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Sam Hafertepe, Jr, ASCS Gulf South winner at Golden Triangle Raceway Park

Sam Hafertepe, Jr., returned to his roots by racing to victory lane in Friday night’s season-opening Smiley’s Racing Products ASCS Gulf South Prelude to the Gulf Coast Nationals at Golden Triangle Raceway Park.

Working his way forward from the eighth starting position in the $3,000-to-win affair, the 2003 ASCS Gulf South Rookie of the Year chased down Wayne Johnson in lapped traffic on the 25th of 30 laps en route to his fourth career Gulf South score and eighth overall ASCS triumph aboard the Fisher-powered PlumbFast Racing/Lone Star Speedway No. 15h Maxim.

“Lapped traffic kind of played into our favor, I got Wayne into a tough spot where he had to lift and I got the right of way through there,” Hafertepe explained of the race-winning move. “Without that, I don’t think we could of got him, Wayne had a little better car.”

After racking up the most passing points by rallying from seventh to second in the night’s first of five heat races for the stacked 37-car field, Hafertepe pulled the eight pill in the redraw to start fourth row outside with Sean McClelland and Kevin Ramey on the front row.

With five combined Regional titles in Sooner and Lone Star competition leading the way to the green flag, reigning ASCS Sooner Region champion McClelland gunned into the lead at the outset and paced the initial circuits with fourth-starting Johnson moving Travis Rilat’s Shark-powered F&J Construction/Murray & Sons/shoptheboss.com No. 29 Triple-X into second before the first of two red flags flew after four laps.

The first red flag appeared for a three-car tangle in turn two in which Bruce Crockett got upside down, with the second red flying another four laps later when two-time series champion Brandon Berryman took a turn one tumble.

Up to fifth behind McClelland, Johnson, Ramey and George White by the time the second red flag flew, Hafertepe had to gain the remaining positions without benefit of caution as the final 22 circuits ran off in non-stop fashion.

Johnson immediately went to work on McClelland for the lead when action resumed, snaring the point in turns one and two on the tenth round with Hafertepe surging past both White and Ramey to take third by the 12th round.

With traffic coming into play, Hafertepe took second away from McClelland on the 21st round and then began to reel in the leader. When Johnson slipped high into the turn three and four cushion on the 25th circuit in traffic, Hafertepe was there to pounce with a power move to the low side exiting turn four and raced into the lead.

The 25-year-old Hafertepe raced on to the checkered flag, with Johnson settling for runner-up honors aboard the familiar Rilat entry. “We just kinda lost the car at the end, a bleeder went bad in the left rear and we just couldn’t get any drive off the corners,” Johnson explained.

After pacing the early circuits, McClelland settled for the show position in the Maxwell Oil No. 1, explaining that, “I just drove the wrong lines, screwed up a little bit, just wasn’t good enough.”

Transferring from “B” Main action, Oklahoma’s Brady Bacon worked from the 17th starting position and rallied in strong form over the final circuits, taking fourth from Ramey on the final round. “I could see all of them right there, I just needed a caution or a few more laps.”

Ramey rounded out the top five, with 13th-starter Michael Dupuy, George White, Michael McNeil, 19th-starter Aaron Reutzel and 20th-starter Chris Sweeney completing the top ten.

Berryman, White, Channin Tankersley, Jeffrey Newell and Ramey topped heat race action, with John Pate and Derek Hagar winning the “B” Main.

The Smiley’s Racing Products ASCS Gulf South Region moves on to Battleground Speedway in Highlands, TX, for Saturday night’s $3,000-to-win Fourth Annual Gulf Coast Nationals, with racing action set to go green at 7:00 p.m.

Smiley’s Racing Products ASCS Gulf South Results from Golden Triangle Raceway Park:

First Heat (8 Laps): 1. 31-Brandon Berryman, 2. 15h-Sam Hafertepe, Jr., 3. 25m-Michael McNeil, 4. 14e-Tommy Bryant, 5. 17c-Greg Coleman, 6. 96-Rod Craddock, 7. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 8. 66-J.J. Simmons.

Second Heat (8 Laps): 1. 10-George White, 2. 29-Wayne Johnson, 3. 94-Derek Hagar, 4. 3x-Michael Dupuy, 5. 8x-John Carney II, 6. 21T-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 7. 51s-Beau Smith, 8. 49-Ty Johnson.

Third Heat (8 Laps): 1. 71-Channin Tankersley, 2. 2-Wes Miller, 3. 12b-Logan Bledsoe, 4. 36-John Pate, 5. 5c-Chris Coker, 6. 69-Larry Howery. DNS: 3-Gary Watson.

Fourth Heat (8 Laps): 1. 11-Jeffrey Newell, 2. 35-Greg Rilat, 3. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 4. 93-Chris Sweeney, 5. 99-Brady Bacon, 6. 15T-Travis Elliott, 7. 19-Klint Angelette.

Fifth Heat (8 Laps): 1. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 2. 1-Sean McClelland, 3. 8-Bruce Crockett, 4. 2$-Steve Hubbard, 5. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 6. 64j-Johnny Miller. DNS: 40-Junior Jenkins.

First “B” Main (12 Laps): 1. 36-John Pate, 2. 99-Brady Bacon, 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 4. 12b-Logan Bledsoe, 5. 5c-Chris Coker, 6. 15T-Travis Elliott, 7. 19-Klint Angelette, 8. 51s-Beau Smith, 9. 17c-Greg Coleman, 10. 96-Rod Craddock. DNS: 66-J.J. Simmons, 3-Gary Watson.

Second “B” Main (12 Laps): 1. 94-Derek Hagar, 2. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 3. 93-Chris Sweeney, 4. 21T-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 5. 8x-John Carney II, 6. 64j-Johnny Miller, 7. 2$-Steve Hubbard, 8. 40-Junior Jenkins, 9. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 10. 49-Ty Johnson, 11. 69-Larry Howery.

“A” Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15h-Sam Hafertepe, Jr., 2. 29-Travis Rilat, 3. 1-Sean McClelland, 4. 99-Brady Bacon, 5. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 6. 3x-Michael Dupuy, 7. 10-George White, 8. 25m-Michael McNeil, 9. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 10. 93-Chris Sweeney, 11. 35-Greg Rilat, 12. 14e-Tommy Bryant, 13. 2-Wes Miller, 14. 94-Derek Hagar, 15. 11-Jeffrey Newell, 16. 36-John Pate, 17. 31-Brandon Berryman, 18. 8-Bruce Crockett, 19. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 20. 71-Channin Tankersley.

