Kristin Bumbera Holds Her Own at HMP

[NickHolt]

Bumbera Motorsports Release - 10/22/06

 

KRISTIN BUMBERA HOLDS HER OWN IN THE DELMAR SYSTEMS PRO LATE MODEL FINALE AT HOUSTON MOTORSPORTS PARK

 

Houston, TX, - October 22, 2006 - Kristin Bumbera and her TXI-MAXIMIZER team rolled into Saturday evening’s 75-lap Delmar Systems final Pro Late Model feature of the 2006 season with a brand new race car. Two weeks earlier Bumbera was slammed into the front stretch wall on the fifth lap into the race totaling her #00 Monte Carlo. This week her resilient nature would shine through as she competed against a field of men – some of who have been racing since long before she was born.

 

Thad Felton #29, a talented driver with years of experience competing in Super Late Model Series, started the race on the pole with Bumbera right behind him on row two. Outside of Felton on the front row was Larry Schild #2 who has rubbed fenders with some of the greatest names in racing like Foyt and Labonte. Also three rows back was another excellent driver, Doug Lege’ #29x, who began his racing career while Kristin, just a toddler, watched him from the stands.

 

As the green flag dropped and the field roared to life out of turn four, Bumbera was right in line often challenging for third with Ray Drews #97. Felton took the lead going into turn one and lead the race until lap 23 when Stephan McCurley hit the inside wall so hard in turn three the race was red flagged to clean up all of the debris.

 

As the field fired their engines back up Felton’s first place race car would not start and he was pushed off to the pits. This put Bumbera in the third spot right on the bumper of Drews #97. She pulled off a fantastic restart putting a lot of pressure on the back of the #97 and with 25 laps to go decided it was time to make her move. Bumbera throttled it up out of turn four leaning into Drews getting him just loose enough to make him lift out of the gas as she went by him on the outside taking over second place.

 

Bumbera continued a solid run in second position when on lap 65 Josh Hollis #5 spun bringing out the caution flag once again. As the race resumed with ten laps to go it was Schild, Bumbera and Lege in the top three spots.

 

Three laps later Lege’ rammed into the left quarter panel of Bumbera going into turn three spinning her around. However the caution flag came out for another incident, which occurred simultaneously at the other end of the track. Bumbera and Lege’ were put back in their second and third place positions for the battle to the checkered flag.

 

With only seven laps remaining Bumbera nailed another great restart letting Schild know that she was still there and was about to show him the side of her pretty new car. The fans cheered as she would challenge Schild for the lead lap after lap. With two laps remaining on the board Bumbera dove down into turn one getting alongside Schild coming out of turn two but couldn’t hold the car down and the speed up enough to get along side of him on the back stretch. Bumbera was still fighting hard for her third win of the season as she charged again coming out of turn four but Schild was able to pull away just enough. On the final lap of the shootout she wedged inside of Schild through turns one and two, however she just didn’t have the boost she needed coming off the turn to make the pass.

 

If Bumbera’s race car could have been propelled by the noise from the fan’s cheering she would have had enough power to charge right by Schild on that last lap. The considerable crowd that showed up at Houston Motorsports Park for the season finally enjoyed a great show. When asked afterward if she was a little intimidated racing between such legends Bumbera laughed, “I just knew that I first had to have great restarts because these guys have so much more experience than me. The #2 car was really having a lot of trouble in the turns and I just wish the race had been a couple of laps longer. I know I could’ve had him”.

 

In her post-race interview Kristin thanked her coach, NASCAR driver, Bobby Hillin, Jr. for being such a tremendous help to her recently. Hillin commented after the race, “I’m so excited that Kristin did so well. There were a few things that I felt like I really needed to tell her during the race and she did it all just like I wanted her to. She did a great job of driving and I’m proud of her.”

 

Kristin Bumbera, who just celebrated her 19th birthday this month, finished fourth place in the 2006 Houston Motorsports Park Points Championship and second place in the ThunderHill Raceway Pro Late Model Championship. She will be busy over the winter completing her sophomore year in college, making public appearances for her sponsor TXI – MAXIMIZER, and doing some dirt track and asphalt racing to sharpen her skills. While plans for the 2007 season are still in the works, serious consideration is being given to competing on a limited schedule in the NASCAR Autozone West Series.

 

Kristin Bumbera’s official website is: bumberas.com/KristinsRacing.htm