Texas Speedzone - Annual ASCS Sooner vs. Gulf South Texas Shootout This Weekend!

Annual ASCS Sooner vs. Gulf South Shootout This Weekend!

Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (August 18, 2008) – The annual tradition continues, as the American Sprint Car Series Gulf South and Sooner Regions will square off against each other with a pair of events in Texas this weekend.

On Friday night, the ASCS Gulf South forces take on the ASCS Sooner Region contenders at Waco's Heart O' Texas Speedway. Then on Saturday night, the Gulf South vs. Sooner Shootout hits the famed Devil's Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, TX, for the sixth consecutive year.

Both of this weekend's events offer up a $2,000 winner's share.

While Regional bragging rights are on the line, both Regional titles are hanging in the balance as well.

Tulsa's Brian McClelland is trying to close in on a second consecutive American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region title, while three-time Gulf South points runner-up Greg Rilat is trying to put the series championship away for the first time.

McCelland enters the weekend ahead of Grahama, TX, shoe K olt Walker, who has cut the gap to just 29 points with a handful of events remaining including this weekend's double. Oklahoma City's Joe Wood, Jr., is third in ASCS Sooner points, with Glenpool, OK, racer Matt Covington and Lawton's Michael Brown rounding out the top five.

With eight ASCS Gulf South events remaining, veteran Texas City shoe Greg Rilat holds a 34-point lead over 2006 series champion Gary Watson of Beaumont, with defending champion Brandon Berryman of Missouri City, TX, just another four points back in third. Chris Sweeney of Channelview and Tommy Bryant of Conroe round out the current top five.

While Sooner Region contenders have dominated victory lane in past Shootout action, Berryman broke through to become the first Gulf South regular to reach victory lane in last year's event at Heart O' Texas Speedway. Louisiana's Jason Johnson topped last year 's Gulf South vs. Sooner event at Devil' s Bowl Speedway.

Both nights of racing action are slated to get under way at 8:00 p.m.

The semi-banked, 1/3-mile Heart O' Texas Speedway clay oval is located in Waco, TX, off I-35 Exit 343, then 0.6 miles north on east frontage road. For more information, contact the track at 254-829-2294.

The ½-mile high-banked Devil's Bowl Speedway clay oval is located six miles east of Dallas’ Loop I-635 on US 80, then three miles south on Lawson Road. For more information, contact the track at 972-222-2421.

The ASCS Gulf South Region is set for 23 nights of racing action at ten different tracks throughout Texas and Louisiana in 2008.

The American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region is slated for 20 nights of racing action at ten different tracks throughout Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas in 2008.

The nation's most prominent Sprint Car sanctioning body with a dozen different Regions throughout the United States in addition to the O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National series, the American Sprint Car Series' (AS CS) 17th year of activity will include approximately 250 nights of racing at more than 100 different race tracks throughout 28 different states and Canada.

Past ASCS Gulf South vs. Sooner Region Shootout Winners at Heart O' Texas Speedway:
8/31/07 – Brandon Berryman
7/21/06 – Jason Johnson

Past ASCS Gulf South vs. Sooner Region Shootout Winners at Devil's Bowl Speedway:
9/1/07 – Jason Johnson
7/22/06 – Larry Neighbors
7/16/05 – Kevin Ramey
10/16/04 – Kevin Ramey
7/12/03 – Kevin Ramey

Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com.