By LONNIE WHEATLEY

ASCS

TULSA, Okla. (September 17, 2009) - They've battled it out at tracks across the nation for the past six months. Now, the stars of the Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters are set for the stretch drive to the series $60,000 championship.

It's the drive that determines not only who takes that lucrative top prize, but also exactly how much of the $250,000 point fund that each of the top fifteen finishers will ultimately collect at the Brodix ASCS awards banquet on November 22 at Old Tucson Studios.

The stretch drive kicks off when the Lucas Oil Sprint Cars take to the "Diamond of Dirt Tracks", Lucas Oil Speedway, in Wheatland, MO, next Saturday night, September 26, the tenth and final night of the year that will be under the lights of the VERSUS Network cameras.

Next Saturday's venture to Lucas Oil Speedway marks the series third series journey to the plush facility where Jason Johnson watched a potential title slip from his grasp in 2006 before gaining some degree of vengeance with a win atop the semi-banked 3/8-mile dirt oval en route to last year's series championship.

From there, the Lucas Oil Sprint Cars move on to Mesquite, TX, on October 16-17 for the 36th Annual Devil's Bowl Winter Nationals before closing out the year with a pair of prestigious $15,000-to-win events including I-30 Speedway's 22nd Annual Short Track Nationals in Little Rock, AR, on October 29-31 and then the 42nd Annual Western World Championships at Tucson's USA Raceway on November 19-21.

In the driver's seat to capture a second consecutive series title is the "Ragin' Cajun", Jason Johnson of Eunice, LA. Piloting Lanny Row's No. 41 The Shop Motorsports entry, Johnson closed out the series Northwest swing with his 42nd career series win and third of the year with a Cottage Grove triumph, adding to earlier wins in the Devil's Bowl Spring Nationals and then Lake Ozark Speedway's Daniel McMillin Memorial.

Johnson's lead is a tenuous one however, at just 26 markers over archrival Shane Stewart of Bixby, OK, who added a Cottage Grove prelim win aboard Paul Silva's No. 57 to a Devil's Bowl Spring Nationals preliminary triumph.

Still within striking distance but with diminishing title hopes after a Northwest swing turned sour is four-time series king Gary Wright of Hooks, TX. At the wheel of Scott Brown's Lubbock Wrecker Service No. 9x, Wright denied local shoe Chad Meyer's upset bid at South Dakota's I-90 Speedway to post a series' best 125th career feature win.

The balance of the current top ten in Lucas Oil Sprint Car points is filled with heavy hitter after heavy hitter, including Fred Brownfield Memorial winner Travis Rilat, three-time ASCS National champion Tim Crawley, reigning Short Track Nationals champion Tony Bruce, Jr., leading Brodix Rookie of the Year contender Paul McMahan, three-time series points runner-up Danny Wood, 19-year-old Jack Dover and Jesse Hockett.

Others vying for spots among the final top fifteen in points and trying to break into the top ten include Sean McClelland, Gary Taylor, Kenneth Walker, Chad Corken, Darren Long and Gavin Punch. Add Seth Bergman to the mix, and 17 drivers have taken part in each Lucas Oil Sprint Car event thus far in 2009.

A total of 266 drivers have competed in at least one Lucas Oil Sprint Car event in 2009, with an average of 52.7 cars per race night.

The Series:Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters

What's Coming Up:September 26 - Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, MO)

October 16-17 - 36th Annual Devil's Bowl Winter Nationals (Mesquite, TX)

October 29-31 - 22nd Annual I-30 Speedway Short Track Nationals (Little Rock, AR)

November 19-21 - 42nd Annual Western World Championships - USA Raceway (Tucson, AZ)

Current Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters Points:

Top Fifteen: 1. Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA) 1,864, 2. Shane Stewart (Bixby, OK) 1,838, 3. Gary Wright (Hooks, TX) 1,800, 4. Travis Rilat (Forney, TX) 1,725, 5. Tim Crawley (Benton, AR) 1,699, 6. Tony Bruce, Jr. (Liberal, KS) 1,697, 7. Paul McMahan (Hendersonville, TN) 1,678, 8. Danny Wood (Norman, OK) 1,618, 9. Jack Dover (Springfield, NE) 1,617, 10. Jesse Hockett (Warsaw, MO) 1,561, 11. Sean McClelland (Tulsa, OK) 1,424, 12. Gary Taylor (Snohomish, WA) 1,321, 13. Kenneth Walker (Sapulpa, OK) 1,280, 14. Chad Corken (Highlands Ranch, CO) 1,205, 15. Darren Long (Elida, OH) 1,193.

Brodix Rookie of the Year Points (Top Five): 1. Paul McMahan (Hendersonville, TN) 1,678, 2. Jack Dover (Springfield, NE) 1,617, 3. Chad Corken (Highlands Ranch, CO) 1,205, 4. Darren Long (Elida, OH) 1,193, 5. Seth Bergman (Snohomish, WA) 1,172.

2009 Lucas Oil ASCS Feature Winners:

Jason Johnson 3, Tim Crawley 2, Terry McCarl 2, Travis Rilat 2, Shane Stewart 2, Roger Crockett 1, Jack Dover 1, Wayne Johnson 1, Gary Wright 1. Speedweek winners; Tony Bruce, Jr., Zach Chappell, Tim Crawley, Nick Smith and Gary Wright.

Lucas Oil ASCS on the Web:

Those unable to catch all the action in person can listen to every Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters live at www.racinboys.com.

Also, the Lucas Oil ASCS Show airs on www.racinboys.com each Tuesday night at 8:00 p.m. ET, recapping the previous week's events while also previewing upcoming action.

Official results, championship point updates, photos and race notes will be available at www.ascsracing.com.

Lucas Oil ASCS on TV:

The Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters will be featured in ten one-hour shows broadcast on a tape-delayed basis on the VERSUS Network

The schedule of Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters events to be aired on VERSUS is as follows:

Event Date - Track (Location) - Air Date & Re-Air Date (All Times Eastern)

Mar. 20 - Devil's Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, TX) - 5/2/09 @ 5:00 p.m. & 5/7/09 @ 5:00 p.m.

Mar. 21 - Devil's Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, TX) - 5/23/09 @ 4:00 p.m. & 5/27/09 @ 5:00 p.m.

May 23 - Jetmore Motorplex (Jetmore, KS) - 8/8/09 @ 5:00 p.m. & 8/13/09 @ 5:00 p.m.

May 24 - Jetmore Motorplex (Jetmore, KS) - 8/15/09 @ 5:00 p.m. & 8/20/09 @ 5:00 p.m.

July 3 - Riverside Speedway (W. Memphis, AR) - 9/13/09 @ 4:00 p.m. & 9/17/09 @ 5:00 p.m.

July 4 - Riverside Speedway (W. Memphis, AR) - 9/20/09 @ 4:00 p.m. & 9/24/09 @ 5:00 p.m.

Aug. 6 - Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, IA) - 10/18/09 @ 6:00 p.m. & 10/22/09 @ 5:00 p.m.

Aug. 7 - Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, IA) - 11/1/09 @ 5:00 p.m. & 11/5/09 @ 6:00 p.m.

Aug. 8 - Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, IA) - 11/22/09 @ 6:00 p.m. & 11/25/09 @ 6:00 p.m.

Sept. 26 - Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, MO) - 11/29/09 @ 6:00 p.m. & 12/3/09 @ 5:00 p.m.

The American Sprint Car Series, in its 18th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing events, brings the best of Sprint Car racing to nearly 100 different tracks throughout 25 states and Canada in 2009. Anchored by the Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of a dozen different Regions throughout the nation.

Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com.