Stock Car Spectacular, USRA TexasSpeedZone Qualify

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TexasSpeedZone.Com Qualifying

In USRA Super Late Model qualifying, Todd McLemore, set fast time with a 14.420 second lap, in the Magnum Trailers, Wells Cargo, Smokey J's BBQ, Cintas, Rays Marine, Umschied Race Services, Port City chassis powered by KAM Engines. Points contenders, Chris Davidson and Matt Merrell, qualified second and third respectively.

 

“We have had a lot of motor problems this year,” replied McLemore. We got a KAM motor out of Houston now and a we been running real good since then, that and Umschied Race Services has been helping us so any one can drive them.”

“I think that last year Steve(Green) and I both qualified, but that is all behind us now. He is going to hopefully win the points and we just hope to finish and get a good finish out it. Its been a long rough year and we’re looking forward to next year.

“No, we are going for the win,” added McLemore regarding his racing with Chris Davidson and Matt Merrell. “ Points, no points we are going for the win. They got their own battle and I got mine”

 

“We’re going to try not to get wrecked,” said points leader Chris Davidson. “We are going to go racing and see what happens.“No special preparation, what we have done all year has got us to the position we are in now so I don't think there is any reason to change anything just yet.”

“As usual with qualifying as long as your in the top six your ok. “The track got away from a couple of us today. I know Casey(Smith) was struggling a little bit, I was, Matt(Merrell) was also, so I guess when it comes qualifying time we might actually learn something

“The track is slicker today than it has ever been in all the years I have raced here. I don't know if adding coke syrup has anything to do about it but it hasn't benefitted us any of us.”

 

“We’ve had a long career,” said veteran John Kelly who announced his retirement. “It's just gotten to where it isn't fun anymore. It is getting to where I was spending a dollar and they where spending a thousand. I don’t know if either of the boys will move into my car, they will probably stay with their truck and dirt cars.”

 

Kelly ends his 34th season of racing with over 125 wins to his credit, including six championships, two of which came TIDA Super Late Models.

“The most fun race I ever ran was a Street Stock race at Longhorn Speedway,” related Kelly on one of his past races. “ I put about 65 pounds of air in the right rear and I was dirt tracking it around for fifty laps. That was the best.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The USRA Trucks saw McLemore's team mate, and current USRA Truck points leader, Steve Green, set the standard with a 16.142 second lap, driving the Magnum Trailers, Smokey J's BBQ, ARTS Chassis with a GM Crate motor. Craig Roper was only able to grab second best, but was able to draw the number one spot on the invert for the start, with Green drawing the third starting spot.

“It was a good lap,” stated Green. “I believe it was a track record, I believe 16.140 is the track record. It's been a long time coming because that record has stood for a long time.”

“I am going to say it was hard work. We worked on it a lot today. We broke a transmission in practice last night and didn't get to practice. Today we missed one practice so we tried to catch up to the track today. It has been sitting here a long time with a lot of rain on it so the track has really changed since the last time we were here to where it is at right now.”

“It's not over till fifty laps tonight, so we are going to race every one of them and see where we come out. We are happy there and we have the 40 truck in front of us and a truck out of our stable outside so we in good shape”

“ I think in Houston last year where Todd(McLemore) and I both sat on the pole. I broke a rear end on the first lap, and Todd got crashed out on the first lap. So we hope that doesn’t happen again.”

“ We came here to race, we are going to see if we can win this thing. The points are pretty much sewn up and I am not to much worried about that right now, but I want to go out there and win this race.”

 

“Well, it just happens to be the exact number of trucks,” said Roper on his chances of overcoming the points deficit. “I mean it's impossible to do I think, but in racing anything is possible.”

“There have been two races at San Antonio I would like to have back. It was the same thing, flat tires both times.”

 

 

 

Local area driver Ryan Englehardt was quickest of the twenty USRA Modifieds to take times, laying down the only sub 15 second lap, with a 14.953 in the Third Coast Motorsports, Shoreline Services, FRE Chassis powered by a KAM Racing Engine. Championship points leader, Billy Becka, qualified fourth, while Bruce Beddoe (second in points), took the second qualifying spot.

 

“We have a real good car here,” stated Englehardt. “We just got this motor fresh out of the shop this week, they knocked it out for us and it's been nothing but awesome. We came out and worked on it a little bit, struggled a little last night and pulled it out today and it worked out”

“Yes my experience here helps, absolutely, anytime you can get seat time, especially at one track it can help to get into the rhythm eventually Add that to a good combination of a good race car and engine, and you can't go wrong sometimes”

“Well since they bumped it up to 75 laps we will take our time, let the chips fall where they want to and hopefully we will be there at the end to maybe do what we have to do to win.”

“We drew a five, that's not too bad here. At least we will be starting on the inside.”

 

“We didn’t do anything special for this race,” said points leader Bill Becka. “We are just going to go out there and run. We were pretty good in practice, so I feel pretty good about our chances tonight. I know a couple of people that would lend me their car if I had problems, but I wouldn't want to take away anybodies ride. They came out to race and have fun too.”

 

“We didn't do anything special for this race, replied defending Champion, Bruce Beddoe. “All we did was fill it up with fuel and put on a new right rear tire. We just hope to go out there to get a top six qualifying spot and get a good draw.”