Smiley’s Racing Products ASCS Gulf South Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Sam Hafertepe, Jr. 150, 2. Travis Rilat 142, 3. Sean McClelland 135, 4. Brady Bacon 130, 5. Kevin Ramey 125, 6. Michael Dupuy 122, 7. George White 119, 8. Michael McNeil 116, 9. Aaron Reutzel 113, 10. Chris Sweeney 110.

Photos and Story by Lonnie Wheatley

Dover Does It in Devil’s Bowl Winter Nationals for 1st Lucas Oil ASCS Win of 2010

Jack Dover, the lanky 20-year-old from Springfield, NE, had been tantalizingly close to Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters victory lane on several occasions in 2010, only to be denied before the checkered flag flew.

He changed that on Saturday night, though, rallying into the lead on the 14th round in heavy traffic and then fending off a late charge from Jason Johnson in the 30-lapper to etch his name into the record books as the winner of the 37th Annual Devil’s Bowl Winter Nationals.

“I was waiting for this moment, I knew we were gonna get it real soon,” the 6’-5” driver of the Shaver-powered 3D Auto Transport/Home Pride No. 53 Eagle explained after the $6,000 triumph. “Hopefully it continues for the rest of the year.”

After locking into the Devil’s Bowl Winter Nationals finale with a third-place finish in Friday night’s preliminary feature event behind Johnson and Johnny Herrera, Dover started Saturday’s finale inside the second row with Friday’s fourth-place finisher Brady Bacon leading the way to the green flag.

Bacon gunned into the lead at the outset with Saturday’s top passing points earner Brian Brown charging past Herrera for second on the opening circuit before a quick caution flew for Ricky Logan, who came to a stop off the top of turn two.

With Bacon running the low line in Mike and Megan Eubanks’ Wesmar-powered Tel-Star Communications No. 99 Triple-X, Brown pressured on the high side for several laps until Johnson took over second on the fifth circuit.

Reaching the tail of the field on the eighth round, Bacon held a slight edge over a lead pack that soon numbered eight with the likes of Johnson, Brown, Dover, Herrera, Wayne Johnson, Shane Stewart and defending Winter Nationals champion Kevin Ramey all in the mix.

After shuffling Brown back to fourth on the eleventh lap, Dover executed what proved to be the race winning pass two laps later when he moved to the low side exiting turn four and made it a three-wide race for the lead with Bacon and Johnson down the frontstretch upon the completion of the 13th lap.

Dover won the race into turn one and powered off of turn two with the lead over Johnson and Bacon, who lost two positions in the flurry of action. Two laps later, the red lights lit up when Stewart and Ramey got together entering turn three with Ramey getting upside down. Ramey was uninjured but done for the night while the reigning Lucas Oil ASCS National champion rejoined the chase at the rear.

Back under way, Dover was flawless on the low side as 2007 Devil’s Bowl Winter Nationals champion Jason Johnson gave chase in the JJR Don Ott-powered Haynes No. 41 Maxim.

While Dover held a lead of several car-lengths, lapped traffic came into play once again in the final circuits. Dover timed traffic adeptly and was able to repel one last Johnson charge off the top of turns three and four on the final circuit to take his third career ASCS National triumph and first since May of 2009 by four car-lengths.

“I was trying to time the lapped cars and set up the pass on the high side of three and four, it worked out,” Dover explained.

Current Lucas Oil ASCS National points leader Johnson settled for runner-up honors, with Bacon taking the show position. Herrera crossed the stripe fourth in the JHR No. 45x Maxim, with Wayne Johnson’s first weekend back in action since a July injuring culminating with a fifth-place finish aboard the Fisher-powered No. 77x entry.

Brown crossed the stripe in sixth, with Tim Crawley racing from 16th to seventh. Brodix Rookie of the Year contenders Matt Covington and Kyle Hirst were eighth and ninth, respectively, with Michael Dupuy advancing from 19th to complete the top ten. Stewart rebounded from the mid-race incident with Ramey to salvage an eleventh-place finish.

Stewart, Don Young, Covington, Claud Estes, Crawley and Brown topped Saturday night’s heat race action, with Eric Baldaccini, Logan and Dupuy winning the “B” Mains.

Sammy Swindell got into Brandon Berryman’s left rear tire entering turn three on the opening lap of the night’s first heat race and flipped. Swindell was uninjured, but scratched for the rest of the night.

A total of 57 different Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters National competitors took part in the 37th edition of the Devil’s Bowl Winter Nationals.

Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Cars presented by K&N Filters
37th Annual Devil’s Bowl Winter Nationals Championship Finale Results:

Locked in from Friday Night’s Preliminary Feature:

41-Jason Johnson, 45x-Johnny Herrera, 53-Jack Dover, 99-Brady Bacon.

Heat Races (Top 12 in Passing Points to “A” Main; Balance to 3 “B” Mains):

Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 57-Shane Stewart, 2. 6-Kyle Hirst, 3. 45k-Kolt Walker, 4. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 5. 14-Michael Lang, 6. 22-Koby Barksdale, 7. 03-Joe Wood, Jr., 8. 31-Brandon Berryman, 9. 1-Sammy Swindell.

Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 7-Don Young, 2. 27-Andy Shouse, 3. 10a-Ricky Logan, 4. 3x-Michael Dupuy, 5. 20s-Sheldon Barksdale, 6. 58-Gary Floyd, 7. 5c-Chris Coker, 8. 6s-Justin Spoerl, 9. 3s-John Carney II.

Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 95-Matt Covington, 2. 1j-Danny Jennings, 3. 14e-Tommy Bryant, 4. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., 5. 165-Haley Arnold, 6. 45-Martin Edwards, 7. 22k-Kevin Barksdale, 8. 24-David Gailley. DNS: 74x-Joshua Hodges.

Heat Four (8 Laps): 1. 74e-Claud Estes, 2. 94-Danny Wood, 3. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 4. 10-George White, 5. 51s-Beau Smith, 6. 87x-Strike Hill, 7. 5m-Miranda Arnold, 8. 22a-Dan Adkins.

Heat Five (8 Laps): 1. 88-Tim Crawley, 2. 71-Channin Tankersley, 3. 77x-Wayne Johnson, 4. 9x-Gary Wright, 5. 29-Larry Long, 6. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 7. 30-Brandon Corn, 8. 51w-Wes Miller.

