Dover Dazzles in ASCS Gulf Coast Nationals at HRP

Lonnie Wheatley, BAYTOWN, Texas (March 1, 2008) - Opportunity knocked in
Houston Raceway Park's Inaugural Gulf Coast Nationals and Jack Dover took
full advantage to collect the $3,000 winner's share in Saturday night's
30-lap American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region feature event.

The 18-year-old from Springfield, NE, found himself back on the point when
Garry Lee Maier and Jason Johnson tangled while dicing for the lead, then
led the rest of the way to secure the victory aboard Marc & Lori Dover's
Eckley-powered 3D Auto Transport No. 53 Eagle.

Starting from the pole position, Dover outgunned fellow front row starter
Maier for the early lead. Working through several early cautions, Dover held
off Maier as Jason Johnson climbed from eighth to third by the fifth lap.

Dover surrendered the lead soon after, with Maier and Johnson slipping by as
the lead trio approached lapped traffic. But as Johnson chased down a second
win in as many nights, he climbed Maier's right rear tire several laps
before the midway point and went for a wild ride. Johnson walked away from
his mangled mount uninjured, with Maier done for the night as well.

Dover found himself back in front on the restart and never looked back as he
collected his second career ASCS triumph and first Gulf South Regional score
in front of a closing Jimmy Brooks, with tenth-starter Travis Rilat a close
third.

Don Grable claimed fourth, with Chris Sweeney climbing from 15th to round
out the top five. Defending series champion Brandon Berryman raced from 19th
to sixth, with Wayne Johnson rebounding from a pair of trips to the work
area to salvage a seventh-place finish.

Kevin Ramey advanced ten positions to claim eighth, with Greg Rilat and
22nd-starter Kathryne Minter completing the top ten.

Jason Johnson, Maier, Greg Rilat and Wes Miller topped heat race action for
Saturday night's 35-car field, with Berryman winning the 12-lap "B" Main.

(Photo courtesy of Daniel Van Landingham)

American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region Results:

Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 11-Jason Johnson, 2. 53-Jack Dover, 3. b4-Eric
Baldaccini, 4. 93-Chris Sweeney, 5. 3-Gary Watson, 6. 21T-Tommy Bryant, 7.
1-Rick Behr, 8. 5-Avant Schnitz, 9. 19-Klint Angelette.

Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 11x-Garry Lee Maier, 2. 29-Don Grable, 3. 37-Tracy
Cearley, 4. 15T-Travis Elliott, 5. 94-Wayne Johnson, 6. 87-Billy Melton, 7.
61-Travis Knighton, 8. 35x-Aaron Reutzel. DNS: 20-Terry Monroe.

Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 35-Greg Rilat, 2. 41-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 3. 51-Jimmy
Brooks, 4. 71-Channin Tankersley, 5. 9-Lane Whittington, 6. 85-Jerry Bell,
7. 22-Koby Barksdale, 8. 80-Michael McNeil. DNS: 14e-Todd Evans.

Heat Four (8 Laps): 1. 51w-Wes Miller, 2. 29x-Travis Rilat, 3. 74-Brandon
Corn, 4. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 5. 31-Brandon Berryman, 6. 13-Kathryne Minter, 7.
65-Skip Wilson, 8. 71s-Tim Simmons.

"B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 31-Brandon Berryman, 2. 9-Lane Whittington, 3.
85-Jerry Bell, 4. 13-Kathryne Minter, 5. 80-Michael McNeil, 6. 22-Koby
Barksdale, 7. 1-Rick Behr, 8. 19-Klint Angelette, 9. 21T-Tommy Bryant, 10.
87-Billy Melton, 11. 61-Travis Knighton, 12. 71s-Tim Simmons. DNS: 35x-Aaron
Reutzel, 65-Skip Wilson, 5-Avant Schnitz, 20-Terry Monroe, 14e-Todd Evans.

"A" Feature (30 Laps): 1. 53-Jack Dover, 2. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 3. 29x-Travis
Rilat, 4. 29-Don Grable, 5. 93-Chris Sweeney, 6. 31-Brandon Berryman, 7.
94-Wayne Johnson, 8. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 9. 35-Greg Rilat, 10. 13-Kathryne
Minter, 11. 71-Channin Tankersley, 12. 3-Gary Watson, 13. 85-Jerry Bell, 14.
80-Michael McNeil, 15. 11x-Garry Lee Maier, 16. 11-Jason Johnson, 17.
22-Koby Barksdale, 18. b4-Eric Baldaccini, 19. 41-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 20.
51w-Wes Miller, 21. 9-Lane Whittington, 22. 74-Brandon Corn, 23. 15T-Travis
Elliott, 24. 37-Tracy Cearley.

ASCS Gulf South Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Chris Sweeney 284, 2. Travis
Rilat 282, 3. (tie) Brandon Berryman and Greg Rilat 278, 5. Jason Johnson
268, 6. Don Grable 264, 7. (tie) Garry Lee Maier and Gary Watson 262, 9.
Kathryne Minter 258, 10. Wayne Johnson 250.