 1m-Terry McCarl (Altoona, IA), 9. 94-Wayne
Johnson (Oklahoma City, OK), 10. 88-Tim Crawley (Benton, AR), 11. 7s-Jason
Sides (Bartlett, TN), 12. 91-Don Droud, Jr. (Lincoln, NE), 13. 00-Danny Martin,
Jr. (Sarasota, FL), 14. 63-Josh Weller (Mertztown, PA), 15. a12-Tim Shaffer
(Aliquippa, PA), 16. 19T-Matt Tiffany (Daytona Beach, FL), 17. 8h-Dustin
Morgan (Tulsa, OK), 18. 3-Sport Allen (Pinellas Park, FL), 19. 5-Dave
Calaman (Carlisle, PA), 20. X-Chuck Swenson (Watertown, SD), 21. b4-Eric
Baldaccini (Keller, TX), 22. 11x-Garry Lee Maier (Cimarron, KS), 23. 27-Andy
Shouse (Oklahoma City, OK), 24. 10-Terry Gray (Bartlett, TN), 25. 02-Gene
Lasker (Tampa, FL).
Lap Leaders: Gary Wright 1-21, Kenny Adams 22-25.
Note: Eric Baldaccini utilized a provisional starting position for the "A" Main.
O’Reilly ASCoT Points (Top Ten): 1. Kenny Adams 50, 2. Gary Wright 48, 3.
Travis Rilat 47, 4. Danny Smith 46, 5. Daryn Pittman 45, 6. Jason Johnson 44,
7. Greg Leonard 43, 8. Terry McCarl 42, 9. Wayne Johnson 41, 10. Tim
Crawley 40.
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