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Gastineau adds his name to list of OCRS AmeriFlex Challenge champions

(Richard Bales photo) John Rittenoure - SALINA, Okla. (September 24, 2022) - Whit Gastineau added his name to the elite list of OCRS AmeriFlex Challenge winners on Saturday at Salina Highbanks Speedway.

Gastineau took an early lead on the high-banked Salina 3/8 mile oval and went the distance over a 21-car field to pocket $3,000 and become the sixth different Challenge winner since 2016.

“Finally. We have been close quite a few times and were close last year and Blake (Hahn) got us,” recalled Gastineau of his second place finish in 2021. “I am glad he showed back up this year. I don’t know how close he was.”

Hahn, who won last year driving for Elizabeth Phillips, was once again in the 08E sprinter and chased after Gastineau just 0.424 seconds behind at the finish.

“I ran a lot of good laps but I had some bad laps also,” Gastineau said. “We did the best we could. The car was good but I wish I had done some things different.”

The AmeriFlex / OCRS IMCA win, his 33rd with OCRS, came after a rough night on Friday at Thunderbird Speedway where he blew an engine and went to his backup power plant for the feature.

“It kind of sucks that we hurt that motor,” Gastineau said. “I think we would have won that one too.”

Gastineau was happy with the track surface in the 25-lap feature.

“The track was perfect,” Gastineau said. “It had a top and a bottom. You could not ask for a better track.”

Hahn went to the high groove hoping to build enough momentum to catch Gastineau much like he did last year. He got close, but came up short.

“With this 305 (cubic inch engine) we were better when we went to the top and got going,” said Hahn. “We gave it all we had. Felt like we had good speed. Second is pretty good, but after winning last year we wanted another one.”

Hahn felt he was closing on Gastineau late in the race.

“I felt I was gaining on him,” Hahn said. “Lap traffic was definitely helping me out. But he (Gastineau) was really good on the bottom and did not make a mistake all night. I knew if I was going to have any luck it was going to be in lap traffic.”

Two-time Challenge winner Alex Sewell closed a little on Hahn but settled for third after winning a feature a Salina earlier this season.

?“We really needed a yellow there to be able to do anything,” said Sewell who came from 8th starting position. “We had a good car all night. We did the best we could with what we had.”

Sheldon Barksdale came from 11th to Finish fourth and three-time champion Zach Chappell was fifth.

AmeriFlex / OCRS IMCA Sprint Car
Salina Highbanks Speedway - Salina, Oklahoma
September 24, 2022

AmeriFlex Hose Accessories A-Main (25 Laps): 1. 2-Whit Gastineau[1]; 2. 08$-Blake Hahn[4]; 3. 8-Alex Sewell[8]; 4. 20S-Sheldon Barksdale[11]; 5. 50Z-Zach Chappell[13]; 6. 26M-Fred Mattox[2]; 7. 9$-Kyle Clark[18]; 8. 5$-Danny Smith[16]; 9. 22M-Rees Moran[15]; 10. 5-Joe Bob Lee[21]; 11. 8X-Austin Shores[3]; 12. 17E-Blake Edwards[9]; 13. 31-Casey Wills[20]; 14. 51-Jeremy Campbell[12]; 15. 6-Cameron Hagin[7]; 16. 29L-Lane Goodman[19]; 17. 22X-Corey McGehee[10]; 18. 12M-Mitchell Barros[14]; 19. 10-Jordan Knight[17]; 20. 8R-Ryker Pace[5]; 21. 24-Cody Hays[6]

B-Main 1 (12 Laps): 1. 22M-Rees Moran[2]; 2. 10-Jordan Knight[3]; 3. 29L-Lane Goodman[4]; 4. P78-Perry Pickard[1]; 5. 42-Grady Mercer[10]; 6. 88-Terry Easum[7]; 7. 2L-Brandon Leland[6]; 8. 55-Johnny Kent[8]; 9. 11K-Tyler Knight[5]; 10. 9-Emilio Hoover[9]

B-Main 2 (12 Laps): 1. 5$-Danny Smith[1]; 2. 9$-Kyle Clark[4]; 3. 31-Casey Wills[2]; 4. 22C-Charlie Crumpton[6]; 5. 5-Joe Bob Lee[10]; 6. 50-Cody Whitworth[5]; 7. 22T-Frank Taft[3]; 8. 30X-Larry Bratti[9]; 9. 38-James Fabian[8]; 10. 08E-Elizabeth Phillips[7]

