LUBBOCK, Tex. (July 1, 2004) - Gary Wright
made a textbook perfect move through lapped traffic on the 23rd round to
advance from third to first en route to winning Thursday night's
30-lap O'Reilly American Sprint Car Series National Tour presented by
Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores and Classic Trailers feature at
Tech Motor Speedway.
Wright charged past Darren Stewart and race-long leader Jason Martin when
the lead pair hesitated momentarily behind a lapped car, then raced to
his 85th career ASCS National Tour victory with a 0.692-second advantage
over current series point leader Travis Rilat.
"Wow, that was a tough race," Wright stated in victory lane.
"It was a lot of fun too. They got hung up behind that lapped car
for just a little bit and I found an opening. My hands are sore, I was
hanging on to the steering wheel so tight fighting that cushion, it was a
good fast track tonight for sure."
While Wright gridded the Salina-powered Southwest Express/The
Shop/Richwood Construction No. 9 Maxim in sixth, Stewart and Martin led
the feature field to the green flag. Martin jumped into the early lead
from the front row outside, only to have action interrupted after one
round for a five-car melee in turn one that eliminated Joe McCarthy and
Kolt Walker from further competition. Quick repairs were made to allow
Zach Chappell, Garry Lee Maier and Tony Bruce, Jr., to rejoin the chase
at the tail.
Martin led Stewart on the restart, with Wright battling past Rilat for
third on the ninth round. Martin worked through lapped traffic with
Stewart and Wright nipping at his heels, with Rilat not far behind.
Martin successfully navigated traffic until he approached Toby Brown in
the final ten rounds. Martin hesitated briefly, with Wright taking
advantage to race by both Stewart and Martin to take command. Rilat took
advantage as well, racing into second by the 25th round as Martin fell to
fourth behind Stewart.
Rilat tried to mount a charge for the lead but fell several car-lengths
short as the checkered flag flew on Wright, who closed to within two
points of Rilat in the championship points chase. Stewart snared the
show position, with Martin settling for fourth.
Brodix Rookie of the Year candidate Sam Hafertepe, Jr., posted his second
top-five finish of the year by rounding out the top five, with Maier
recovering from the early incident to claim sixth. Natalie Sather
crossed the stripe seventh, with Chappell, Brown and Tony Bruce, Jr.,
completing the top ten.
Heat race victories were claimed by Rilat, Martin and Hafertepe.
Leading Rookie of the Year contender A.G. Rains was sidelined from action
after suffering engine woes in hot laps.
The O'Reilly ASCS National Tour resumes action as the feature class
in Friday and Saturday night's Open Wheel Extravaganza at Hollywood
Hills Speedway near Albuquerque.
Results:
First Heat (8 Laps): 1. Travis Rilat, 2. Gary Wright, 3. Toby Brown, 4.
Gary Appel, 5. Kolt Walker. DNS: Jimmy Taylor.
Second Heat (8 Laps): 1. Jason Martin, 2. Darren Stewart, 3. Joe
McCarthy, 4. Garry Lee Maier, 5. Tony Bruce, Jr., 6. Leighton Crouch.
Third Heat (8 Laps): 1. Sam Hafertepe, Jr., 2. Natalie Sather, 3. Derek
Drown, 4. Zach Chappell, 5. Scott Pace. DNS: A.G. Rains.
A Feature (30 Laps): 1. Gary Wright, 2. Travis Rilat, 3. Darren Stewart,
4. Jason Martin, 5. Sam Hafertepe, Jr., 6. Garry Lee Maier, 7. Natalie
Sather, 8. Zach Chappell, 9. Toby Brown, 10. Tony Bruce, Jr., 11.
Leighton Crouch, 12. Derek Drown, 13. Scott Pace, 14. Gary Appel, 15. Joe
McCarthy, 16. Kolt Walker, 17. Jimmy Taylor. DNS: A.G. Rains.
O'Reilly ASCS National Tour Points (Top Fifteen): 1. Travis Rilat
1,698, 2. Gary Wright 1,696, 3. Zach Chappell 1,642, 4. Darren Stewart
1,626, 5. Garry Lee Maier 1,598, 6. A.G. Rains 1,474, 7. Toby Brown
1,409, 8. Jimmy Taylor 1,278, 9. Sam Hafertepe, Jr. 1,155, 10. Natalie
Sather 1,105, 11. Cody Branchcomb 1,032, 12. Chuck Swenson 944, 13. Shane
Stewart 820, 14. Tony Bruce, Jr. 775, 15. Derek Drown 622.
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