Fast Trax results 2003-8-31

Wright an O'Reilly ASCS Fast Trax Flyer

CHATHAM, Lou. (August 31, 2003) - Gary Wright overtook Darren Stewart on the fourth round and raced to his fourteenth O'Reilly American Sprint Car Series National Tour presented by Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores and United Trailers feature triumph of the season by topping Sunday night's 30-lap feature at Fast Trax Motorplex.

After coming from fourth to win the evening's second heat race, Stewart led the field to the green flag with Wright alongside. Stewart jumped into the lead at the start, with Wright, Cody Branchcomb, Travis Rilat and Tim Crawley in pursuit.

After a lap two caution for Garry Bell's turn one stop, Wright put the pressure on Stewart and charged by on the high side on the fourth round to take command. Wright set the pace over the ensuing rounds, with Stewart trying to keep pace as lapped traffic came into play after nine rounds.

The red flag interrupted action after ten circuits when Rick Behr tipped over in turn four. On the restart, Branchcomb jumped Rilat's right rear tire entering turn one as the pair battled for third and vaulted into a spectacular flip over the turn one guard rail and out of the park. After landing in some shallow water in the wooded area well beyond turn one, Branchcomb walked away uninjured. Rilat replaced a cut right rear tire during the red flag and restarted at the rear.

Wright set the pace on the restart, with Stewart and eleventh-starter Zach Chappell battling for the runner-up slot until the 16th round when Chappell spun in turn two, bringing out the caution. Chappell restarted at the tail of the field.

Wright took off again on the restart in front of Stewart, Tim Crawley, 18th-starter Jason Martin and Sam Hafertepe, Jr. While Wright and Stewart rode the cushion, Martin utilized the low groove to race past Crawley for third on the 18th round, then challenged Stewart for second before the loss of power steering thwarted his charge for the point.

Following the race's final caution for Jerry Bell's disabled mount after 19 laps, Wright slipped away from the field and raced to the checkered flag unchallenged aboard the Salina-powered Southwest Express/The Shop/Richwood Construction Maxim. Stewart crossed the stripe in second, while current ASCS Gulf South Region point leader Kelly Angelette, who started tenth, advanced three position over the final ten rounds to snare the show position.

After starting 19th, Toby Brown gradually advanced to seventh by the 20th round, then completed his Hard Charger of the race effort by racing to fourth at the checkered flag. Martin rounded out the top five, with Chappell recovering from his early spin to snare sixth. Crawley was seventh, with Rilat rebounding to finish eighth. Hafertepe was ninth, while Garry Bell completed the top ten.

Rilat, Stewart, Wright and Hafertepe topped heat race action for the 29-car field, with Garry Bell winning the 12-lap B Feature. Cody Pearson's night came to an early end following a heat race flip, with Chase Taylor exiting the B Main after a first lap tumble. Both drivers were uninjured.

Rilat escaped the evening with a fourteen point lead over Wright, with Chappell 26 points out of the lead and Stewart just 54 points off the pace.

Results:

First Heat (8 Laps):
1. Travis Rilat
2. Todd Johnson
3. Tim Crawley
4. Stephen Chevallier
5. Jerry Bell
6. Toby Brown
7. Ray Allen Kulhanek

DNS: Mark Huddleston

Second Heat (8 Laps):
1. Darren Stewart
2. Greg Rilat
3. Tina Creswell
4. Chris Sweeney
5. Brian Bell
6. Chase Taylor
7. Harry Yerrington

Third Heat (8 Laps):
1. Gary Wright
2. Kelly Angelette
3. Cody Branchcomb
4. Jimmy Taylor
5. Garry Bell
6. Wendell Magnon
7. Jason Martin

Fourth Heat (8 Laps):
1. Sam Hafertepe, Jr.
2. Tony Krites
3. Zach Chappell
4. Rick Behr
5. Brandon Berryman
6. Cody Pearson
7. David Forbis

B Feature (10 Laps):
1. Garry Bell
2. Jason Martin
3. Toby Brown
4. Jerry Bell
5. Ray Allen Kulhanek
6. Mark Huddleston
7. David Forbis
8. Wendell Magnon
9. Harry Yerrington
10. Brian Bell
11. Chase Taylor

DNS: Brandon Berryman, Cody Pearson.

A Feature (30 Laps):
1. Gary Wright
2. Darren Stewart
3. Kelly Angelette
4. Toby Brown
5. Jason Martin
6. Zach Chappell
7. Tim Crawley
8. Travis Rilat
9. Sam Hafertepe, Jr.
10. Garry Bell
11. Todd Johnson
12. Greg Rilat
13. Jimmy Taylor
14. Stephen Chevallier
15. Tony Krites
16. Chris Sweeney
17. Tina Creswell
18. Jerry Bell
19. Cody Branchcomb
20. Rick Behr

O'Reilly ASCS Points (Top Fifteen): 1. Travis Rilat 4,610, 2. Gary Wright 4,596, 3. Zach Chappell 4,584, 4. Darren Stewart 4,556, 5. Cody Branchcomb 4,310, 6. Toby Brown 4,151, 7. Shane Stewart 2,212, 8. Jimmy Taylor 2,169, 9. Rick Behr 2,133, 10. Tim Crawley 1,982, 11. Kevin Ramey 1,768, 12. Nick Smith 1,656, 13. Matt Clevenger 1,642, 14. Sam Hafertepe, Jr., 1,471, 15. A.G. Rains 1,371.

ASCS Gulf South Region Points (Top Fifteen): 1. Kelly Angelette 1,596, 2. Greg Rilat 1,546, 3. Sam Hafertepe, Jr., 1,542, 4. Brandon Berryman 1,411, 5. Todd Johnson 1,404, 6. Tina Creswell 1,387, 7. Cody Pearson 1,367, 8. Stephen Chevallier 1,348, 9. Chris Sweeney 1,291, 10. David Forbis 1,268, 11. Harry Yerrington 1,197, 12. Scottie McDonald 1,093, 13. Rod Craddock 898, 14. Larry Howery 701, 15. Jimmy Brooks 682.