Sooner Region Texas double preview

ASCS Sooner Region Opens Season with Texas Double

TULSA, Okla. (March 31, 2008) -- Brian McClelland kicks off his American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region title defense this weekend as the series opens the 2008 season with a pair of events on bullrings south of the Red River this Friday and Saturday.

On Friday night, the ASCS Sooner Region lifts the lid on the season by invading Waco's Heart O' Texas Speedway. Then on Saturday night, it's off to the high banks of Kennedale's Cowtown Speedway near Fort Worth. Both tracks are 1/4-mile clay ovals.

Tulsa's Brian McClelland picked off the first of three ASCS Sooner Region wins last year with a July 7 score at Cowtown Speedway en route to capturing the series championship by a narrow 25-point margin over Fort Worth's Kevin Ramey, with Sapulpa, OK, racer Cody Branchcomb just three more points back in third.

Following Cowtown glory, McClelland added later wins at Creek County Speedway and then Mid-America Speedway to secure the title with a dozen top-ten finishes in 14 events, becoming the second McClelland to take top ASCS Sooner Region honors after older brother Sean McClelland won the title in 2005.

While McClelland opens up his title defense, Ramey will be intent upon defending his home turf after finishing second in series points over each of the past two seasons following championships in 2003 and 2004.

Residing less than a handful of miles from Cowtown Speedway, Ramey snared the first of four ASCS Sooner Region wins in 2007 in the series season opener at Cowtown Speedway, then added a September win at Heart O' Texas Speedway. Ramey ranks atop the all-time ASCS Sooner Region feature win charts with 18 triumphs.

Three different drivers have reached victory lane in as many ASCS Sooner Region events at Heart O' Texas Speedway, while eight drivers have claimed at least one ASCS Sooner Region win at Cowtown Speedway in eleven events since 2004. Only Ramey, 2006 ASCS Sooner Region champion Sam Hafertepe, Jr., and Travis Rilat have doubled up with a pair of Sooner scores at Cowtown.

Friday's action at Heart O' Texas Speedway goes green at 8:00 p.m., with Saturday's card at Cowtown Speedway firing off at 7:00 p.m.

The semi-banked, 1/4-mile Heart O' Texas Speedway clay oval is located in Waco, TX, off I-35 Exit 343, then 0.6 miles north on east frontage road. For more information, contact the track at 254-829-2294.

The high-banked, 1/4-mile Cowtown Speedway dirt oval is located just east of Fort Worth, TX, off I-20 Exit 442-A, then 1.7 miles southeast on Mansfield Highway, then 1.4 miles southwest on New Hope Road. For more information, contact the track at 817-478-9952 or 817-572-0848.

-credit: ascs