Mid America ready for American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region finale

TULSA, Okla. -- Mid America Speedway in South Coffeyville, OK, is the place to be this Saturday night as the American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region wraps up the 2005 racing season atop the 3/10-mile, semi-banked clay oval.

With five feature wins to his credit through the series opening 19 events of the season, Sean McClelland of Collinsville, OK, enters Saturday night’s season finale with his sights set on the series title.

McClelland holds a 50 point lead over 2002 ASCS Sooner Region champion Danny Jennings of Norman, OK. McClelland can secure the title by qualifying for and starting Saturday night’s “A” Feature. If McClelland were to miss the feature event, Jennings could snare the championship with a finish of twelfth or better in the main event.

While McClelland and Jennings fight it out for the series title, a number of other top contenders will try to close out the season on a winning note. Third-ranked Cody Branchcomb of Sapulpa, OK, looks for his first feature win, while Brian McClelland hopes to give the family another cause for celebration on Saturday night.

Among other top American Sprint Car Series Sooner Region shoes expected for Saturday night are Foster Landon (Collinsville, OK), Derek Cottrell (Fletcher, OK), J.P. Bailey (Ft. Worth, TX), Dex Eaton (Owasso, OK), Earnest Jennings (Norman, OK) and Koby Barksdale (Norman, OK).

Approximately 25 entries are expected for Saturday night’s racing action, which is slated to get under way at 7:00 p.m.

Mid America Speedway is located in South Coffeyville, OK, one mile south of the Okahoma-Kansas state line on US 169, then one mile west on Rd. 2. For more information, contact the track at 918-255-6698 or 620-331-6606.

The 2005 American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region slate consists of 20 events at nine tracks throughout Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Arkansas.

In total, including the O’Reilly ASCS National Tour, the Southern Tour and the Sooner, Gulf South, Rocky Mountain and Midwest Regions, the American Sprint Car Series will sanction nearly 100 nights of racing in 2005 at approximately 50 different racetracks throughout 17 different states.

What are people saying about mortgages today:

Rates on 30-year mortgages edged down last week to a seven-month low. Mortgage-giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages fell to 6.3 percent, down slightly from 6.31 percent two weeks ago. It put rates at the lowest level since they were at 6.24 percent the first week of March.

Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Territorial Savings Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgages all cut their 30-year mortgage rates to 5.75 percent this week.

Most people think of a mortgage as a means to an end. After all, you buy a house, not a home loan. But a mortgage is much more than the path to homeownership. It is a financial instrument that must be managed, just like any other financial investment.