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 8R-Ryker Pace[1]; 2. 17E-Blake Edwards[2]; 3. 50Z-Zach Chappell[3]; 4. 22M-Rees Moran[4]; 5. 20S-Sheldon Barksdale[9]; 6. 9$-Kyle Clark[7]; 7. 88-Terry Easum[5]; 8. 55-Johnny Kent[8]; 9. 42-Grady Mercer[6]

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 2-Whit Gastineau[6]; 2. 51-Jeremy Campbell[1]; 3. 12M-
Mitchell Barros[3]; 4. 08$-Blake Hahn[9]; 5. 5$-Danny Smith[7]; 6. 10-Jordan Knight[8]; 7. 08E-Elizabeth Phillips[5]; 8. 30X-Larry Bratti[2]; 9. 5-Joe Bob Lee[4]

Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 8-Alex Sewell[1]; 2. 22X-Corey McGehee[2]; 3. 6-Cameron Hagin[6]; 4. 24-Cody Hays[8]; 5. 22T-Frank Taft[5]; 6. 11K-Tyler Knight[4]; 7. 2L-Brandon Leland[7]; 8. 9-Emilio Hoover[3]

Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 8X-Austin Shores[2]; 2. 26M-Fred Mattox[6]; 3. P78-Perry Pickard[1]; 4. 31-Casey Wills[3]; 5. 29L-Lane Goodman[5]; 6. 50-Cody Whitworth[4]; 7. 22C-Charlie Crumpton[7]; 8. 38-James Fabian[8]

??Lap Leaders: Whit Gastineau 1-25.
?Margin of victory: 0.424 seconds.
?D&G Contracting Hard Charger: Kyle Clark +11

Top 10 Standings: Blake Edwards 1713; 2. Rees Moran 1665; 3. Terry Easum 1613; 4. Whit Gastineau 1351; 5. Sheldon Barksdale 1333 6. Elizabeth Phillips 1117; 7. Joe Bob Lee 1086. 8. Johnny Kent 1018; 9. Fred Mattox 916; 10. Danny Smith 895.

2022 Winners: 3/4 - Steven Shebester (Red Dirt Raceway); 3/5 - Tyler Drueke (Red Dirt Raceway); 3/19 - Blake Edwards (Creek County Speedway); 3/25 - John Carney II (Thunderbird Speedway); 3/26 - Tanner Conn (Lawton Speedway); 4/9 - Terry Easum (Oklahoma Sports Park); 4/23 - Johnny Kent (Creek County Speedway); 5/20 - Danny Smith (Tulsa Speedway); 5/21 - Steven Shebester (81 Speedway); 5/28 - Alex Sewell (Salina Highbanks Speedway); 6/24 - Tanner Conn (Red Dirt Raceway); 6/25 - Kyle Clark (Tri-State Speedway); 7/9 - Steven
Shebester (Lawton Speedway); 7/22 - Whit Gastineau (Lake Ozark Speedway); 7/23 - Rees Moran (Lake Ozark Speedway); 9/23 - Terry Easum (Thunderbird Speedway); 9/24 - Whit Gastineau (Salina Highbanks Speedway).

About the AmeriFlex / OCRS Series -
Established in 2002, the Tulsa OK based AmeriFlex / OCRS series sanctions dirt track sprint car racing in the southern region of the central plains. Fan appeal and quality race teams, combined with our solid core of supporting sponsors are the nucleus of the series. Thrilling competition providing the ultimate quality family entertainment is the essence of what the AmeriFlex / OCRS series is all about.

?Website: www.ocrsracing.net?
Facebook: www.facebook.com/oil.series

About Ameri-Flex Hose & Accessories -?
Located in Tulsa OK, AmeriFlex Hose & Accessories is a family owned and operated company. From food grade hose to hoses for the petroleum industry, Ameri-Flex will strive to fill your needs. AmeriFlex can build a hose to your specifications or we will assist you in creating what you have designed while you wait. Ameri-Flex has several hard to find items that some vendors can’t get or find. Product can be shipped quickly and efficiently. If we do not have what you are looking for, we will direct you on where to find it. Give us a try, after all…………..?AmeriFlex Has The Stuff That Keeps You Going!

Website: www.AmeriFlexHose.com

AmeriFlex / OCRS IMCA Contingency Sponsors?
AmeriFlex Hose & Accessories, Hoosier Racing Tires, Smileys Racing Products, Schoenfeld, Brodix, Lucas Oil, RacinDirt.TV, Schure Built Suspension, Lightning Wings & Powder Coating, Smith Titanium, MyRacePass.

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