Traffic Key to Brian Bell Victory in ASCS/NCRA Showdown at 81 Speedway

PARK CITY, Kan. (July 22, 2017) With traffic playing to his advantage, Tennessee’s Brian Bell charged to his sixth victory of the 2017 racing season, and first with the American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Red River Region presented by Smiley’s Racing Products.

Also counting as Bell’s first NCRA triumph, two attempts at the start saw the FSR Radiator No. 23b roll to the green fifth as Mike Goodman sailed the top side of the first and second turns to lead after restarting fourth.

Keeping all challenges at bay, and opening his advantage, the red flew on Lap 9 for John Carney II who tipped over the right front in turn two while running third. Moving to second on the restart, Bell was able to keep pace with the Young Tool Co. No. 11g as the pair were also joined by Alex Sewell, who had to come from 16th after being caught up in the race’s first caution.

Into traffic with five laps to run, Goodman tried to pull to the middle groove of the third turn to advance around a slower car but found his tires spinning as Bell turned under the pair to grab the lead on Lap 21. With the top-spot in hand, Bell was unchallenged the remainder of the race as the checkered flag fell just before the thunderstorms closed in.

Alex Sewell ended up running back through the field to finish second with Jeremy Campbell edging out Mike Goodman on the final lap for the final podium step. Dou Droud, Jr. was fifth. From 10th, Danny Jennings was sixth with Andrew Deal, Jeff Stasa, Fred Mattox, and Forrest Sutherland making up the top-ten.

The American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Red River Region presented by Smiley’s Racing Products is back in action at the Salina Highbanks Speedway in Salina, Okla. on Saturday, August 26. For continued updates on the American Sprint Car Series, from the National Tour to any of the seven regional tours that make up the over 150 races across the ASCS Nation in 2017, log onto http://www.ascsracing.com.

ASCS Red River Region vs. NCRA
81 Speedway – Park City, Kan.
Saturday, July 22, 2017

Car Count: 16

Heat 1: 1. 91-Jeff Stasa, [2]; 2. 23B-Brian Bell, [4]; 3. 21R-Andrew Deal, [1]; 4. 72-Ray Seemann, [3]; 5. 11G-Mike Goodman, [6]; 6. 85-Forrest Sutherland, [5]; 7. 81-Jon Freeman, [7]; 8. 26M-Fred Mattox, [8]

Heat 2: 1. 224-John Carney II, [1]; 2. 8-Alex Sewell, [3]; 3. 1X-Don Droud Jr, [5]; 4. 1J-Danny Jennings, [2]; 5. 10C-Jeremy Campbell, [6]; 6. 57-TJ Artz, [8]; 7. 44-Jared Sewell, [4]; 8. 20G-Jake Greider, [7]

Pizza Express of Oklahoma A Feature (25 Laps): 1. 23B-Brian Bell, [5]; 2. 8-Alex Sewell, [2]; 3. 10C-Jeremy Campbell, [9]; 4. 11G-Mike Goodman, [6]; 5. 1X-Don Droud Jr, [3]; 6. 1J-Danny Jennings, [10]; 7. 21R-Andrew Deal, [7]; 8. 91-Jeff Stasa, [4]; 9. 26M-Fred Mattox, [15]; 10. 85-Forrest Sutherland, [12]; 11. 20G-Jake Greider, [16]; 12. 72-Ray Seemann, [1]; 13. 44-Jared Sewell, [14]; 14. 81-Jon Freeman, [13]; 15. 57-TJ Artz, [11]; 16. 224-John Carney II, [8]

Sources: ASCS PR
Photo by The Wheatley Collection