By John Berti, Editor
Karnac.com Southern Short Track News

Gibsonton, FL -January 27, 2007- Gary Wright(Hooks, TX), the three-time and defending O'Reilly American Sprint Cars national champion, achieved royalty once again winning the the 40 lap Ronald Laney Memorial Race as part of the ninth edition of the "King of the 360's" Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park Saturday night. Wright was a previous title holder back in 1999.

On a night in which luck was a lady, as the entire race program was completed under threatening skies and occasional sprinkles, Wright had a little luck of his own. Numerous cautions taxed the gas tanks of the sprinters with a few of the drivers having to go to the pits to top off their tanks. Wright just ran out of gas on the very last lap coming off of turn four and coasted to the checkers. It was the second win of the 2007 Winternationals for Wright as he also became the first repeat winner in the history of the prestigious event.

Indiana driver, Danny Smith (Danville, IN) was runner up followed by Jason Johnson (Eunis, LA), Tim Shaffer (Aliquippa, PA), and Chuck Swenson (Watertown, SD).

Actually, Terry McCarl was fifth over the line as the checkered flag waved, but he was disqualified for not going immediately to the scales at the conclusion of the race.

Wright led the whole way and was able to keep about a half straightaway margin over whomever was his immediate pursuer. In the early stages it was McCarl until he was passed by Smith at about the half way point.

In victory lane ceremonies Wright said, "There were so many cautions early on that I ran out of fuel on the last lap, I just tried to take the shortest route around the track that last time around."

It was a healthy pay day for Wright as he took $10,000 back to the "Lone Star State" for his winning efforts. Additionally, Wright is in the running for Fast Lane Apparel's "Triple Crown Challenge". The challenge is to sweep the title in all three sprint series that will be running at East Bay this year which includes 360 sprints, 410 sprints and wingless sprints. If Wright is able to pull it off he'll be $75,000 richer. If he manages to win just one more of the events he'll garner $5,000.

The most impressive run was turned in by Swenson who won the fourth and final 12 lap B Feature to qualify for the "Big Dance". He started 20th in the starting field of 26 entrants and drove a tactically flawless race to take home fifth place prize money. The two provisional starters added to the scheduled 24 car starting field were Nick Smith (Broken Arrow, OK) and Jesse Hockett (Warsaw, MO).

It was a great three nights for the American Sprint Car Series who was the sanctioning body for the events. Top officials had to be beaming that 75 drivers participated representing 20 different U.S. states and six drivers participated from Canada.

O'Reilly ASCoT East Bay Raceway Park "King of the 360's" Ronald Laney Memorial Results:

67 cars signed into the pits. Brett Burdette blew an engine in warmups. Terry Gray did not attempt to qualify.

Locked in from qualifying nights (Top seven in points):

9-Gary Wright (Hooks, TX), 1m-Terry McCarl (Altoona, IA), 94-Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City, OK), 4-Danny Smith (Danville, IN), w20-Greg Wilson (Benton Ridge, OH), 6-Tim Shaffer (Aliquippa, PA), 91-Darren Stewart (Bixby, OK).

Heat Races (Top 9 in passing points to "A" Main. Balance to 4 "B" Mains)

Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 4a-Kenny Adams (Malabar, FL), 2. X-Chuck Swenson (Watertown, SD), 3. b4-Eric Baldaccini (Keller, TX), 4. 50-Stephanie Chappell (Talala, OK), 5. 71-Wayne Reutimann, Jr. (Zephyrhills, FL), 6. 97-Mike Brecht (Beaver Dam, OH), 7. 57c-Chris Schmelzle (Victoria, BC), 8. 21x-Brent Vonk (Sioux Falls, SD), 9. 07h-Rob Hartman (Ozark, MO).

Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 69k-John Karklin (Freehold, NY), 2. 28FM-Steve Poirier (St. Julie, QUE), 3. 1-Sean McClelland (Collinsville, OK), 4. 15s-Nick Smith (Broken Arrow, OK), 5. 2-Frank Beck III (Riverview, FL), 6. 34-Luke Hall (Ludlow Falls, OH), 7. 4R-Robbie Vaughn (Mt. Vernon, WA), 8. 93-Wayne Reutimann, Sr. (Zephyrhills, FL), 9. 17bx-Ryan Bickett (Ramona, SD).

Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA), 2. 8b-Alain Bergeron (St. Piere, QUE), 3. 11F-Foster Landon (Collinsville, OK), 4. 3*-Kaley Gharst (Decatur, IL), 5. 79-Davey Sammons (Trenton, NJ), 6. 18T-Tony Bruce, Jr. (Liberal, KS), 7. 5c-Dan Carrozza (York, PA), 8. 44J-Abe Sherwood (Tulsa, OK), 9. 92-Matt Kurtz (Jacksonville, FL).

Heat Four (8 Laps): 1. 32-Justin Barger (Montrose, NY), 2. 42x-Sport Allen (Pinellas Park, FL), 3. 75-Jesse Hockett, 4. 1b-Brian Maddox (Brandon, FL), 5. 18-Ryan Roberts (Aurora, NE), 6. 35-Brad Best (Tulsa, OK), 7. 70-Chad Kemenah (Alvada, FL), 8. 25x-Geoff Quackenbush (Pine Island, NY), 9. 1*-Kent Buckley (Farmington, MO).

Heat Five (8 Laps): 1. 28F-Davie Franek, Jr. (Wantage, NY), 2. 11T-T.J. Winegardner (Pierson, FL), 3. 02-Gene Lasker (Tampa, FL), 4. 32d-Stephen Darvalics (Venice, FL), 5. 6s-Brad Sweet (Grass Valley, CA), 6. 19T-Matt Tiffany (Daytona Beach, FL), 7. 21x-Kevin Job (Campbellville, ONT), 8. 4J-Jamie Passmore (Rose, OK). DNS: 17b-Brett Burdette (Milan, IN).

Heat Six (8 Laps): 1. 01-Danny Lasoski (Higginsville, MO), 2. 29-Travis Rilat (Forney, TX), 3. 7s-Jason Sides (Bartlett, TN), 4. 20-Frank Carlsson (Oxford, FL), 5. 40-Mark Hery (Piqua, OH), 6. 0-Glenn Styres (Ohsweken, ONT), 7. XX-Tommy Denton (Orange Park, FL). DNS: 10-Terry Gray (Bartlett, TN).

Heat Seven (8 Laps): 1. 33-Doug Emery (Nedrow, NY), 2. 00-Danny Martin, Jr. (Sarasota, FL), 3. 14-Coleman Gulick (Binghamton, NY), 4. 36-Jason Martin (Liberal, KS), 5. 3-Pat Cannon (Etters, PA), 6. 87-George Suprick (Clarks Summit, PA), 7. 52L-Daniel Lampron (St. Hubert, QUE), 8. d12-Doc Sloan (Imperial, MO).

"B" Mains (Top 2 From Each Advance to "A" Main)

First "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 29-Travis Rilat (Forney, TX), 2. 7s-Jason Sides (Bartlett, TN), 3. 15s-Nick Smith (Broken Arrow, OK), 4. 28FM-Steve Poirier (St. Julie, QUE), 5. 18T-Tony Bruce, Jr. (Liberal, KS), 6. 6s-Brad Sweet (Grass Valley, CA), 7. 50-Stephanie Chappell (Talala, OK), 8. 35-Brad Best (Tulsa, OK), 9. 4R-Robbie Vaughn (Mt. Pleasant, WA), 10. 4J-Jamie Passmore (Rose, OK), 11. 21v-Brent Vonk (Sioux Falls, SD), 12. 40-Mark Hery (Piqua, OH). DNS: 92-Matt Kurtz (Jacksonville, FL).

