By John Rittenoure - PARK CITY, Kans. (May 21, 2022) - It took eight events, but a repeat winner has finally emerged on the AmeriFlex / OCRS IMCA Sprint Car tour.
Steven Shebester, who won the March 4 season opener at Red Dirt Raceway, fought his way past a determined Kyle Clark and went on to win the 25-lap feature in a combined event with the Drive to Zero United Rebel Sprint Series presented by Mel Hambelton Ford Saturday at 81 Speedway.
Shebester started outside front row and gunned into the early lead. But fourth starting Kyle Clark drove around Shebester for the lead on lap 10.
“He kept his momentum up and the lapped cars kept me bound up,” Shebester said of losing the lead to Clark. “I got a little worried when he passed me. But I just stayed steady and gained on him the next lap so I figured I would just stay where I was at and figured I would get him back and it went pretty good for me.”
Shebester reeled Clark and took the lead back on lap 15. Shebester pulled away on the final laps for his 12th OCRS career victory. Clark held on to second for the second straight night. Clark finished second at Tulsa Speedway on Friday.
“It was just staying stead,” Shebester said of his move back to the lead. “I knew the bottom was where I needed to be. It felt pretty good where I was at.”
Sheldon Barksdale held on to third after starting on the pole. Whit Gastineau finished fourth and AmeriFlex / OCRS IMCA points leader Blake Edwards rounded out the top five.
The AmeriFlex / OCRS IMCA series returns to action on Saturday with a stop at Salina Highbanks Speedway.
AmeriFlex / OCRS IMCA Sprint Cars
81 Speedway - Park City, Kansas
May 21, 2022
AmeriFlex Hose Accessories A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 16S-Steven Shebester[2]; 2. 9$-Kyle Clark[4]; 3. 20S-Sheldon Barksdale[1]; 4. 2-Whit Gastineau[3]; 5. 17E-Blake Edwards[6]; 6. 2J-Zach Blurton[8]; 7. 10-Jordan Knight[5]; 8. 50Z-Zach Chappell[10]; 9. 8J-Steven Richardson[9]; 10. 17X-Jake Martens[15]; 11. 10C-Jeremy Campbell[7]; 12. 20-Luke Cranston[14]; 13. 65-Kohl Ricke[12]; 14. 88J-Jeremy Huish[17]; 15. 22M-Rees Moran[13]; 16. 81-Jon Freeman[16]; 17. 72-Ray Seemann[18]; 18. 49-Zak Moore[19]; 19. 17-Connor Atkinson[20]; 20. 88-Terry Easum[11]
Hoosier Racing Tire B Feature 1 (12 Laps): 1. 17X-Jake Martens[2]; 2. 81-Jon Freeman[6]; 3. 88J-Jeremy Huish[14]; 4. 72-Ray Seemann[3]; 5. 49-Zak Moore[8]; 6. 17-Connor Atkinson[15]; 7. 28-Joe Wood Jr[5]; 8. 08E-Elizabeth Phillips[10]; 9. 11K-Tyler Knight[12]; 10. 45-Monty Ferriera[4]; 11. 75-Cash Beeson[9]; 12. 58-TJ Cain[11]; 13. 74-Howard Vandyke[13]; 14. 23K-Mike Kleymann[1]; 15. 12M-Mitchell Barros[16]; 16. 31M-Eric Matthews[7]; 17. 911-Ty Williams[17]
Schure Built Suspensions Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 16S-Steven Shebester[4]; 2. 50Z-Zach Chappell[1]; 3. 22M-Rees Moran[3]; 4. 65-Kohl Ricke[6]; 5. 23K-Mike Kleymann[7]; 6. 75-Cash Beeson[5]; 7. 88J-Jeremy Huish[2]; 8. (DNS) 911-Ty Williams
Lightning Wings Powder Coating Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 2-Whit Gastineau[4]; 2. 88-Terry Easum[1]; 3. 8J-Steven Richardson[5]; 4. 28-Joe Wood Jr[2]; 5. 17X-Jake Martens[7]; 6. 81-Jon Freeman[8]; 7. 11K-Tyler Knight[3]; 8. 17-Connor Atkinson[6]
Smith Titanium Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 2J-Zach Blurton[1]; 2. 10-Jordan Knight[3]; 3. 9$-Kyle Clark[7]; 4. 20-Luke Cranston[5]; 5. 45-Monty Ferriera[6]; 6. 08E-Elizabeth Phillips[2]; 7. 58-TJ Cain[4]; 8. 12M-Mitchell Barros[8]
Car Fleet Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 10C-Jeremy Campbell[1]; 2. 20S-Sheldon Barksdale[5]; 3. 17E-Blake Edwards[6]; 4. 72-Ray Seemann[4]; 5. 49-Zak Moore[2]; 6. 31M-Eric Matthews[7]; 7. 74-Howard Vandyke[3]
Lap Leaders: Steven Shebester 1-9, 15-25; Kyle Clark 10-14.?
Margin of victory: 3.654.
?D & G Contracting Hard Charger: Jake Martens +5.
Top 10 Standings: 1. Blake Edwards 939; 2. Rees Moran 889; 3. Terry Easum 802; 4 Sheldon Barksdale 784; 5. Whit Gastineau 658; 6. Steven Shebester 651; 7, Elizabeth Phillips 604; 8. Johnny Kent 578; 9. Joe Bob Lee 570; 10. Fred Mattox 485.
2022 Winners: 3/4 - Steven Shebester (Red Dirt Raceway); 3/5 - Tyler Drueke (Red Dirt Raceway); 3/19 - Blake Edwards (Creek County Speedway); 3/25 - John Carney II (Thunderbird Speedway); 3/26 - Tanner Conn (Lawton Speedway); 4/9 - Terry Easum (Oklahoma Sports Park); 4/23 - Johnny Kent (Creek County Speedway); 5/20 - Danny Smith (Tulsa Speedway); 5/21 - Steven Shebester (81 Speedway).
About the AmeriFlex / OCRS Series -
?Established in 2002, the Tulsa OK based AmeriFlex / OCRS series sanctions dirt track sprint car racing in the southern region of the central plains. Fan appeal and quality race teams, combined with our solid core of supporting sponsors are the nucleus of the series. Thrilling competition providing the ultimate quality family entertainment is the essence of what the AmeriFlex / OCRS series is all about.
Website: www.ocrsracing.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/oil.series
About Ameri-Flex Hose & Accessories -
Located in Tulsa OK, AmeriFlex Hose & Accessories is a family owned and operated company. From food grade hose to hoses for the petroleum industry, Ameri-Flex will strive to fill your needs. AmeriFlex can build a hose to your specifications or we will assist you in creating what you have designed while you wait. Ameri-Flex has several hard to find items that some vendors can’t get or find. Product can be shipped quickly and efficiently. If we do not have what you are looking for, we will direct you on where to find it. Give us a try, after all…………..
AmeriFlex Has The Stuff That Keeps You Going!
Website: www.AmeriFlexHose.com
AmeriFlex / OCRS IMCA Contingency Sponsors
AmeriFlex Hose & Accessories, Hoosier Racing Tires, Smileys Racing Products, Schoenfeld, Brodix, Lucas Oil, RacinDirt.TV, Schure Built Suspension, Lightning Wings & Powder Coating, Smith Titanium, MyRacePass.
Gary Cornelison Photo