Seth Takes Home 2nd on Night 3 of ASCS National Tour Speedweek.

The 2009 ASCS Lucas Oil Speedweek is at the half way point and after securing the best finish of his Sprint Car career Seth Bergman is sitting sixteenth in Speedweek Points after three of the six races.

Speedweek commenced on Friday June 5th at Texarkana Arkansas with 32 National Tour cars in attendance. Seth was looking to get off to good start and he found himself in his heat against National Tour big guns Jason Johnson and Travis Rilat. Seth started the race in fifth and that is where he would finish his heat due to single file racing. As the result of some front runners crashing out in earlier heats Seth got a lucky break and was able to squeak into the feature after the heats without having to go through the B.

Seth started the Main Event in eighteenth and got away to a great start as the track had started to become a lot wider than in the heats. At the midway point of the race Seth had worked his way up to twelfth but as the track changed Seth was unable to hold his position and by race end he finished the race back in sixteenth place.

Night two saw the drivers head down the highway to Little Rock for night two of racing on the always exciting I-30 Speedway with 40 cars checking in for the night. Like night 1 heat races where tough and it was difficult to pass on the narrow track. Seth started the heat in fifth but was unable to improve on his position. As a result of not being able to pick up any passing points Seth would have to go through the B to qualify for the main event.

Seth started on the pole for B Main number two and as the race went green he quickly got out to an early lead on second place Sherman Davis. On lap four Davis dove in under Seth on the bottom of turn one and then drove across the front end of Seth’s car spinning both of them out. Seth was visibly annoyed at Davis as he clearly chopped Seth going into the corner, it was a crazy stunt considering that both drivers would have easily qualified for the feature. Seth restarted the B and managed to climb his way back to sixth but was left with another missed opportunity.

With the disappointment of Saturday night behind him Seth and the team headed down to Creek County Speedway for night 3 of speedway. Creek County is a historical track as it is the birth place of ASCS racing.

Pill Draws have been Seth’s Achilles heel all season long so crew hand Mike Messier decided to try his luck on the draw. Success…..as Seth found himself starting third for heat race number four. Seth found himself in a tough heat big guns Paul McMahon and Shane Stewart right behind the 23. As racing got started Seth quickly tucked in behind Saturday night villain Sherman Davis and  Danny Wood. As the race reached the midway point of the race Davis spun out giving 2nd to Seth. McMahon was able to work around Seth on the restart but Seth quickly took the position back and was able to easily take home second and a guaranteed top eight spot for the Main Event. With lady luck on Seth’s side he managed to pull the Number 1 for the main event and found himself with his first ASCS Lucas Oil National Tour pole.

The track had formed two nice grooves for the main event so racing was going to be fast and furious. With the likes of Jason Johnson and Tony Bruce Jr in the second and third row Seth was going to have to show how much he has improved if he was going to be in the mix for the win. The early part of the race was caution filled as close to six drivers found themselves in wrecks before a lap had even been completed. On the third try we finally went green and Tony Bruce Jr was able to get by Seth going into turns one and two. Bruce quickly got out to an early lead before the caution came out for Jason Johnson as he lost his car going into turn one. On the resumption Seth got a much better start and he was right on the bumper of Bruce with Tim Crawley close behind in third. As the drivers entered lap eight Bruce spun out going into turn two and Seth took the lead before the yellow came out just as Bruce saved his car.

As the racing went green Seth got a great start and quickly opened up a lead on Crawley and Zach Chappell. As Seth entered lapped traffic he created separation between himself and Crawley and by lap ninteen had opened up a six car length lead on both drivers. Just when it looked like Seth was going to run away with the race the Red Flag came out due to a wreck in the main straight away for Donny Ray Crawford. With the open red teams where out on the track making modifications to the tire pressure and wings for the remaining laps. As the race returned to green Tim Crawley’s car was clearly going better and he and Zach Chappell where able to get by Seth on lap 20. All three drivers raced away from the field with Brian Brown and Brady Bacon in fourth and fifth. With four laps to go Chappell got into Crawley going into turn two causing Crawley to run off the track and with four laps remaining Seth had moved his way back to second. Chappell got a good start with Seth now fighting to hold off Brian Brown on the remaining laps. As the white flag came out Chappell had a three car length lead on Seth with the same distance now between himself and Brown as the checkered waived Chappell took the win with Seth taking second and Brown third.

Seth was illated at the end of the race “This is a great result we have been working really hard and I know we have been improving each and every week. I know that I am good enough to be out here with these guys and if things had gone a little differently I might have been in victory lane.” With three races to go Seth is now in the drivers seat to have a great Speedweek as the races head to Devils Bowl for night four before finishing in Oklahoma City and Lawton Oklahoma.

Stay tuned for more news this week.