Second "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 33-Doug Emery (Nedrow, NY), 2. 42x-Sport Allen (Pinellas Park, FL), 3. 3*-Kaley Gharst (Decatur, IL), 4. 36-Jason Martin (Liberal, KS), 5. 70-Chad Kemenah (Alvada, OH), 6. 3-Pat Cannon (Etters, PA), 7. 20-Frank Carlsson (Oxford, FL), 8. 57c-Chris Schmelzle (Victoria, BC), 9. 71-Wayne Reutimann, Jr. (Zephyrhills, FL), 10. 21x-Kevin Job (Campbellville, ONT), 11. 93-Wayne Reutimann, Sr. (Zephyrhills, Fl), 12. d12-Doc Sloan (Imperial, MO), 13. 1*-Kent Buckley (Farmington, MO).

Third "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 00-Danny Martin, Jr. (Sarasota, FL), 2. b4-Eric Baldaccini (Keller, TX), 3. 11F-Foster Landon (Collinsville, OK), 4. 14-Coleman Gulick (Binghamton, NY), 5. 87-George Suprick (Clarks Summit, PA), 6. 19T-Matt Tiffany (Daytona Beach, FL), 7. 07h-Rob Hartman (Ozark, MO), 8. 1b-Brian Maddox (Brandon, FL), 9. 2-Frank Beck III (Riverview, FL), 10. 34-Luke Hall (Ludlow Falls, OH), 11. XX-Tommy Denton (Orange Park, FL). DNS: 44J-Abe Sherwood (Tulsa, OK), 17b-Brett Burdette (Milan, IN).

Fourth "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. X-Chuck Swenson (Watertown, SD), 2. 1-Sean McClelland (Collinsville, OK), 3. 75-Jesse Hockett (Warsaw, MO), 4. 79-Davey Sammons (Trenton, NJ), 5. 97-Mike Brecht (Beaver Dam, OH), 6. 18-Ryan Roberts (Aurora, NE), 7. 32d-Stephen Darvalics (Venice, FL), 8. 17bx-Ryan Bickett (Ramona, SD), 9. 5c-Dan Carrozza (York, PA), 10. 52L-Daniel Lampron (St. Hubert, QUE), 11. 25x-Geoff Quackenbush (Pine Island, NY). DNS: 0-Glenn Styres (Ohsweken, ONT), 10-Terry Gray (Bartlett, TN).

O'Reilly ASCoT Ronald Laney Memorial "A" Main Event:

"A" Feature (40 Laps): 1. Gary Wright (Hooks, TX), 2. 4-Danny Smith (Danville, IN), 3. 41-Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA), 4. 6-Tim Shaffer (Aliquippa, PA), 5. X-Chuck Swenson (Watertown, SD), 6. w20-Greg Wilson (Benton Ridge, OH), 7. 29-Travis Rilat (Forney, TX), 8. 7s-Jason Sides (Bartlett, TN), 9. 00-Danny Martin, Jr. (Sarasota, FL), 10. 4a-Kenny Adams (Malabar, FL), 11. 32-Justin Barger (Montrose, NY), 12. 15s-Nick Smith (Broken Arrow, OK), 13. 11T-T.J. Winegardner, 14. 33-Doug Emery (Nedrow, NY), 15. 28F-Davie Franek, Jr. (Wantage, NJ), 16. 69k-John Karklin (Freehold, NY), 17. 91-Darren Stewart (Bixby, OK), 18. b4-Eric Baldaccini (Keller, TX), 19. 01-Danny Lasoski (Higginsville, MO), 20. 1-Sean McClelland (Collinsville, OK), 21. 02-Gene Lasker (Tampa, FL), 22. 94-Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City, OK), 23. 75-Jesse Hockett (Warsaw, MO), 24. 42x-Sport Allen (Pinellas Park, FL), 25. 8b-Alain Bergeron (St. Piere, QUE).

Disqualified: 1m-Terry McCarl (Altoona, IA) who failed to report directly to scales after taking the checkered flag in fifth position.

Lap Leaders: Gary Wright 1-40.

O'Reilly ASCoT Points (Top Ten): 1. Gary Wright 147, 2. Danny Smith 130, 3. Tim Shaffer 127, 4. Greg Wilson 126, 5. Wayne Johnson 118, 6. Terry McCarl 117, 7. Darren Stewart 115, 8. Danny Martin, Jr. 112, 9. Travis Rilat 111, 10. Kenny Adams 106.

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