Sooner Region Cowtown results 2004-09-25

Shouse Shines in ASCS Sooner Cowtown Roundup

KENNEDALE, Tex. (September 25, 2004) 0x2022 While many would consider Cowtown Speedway to be Kevin Ramey's home stomping grounds, it was Oklahoma City's Andy Shouse who took the evening's final checkered flag in Saturday night's 30-lap American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region feature atop the "Fastest Lil' Dirt Track in Texas".

With his second series triumph of the season, Shouse regained the point lead over defending series champion Ramey, who led until cutting a right front tire after contact with a lapped car on the 23rd round.

"My car was good, but I don't think I had anything for Ramey, it's his home track and he's always fast here," Shouse commented in victory lane. "The race track was real greasy on the bottom at first. Then it started drying out a little bit and that is when my car started getting pretty good."

While Shouse started the feature inside the third row, Ramey led the field to the green flag with Rawdy Hull alongside. Ramey jumped into the early lead, with third-starter Danny Jennings taking over second position on the second circuit. Hull would slip to sixth the next time around when Danny Wood, Skip Wilson and Shouse all charged by.

As Ramey began working through lapped traffic after five rounds, Wood overtook Jennings for second on the seventh lap. Ramey's pace would be interrupted after thirteen laps when Sean McClelland spun in turn four, collecting Eric Baldaccini. McClelland rejoined the chase while Baldaccini was done for the night.

Wood's victory hopes dimmed one lap after the restart when he brushed the outside wall, breaking the Jacobs ladder. Wood held second until the 21st round, when Shouse took the position as the leaders battled through traffic.

On the 23rd lap, Ramey's apparent victory drive came to an abrupt halt after contact with a lapped car in turn three. Ramey did a quick 360-degree spin before coming to a stop in turn two with a cut right front tire.

Shouse assumed command in the Allen Competition Engines No. 27 Smiley's Race Products/Eskridge Auto Group Maxim and survived one final caution with three laps remaining to score a six car-length victory over Jennings.

"I thought we had more for Shouse, but the lapped cars were right there kind of in the way," Jennings said afterward. "I've won one race this year and was hoping for another, but we'll take second."

Hull took the show position, while Wood nursed his wounded machine across the line in fourth. Brad Welborn rounded out the top five, with 2004 Cowtown Speedway track champion Claud Estes, 18th-starter Foster Landon, Eric Winnett, Wilson and Brian Harvill completing the top ten.

Ramey recovered for a 12th place finish but fell eight points behind Shouse in the American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region championship points chase with just the ASCS Gulf South vs. Sooner Region Shootout at Devil's Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, TX, on October 16 remaining on the 2004 slate.

Jennings, Wood, Ramey and Hull notched heat race victories for the 30-car field, with rookie shoe Preston Peebles II winning in wire-to-wire fashion in the 12-lap B Main.

Gary Owens was challenging for a transfer position in the B Main when he took a hard tumble in turn three. Owens escaped injury.

Results:

First Heat: 1. Danny Jennings, 2. Eric Winnett, 3. Sean McClelland, 4. Tina Creswell, 5. Preston Peebles II, 6. Koby Barksdale. DNS: Jason Martin, Jonathan Winnett.

Second Heat: 1. Danny Wood, 2. Skip Wilson, 3. Dex Eaton, 4. Claud Estes, 5. Foster Landon, 6. Gary Owens, 7. Mike Saunder, 8. Matt Clevenger.

Third Heat: 1. Kevin Ramey, 2. Brad Welborn, 3. Elmer Morgan, 4. Brian Harvill, 5. Tony Bruce, Jr., 6. Barry McCord, 7. Daniel Estes.

Fourth Heat: 1. Rawdy Hull, 2. Andy Shouse, 3. Eric Baldaccini, 4. Ryan Hall, 5. J.P. Bailey, 6. Kolt Walker, 7. Darrell Fletcher.

B Feature (12 Laps): 1. Preston Peebles II, 2. Foster Landon, 3. J.P. Bailey, 4. Tony Bruce, Jr., 5. Barry McCord, 6. Matt Clevenger, 7. Kolt Walker, 8. Koby Barksdale, 9. Mike Saunder, 10. Gary Owens, 11. Daniel Estes, 12. Darrell Fletcher. DNS: Jason Martin, Jonathan Winnett.

A Feature (30 Laps): 1. Andy Shouse, 2. Danny Jennings, 3. Rawdy Hull, 4. Danny Wood, 5. Brad Welborn, 6. Claud Estes, 7. Foster Landon, 8. Eric Winnett, 9. Skip Wilson, 10. Brian Harvill, 11. Dex Eaton, 12. Kevin Ramey, 13. Sean McClelland, 14. J.P. Bailey, 15. Tony Bruce, Jr., 16. Preston Peebles II, 17. Ryan Hall, 18. Barry McCord, 19. Elmer Morgan, 20. Tina Creswell, 21. Eric Baldaccini.

American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Andy Shouse 2,218, 2. Kevin Ramey 2,210, 3. Sean McClelland 2,142, 4. Tony Bruce, Jr. 2,126, 5. Preston Peebles II 2,048, 6. Foster Landon 2,046, 7. J.P. Bailey 1,887, 8. Danny Jennings 1,776, 9. Barry McCord 1,768, 10. Gary Owens 1,520.

-ascs-