11/27/2009
ASCS
Swindell & Bacon are Best of the Western World!
[b Sammy Swindell & Brady Bacon are Best of the Western World!]
[i Shane Stewart Takes Lucas Oil Sprint Car Crown!]
Lonnie Wheatley, TUCSON, Ariz. (November 21, 2009) – It was a salty veteran and one of the sport's young guns that rose to the top at USA Raceway on Saturday night, as Tennessee's Sammy Swindell and Oklahoma's Brady Bacon reigned supreme over the 133 competitors that flocked to Arizona for the 42nd Annual Kronik Energy Western World Championships presented by Old Tucson Studios.
Both drivers backed up qualifying night triumphs, with Sprint Car racing legend Swindell outdueling Tim Kaeding to take Saturday night's $15,000 winner's share in the season ending 30-lapper for the Lucas Oil Sprint Cars presented by K&N Filters after posting his first series win in Thursday night action.
After earning just his second career ASCS Regional win on Friday night, the 19-year-old Bacon paced the Discount Tire Co. ASCS Canyon Region field all 30 laps to pick up the $5,000 non-wing winner's share.
With the title already tucked securely away before Saturday's finale, Shane Stewart officially inked his name into the record books as the 2009 Lucas Oil Sprint Cars presented by K&N Filters champion, a title worth $60,000.
Also securing titles on Saturday night were Rick Ziehl, who claimed his second consecutive ASCS Southwest winged title, and Charles Davis, Jr., who earned the ASCS Canyon Region championship.
Fourteen different drivers pulled double duty over the course of the weekend by competing in both the winged and non-winged ranks, with Brady Bacon, Jesse Hockett and Tim Crawley the only three drivers to make the cut for both championship "A" Main events. Bacon was presented a special award after the event as the top overall finisher of both divisions.
Lucas Oil Sprint Cars presented by K&N Filters (Winged)
It had been 20 years since Sammy Swindell had taken top honors at the Western World Championships.
The Memphis-area native changed that on Saturday night at USA Raceway though, outlasting Tim Kaeding to add a third Western World triumph to previous victories in 1980 and 1989 in the Lucas Oil Sprint Cars presented by K&N Filters portion of the 42nd Annual Western World Championships presented by Old Tucson Studios.
After winning Thursday night's Old Tucson Studios Qualifying feature, Sammy Swindell started Saturday night's $15,000-to-win Western World finale from the pole position aboard the Parker-powered Rolfe Trucking No. 10.
However, it was Friday's Kronik Energy Qualifier winner Tim Kaeding gunning into the lead from the outside pole position at the outset of the Lucas Oil Sprint Car feature with Swindell giving chase in front of leading series title contenders Shane Stewart and Jason Johnson.
Kaeding paced the opening nine circuits aboard the Roth No. 83 machine before Swindell edged into the lead. Kaeding kept pace though, with Stewart closing in to make it a three-car duel as traffic came into play.
After a caution at the midway point for Wayne Johnson's disabled mount, Swindell and Kaeding took off, leaving Stewart to dice with rival Jason Johnson.
Kaeding moved in to challenge on the 18th round before surging ahead to lead the 22nd circuit. But, Kaeding's slip too high in turns one and two the next time around proved to be the one mistake he could ill afford.
Swindell drove back by on the low side and held steady the rest of the way, weathering one last caution for Kevin Ramey with just four laps to go before sealing the deal.
Swindell flashed underneath the checkered flag in front of Kaeding, with Stewart taking the show position and series championship aboard Paul Silva's Wesmar-powered ProBilt Construction/Palmero Properties No. 57 A.R.T.
Jason Johnson netted a fourth-place run in his final night aboard Lanny Row's Wesmar-powered The Shop Motorsports No. 41 Eagle, with Paul McMahan racing from 15th to fifth in the J&D Motorsports No. 3d Maxim.
Joey Saldana earned Hard Charger honors by racing from 20th to sixth, with Gary Wright, Roger Crockett, Sam Hafertepe, Jr., and Jack Dover completing the top ten.
