Lonnie Wheatley, SAPULPA, Okla. (June 15, 2023) – Often victorious in American Sprint Car Series Regional action over the years, ASCS National Tour victory lane has proven elusive for Sean McClelland.
The Tulsa racer changed that on Thursday night though, putting his expertise of Creek County Speedway to good use by tracking down race-long leader Chance Morton on the 20th round en route to a $4,000 payday aboard the D&E Supply/DSO Racing Engines No. 1 Sprint Car.
It was McClelland’s second career ASCS National Tour triumph after his first win came at the now non-existent Houston Raceway Park on March 11, 2006.
A half-dozen of McClelland’s 20-plus Regional wins have come atop the ¼-mile Creek County clay oval. And when the rubber began to come into play on the low side, McClelland battled past Jordon Mallett for second on the 13th lap and began chopping away at Morton’s half straightaway advantage.
With Morton still working the top side of turns three and four, McClelland closed in lap after lap before pouncing into the lead exiting turn four on the 20th round.
“I waited a lap to make that move, I didn’t want to get too far under him the lap before and let him know I was there,” McClelland explained afterward. “I knew if he saw me that he would duck down to the bottom and it would be over.”
While Morton gunned into the lead from the front row outside at the outset, fourth-starter McClelland spent the early rounds pressuring pole starter Mallett for second.
With Mallett hindered by a flat left front tire after a lap ten restart, McClelland fought off Seth Bergman for third while also making the move past Mallett for second as Bergman lost several positions running the high side with others followed McClelland’s lead on the bottom.
A final caution flew after McClelland made the winning move, but it was too late for Morton to mount a challenge as McClelland raced on to the checkered flag unabated in the closing circuits.
Morton settled for runner-up honors with Mallett filling out the podium in third despite the flattened left front. Howard Moore climbed from ninth to fourth with Sprint Car rookie shoe Jace Park rallying from 14th to round out the top five.
Brandon Anderson climbed a handful of positions to sixth with Kade Morton, 22nd-starter Lane Goodman, Bergman and Kyler Johnson completing the top ten.
After Matt Covington set the overall quick time of 11.990-seconds in qualifying, McClelland, Mallett and Michael Day topped heat race action.
Covington’s night spiraled in the feature when he was involved in a pair of caution-inducing incidents including one with Jason Martin after ten laps. Both returned to competition, though Martin retired after getting collected by a spinning car on the restart while Covington salvaged 13th after a backstretch stop that brought out the final caution.
ASCS National Tour
Creek County Speedway (Sapulpa, OK)
June 15, 2023, Results:
A-Main (30 Laps): 1. 1-Sean McClelland[4]; 2. 7M-Chance Morton[2]; 3. 14-Jordon Mallett[1]; 4. 3-Howard Moore[9]; 5. 87J-Jace Park[14]; 6. 55B-Brandon Anderson[11]; 7. 8M-Kade Morton[10]; 8. 29-Lane Goodman[22]; 9. 23-Seth Bergman[3]; 10. 3X-Tanner Conn[8]; 11. 31-Casey Wills[17]; 12. 45X-Kyler Johnson[15]; 13. 95-Matt Covington[6]; 14. 6-Christopher Townsend[13]; 15. 10-Landon Britt[23]; 16. 938-Bradley Fezard[12]; 17. 91-Michael Day[7]; 18. 15D-Andrew Deal[21]; 19. 7F-Noah Harris[16]; 20. 26M-Fred Mattox[18]; 21. 36-Jason Martin[5]; 22. (DNS) 25-Kyle Admire; 23. (DNS) 1H-Hank Davis
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 1-Sean McClelland[2]; 2. 95-Matt Covington[4]; 3. 3X-Tanner Conn[6]; 4. 3-Howard Moore[3]; 5. 45X-Kyler Johnson[5]; 6. 10-Landon Britt[1]; 7. 25-Kyle Admire[7]; 8. 1H-Hank Davis[8]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 14-Jordon Mallett[1]; 2. 23-Seth Bergman[3]; 3. 8M-Kade Morton[2]; 4. 55B-Brandon Anderson[5]; 5. 87J-Jace Park[7]; 6. 7F-Noah Harris[8]; 7. 31-Casey Wills[4]; 8. 29-Lane Goodman[6]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 91-Michael Day[1]; 2. 36-Jason Martin[4]; 3. 7M-Chance Morton[3]; 4. 938-Bradley Fezard[5]; 5. 6-Christopher Townsend[7]; 6. 26M-Fred Mattox[6]; 7. 15D-Andrew Deal[2]
Qualifying 1 (3 Laps): 1. 95-Matt Covington, 00:11.990[4]; 2. 3-Howard Moore, 00:12.118[2]; 3. 1-Sean McClelland, 00:12.186[6]; 4. 10-Landon Britt, 00:12.373[3]; 5. 45X-Kyler Johnson, 00:12.418[7]; 6. 3X-Tanner Conn, 00:12.456[5]; 7. 25-Kyle Admire, 00:14.130[8]; 8. 1H-Hank Davis[1]
Qualifying 2 (3 Laps): 1. 31-Casey Wills, 00:12.167[2]; 2. 23-Seth Bergman, 00:12.252[3]; 3. 8M-Kade Morton, 00:12.262[4]; 4. 14-Jordon Mallett, 00:12.557[5]; 5. 55B-Brandon Anderson, 00:12.566[1]; 6. 29-Lane Goodman, 00:12.806[8]; 7. 87J-Jace Park, 00:13.136[7]; 8. 7F-Noah Harris[6]
Qualifying 3 (3 Laps): 1. 36-Jason Martin, 00:12.667[2]; 2. 7M-Chance Morton, 00:12.735[7]; 3. 15D-Andrew Deal, 00:13.227[4]; 4. 91-Michael Day, 00:13.298[1]; 5. 938-Bradley Fezard, 00:13.417[5]; 6. 26M-Fred Mattox, 00:13.643[3]; 7. 6-Christopher Townsend[6]