TULSA, Okla. (March 3, 2014) - With the 2014 Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour opening its 23rd year of competition this past weekend, a review of some of the points of interest is in order, and kicks off the first edition of the Weekend Rewind.
• Rico Abreu: It goes without saying that Rico should top the list of points of interest. The California shoe came out swinging to pick up his first Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour win on Friday night, only to back in up with Saturday's $10,000 check. Paired with Paul Silva, the duo will be tough to beat no matter where they land.
• Christopher Bell: Leading until contact with the wall on Lap 27, Christopher Bell's weekend saw back-to-back runner up finishes, making three appearances on the steps in four visits to the Cocopah Speedway.
• Good Turn Out: 39 cars on Friday night grew to 42 on Saturday. Danny Lasoski planned on running both nights, but problems with his truck sidelined "The Dude" in New Mexico on Friday. Ohio's Greg Wilson made the trek for Saturday's event along with Arizona's Mike Rux, Jr.
• Engine Woes: Several drivers suffered engine problems over the weekend. Jason Johnson suffered a damaged Exhaust Valve during Hot Laps on Friday night. Wayne Johnson saw an engine go up in smoke while leading a B-Feature on Saturday. Mason Moore went through two power plants; the second going up while running third in Saturday's $10,000 to win feature event.
• The Weather: If you ask anyone who has grown up in the desert southwest of the United States, they will tell you that the weather is never what the news predicts. When racing began Friday night, the chance of rain was 70 percent. Not a drop was felt. Enter Saturday and the chance of rain is 10 percent and the show is delayed for nearly two hours.
• Fanfest: The Cocopah Speedway, under the direction of Greg Burgess, is one of the few tracks that host Fanfest. The Thursday event was quite the success with fifteen drivers greeting a crowd of eager fans plus live music, plenty of cold drinks, and fresh food.
• No Flips: To the delight of everyone, no one got upside down over the two day event.
• MAVTV: The Lucas Oil backed channel was on hand this past weekend with Dave Argabright and Randy Ward checking in with drivers throughout the weekend.
• Buffalo Wild Wings: Giving several drivers a chance behind the wheel in 2013, the Buffalo Wild Wings team brought two cars to the Cocopah Speedway with Sam Hafertepe, Jr. in the No. 82 and Non-Wing's brightest start, Bryan Clauson in the No. 82c. Hafertepe set the track's fastest time for the ASCS style engine at 14.803 seconds. Clauson picked up his first top-five against the National Tour.
• Hard Charger: Truck troubles didn't slow down Danny Lasoski as the Missouri shoe advanced from sixteenth to grab fourth on the final lap on Saturday night.
• Final Point: This is more of a thank you than a point. When it comes to the clay in the desert, a little rain can ruin everything. The adobe surface is hard to massage back into race condition, but Greg Burgess and crew were able to pull it off and provide two grooves for drivers to utilize.
The Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV American Real goes into rounds three and four on March 21 and 22 at the 41st Spring Nationals at the Devil's Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas. Shortened to a single day affair in 2013, Kyle Bellm is the reigning champion of the Spring Nationals.
The 2014 season marks the twenty-third year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing for the American Sprint Car Series, which brings the best of Sprint Car racing to dozens of different tracks throughout the nation. Anchored by the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series, ASCS also consists of ten different Regions throughout the nation.
Lucas Oil Products is the title sponsor of the American Sprint Car Series. More information can be found on Lucas Oil Products at www.lucasoil.com. MAVTV is the presenting sponsor of the American Sprint Car Series. Log onto www.mavtv.com for information regarding availability and listings in your area.
Associate sponsors for the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV include: Hoosier Racing Tire and Brodix.
Team Lucas Sponsors for the American Sprint Car Series consist of Protect the Harvest, iON Camera, Smokey Mountain Moonshine, C&R Radiator, Hawk Performance Products, Geico, E3 Spark Plugs, and General Tire.
Product and Contingency Sponsorship provided by: K&N Filters, KSE Racing Products, SpeedMart, Competition Suspension, Engler Machine and Tool, FSR Radiator and Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Driverwebsites.com, Weld Wheels, Saldana Racing Products, Maxwell Industries, Print Place, Simpson, The Joie of Seating, Wesmar Racing Engines, Hinchman Indy Racewear, Rod End Supply, Smiley's Racing Products, Speedway Motors, and Hilborn Injection Systems.
Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com as well as Twitter (@LucasOilASCS) and Facebook. News and information can also be sent to you with the ASCS E-News by texting ASCS to 22828 with any mobile device.