After posting a podium finish on Thursday night, Wayne Johnson picked up the Hard Luck Award following his mid-race exit.
Jesse Hockett held off Danny Wood to win the First "B" Main, with Brady Bacon fending off a late bid from Brian Brown for the third and final transfer to the main event. Sean Becker wired the field in the Second "B" Main with Saldana making a charge from 13th to second. Lucas Wolfe finished just ahead of Johnny Herrera for the third and final transfer.
The night opened with Gary Taylor leading Brian Brown wire-to-wire in the First "C" Main, with Matt Covington making a move around Ronnie Clark on the third lap and then holding off Kolt Walker to win the Second "C" Main.
Discount Tire Co. ASCS Canyon Region (Non-Wing)
After both Jerry Coons, Jr., and Brady Bacon posted dominant wins in preliminary action, the debate raged as to which would reign supreme in Saturday night's 42nd Annual Kronik Energy Western World Championships presented by Old Tucson Studios non-wing finale at USA Raceway.
When all was said and done, the $5,000 winner's share and victory hardware was loaded in a rig headed back to Oklahoma, as the "Broken Arrow Bandit" led all 30 circuits and slipped away to a straightaway lead in the closing stages of the season-ending event for the Discount Tire Co. ASCS Canyon Region.
With Bacon starting to Coons outside as the green flag flew, the young shoe won the race down the frontstretch and dove to the bottom entering turn one to take command.
And while several pursuers, most notably Robert Ballou, worked a perilous topside, Bacon kept Mike and Megan Eubanks' Wesmar-powered Tel-Star Communications No. 99 Triple-X on the low side of the 3/8-mile oval throughout.
It was a strategy that proved fruitful, as Bacon ultimately slipped away from the field and out of sight to secure the victory.
Working a similar low line, fellow winged and non-wing swinger Tim Crawley worked past Coons for second on the tenth round. After Coons exited with engine problems after 14 laps, Crawley and rim-rider Ballou locked up in a battle for second as Bacon checked out.
Ballou ultimately took the runner-up slot, with Crawley settling for show honors. Charles Davis, Jr., put the finishing touches on the ASCS Canyon Region championship by climbing from 11th to fourth, just edging Dave Darland for the position.
Darland, who lost an engine in Friday's preliminary action, taped a No. 36 to a third Massey Motorsports entry (teamed with Charles Davis, Jr., and Jesse Hockett) and raced from 16th to second in a non-stop 15-lap "B" Main and then earned Hard Charger honors by climbing from 17th to fifth in the main event.
Jeremy Sherman crossed the stripe sixth, with Jon Stanbrough, Dustin Morgan, Nathan High and Jesse Hockett completing the top ten.
Coons picked up the Hard Luck Award after his run was cut short.
After Stevie Sussex and Bruce St. James split time at the head of the pack, Tony Elliott took command to win the First "B" Main in front of a fast-closing Darland with Sussex sliding past St. James in the final corner for the third and final transfer position.
Daniel Hutto posted a strong win in the Second "B" Main in front of Chris Bonneau and Mike Martin, who prevailed in a wild duel for third. Bonneau's charge from 12th to second in that "B" Main was followed up by a wild tumble through turns one and two on the sixth round of the main event. Bonneau was uninjured.
42nd Annual Kronik Energy Western World presented by Old Tucson Studios
Saturday Night Championship Finale Results
USA Raceway – Tucson, AZ
Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters (Winged Cars)
"C" Mains:
First "C" Feature (12 Laps – Top 6 Advance to "B" Main 1): 1. 9-Brian Parker, 2. 21-Brian Brown, 3. 1x-J.T. Imperial, 4. 2m-Mike Melwicks, 5. 22-Jesse Baker, 6. 34-Calvin Landis, 7. 20z-Rick Ziehl, 8. 77m-Billy Chester III, 9. 15-Bud Goodwin, 10. 5a-Thomas Ogle, 11. 94z-Zach Zimmerly, 12. 55-Don Sink, 13. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 14. 41w-Joshua Williams, 15. 8m-Don Grable. DNS: 01-Kaylene Verville, 71-Bob Schaeffer, 66-Jessica Van Dyke.