Heat Six (8 Laps): 1. 21-Brian Brown, 2. 50z-Zach Chappell, 3. 0c-Preston Peebles II, 4. 97b-Aaron Berryhill, 5. 93-Dustin Morgan, 6. 3g-Darren Long, 7. 45p-J.P. Bailey, 8. 5-Jerod Roller.

“B” Mains (Top 2 From Each Advance to “A” Main):

First “B” Feature (12 Laps): 1. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 2. 45k-Kolt Walker, 3. 94-Danny Wood, 4. 45-Martin Edwards, 5. 3g-Darren Long, 6. 29-Larry Long, 7. 14e-Tommy Bryant, 8. 20s-Sheldon Barksdale, 9. 5-Jerod Roller, 10. 165-Haley Arnold, 11. 5c-Chris Coker. DNS: 6s-Justin Spoerl, 1-Sammy Swindell.

Second “B” Feature (12 Laps): 1. 10a-Ricky Logan, 2. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., 3. 14-Michael Lang, 4. 50z-Zach Chappell, 5. 22-Koby Barksdale, 6. 45p-J.P. Bailey, 7. 30-Brandon Corn, 8. 24-David Gailley, 9. 58-Gary Floyd, 10. 51w-Wes Miller, 11. 03-Joe Wood, Jr., 12. 9x-Gary Wright. DNS: 3s-John Carney II.

Third “B” Feature (12 Laps): 1. 3x-Michael Dupuy, 2. 97b-Aaron Berryhill, 3. 0c-Preston Peebles II, 4. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 5. 93-Dustin Morgan, 6. 87x-Strike Hill, 7. 74x-Joshua Hodges, 8. 51s-Beau Smith, 9. 5m-Miranda Arnold, 10. 10-George White, 11. 31-Brandon Berryman, 12. 22a-Dan Adkins, 13. 22k-Kevin Barksdale.

37th Annual Devil’s Bowl Winter Nationals Championship “A” Main:

“A” Feature (30 Laps): 1. 53-Jack Dover, 2. 41-Jason Johnson, 3. 99-Brady Bacon, 4. 45x-Johnny Herrera, 5. 77x-Wayne Johnson, 6. 21-Brian Brown, 7. 88-Tim Crawley, 8. 95-Matt Covington, 9. 6-Kyle Hirst, 10. 3x-Michael Dupuy, 11. 57-Shane Stewart, 12. 94-Danny Wood, 13. 50z-Zach Chappell, 14. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., 15. 27-Andy Shouse, 16. 1j-Danny Jennings, 17. 10a-Ricky Logan, 18. 97b-Aaron Berryhill, 19. 74e-Claud Estes, 20. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 21. 71-Channin Tankersley, 22. 7-Don Young, 23. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 24. 45k-Kolt Walker.

Lap Leaders: Brady Bacon 1-13, Jack Dover 14-30.

Note: Zach Chappell and Danny Wood both utilized their fourth and final provisionals of the year to start the main event.

Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Cars presented by K&N Filters Points (Top 20): 1. Jason Johnson 2,919, 2. Brady Bacon 2,847, 3. Shane Stewart 2,780, 4. Tim Crawley 2,643, 5. Jack Dover 2,622, 6. Tony Bruce, Jr. 2,573, 7. Zach Chappell 2,504, 8. Kyle Hirst 2,397, 9. Danny Wood 2,379, 10. Ricky Logan 2,364, 11. Matt Covington 2,268, 12. Darren Long 2,103, 13. Dustin Morgan 2,095, 14. Channin Tankersley 2,019, 15. Gary Wright 1,690, 16. Justyn Cox 1,513, 17. Austen Wheatley 1,344, 18. Brian Brown 1,290, 19. Travis Rilat 1,152, 20. Johnny Herrera 873.

by Lonnie Wheatley
Photos by Tim Aylwin

Kolt Walker claims ASCS Lone Star Region win at Lone Star Speedway

Kolt Walker became the first repeat winner in American Sprint Car Series Lone Star Region action so far this season by taking top honors in Saturday night’s 25-lap main event at Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore, Texas.

After racing from eighth to win the night’s opening heat race, the Kermit, TX, native backed it up by charging past Gary Wright early in the main event en route to his second series win of the year aboard the Jars Inc./Texas Moon No. 45k Maxim.

While Walker started sixth in the 13th ASCS Lone Star main event of the year, he needed less than two laps to slide past pole starter Wright for the lead. Walker led the rest of the way, with Wright, Brandon Corn, Michael Lang and Martin Edwards rounding out the top five.

Current series points leader Eric Baldaccini climbed from 11th to sixth, with Dale Wester, 18th-starter Chad Wilson, 15th-starter Skip Wilson and Claud Estes completing the top ten.

Logan Payne turned over early in the feature, with Justin Melton, Justin Spoerl and Josh Hawkins all eliminated in a lap five tangle.

Walker, Corn and Wright each claimed heat race wins.

ASCS Lone Star Results from Lone Star Speedway:

First Heat (8 Laps): 1. 45k-Kolt Walker, 2. 45-Martin Edwards, 3. 6-Justin Spoerl, 4. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 5. 2-Logan Payne, 6. 15T-Travis Elliott, 7. 69-Larry Howery, 8. 5c-Chris Coker.

Second Heat (8 Laps): 1. 30-Brandon Corn, 2. 76-John Ricketts, 3. 11-Justin Melton, 4. 12-Dale Wester, 5. 74e-Claud Estes, 6. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 7. 14e-Todd Evans, 8. 16-Koty Adams.

Third Heat (8 Laps): 1. 9x-Gary Wright, 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 3. 14-Michael Lang, 4. 31-Brandon Berryman, 5. 65-Skip Wilson, 6. 20-Chad Wilson, 7. 80-Josh Hawkins, 8. 01-Greg Bartchy.

“A” Feature (25 Laps): 1. 45k-Kolt Walker, 2. 9x-Gary Wright, 3. 30-Brandon Corn, 4. 14-Michael Lang, 5. 45-Martin Edwards, 6. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 7. 12-Dale Wester, 8. 20-Chad Wilson, 9. 65-Skip Wilson, 10. 74e-Claud Estes, 11. 31-Brandon Berryman, 12. 16-Koty Adams, 13. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 14. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 15. 69-Larry Howery, 16. 01-Greg Bartchy, 17. 11-Justin Melton, 18. 6-Justin Spoerl, 19. 80-Josh Hawkins, 20. 76-John Ricketts, 21. 15T-Travis Elliott, 22. 2-Logan Payne. DNS: 14e-Todd Evans, 5c-Chris Coker.

