Tight Budweiser IMCA Modified Point Battle At SSP; Doug Lockwood And Craig Cassell Tied
By Ben Deatherage
(Photo Courtesy of NSP Racing Videos)
Banks, Oregon- With one final race left in the season at Sunset Speedway Park for the Budweiser IMCA Modifieds the championship will be decided during the main event. Doug Lockwood and Craig Cassell enter the race tied and with the main event the only part of the night they receive points it will go down to who finishes in front of the other.
Doug Lockwood is the defending champion at SSP and already has posted one main event win, but that was on May 30th. In addition to the win Lockwood has seven top fives in fourteen starts. His last two finishes have been an eleventh, on September 12th, and a tenth, on August 22nd.
“It has been an eventful year and luck has not always been on my side,” commented Lockwood, “we're just going to go in and do the best we can.”
The chauffeur of the Jackson Industries/Walters Racing/Frickentool.com/Warpaint Motorsports Graphix #66 Shaw, Lockwood, also said that this is going to be his final season racing for points.
Craig Cassell has had a roller coaster season. He started out the campaign with eight top fives in the first ten races. Although he has yet to win this year he has been able to post ten top five finishes in fourteen starts including five second place results.
“I've been in this same position the last two years, 2013 we didn't get to race for it, and last year we did but the outcome wasn't favorable so hopefully we get to race for it this year and see what we can do,” said Cassell, “it's been a rough year, but I have a lot of respect for Doug as a person and a racer and if I were to lose it to him, I would be runner up to a true champion.”
The Ester Lee Motel of Lincoln City/Corvallis Seed & Feed/Dr. Mary Harada Breast Cancer Specialist/Debra Herndon Family Nurse Practitioner/Mid Valley Farms/Trevor Glaser Motorsports/American Hero Carpet Cleaning/Arco AM/PM of Stayton/CRD Race Bodies and Fabrication/Beakbuilt Race Cars/Driving Force Graphics/Frank's Fab & Auto of Brownsville #25 Rocket by Ruhlman entry also known as the Two-Five Express has been in decent form the last two races at the “Banks Bullring”. Cassell was fifth in last week's Budweiser Modified Mayhem 100 and got fourth on August 22nd.
“We've had a good car most of the year, but just really bad luck,” he would continue, “the gremlins have bitten us both all year, so hopefully we can both have a good night and have fun.”
Pit Gates will open at 2:00 PM, Front Gates open at 4:00, and racing starts at 6:30 each night. Tickets are Adults $13.00, Seniors/Military/Juniors (13-18) $10.00, Youths (Ages 12-6) $5.00, and Children under the age of 5 are FREE and a family pass will be offered for two Adults and up to four Youths for just $35.00. Log on to www.sunsetspeedwaypark.com for the latest news and information about SSP.