Cory Lockwood wins the Don Hein Memorial

Cory Lockwood wins the Don Hein Memorial

Lockwood overcomes adversity to run away from the field

Andy Alberding takes second at the Don Hein Memorial

Scott R. Cedergreen, ASA/NSRA media relations 

Roseburg, Oregon - August 29 - Cory Lockwood finds the checkers again for his second win of the 2009 American Speed Association/Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association championship season.    During second practice Lockwood piloting the #99 experienced a broken front driveshaft yoke.  The team attacked the problem with the generous help from the #17 team of Justin Mack supplying a replacement yoke and coupler and the #76 team supplying an experienced set of hands to wrench on the car.  Buttoning up the #99 in time for qualifying where four cars put themselves in the twelve second range, Matt Hein the quickest with a 12.538 followed by Jeff Montgomery and Rick Brown with identical times of 12.722, Justin Mack the last car with a 12.909.  Lockwood posted only the seventh fastest time of 13.282.  During the B Trophy Dash Lockwood got a little to aggressive coming into turn three attempting to go under the 4a of Ray Douglas, both cars requiring assistance to be removed from the track.  Lockwood experienced a bent front axle, Douglas getting the worst of the crash with bent pieces both front and rear.  Both cars made repairs in time for their qualifying heats as well as the main event.

With an eight car invert Lockwood found himself on the outside pole position at the green flag.  Making the pass on the outside of the #25z of Greg Ochs in turns one and two Lockwood never looked back for the entire forty laps, effectively leading flag to flag for his second feature event win in a row.  Within ten laps Lockwood had lapped the last place car and gained a comfortable half lap lead over Ochs.  The #76 of Andy Alberding moved up one spot from his starting position to take over third, the #98 of Rick Brown moving up to fourth, #98h Matt Hein to fifth from his eighth starting spot, #97s Brian Smith was going backwards to sixth being challenged heavily for that spot by #33j Jeff Montgomery.  #17 of Justin Mack was having severe handling issues with his car trying to overdrive it to stay in eighth.  Lap fifteen Mack kissed the outside wall under the flagmans stand damaging the right rear wheel, at that point calling it a night leaving the track and parking the car.

Lap seventeen brought out the first caution flag for the #15r of Vern Scevers stopping in the infield off turn four.  Scevers had an AN fitting come loose on the fuel pump spraying him with fuel in the cockpit, Scevers wisely shutting off the car and coasting to the infield.  With the field tightened up, but with the lapped #4 of Greg Middendorf between Lockwood and second place Ochs the green unfurled over the field.  Lockwood again demonstrated to the rest of the field his car was working magnificently again pulling away from Ochs, Alberding, Brown, Hein, Smith, and Montgomery leaving them to tussle for second on back.  Lap twenty-four saw #98 Brown leave the track the victim of an overheating engine.  Montgomery had passed Smith on lap twenty-four moving him up to sixth and with Brown leaving the track Montgomery found himself in fifth behind Hein.  Lockwood was again stretching out his lead over Ochs, as Ochs maintained his lead over third place Alberding.  By lap thirty-three Montgomery was starting to catch Hein for fourth.  In actuality Hein was falling back, his right rear tire shedding chunks of rubber.  Over the next five laps a battle ensued for fourth, Montgomery taking the position on lap thirty-eight.  Hein was fortunate it was a forty lap feature as after the race ended his right rear had more cord showing than rubber left on it.  Lockwood easily breezed to the checkers followed by Ochs, Alberding, Montgomery, Hein, and Smith the last car on the lead lap.

Yet again for the second race in a row, and the third time in four races a top three car was disqualified for failing post race inspection.  This time it was the #25z of Greg Ochs, that moving Alberding to second, Montgomery to third, Hein to fourth, and Smith to fifth.

One unfortunate note in first practice, the #37 of Jim Brock coasted to a stop in turn three in a cloud of oil smoke.  The only clue was a quarter sized hole in the side of the oil pan.  Once back to his pit area Brock pulled the engine down to find out the extent of the damage.  What greeted him was pieces of camshaft, one broken rod, many bent rods, one damaged piston plus miscellaneous pieces in the oil pan.  Brock’s night was over before it really even began.

Matt Hein continues to lead the season points with 480 but both Jeff Montgomery with 428 and Cory Lockwood with 402 have made up some ground.  Justin Mack currently sits in fourth with 356 just eight points ahead of Andy Alberding at 348.  With just three races left Hein will have to finish well or Montgomery and Lockwood could spoil his opportunity to repeat as season champion.

RACE RESULTS

13 cars (#37 Jim Brock broke in practice)

Main (40 laps) 8 car invert: 1. 99 Cory Lockwood, 2. 76 Andy Alberding, 3. 33j Jeff Montgomery, 4. 98h Matt Hein, 5. 97s Brian Smith, 6. 4a Ray Douglas, 7. 4 Greg Middendorf, 8. 2 Rich Holte, 9. 98 Rick Brown (DNF-overheated), 10. 15r Vern Scevers (DNF-fuel leak), 11. 17 Justin Mack (DNF-right rear damage from contacting outside wall), 12. 25z Greg Ochs (DQ)

Heat 1 (8 laps): 1. 25z Greg Ochs, 2. 17 Justin Mack, 3. 33j Jeff Montgomery, 4. 97s Brian Smith, 5. 4a Ray Douglas, 6. 2 Rich Holte.

Heat 2 (8 laps): 1. 99 Cory Lockwood, 2. 98h Matt Hein, 3. 15r Vern Scevers, 4. 76 Andy Alberding, 5. 4 Greg Middendorf, 6. 98 Rick Brown.

A Dash (4 laps): 1. 17 Justin Mack, 2. 98h Matt Hein, 3. 33j Jeff Montgomery, 4. 98 Rick Brown.

B Dash (4 laps): 1. 15r Vern Scevers, 2. 25z Greg Ochs, 3. 4a Ray Douglas, 4. 99 Cory Lockwood. B Dash called after one completed lap due to Lockwood and Douglas colliding in turn three.

Qualifying: 98h Matt Hein 12.538, 33j Jeff Montgomery 12.722, 98 Rick Brown 12.722, 17 Justin Mack 12.909, 76 Andy Alberding 13.032, 97s Brian Smith 13.118, 99 Cory Lockwood 13.212, 25z Greg Ochs 13.282, 15r Vern Scevers 13.526, 4a Ray Douglas 13.859, 4 Greg Middendorf 13.983, 2 Rich Holte 14.650.