ASCS Lone Star Region Points (Top 10): 1. Eric Baldaccini 1,660, 2. Claud Estes 1,558, 3. Justin Melton 1,454, 4. Martin Edwards 1,442, 5. Brandon Corn 1,405, 6. John Ricketts 1,377, 7. Preston Peebles II 1,333, 8. Kolt Walker 1,302, 9. Brian McClelland 1,205, 10. Scott Reneau 1,122.

by Lonnie Wheatley
Photos by Tim Aylwin

Andy Shouse ends 6-year ASCS drought at Speedarama Raceway

Oklahoma invader Andy Shouse foiled Jason Johnson’s hopes of an American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region Labor Day weekend tripleheader sweep by racing to victory lane in Sunday night’s 25-lap main event at Speedarama Raceway.

The 2004 ASCS Sooner Region champion hailing from Oklahoma City surged past Beau Smith for the lead at the midway point and set the pace the rest of the way for his third career ASCS Regional triumph and the first since a Sooner score at Cowtown Speedway nearly six years ago on September 25, 2004.

“It was getting a little rough in the middle coming off of two, I found a little piece just above it that gave us a really good run off the corner,” Shouse explained in victory lane.

In the process, Shouse denied Johnson a weekend sweep which would have been worth an extra $1,000 from Griffith Trucking for Johnson. Johnson rebounded from an early encounter with Gary Wright to snare third at the line behind Shouse and Channin Tankersley and collected an extra $500 for winning two of three events over the weekend.

After the initial start was waved off for a three-car tangle in turn one, Beau Smith gunned into the lead from the pole position with third-starting Shouse working past Tommy Bryant for second in the opening circuits.

With Smith fending off Shouse, Tankersley and Bryant, Johnson’s hopes of a three-peat were diminished when he and Gary Wright tangled exiting turn two and slid to a stop on the backstretch while battling for sixth on the fifth circuit. Both restarted at the tail.

Shouse went to work on Smith and ultimately raced into the lead on the 13th round, a lap before fourth-running Bryant stopped in turn three with Johnson and Wright back up to seventh and ninth, respectively.

While Shouse cruised out front in the ensuing circuits, Tankersley battled past Smith for second as Johnson and Wright scratched their way forward. The race’s final caution flew just four laps shy of the checkered flag when Smith spun to a stop on the backstretch after contact with Johnson, who was up to fourth as Wright checked his mount into the pit area.

Shouse held off Tankersley over the final four rounds to secure the win aboard the Bishop Racing Components No. 27, while Johnson nipped 15th-starter Skip Wilson at the line for the show position. Wilson was fourth, with Aaron Reutzel rounding out the top five.

Chris Sweeney was sixth, with Travis Elliott, Wes Miller, Jimmy Brooks and Larry Howery completing the top ten.

Scottie McDonald, Bryant, Miller and Johnson topped heat race action for the 32-car field, with Wilson winning the “B” Main.

ASCS Gulf South Results from Speedarama Raceway:

First Heat (8 Laps): 1. 88-Scottie McDonald, 2. 51s-Beau Smith, 3. 3-Gary Watson, 4. 35-Greg Rilat, 5. 69-Larry Howery, 6. 58-Gary Floyd, 7. 36-John Pate. DNS: 74e-Claud Estes.

Second Heat (8 Laps): 1. 85-Tommy Bryant, 2. 93-Chris Sweeney, 3. 12b-Logan Bledsoe, 4. 21T-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 5. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 6. 14-Michael Lang, 7. 8tw-Kent Lewis, Jr., 8. 19-Klint Angelette.

Third Heat (8 Laps): 1. 51w-Wes Miller, 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 3. 27-Andy Shouse, 4. 5c-Chris Coker, 5. 16-Koty Adams, 6. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 7. 30-Brandon Corn, 8. 76-John Ricketts.

Fourth Heat (8 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson, 2. 71-Channin Tankersley, 3. 9x-Gary Wright, 4. 65-Skip Wilson, 5. 15T-Travis Elliott, 6. 30x-Bean Elliott, 7. 31-Brandon Berryman. DNS: 8-Bruce Crockett.

“B” Main (12 Laps): 1. 65-Skip Wilson, 2. 69-Larry Howery, 3. 16-Koty Adams, 4. 15T-Travis Elliott, 5. 74e-Claud Estes, 6. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 7. 31-Brandon Berryman, 8. 76-John Ricketts, 9. 19-Klint Angelette, 10. 58-Gary Floyd, 11. 36-John Pate, 12. 8tw-Kent Lewis, Jr., 13. 14-Michael Lang, 14. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr. DNS: 5c-Chris Coker, 30x-Bean Elliott, 30-Brandon Corn, 8b-Bruce Crockett.

“A” Feature (25 Laps): 1. 27-Andy Shouse, 2. 71-Channin Tankersley, 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 4. 65-Skip Wilson, 5. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 6. 93-Chris Sweeney, 7. 15T-Travis Elliott, 8. 51w-Wes Miller, 9. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 10. 69-Larry Howery, 11. 51s-Beau Smith, 12. 9x-Gary Wright, 13. 21T-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 14. 16-Koty Adams, 15. 35-Greg Rilat, 16. 74e-Claud Estes, 17. 85-Tommy Bryant, 18. 3-Gary Watson, 19. 88-Scottie McDonald, 20. 12b-Logan Bledsoe.

ASCS Gulf South Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Ray Allen Kulhanek 2,165, 2. Aaron Reutzel 2,098, 3. Tommy Bryant 2,083, 4. Brandon Berryman 1,986, 5. Travis Elliott 1,911, 6. Chris Sweeney 1,833, 7. Wes Miller 1,770, 8. Beau Smith 1,684, 9. Scottie McDonald 1,679, 10. Logan Bledsoe 1,641.

Photos and story by Lonnie Wheatley

ASCS Gulf South Sprint Cars set for Texas Labor Day weekend triple

The American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region will be in full force action with a complete set of three events in southeast Texas over this Labor Day holiday weekend.

The weekend kicks off at Beaumont’s Golden Triangle Raceway Park on Friday night, shifts to the Gator Motorplex in Willis on Saturday night and then wraps up at Lufkin’s Speedarama Raceway on Sunday night.

The triple could prove crucial in Ray Allen Kulhanek’s drive for a second ASCS Gulf South title, as the Montgomery, TX, shoe carries a 120-point advantage over Conroe’s Tommy Bryant into the weekend. Only a pair of events on September 17-18 remains after this weekend’s action.