Second "C" Feature (12 Laps – Top 4 Advance to "B" Main 2): 1. 95-Matt Covington, 2. 45k-Kolt Walker, 3. 6-Ronnie Clark, 4. 22J-John Gaston, 5. 94j-Charles Davis, Jr., 6. 177-William Eggimann, 7. 99j-Jake Ossenfort, 8. 25c-Chad Groves, 9. 5az-John Van Horn, 10. 20az-Steve Martin, 11. 11T-Steve Lohn, 12. 45-Martin Edwards, 13. 44k-Koty McGullam. DNS: 93-Dustin Morgan, 8x-Mike Wells, 7d-William Riley, 2-Kenneth Walker, 20L-Andrew Reinbold.
"B" Mains (Top 3 From Each Advance to "A" Main):
First "B" Feature (15 Laps): 1. 13-Jesse Hockett, 2. 94-Danny Wood, 3. 99-Brady Bacon, 4. 21-Brian Brown, 5. 99d-Rickey Hood, 6. 23n-Stephen Allard, 7. 7-Darren Long, 8. 20-Kyle Sager, 9. 22-Mason Moore, 10. 11-Chad Corken, 11. 2m-Mike Melwicks, 12. 1p-Curtis Evans, 13. 1-Sean McClelland, 14. 34-Calvin Landis, 15. 9-Gary Taylor, 16. 1x-J.T. Imperial, 17. 74x-Joshua Hodges, 18. 22-Jesse Baker. DNS: 23-Seth Bergman, 33-Danny Lasoski, 42-Rick Boughan.
Second "B" Feature (15 Laps): 1. 2sb-Sean Becker, 2. 35a-Joey Saldana, 3. 57x-Lucas Wolfe, 4. 45x-Johnny Herrera, 5. 88-Tim Crawley, 6. 3s-John Carney II, 7. 95-Matt Covington, 8. 22b-Ben Gregg, 9. 32-Jerry Coons, Jr., 10. 5h-Justyn Cox, 11. 44w-Austen Wheatley, 12. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 13. 3c-Cale Conley, 14. 45k-Kolt Walker, 15. 22j-John Gaston, 16. 77-Colt Treharn, 17. 6-Ronnie Clark, 18. 93k-Brent Kronfuss.
Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series Western World Championship Finale Results:
“A” Feature (30 Laps): 1. 10-Sammy Swindell, 2. 83-Tim Kaeding, 3. 57-Shane Stewart, 4. 41-Jason Johnson, 5. 3d-Paul McMahan, 6. 35a-Joey Saldana, 7. 9x-Gary Wright, 8. 11c-Roger Crockett, 9. 15h-Sam Hafertepe, Jr., 10. 53-Jack Dover, 11. 29-Travis Rilat, 12. 71-Channin Tankersley, 13. 10a-Ricky Logan, 14. 99-Brady Bacon, 15. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., 16. 57x-Lucas Wolfe, 17. 94-Danny Wood, 18. 26b-Bobby McMahan, 19. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 20. 88-Tim Crawley, 21. 13-Jesse Hockett, 22. 14aj-Wayne Johnson, 23. 1-Sean McClelland, 24. 2sb-Sean Becker.
Lap Leaders: Tim Kaeding 1-9, Sammy Swindell 10-22, Kaeding 23, Swindell 24-30.
Note: Tim Crawley and Sean McClelland utilized Lucas Oil Sprint Car provisionals to start the main event.
