This message was edited on
September 23, 2012 at
09:43:10 AM by OCRS-PR
 
Becomes Second First Time Series Winner At The Highbanks In 2012
By John Rittenoure
Salina, Okla (Sept. 22,
2012) - For Jeremy Allen 2012 has not gone
anything like he expected. Six races into the OCRS
season the Oklahoma City driver saw his quest for
the Brodix / PM PRO Rookie of the Year honors come to an abrupt halt.
The date was June 9th. On the
opening lap of the Oklahoma Sports Park main event
in Ada Allen found himself riding out a horrifying
end over end flip that destroyed his sprint car.
Allen was not hurt, but for the next two months he
was busy building a new race car.
Two weeks ago Allen returned to
the very track that nearly ended his season and
managed a 16th place finish. Saturday Allen visited
the Salina Highbanks Speedway and for once it was
his night. Allen started on the pole and led all 25
laps to win his first career OCRS feature.
“We finally did something
right,” smiled Allen.
“We had to go back to the
drawing board and start from scratch after we tore
that car up at Ada. We had to see what we had left
and go from there.
“We bought a 2010 Eagle frame
from Andy Shouse and we had a bunch of spare parts
so we put it together. We made the right choices.”
Jeremy Allen enjoys the spoils of victory lane / Mike Spivey Photo
After finishing second in his
heat Allen won the pole dash then resisted the
temptation from OCRS PR director John Lemon to take
the Oil Medics Back Row Challenge which would have
doubled his money if he could have won from the rear
of the field.
And he is glad he did.
Allen had built a straightaway
lead over second place Whit Gastineau after just six
laps.
“The track was awesome,” said
Allen. “I did not have to lift and where I turned the
steering wheel is where the car went."
“It was pretty good. I could run
from about three-quarters of the way up and down. It
was real slick up at the top.
“I figured since it (the track)
was taking rubber everyone would be fast. I knew I
had no time to spare and went as fast as I could.”
Allen saw his lead evaporate
after the yellow waved on lap 12 for Fred Mattox who
spun in turn two. If there was any doubt that Allen
would hold onto his lead that was quickly put to
rest as he drove away from Gastineau. But in the
final laps Casey Wills was closing fast and looking
to make a race of it. But Allen held his line for
the win.
“I could hear him back behind
me,” said Allen of Wills. “I just figured, don’t
screw up and can’t get you.”
Now Allen is looking forward to
the season finale on Oct. 6 at Brill Motor Speedway.
“We are going to look forward to
Meeker and hope we can do the same there now that we
got a taste of victory,” said Allen.
Wills was driving his best race
of the season and seemed to be getting faster as the
laps were winding down. After passing Gastineau for
second on lap 18 Wills closed the gap between
himself and Allen but needed more laps if he had any
hopes of picking up a win.
“I think I might have gone
around him in the middle if that yellow had not been
there,” said Wills of a yellow with three laps
remaining for Andrew Deal who stopped in turn two.
“But I am happy. May be that bigger right rear that
Goodyear gave us helped.”
Casey Wills took runner up honors on the Highbanks / Mike Spivey Photo
Harli White was also getting
faster with each passing lap. White moved into third
and with a few more laps a three-car race might have
developed.
“It was really coming on when we
started getting in lapped traffic,” said White who
finished third for the second straight week. “It
started coming in good. The track felt pretty good.
It was fast.”
But the track was taking rubber
and it was good the race ended when it did.
“I think everyone’s tires were
starting to go away so I don’t know if we could have
lasted much longer,” said White.
As the checkered fell rookie
Alex Sewell moved up to fourth with Danny Smith
climbing to fifth. Gastineau dropped to sixth after
running second early.
Johnny Kent won the AmeriFlex Hose and Accessories
Hard Charger award. Kent advanced 13 positions to
finish eighth. Deal picked up the Dyno Services of
Oklahoma Hard Luck award.
The next stop for the Oil Capital Racing Series winged sprint cars will the season finale at the Brill Motor Speedway in Meeker Oklahoma on Saturday October 6th.
Salina Highbanks Speedway
Race date:
July 22, 2012 - Event 20
21
Cars
M&W Aluminum Heat:
1, Andrew Deal. 2, Jeremy Allen. 3, Casey Wills. 4,
Kerry McAlister. 5, Rafe Essary. 6, Kacee Frazier.
7, Kade Morton.
Bob Hurley Auto Family Heat:
1, Harli White. 2, Whit Gastineau. 3, Fred Mattox.
4, Beau Gastineau. 5, Danny Smith. 6, Tim Kent. 7,
Johnny Kent.
Drive Shafts Inc. Heat:
1, Jamie Passmore. 2, Alex DeCamp. 3, Alex Sewell.
4, Kyle Clark. 5, Shayla Waddell. 6, Michael Bookout.
7, Glen Passmore.
Pole Dash:
1,Jeremy Allen. 2, Whit Gastineau. 3, Jamie Passmore.
4, Casey Wills. 5, Harli White. 6, Andrew Deal.
OCRS A FEATURE
1, Jeremy Allen. 2, Casey Wills. 3, Harli White. 4,
Alex Sewell. 5, Danny Smith. 6, Whit Gastineau. 7,
Kyle Clark. 8, Johnny Kent. 9, Alex DeCamp. 10, Beau
Gastineau. 11, Kerry McAlister. 12, Tim Kent. 13,
Shayla Waddell. 14, Michael Bookout. 15, Glen
Passmore. 16, Kacee Frazier. 17, Jamie Passmore. 18,
Andrew Deal. 19, Rafe Essary. 20, Fred Mattox. 21,
Kade Morton.
AmeriFlex Hose and Accessories “Hard Charger”:
Johnny Kent +13.
Dyno Services of Oklahoma Hard Luck Award:
Andrew Deal.
 Whit Gastineau (2w) Jamie Passmore (4j) Jeremy Allen (17) roll 3-wide / Mike Spivey Photo
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