Kulhanek, the 2005 ASCS Gulf South champion, has reached victory lane on just one occasion thus far in 2010, a Gulf South vs. Lone Star tilt at Waco’s Heart O’ Texas Speedway on July 23. However, ten top-five feature finishes in 15 events, more than double the number of top-fives recorded by any of his title challengers, has proved to be the difference at the top of the point charts.

Bryant, who picked off back-to-back wins at Lufkin (May 30) and Beaumont (June 18), holds down second in points by just 43 points over two-time series champion Brandon Berryman of Missouri City, TX, with defending ASCS Gulf South champion Aaron Reutzel a close fourth.

Travis Elliott of Alvin, TX, rounds out the current top five in points, with Chris Sweeney (Channelview), Scottie McDonald (New Caney), Wes Miller (Santa Fe), Beau Smith (Texas City) and Logan Bledsoe (Richmond, TX) the balance of the top ten.

Friday’s card marks the sixth ASCS Gulf South stop of the year at the Golden Triangle Raceway Park. Gary Wright has topped two of five previous Beaumont features, with Chris Morgan, Bryant and Jason Johnson each posting single wins.

Saturday marks the second stop of the year at the Gator Motorplex, where Kent Lewis, Jr., used a 23-year-old Gambler Chassis to knock off the Gulf South forces over Memorial Day weekend.

Sunday’s weekend finale marks the third series stop of the year at the Speedarama Raceway, where Jason Johnson and Bryant have bagged Lufkin wins in 2010.

Friday’s action at Golden Triangle Raceway Park fires off at 8:00 p.m., Saturday’s green flag at Gator flies at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday’s action at Speedarama gets under way at 7:00 p.m.

Golden Triangle Raceway Park is located 9.5 miles west of I-10 on US 90 near Beaumont, TX. For more information, contact the track at 409-752-7200.

The Gator Motorplex is located in Willis, TX, off I-45 Exit 98 (Shepherd Hill exit), then east, then 1.4 miles south on SR 75. For more information, contact the track at 936-588-6127.

Speedarama Raceway is located east of Lufkin, TX, on SR 103, just one mile east of Loop 287. For more information, contact the track at 936-328-7571.

The ASCS Gulf South Region has completed 15 nights of racing action at seven different tracks throughout Texas in 2010 with just five nights of action remaining. Another seven nights have been lost to rain.

Past ASCS Gulf South Region Feature Winners at Golden Triangle Raceway Park:
8/20/10 – Jason Johnson
7/16/10 – Gary Wright
6/18/10 – Tommy Bryant
5/28/10 – Chris Morgan
3/5/10 – Gary Wright
10/2/09 – Channin Tankersley
9/18/09 – Jason Johnson
7/17/09 – Aaron Reutzel
6/19/09 – Travis Rilat
5/16/09 - Gary Wright
5/16/09 - Tommy Bryant (4/24 Makeup Feature)
3/6/09 - Gary Wright
8/15/08 - Channin Tankersley
7/18/08 - Gary Watson
5/9/08 - Channin Tankersley
2/29/08 - Jason Johnson
9/28/07 - Jason Johnson
6/22/07 - Michael Dupuy
5/18/07 - Brandon Berryman
4/6/07 - Jason Johnson
9/29/06 - Kevin Ramey
8/18/06 - Jason Johnson
6/23/06 - Gary Watson
8/19/05 - Ray Allen Kulhanek
6/17/05 - Ray Allen Kulhanek
4/15/05 - Travis Rilat
9/18/04 - Kelly Angelette
7/9/04 - Stephen Chevallier
* 9/28/02 - Michael Dupuy
* 9/27/02 - Tim Crawley
7/5/02 - Buddy Bodden
5/24/02 - Jason Johnson
* 4/5/02 - Zach Chappell

* - Indicates events held in conjunction with ASCS National Tour.

Past ASCS Gulf South Region Feature Winners at Gator Motorplex:
5/29/10 – Kent Lewis, Jr.
5/23/09 – Skip Wilson
3/28/09 – Jason Johnson
7/19/08 – Tommy Bryant
5/24/08 – Chris Sweeney
9/16/06 – Brad Best
5/27/06 – Chris Sweeney
10/8/05 – Travis Rilat
4/16/05 – Scottie McDonald

Past ASCS Gulf South Region Feature Winners at Speedarama Raceway:
5/30/10 – Tommy Bryant
4/24/10 – Jason Johnson

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

by Lonnie Wheatley, ASCS
Ron Skinner Photto

Claude Estes takes ASCS Red River Challenge honors at Cowtown Speedway

Claud Estes became the second first-time ASCS Red River Challenge victor in as many nights by topping Saturday night’s 25-lap ASCS Lone Star vs. American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region main event atop the high-banked, ¼-mile Cowtown Speedway dirt oval.

The ASCS Lone Star rep from Godley, TX, fought off past ASCS Sooner champion Andy Shouse over the final rounds for the $2,000 triumph, his first in Lone Star action and first ASCS triumph since a Gulf South score at Waco’s Heart O’ Texas Speedway in June of 2004.

Estes took Saturday night’s checkered flag aboard the Texas United Bank Card/Skyvue Corp. No. 74e ahead of Shouse, with Kevin Ramey, George White and current ASCS Lone Star points leader Eric Baldaccini rounding out the top five.

Brian McClelland was sixth, with Michael Lang, J.P. Bailey, 19th-starter Brandon Corn and Ryan Hall completing the top ten.

Skip Wilson, Estes, Kolt Walker and Kenneth Walker topped heat race action, with Corn flourishing in the “B” Main.

ASCS Lone Star vs. Sooner Results from Cowtown Speedway:

First Heat (8 Laps): 1. 65-Skip Wilson, 2. 55-Donnie Ray Crawford, 3. 0c-Preston Peebles II, 4. 45-J.P. Bailey, 5. 45x-Martin Edwards, 6. 40-Junior Jenkins. DNS: 20-Chad Wilson.

Second Heat (8 Laps): 1. 74e-Claud Estes, 2. 26-Dalton Steed, 3. 10-George White, 4. 79-Ryan Hall, 5. 1-Sean McClelland, 6. 11-Justin Melton, 7. 56-Jarrett Lucito.

Third Heat (8 Laps): 1. 45k-Kolt Walker, 2. 25-Brian McClelland, 3. 27-Andy Shouse, 4. 14-Michael Lang, 5. 15b-Michael Brown, 6. 1r-Scott Reneau, 7. 5c-Chris Coker.

