2nd Annual Fourth of July Sprint Car Classic, ASCS Gulf South Series @ Texana Raceway Park, 7/3-4/09
By J M Hallas
Edna Tx., (July 3rd, 2009) Texana Raceway Park kicked off the big Independence Day weekend of racing with the first of two night's worth of racing on the 5/16 semi-banked clay oval. The Lucas Oil, ASCS Gulf South Region headlined the show making it's return, after debuting at the track last year. Jason Johnson scored the inaugural race win over the 2008 Labor Day weekend, after the initial Fourth of July race was canceled by Mother Nature.
With Johnson in West Memphis, Ark. running a National Tour show, Texana Raceway Park looked to add a new name to the record books for the ASCS Sprint Cars. Current Gulf South points leader Aaron Reutzal topped the list of candidates, along with two-time and defending series champion Brandon Berryman, Ray Allen Kulhanek, Tommy Bryant and Channin Tankersley, all in top five points standings.
White gets it right for ASCS Gulf South victory
Early in the 25-lap ASCS Gulf South feature it didn't look like Ft. Worth ace George White had anything for early leader Tommy Bryant. As the track came around, White found the bottom groove to his liking slowly working his way forward. After cutting the margin Bryant had built, White ducked low and got under Bryant for the lead on lap 17. From there White eased away to a half straightaway lead, for the win.
As green waved on the 20-car ASCS Gulf South Region field, Kent Lewis jr. bolted into the lead with White, Bryant and Gary Watson wheel to wheel with Skip Wilson. Bryant sailed around the top to take second from White and reeled in Lewis. In the pack, points leader Reutzal quickly made it to the top ten before red waved when Bean Elliott rolled in turn 2.
On the restart, Bryant jumped up top and around Lewis, but Lewis fought back on the bottom holding the lead. The two continued to slug it out, While Channin Tankersley moved in on Watson for fifth. Bryant finally completed the pass on Lewis for the during the fifth circuit. Wilson took third from White and tracked down Lewis for second. Bryant had just hit the back of the pack when Ray Allen Kulhanek stopped in turn 2 to bring out a yellow.
Bryant got a huge jump on green, while White worked his way under Lewis for third and Reutzal picked off seventh from Larry Howrey. Wilson ran Bryant back down and coming to halfway got along side leading by a bumper on lap 13, with Bryant, White, Lewis and Tankersley rounding out the top five. Bryant got the top spot back on lap 14, with Scottie McDonald getting fifth from Tankersley.
Yellow waved on lap 15 after Travis Knighton rolled to a stop high in turn 4. Under caution, Wilson was forced to give up second pulling to the infield with problems. When green waved again White gave Bryant a try on the low side, as Reutzal got by Tankersley for sixth. White continued to challenge Bryant on the bottom getting along side and by for the top spot on lap 17.
Daryl Wills looped his mount in turn 3 to slow he action with a caution on lap 19. On the restart Bryant tried the high side, but had McDonald looking low for second. Behind the lead trio, Reutzal and Lewis had their own personal battle going for fourth with the two swapping the position back and forth.
Out front White was now beginning to assert himself while Bryant and McDonald fought it out for second. With two to go, White had increased is margin to about a half straightaway, with McDonald now second. No one had anything for White the final two laps as he took the checkers in Builders Electric, Pro Shocks, Swofford Electric, Paul Cook Racing, Wells Race Engines, Maxim Chassis.
“It takes a lot of hard work to beat these guys,” replied White. “That and good equipment. I actually thought I was in trouble right off the bat. We had the car a little loose just to make sure we could get the car to turn. The race track tightened up a bit, took some rubber in one and two and the old car got better and better. I think everyone else's car fell off and mine stayed pretty even.”
“We decided we wanted to run the bottom. That's why we loosened it up more than the heat race. We're running about 15 1/2” of stagger and the others are running around 12”. You just try to go off your basic stuff and adjust as the night goes. When you start changing a bunch of stuff you can get out in left field and not know how to get back to base. It was good enough to win tonight.”
“We didn't have anything going on back home and I always try to take my family to south Texas during the holiday. They all ended up staying home though, so my little brother and I came down to race.”
“We'll have to put some new rubber on it for tomorrow, that's about $600. Stick to the basics, and if it's good it's good, if it's not it's not.”
ASCS Gulf South Sprint Cars
10 George White
30 Scottie McDonald
21t Tommy Bryant
1b Kent Lewis jr
87b Aaron Reutzal
71 Channin Tankersley
14E Eric Baldacinni
35 Greg Rilat
69 Larry Howrey
3 Gary Watson
23 Daryl Wills
17c Ray Allen Kulhanek
40 Jr. Jenkins
51 Jimmy Brooks
65 Skip Wilson
61 Travis Knighton
21 Blake Roberts
5 Jack Spencer
96 Rod Craddock
30x Bean Elliott
B-Main #1(top 3 from each)
23 Daryl Wills
21 Blake Roberts
30x Bean Elliott
70 Anthony Reeves
5m Glen Martin
17 Bruce Griffith
12$ Steve Hubbard
31 Brandon Berryman---DNS
B-main #2
87 Aaron Reutzal
35 Greg Rilat
61 Travis Knighton
15t Travis Elliott
12 Kent Lewis sr
19 Klint Angelette
13 Matt Brooks
88 Bubba McDonald
20 Terry Monroe---DNS
Heat #1
65 Skip Wilson
14E Eric Baldacinni
21t Tommy Bryant
87 Aaron Reutzal
30 Scottie McDonald
15t Travis Elliott
19 Klint Angelette
70 Anthony Reeves
Heat #2
3 Gary Watson
40 Jr. Jenkins
96 Rod Craddock
17 Bruce Griffith
5 Jack Spencer
12$ Steve Hubbard
20 Terry Monroe
31 Brandon Berryman
Heat #3
17c Ray Allen Kulhanek
71 Channin Tankersley
21 Blake Roberts
51 Jimmy Brooks
35 Greg Rilat
61 Travis Knighton
23 Daryl Wills
13 Matt Brooks
Heat #4
1b Kent Lewis jr
10 George White
12 Kent Lewis sr
69 Larry Howrey
30x Bean Elliott
5m Glen Martin
88 Bubba McDonald
- jay hallas on Jul 04, 2009
- Article Date: 7/4/2009