Discount Tire Co. ASCS Canyon Region (Non-Winged Cars):
"B" Mains (Top 3 from Each Advance to "A" Main):
First "B" Feature (15 Laps): 1. 8m-Tony Elliott, 2. 36-Dave Darland, 3. 62-Stevie Sussex, 4. 7k-Bruce St. James, 5. 74x-Joshua Hodges, 6. xxx-Zach Sawyers, 7. 26-Bobby Taylor, 8. 77-Dalten Gabbard, 9. 145x-Derek Demartino, 10. 96-Carson Ditsch, 11. 55-Tony Everhart, 12. 37-David Bezio, 13. 27h-Jeremy Huebner, 14. 3-Harris Brooks, 15. 5m-Brian O'Donnell, 16. 17-Steve Spiak, 17. 5d-Jerry Johnson. DNS: 48T-Thomas Ogle, 29-Travis Rilat.
Second "B" Feature (15 Laps): 1. 8-Daniel Hutto, 2. 78-Chris Bonneau, 3. 16-Mike Martin, 4. 97-Casey Shuman, 5. 3x-Jimmy Crawford, 6. 9-Brandon Lane, 7. 6s-Bryan Swinehart, 8. 6-Ronnie Clark, 9. 51-Cody Cambensy, 10. 61x-Bo Baker, 11. 8az-Jordan Stetson, 12. 7az-Brian Hosford, 13. 19x-Chuck Jackson, 14. 11-Seainn Hendricsen, 15. 19-Andrew Reinbold, 16. 7-Mike Leslie. DNS: 25c-Don Grable, 6c-Rex Calderwood, 82-Sean Teeters.
Discount Tire Co. ASCS Canyon Region Western World Championship Finale Results:
“A” Feature (30 Laps): 1. 99-Brady Bacon, 2. 20-Robert Ballou, 3. 88-Tim Crawley, 4. 50-Charles Davis, Jr., 5. 36-Dave Darland, 6. 44-Jeremy Sherman, 7. 1-Jon Stanbrough, 8. 93-Dustin Morgan, 9. 12-Nathan High, 10. 2az-Jesse Hockett, 11. 45x-Johnny Herrera, 12. 8m-Tony Elliott, 13. 16-Mike Martin, 14. 8-Daniel Hutto, 15. 62-Stevie Sussex, 16. 41-Rick Ziehl, 17. 32-Jerry Coons, Jr., 18. 77m-R.J. Johnson, 19. 78-Chris Bonneau, 20. 21-Johnathon Henry.
Lap Leaders: Brady Bacon 1-30.
Final Points:
Lucas Oil Sprint Car Presented by K&N Filters Points (Top Twenty): 1. Shane Stewart 2,573, 2. Jason Johnson 2,548, 3. Gary Wright 2,517, 4. Travis Rilat 2,398, 5. Paul McMahan 2,353, 6. Tim Crawley 2,307, 7. Danny Wood 2,292, 8. Tony Bruce, Jr. 2,261, 9. Jack Dover 2,247, 10. Jesse Hockett 2,232, 11. Sean McClelland 1,949, 12. Kenneth Walker 1,848, 13. Darren Long 1,764, 14. Chad Corken 1,732, 15. Gary Taylor 1,711, 16. Seth Bergman 1,622, 17. Brady Bacon 1,478, 18. Wayne Johnson 1,395, 19. Gavin Punch 1,344, 20. Ricky Logan 1,256.
ASCS Southwest Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Rick Ziehl 1,259, 2. Ben Gregg 1,252, 3. Joshua Hodges 1,224, 4. John Gaston 1,212, 5. Ronnie Clark 1,205, 6. Charles Davis, Jr. 1,127, 7. John Van Horn 1,069, 8. Mike Martin 1,023, 9. Jessica Van Dyke 1,007, 10. Joshua Williams 973.
Discount Tire Co. ASCS Canyon Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Charles Davis, Jr. 1,164, 2. R.J. Johnson 1,109, 3. Nathan High 1,100, 4. Stevie Sussex 1,016, 5. Johnathon Henry 1,013, 6. Ronnie Clark 990, 7. Andrew Reinbold 966, 8. Mike Martin 957, 9. Jeremy Sherman 900, 10. Bruce St. James 890.
Submitted By: Lonnie Wheatley