Fourth Heat (8 Laps): 1. 2-Kenneth Walker, 2. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 3. 03-Joe Wood, Jr., 4. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 5. 30-Brandon Corn, 6. 67-John Ricketts.

“B” Main: 1. 30-Brandon Corn, 2. 15b-Michael Brown, 3. 11-Justin Melton, 4. 1r-Scott Reneau, 5. 5c-Chris Coker, 6. 67-John Ricketts, 7. 56-Jarrett Lucito. DNS: 40-Junior Jenkins, 20-Chad Wilson.

“A” Feature (25 Laps): 1. 74e-Claud Estes, 2. 27-Andy Shouse, 3. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 4. 10-George White, 5. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 6. 25-Brian McClelland, 7. 14-Michael Lang, 8. 45-J.P. Bailey, 9. 30-Brandon Corn, 10. 79-Ryan Hall, 11. 15b-Michael Brown, 12. 0c-Preston Peebles II, 13. 11-Justin Melton, 14. 1-Sean McClelland, 15. 45x-Martin Edwards, 16. 67-John Ricketts, 17. 55-Donnie Ray Crawford, 18. 65-Skip Wilson, 19. 1r-Scott Reneau, 20. 03-Joe Wood, Jr., 21. 5c-Chris Coker, 22. 26-Dalton Steed, 23. 45k-Kolt Walker, 24. 2-Kenneth Walker.

ASCS Lone Star Region Points (Top 10): 1. Eric Baldaccini 1,293, 2. Claud Estes 1,181, 3. Justin Melton 1,126, 4. Preston Peebles II 1,099, 5. Martin Edwards 1,079, 6. John Ricketts 1,061, 7. Brandon Corn 1,056, 8. Brian McClelland 1,001, 9. Kevin Ramey 975, 10. Scott Reneau 930.

American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Sean McClelland 1,210, 2. Joe Wood, Jr. 1,150, 3. Kenneth Walker 1,121, 4. Andy Shouse 1,081, 5. Donnie Ray Crawford 1,077, 6. Brian McClelland 997, 7. Michelle Decker 719, 8. Tony Bruce, Jr. 687, 9. Danny Jennings 555, 10. Joshua Hodges 553.

by Lonnie Wheatley
ASCS photo

Gary Wright wrangles 3rd ASCS Gulf South win of year at Golden Triangle Raceway Park

Gary Wright picked off his third American Sprint Car Series Regional win of the year by topping Friday night’s 25-lap ASCS Gulf South main event at the Golden Triangle Raceway Park in Beaumont, Texas.

Wright took the lead away from Tommy Bryant on the tenth round en route to victory lane aboard Scott Brown’s ASI-powered Lubbock Wrecker Service No. 9x Maxim.

Wright took the checkered flag in front of Bryant, with early leader Aaron Reutzel, current ASCS Gulf South points leader Ray Allen Kulhanek and Travis Elliott rounding out the top five.

Chris Sweeney was sixth, with Beau Smith, Wes Miller, Larry Howery and Brandon Berryman completing the top ten.

Smith, Elliott and Wright topped heat race action, with Scottie McDonald winning the “B” Main.

ASCS Gulf South Region Results from Golden Triangle Raceway Park:

Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 51s-Beau Smith, 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 3. 30x-Bean Elliott, 4. 12b-Logan Bledsoe, 5. 19-Klint Angelette, 6. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 7. 2-Dustin Welch, 8. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 9. 23-Darryl Wills.

Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 15T-Travis Elliott, 2. 21T-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 3. 85x-Jerry Bell, 4. 85-Tommy Bryant, 5. 51w-Wes Miller, 6. 88-Scottie McDonald, 7. 31-Brandon Berryman, 8. 3-Gary Watson.

Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 9x-Gary Wright, 2. 93-Chris Sweeney, 3. 69-Larry Howery, 4. 8b-Bruce Crockett, 5. 22L-Kent Lewis, Sr., 6. 52-Roger Oakes, 7. 35-Greg Rilat. DNS: 25c-Steve Hubbard.

“B” Feature (12 Laps): 1. 88-Scottie McDonald, 2. 31-Brandon Berryman, 3. 22L-Kent Lewis, Sr., 4. 3-Gary Watson, 5. 23-Darryl Wills, 6. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 7. 2-Dustin Welch, 8. 52-Roger Oakes. DNS: 35-Greg Rilat, 51-Jimmy Brooks, 25c-Steve Hubbard.

“A” Feature (25 Laps): 1. 9x-Gary Wright, 2. 85-Tommy Bryant, 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 4. 21T-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 5. 15T-Travis Elliott, 6. 93-Chris Sweeney, 7. 51s-Beau Smith, 8. 51w-Wes Miller, 9. 69-Larry Howery, 10. 31-Brandon Berryman, 11. 30x-Bean Elliott, 12. 88-Scottie McDonald, 13. 23-Darryl Wills, 14. 3-Gary Watson, 15. 8b-Bruce Crockett, 16. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 17. 22L-Kent Lewis, Sr., 18. 19-Klint Angelette, 19. 85x-Jerry Bell, 20. 12b-Logan Bledsoe.

ASCS Gulf South Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Ray Allen Kulhanek 1,345, 2. Tommy Bryant 1,299, 3. Aaron Reutzel 1,261, 4. Brandon Berryman 1,246, 5. Scottie McDonald 1,185, 6. Travis Elliott 1,145, 7. Chris Sweeney 1,086, 8. Wes Miller 1,060, 9. Greg Rilat 983, 10. Logan Bledsoe 963.

by Lonnie Wheatley

Tommy Bryant bags ASCS Gulf South sprint win at Golden Triangle

Tommy Bryant bagged his second American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region win in a row by cracking victory lane in Friday night’s 25-lap main event at Golden Triangle Raceway Park.

After leading the initial nine rounds from the pole position, Bryant reclaimed the lead from Channin Tankersley on the 16th circuit en route to his sixth career ASCS Gulf South triumph.

Bryant took the checkered flag aboard Jerry Bell’s Eckley-powered Alco Automotive/Smiley’s Racing Products No. 85 Eagle, with current ASCS Gulf South points leader Ray Allen Kulhanek, Michael Dupuy, Gary Watson and a late-moving Brandon Berryman rounding out the top five.

Bruce Crockett was sixth, with Travis Elliott, Jimmy Brooks, Chris Sweeney and Larry Howery completing the top ten.

Brooks, Aaron Reutzel and Watson topped heat race action, with Greg Rilat winning the “B” Main.

