This message was edited on
July 12, 2011 at
11:02:26 PM by KOP
Third Annual “Harold
Leep Sprint Nationals” At Outlaw Motor Speedway This Friday Night
John Lemon
OCRS Public Relations
Tulsa Oklahoma
(July 12, 2011) – Outlaw Motor Speedway promoter Lynn Skinner presents the
third annual running of the “Harold Leep Nationals” this Friday night at the
3/8 mile clay track just south of Muskogee on Highway 69.Oil Capital Racing Series winged sprint
cars will compete for the HLN title. The race honors a man who has accomplished
several victories in the open wheel racing world and championships along the
way. Leep’s successful achievements in sprints and super modifieds earned him a
place in the prestigious National Sprint Car Hall Of Fame located in Knoxville,
Iowa. Leep was inducted into the HoF in 2000.
During the peak of super modified racing in the region during the
1970’s, Leep won championships in three seasons with the National Championship
Racing Association. Those feats came in 1972, 1973 and 1976. Leep was inducted
into the Wichita Kansas HoF in 2007 as well as the National High Banks Hall of
Fame in Belleville, Kansas in 2002. He also is an inductee into the 81 Speedway
Hall of Fame in Wichita Kansas. Leep was as fierce as a competitor as they
come. His peers knew when Leep signed in at an event, their task of winning for
themselves got much tougher. Tulsa Speedway fans recall Leep’s 1969 track
championship in which he thoroughly dominated the season. Leep won the
prestigious Hutchinson Nationals Championship in Hutchinson Kansas in 1961,
1967, 1972, 1980 and 1983. Leep frequents sprint car events in the area to this
day and is expected to be in attendance this Friday night as well. “Harold Leep
is an icon in open wheel racing,” commented OCRS president Barry Grabel. “ To
be the sanctioning body that has a hall of famer of his magnitude grace his
presence with our series is an honor. We value Harold’s career accomplishments
and his friendship we have been fortunate to receive over the years. Harold is
a special man as he is a special racer. We are thankful to Lynn Skinner and his
staff at Outlaw Motor Speedway for participating in honoring a legend. This
Friday is going be a great night for everyone in attendance.”
Frank
Dittman of Moore Oklahoma won the inaugural event in 2009 while Jamie Passmore
took the 2010 run over a hard charging Shane Sellers. Entering the 2011 affair,
a heated points battle for the OCRS “Harold Leep Championship Trophy” is in
full force as Tulsa’s Sean McClelland holds a slim ten point lead over Whit "The Gasman" Gastineau (776-786). Only 84 markers separate the top four
drivers. Stillwell’s Rafe Essary (738) and Owasso’s Matt Sherrell (702) are
producing unrelentless pressure on the top two for their stake in the
championship fight.
Gastineau won his fifth feature victory of the season at the Oklahoma
Sports Park in Ada Oklahoma last Saturday in an unlikely finish. Gary Owens
seemingly had the race won when he spun in water in the last turn on the last
lap that was applied seconds earlier when a car lost a radiator hose. Gastineau
was in the right place to take advantage. Had Owens went on to victory, he
would have become the second consecutive first time OCRS feature winner as Dean
Drake Jr. won his first career OCRS main event one week earlier. Drake backed
up that run with a second place finish at OSP with Danny Jennings taking the
remaining podium spot. Other drivers looking for that initial victory of the
2011 campaign include Essary and Sherrell along with three time defending
champion Jamie Passmore, former OCRS champ Mike Goodman and Dewey America’s
Andrew Deal who has a couple of second place finishes to date this season.
Outlaw Motor Speedway is located on Highway 69 at the Wainwright exit.
The physical addressfor those using GPS
systems is: 8100 Wainwright Rd. Oktaha, OK 74450
Track phone is: (918) 687-9200
Track Website: www.outlawmotorspeedway.com
Gates open at 5pm with racing action set to fire off at
7:37pm.
Additional information on the OCRS series can be viewed
at: www.ocrsracing.com
~~~~ CAN YOU HEAR THE THUNDER? ~~~~
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