Veteran New Captures Space City Spectacular

[NickHolt]

Posted Sunday, October 22, 2006

 

Texas Super Racing Series

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Veteran New Captures Space City Spectacular

 

By: Chuck Licata & TSRS Staff

 

Houston, TX (October 22, 2006) - One “old-school” veteran of the Texas Super Racing Series (TSRS) Late Models won his second race of the season and another took the points lead as TSRS ran the Space City Spectacular, its second-to-last race of the 2006 season, Oct. 21 at the 3/8th-mile asphalt oval at Houston Motorsports Park (HMP).

 

Bobby Joe New (Buda, TX.), a 40-year racing veteran, passed race leader Chris Schild (Leander, TX.) on Lap 15 and held on the rest of the way to take the checkers in the 75-lap Space City Spectacular feature at HMP.

 

Tommy Gural (Elgin, TX.), who came into the race trailing points leader Cody Smith (La Vernia, TX.) by just two points, finished third behind New and Schild. That was one spot ahead of Smith; thus, Gural would hold a narrow lead over Smith, if Cody Smith, had not earned the “Hard Charger” Award, giving him an additional five points, this should make it very exciting as the two head into this Saturday’s season-ending 75-lap race at Thunder Hill Raceway (THR) in Kyle, TX.

 

New, who started his long racing career in the then-Sportsman Series at Austin Speed-O-Rama (Austin, TX) at age 16, said he caught a break when he passed Schild for the lead. “Chris definitely had the fastest car here tonight,” said the 56-year-old New, who believes he’s tallied “about 100 wins” in his long career. “I was looking for anything to get by him and on Lap 15 he pushed up the track. I got on the accelerator and fortunately, the car stuck to the track and I got by him.”

 

New added, “My car handled very well. Junior Krummer did a great job, as he always does; he’s just a fantastic crew chief. I’d like to thank my other crew members; Russell Vickers in particular did a great job with the tires tonight. And we all need to thank (TSRS owner/founder) Mary Ann Naumann and her staff – this is a great series with a great mix of drivers. I’m happy to be a part of this great series.”

 

Smith, a 17-year-old native of San Antonio, passed Ian Webster (Spring, TX) on Lap 37 to take over fourth place in the race. That’s how the top four ran for the rest of the race – New, Schild, Gural and Smith.

 

That order almost changed, though. On Lap 55, Gural took the inside track away from Schild and the two contenders went side-by-side for two laps. Smith pulled in behind Gural in hopes of freight-training past Schild. But, Schild – the defending TSRS champ – caught a break when rookie Shane Harris spun out and brought out the caution before Gural could complete the pass.

 

“I got lucky there,” Schild told the sizeable HMP crowd after the race. “It looked like Tommy had the inside line and I’d have problems getting back down (on the inside) before too many cars passed me. My luck held out there; I guess the racing gods were smiling down on me.”

 

Schild, Gural and Smith will now focus on this weekend’s 10th Annual Texas Stock Car Spectacular at Thunder Hill Raceway – and the TSRS season finale promises to be a spectacular race.

 

“We came into tonight hoping to stay in the championship hunt,” said Tom Smith, owner of the Smith Family Racing Team. “We accomplished that tonight. Now we’ll get ready to battle for the series championship as well as the Rookie of the Year award.”

 

Information about the Texas Super Racing Series can be found at www.manracingpromotions.com. Information about this weekend’s 10th Annual Stock Car Spectacular at Thunder Hill Raceway can be found at the track’s web site, www.thunderhillraceway.com.

 

Race Information:

Name: Bobby Joe New

City: Buda, TX.

Age: 56

Years in racing: 41

Chassis: Lefthander

Body: 2005 Monte Carlo

Engine Builder: Dennis Boyd Racing

Brakes: Performance

Shocks: Penske

Sponsors: Southside Wrecker Service, ACM Body/Paint in San Marcos TX.

Cautions, 4: Lap 6-12, 25-29, 50-55, 59-63.

Lap leaders: Schild Lap 1-14

New 15-75