ASCS Gulf South Region Results from Golden Triangle Raceway Park:

Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 2. 85-Tommy Bryant, 3. 71-Channin Tankersley, 4. 21T-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 5. 12b-Logan Bledsoe, 6. 35-Greg Rilat, 7. 52-Roger Oakes, 8. 5c-Chris Coker.

Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 2. 14-Michael Lang, 3. 8b-Bruce Crockett, 4. 31-Brandon Berryman, 5. 69-Larry Howery, 6. 93-Chris Sweeney, 7. 51s-Beau Smith, 8. 88-Scottie McDonald.

Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 3-Gary Watson, 2. 51w-Wes Miller, 3. 00-Michael Dupuy, 4. 85x-Jerry Bell, 5. 28-James Cooper, 6. 15T-Travis Elliott, 7. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr.

“B” Feature (12 Laps): 1. 35-Greg Rilat, 2. 15T-Travis Elliott, 3. 12b-Logan Bledsoe, 4. 51s-Beau Smith, 5. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 6. 88-Scottie McDonald, 7. 28-James Cooper, 8. 52-Roger Oakes. DNS: 5c-Chris Coker.

“A” Feature (25 Laps): 1. 85-Tommy Bryant, 2. 21T-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 3. 00-Michael Dupuy, 4. 3-Gary Watson, 5. 31-Brandon Berryman, 6. 8b-Bruce Crockett, 7. 15T-Travis Elliott, 8. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 9. 93-Chris Sweeney, 10. 69-Larry Howery, 11. 51s-Beau Smith, 12. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 13. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 14. 71-Channin Tankersley, 15. 35-Greg Rilat, 16. 51w-Wes Miller, 17. 85x-Jerry Bell, 18. 14-Michael Lang, 19. 12b-Logan Bledsoe, 20. 88-Scottie McDonald.

ASCS Gulf South Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Ray Allen Kulhanek 1,093, 2. Brandon Berryman 1,046, 3. Aaron Reutzel 1,038, 4. Tommy Bryant 1,027, 5. Scottie McDonald 944, 6. Travis Elliott 901, 7. Chris Sweeney 858, 8. Wes Miller 834, 9. Greg Rilat 816, 10. Logan Bledsoe 765.

by Lonnie Wheatley
ASCS Photo

ASCS Gulf South headed to Golden Triangle and Houston Raceway Park this weekend

After a pair of idle weekends to regroup after a Memorial Day triple, the ASCS Gulf South Region fires back to action with the second of three scheduled Golden Triangle Raceway Park – Houston Raceway Park weekend doubles.

On Friday night, the series makes its third stop of the year at Beaumont’s Golden Triangle Raceway Park before moving on to Baytown’s Houston Raceway Park on Saturday night for a $3,000 to win tilt.

Riding the strength of six top-tens in eight feature runs, including five consecutive top-five finishes, 2005 ASCS Gulf South champion Ray Allen Kulhanek of Montgomery, TX, carries the points lead into the weekend.

The winner of last year’s June event at Houston Raceway Park, Kulhanek holds a 17-point edge over defending series champion Aaron Reutzel of Clute, TX, with two-time Gulf South kingpin Brandon Berryman of Missouri City, TX, just another ten points back in third.

Conroe’s Tommy Bryant enters the weekend ranked fourth, with New Caney’s Scottie McDonald rounding out the current top five.

The balance of the current top ten in ASCS Gulf South points includes Travis Elliott (Alvin), Chris Sweeney (Channelview), Wes Miller (Santa Fe), Greg Rilat (Texas City) and Eric Baldaccini (Keller).

Seven different drivers have cracked ASCS Gulf South victory lane in eight events thus far in 2010, with only Jason Johnson doubling up. Single wins have been claimed by Berryman, Bryant, Gary Wright, Brian Brown, Kent Lewis, Jr., and Chris Morgan. Morgan topped the most recent event at Golden Triangle with a last-corner pass of Skip Wilson, while Jason Johnson won the initial Houston Raceway Park event of 2010.

Friday’s racing action at Golden Triangle Raceway Park goes green at 8:00 p.m., while Saturday’s card at Houston Raceway Park fires off at 7:00 p.m.

Golden Triangle Raceway Park is located 9.5 miles west of I-10 on US 90 near Beaumont, TX. For more information, contact the track at 409-752-7200.

Houston Raceway Park is located east of Houston on I-10 to Exit 798, then three miles south on State Road 146, then 0.8 miles southeast on FM 1405, then 1.5 miles northeast on FM 565. For more information, contact the track at 281-383-7223.

The ASCS Gulf South Region is slated for 27 nights of racing action at ten different tracks throughout Texas in 2010.

In its 19th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing, the American Sprint Car Series brings the best of Sprint Car racing to approximately 100 different tracks throughout 30 states and Canada. Anchored by the Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of ten different Regions throughout the nation.

Past ASCS Gulf South Region Feature Winners at Golden Triangle Raceway Park:
5/28/10 – Chris Morgan
3/5/10 – Gary Wright
10/2/09 – Channin Tankersley
9/18/09 – Jason Johnson
7/17/09 – Aaron Reutzel
6/19/09 – Travis Rilat
5/16/09 - Gary Wright
5/16/09 - Tommy Bryant (4/24 Makeup Feature)
3/6/09 - Gary Wright
8/15/08 - Channin Tankersley
7/18/08 - Gary Watson
5/9/08 - Channin Tankersley
2/29/08 - Jason Johnson
9/28/07 - Jason Johnson
6/22/07 - Michael Dupuy
5/18/07 - Brandon Berryman
4/6/07 - Jason Johnson
9/29/06 - Kevin Ramey
8/18/06 - Jason Johnson
6/23/06 - Gary Watson
8/19/05 - Ray Allen Kulhanek
6/17/05 - Ray Allen Kulhanek
4/15/05 - Travis Rilat
9/18/04 - Kelly Angelette
7/9/04 - Stephen Chevallier
* 9/28/02 - Michael Dupuy
* 9/27/02 - Tim Crawley
7/5/02 - Buddy Bodden
5/24/02 - Jason Johnson
* 4/5/02 - Zach Chappell

Past ASCS Gulf South Region Feature Winners at Houston Raceway Park:
4/3/10 – Jason Johnson
9/19/09 – Gary Wright
7/18/09 – Kevin Ramey
6/20/09 – Ray Allen Kulhanek
5/16/09 - Eric Baldaccini
9/27/08 - Jason Johnson
6/21/08 - Michael Dupuy
5/10/08 - Brandon Berryman
3/1/08 - Jack Dover
9/29/07 - Brandon Berryman
8/18/07 - Travis Rilat
5/19/07 - Johnny Miller
9/30/06 - Ray Allen Kulhanek
8/19/06 - Brad Best
6/24/06 - Ray Allen Kulhanek
4/8/06 - Travis Rilat
8/20/05 - Lane Whittington
6/18/05 - Ray Allen Kulhanek
7/10/04 - Kevin Ramey

* - Indicates events held in conjunction with ASCS National Tour.
Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com.

by Lonnie Wheatley
TWC photo

Travis Rilat rules Sprint Bandits TNT at Devil’s Bowl

Travis Rilat didn’t have to travel too far for his first career Lucas Oil Sprint Bandits Tour ‘N Topless feature win, as he topped the first wingless, 410-ci Sprint Car feature contested atop the storied ½-mile Devil’s Bowl Speedway clay oval in nearly 22 years on Friday night.

