Brad Best in ASCS Gulf South Gator Go

[rebelracewriter]

Lonnie Wheatley, WILLIS, Tex. (September 16, 2006) Tulsa's Brad Best notched his second American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region victory of the year by topping Saturday night's 25-lap feature at the Gator Motorplex.

 

 

Best withstood Johnny Miller's mid-race challenges then held off a charging Kent Lewis, Jr., over the final rounds to post the triumph aboard the Wells-powered AMR Motorsports No. 35 J&J.

 

 

After the initial start was waved off for a Michael Hendrickson, Jr., spin, the rest of the race ran off in non-stop fashion.

 

 

Best gunned into the lead from the pole position and paced the early laps in front of Miller and Lane Whittington, with tenth starter Lewis advancing all the way to fourth by the fifth circuit.

 

 

Miller put the pressure on Best and charged into the lead using the top side of turn four to complete the 17th lap. But Best returned the favor a half lap later as the lead pair split a lapped car exiting turn two.

 

 

Lewis battled past Miller for second on the 20th round and set his sights on Best, but fell four car-lengths short at the checkered flag. Miller settled for the show position behind Best and Lewis, with Whittington and Ray Allen Kulhanek rounding out the top five.

 

 

Scottie McDonald charged from 18th to claim sixth, with Skip Wilson, Brandon Berryman, current series point leader Gary Watson and Koby Barksdale completing the top ten.

 

 

Hendrickson, Richard Holt, Watson and Berryman topped heat race action for the 31-car field, with A.J. Weaver winning the "B" Main.

 

 

ASCS Gulf South Region Results:

 

 

First Heat (10 Laps): 1. 6-Michael Hendrickson, Jr., 2. 35-Brad Best, 3. 28-Richard Cooper, 4. 22-Koby Barksdale, 5. 55-A.J. Weaver, 6. 22L-Kent Lewis, Sr., 7. 6c-Caleb Padgett, 8. 88-Scottie McDonald.

 

 

Second Heat (10 Laps): 1. 20-Richard Holt, 2. 4J-Jamie Will, 3. 65-Skip Wilson, 4. 5-Larry Hartwell, 5. 27s-Steve Haning, 6. 04-Michael Hendrickson, Sr., 7. 17c-Greg Coleman, 8. 1n-Bruce Crockett.

 

 

Third Heat (10 Laps): 1. 3-Gary Watson, 2. 9-Lane Whittington, 3. 21T-Kent Lewis, Jr., 4. 69h-Larry Howery, 5. 35-Greg Rilat, 6. 28J-James Cooper, 7. L23-Landon Brown. DNS: 55d-David Doyle.

 

 

 

Fourth Heat (10 Laps): 1. 31-Brandon Berryman, 2. 64J-Johnny Miller, 3. 41-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 4. 12-Trey Schmidt, 5. 55u-Keith Boone, 6. 21b-Brandi Miller, 7. 13m-Kathryne Minter.

 

 

"B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 55-A.J. Weaver, 2. 35-Greg Rilat, 3. 12-Trey Schmidt, 4. 88-Scottie McDonald, 5. 69h-Larry Howery, 6. 28J-James Cooper, 7. L23-Landon Brown, 8. 13m-Kathryne Minter, 9. 04-Michael Hendrickson, Sr., 10. 55u-Keith Boone, 11. 27s-Steve Haning, 12. 21b-Brandi Miller, 13. 22L-Kent Lewis, Sr., 14. 1n-Bruce Crockett, 15. 6c-Caleb Padgett, 16. 17c-Greg Coleman. DNS: 55d-David Doyle.

 

 

"A" Feature (25 Laps): 1. 35-Brad Best, 2. 21T-Kent Lewis, Jr., 3. 64J-Johnny Miller, 4. 9-Lane Whittington, 5. 41-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 6. 88-Scottie McDonald, 7. 65-Skip Wilson, 8. 31-Brandon Berryman, 9. 3-Gary Watson, 10. 22-Koby Barksdale, 11. 20-Richard Holt, 12. 4J-Jamie Will, 13. 35-Greg Rilat, 14. 28-Richard Cooper, 15. 12-Trey Schmidt, 16. 55-A.J. Weaver, 17. 28J-James Cooper, 18. 6-Michael Hendrickson, Jr., 19. 5-Larry Hartwell, 20. 69h-Larry Howery.

 

 

ASCS Gulf South Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Gary Watson 2,194, 2. Greg Rilat 2,158, 3. Ray Allen Kulhanek 2,129, 4. Lane Whittington 2,000, 5. Larry Hartwell 1,870, 6. Richard Holt 1,735, 7. Kent Lewis, Jr. 1,704, 8. Brandon Berryman 1,334, 9. Jason Johnson 1,272, 10. Ty Johnson 1,204.