Sooner Region OKC, Lawton preview

ASCS Sooner Region Ready Set for OKC-Lawton Weekend!

TULSA, Okla. (June 9, 2008) -- Following on the heels of perhaps the most spectacular feature event of the 2008 season, the American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region resumes action with another pair of events this weekend.

On Friday night, the series tackles Oklahoma City's State Fair Speedway 3/8-mile clay oval. Then on Saturday night, it's down the H.E. Bailey Turnpike for the second time this season for another stop atop Lawton Speedway's 0x00bc-mile red clay oval.

Sean McClelland will try to add on another win or two this weekend after charging from deep in the field to score a last-corner pass of Nick Smith this past Saturday night at Creek County Speedway.

It marked the first ASCS Sooner Region for McClelland since a May 20 triumph at Creek County Speedway in 2006. Several weeks before that, the 2005 series champion pulled off an Oklahoma City-Lawton weekend sweep.

Before McClelland's dramatic pass for the win on Saturday night, Nick Smith and Gary Taylor battled for the lead most of the way. Smith and Taylor reached victory lane in this year's first ASCS Sooner Region Oklahoma City-Lawton weekend, with Smith taking State Fair Speedway honors on April 11 and then Taylor taking the first of the three Sooner wins the following night at Lawton Speedway.

While Sean McClelland guns for a repeat win this weekend, younger brother Brian McClelland has moved back atop the point charts. Brian McClelland fell behind Kolt Walker in the championship points chase when he missed the feature cut at Lawton on April 12 due to a wild heat race tumble.

Brian McClelland has moved back atop the point charts on the strength of four top-five finishes since that time, including a pair of wins, and enters this weekend's critical pair of events with a 17-point lead over Graham, TX, shoe Walker.

Washington-state native Taylor has climbed to third despite missing the series season opener, with Sherman Davis of Sand Springs and Oklahoma City's Joe Wood, Jr., rounding out the current top five.

Eighteen-year-old Matt Covington of Glenpool, OK, enters the weekend sixth in points, while seventh-ranked Michael Brown gets a rare opportunity to race in front of his hometown Lawton crowd on Saturday night. Justin Melton of Flower Mound, TX, enters the weekend ranked eighth, with National Tour regulars Eric Baldaccini and Travis Rilat completing the top ten.

A trio of Barksdales', including Sheldon, Koby and Rick, are ranked just outside the top ten in eleventh through thirteenth, respectively.

Friday's action at Oklahoma City's State Fair Speedway fires off at 7:30 p.m., with Saturday's event at Lawton Speedway going green at 8:00 p.m.

Oklahoma City's semi-banked, 3/8-mile State Fair Speedway clay oval is located on the Oklahoma State Fair Grounds near the intersection of N.W. 10th and May Avenue. For more information, contact the track at 405-948-6796.

Lawton Speedway is located in Lawton, OK, off I-44 Exit 36, then 2.5 miles west on Lee Boulevard, then 1.4 miles south on Sheridan Road. For more information, contact the track at 580-355-6417.

-credit: ascs