Just 15 minutes away from his Forney, TX, home, Rilat led all 30 laps to take the $3,000 triumph in the www.ShopTheBoss.com No. 50off entry, the first wingless triumph for the past ASCS National Champion since an Ultimate Challenge victory in 2002.

It didn’t come without a stiff challenge however, as reigning Sprint Bandits TNT champion Brady Bacon pressured for the lead throughout, even surging ahead down the backstretch at one point in the final circuits.

“I knew someone was there, I couldn’t tell who it was though,” Rilat explained. “I was able to hit traffic right and work it the way I needed to keep ‘em behind me.”

After outdueling Ray Allen Kulhanek in his qualifying race to earn the pole starting position for the feature, Rilat outgunned fellow front row starter J.C. Bland for the lead at the drop of the green flag. Bland slipped off the backstretch on the opening round and fell to eighth, with the race’s only caution flying when Robert Ballou came to a stop in turn four with a cut tire.

Third-starter Jesse Hockett and fifth-starter Bacon were on Rilat’s tailtank on the lap two restart, with Bacon taking over second soon after.

Bacon kept Rilat in his sights all along, turning up the heat at the midway point as traffic factored into the equation.

Racing off the bottom of turn two, Bacon actually drove Mike and Megan Eubanks’ Wesmar-powered Tel-Star Communications No. 99 Triple X ahead of Rilat down the backstretch on the 26th lap. But Rilat had the preferred line getting into turn three to retain the lead and held steady to take the checkered flag with a two car-length advantage.

Hockett claimed the show position in the VKCC Motorsports No. 75, with Casey Shuman fourth in the R&B/Barnhill No. 10x.

Wayne Johnson rounded out the top five in Jack Yeley’s No. 2, with Matt Sherrell advancing seven positions from 13th to sixth. Justin Melton picked up a $500 bonus as the top finishing 360-ci powered entry by crossing the stripe as the final car on the lead lap in seventh. Ray Allen Kulhanek, Ballou and Bland completed the top ten.

Billy Melton utilized 360-ci power to win the first heat race, with Hockett stealing heat two away from Zach Chappell at the line and then Ballou holding off Bland in heat three. Bland bested the first qualifier, Wayne Johnson denied Hockett a second-consecutive last gasp victory in the second qualifier and Rilat got the best of Kulhanek in the third qualifier.

The Lucas Oil Sprint Bandits Tour ‘N Topless series moves on to Little Rock’s I-30 Speedway on Saturday night, with the TNT Front Row Challenge in effect potentially doubling the winner’s share should a front row starter accept the challenge and win from the tail of the field.

Lucas Oil Sprint Bandits Tour ‘N Topless Results
Devil’s Bowl Speedway:

Heat Races:

Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 87-Billy Melton, 2. 10x-Casey Shuman, 3. 99-Brady Bacon, 4. 2-Wayne Johnson, 5. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 6. 45-Martin Edwards, 7. 21-Russell Shoulders.

Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 75-Jesse Hockett, 2. 50z-Zach Chappell, 3. 50-Travis Rilat, 4. 5*-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 5. 35-Matt Sherrell, 6. 16-Anthony Nicholson, 7. 7s-Tim Simmons.

Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 81-Robert Ballou, 2. 98-J.C. Bland, 3. 65-Skip Wilson, 4. 11-Justin Melton, 5. 22-Koby Barksdale, 6. 74e-Claud Estes, 7. 5m-Glenn Martin.

Qualifying Races:

Qualifier One (8 Laps): 1. 98-J.C. Bland, 2. 65-Skip Wilson, 3. 10x-Casey Shuman, 4. 87-Billy Melton, 5. 35-Matt Sherrell, 6. 16-Anthony Nicholson, 7. 5m-Glenn Martin.

Qualifier Two (8 Laps): 1. 2-Wayne Johnson, 2. 75-Jesse Hockett, 3. 99-Brady Bacon, 4. 11-Justin Melton, 5. 45-Martin Edwards, 6. 21-Russell Shoulders, 7. 22-Koby Barksdale.

Qualifier Three (8 Laps): 1. 50-Travis Rilat, 2. 5*-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 3. 50z-Zach Chappell, 4. 81-Robert Ballou, 5. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 6. 74e-Claud Estes, 7. 7s-Tim Simmons.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway Sprint Bandits TNT Main Event:

“A” Feature (30 Laps): 1. 50-Travis Rilat, 2. 99-Brady Bacon, 3. 75-Jesse Hockett, 4. 10x-Casey Shuman, 5. 2-Wayne Johnson, 6. 35-Matt Sherrell, 7. 11-Justin Melton, 8. 5*-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 9. 81-Robert Ballou, 10. 98-J.C. Bland, 11. 22-Koby Barksdale, 12. 87-Billy Melton, 13. 16-Anthony Nicholson, 14. 45-Martin Edwards, 15. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 16. 65-Skip Wilson, 17. 50z-Zach Chappell, 18. 74e-Claud Estes, 19. 5m-Glenn Martin, 20. 21-Russell Shoulders, 21. 7s-Tim Simmons.

Lap Leaders: Travis Rilat 1-30.

Lucas Oil Sprint Bandits TNT Points (Top 10): 1. Travis Rilat 280, 2. (tie) Jesse Hockett and Brady Bacon 277, 4. Robert Ballou 263, 5. Matt Sherrell 247, 6. Casey Shuman 236, 7. Ray Allen Kulhanek 235, 8. J.C. Bland 226, 9. Wayne Johnson 225, 10. Justin Melton 223.

Photos and story by Lonnie Wheatley

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