Berryman motors to first ASCS Gulf South Motorama win

[rebelracewriter]

Berryman Battles to ASCS Gulf South Win at Motorama

 

Lonnie Wheatley, BEAUMONT, Tex. (May 18, 2007) – Brandon Berryman bagged his first career American Sprint Car Series feature win by earning a hard-fought victory in Friday night's 25-lap ASCS Gulf South Region Fifth Annual John Bankston Memorial feature event at Motorama Speedway.

 

Berryman started the feature outside the front row, but it was 16-year-old Channin Tankersley gunning into the early lead from the pole position.

 

Following a lap three caution, a three-wide battle for the lead ensued between Tankersley on the top, Berryman in the middle and 2005 series champion Ray Allen Kulhanek on the low side. The trio battled in that formation for a handful of laps before Tankersley edged into the lead.

 

The high line ultimately proved to be Tankersley's undoing however, as he brushed the frontstretch wall exiting turn four one too many times and finally suffered rear end damage on the 16th round.

 

Berryman assumed the point at that time and led the rest of the way, taking the checkered flag aboard the Westside Performance-powered JDM Trucking No. 31 Maxim with a three-car length advantage over Kulhanek.

 

After starting 14th, Johnny Miller raced through the field and finally took the third position from Greg Rilat after the duo raced in wheel-to-wheel fashion over the final nine rounds. Rilat settled for fourth, with Kent Lewis, Jr., rounding out the top five.

 

Eric Baldaccini crossed the stripe sixth, while Skip Wilson, defending series champion Gary Watson, 20th-starter Kelly Angelette and Jamie Will completed the top ten.

 

Chris Sweeney held the third spot until spinning out of contention with just two laps to go.

 

Baldaccini, Landon Brown and Tankersley topped heat race action, with Watson winning the "B" Main.

 

ASCS Gulf South Region Results from Motorama Speedway:

 

Heat One: 1. b4-Eric Baldaccini, 2. 21T-Kent Lewis, Jr., 3. 93-Chris Sweeney, 4. 31-Brandon Berryman, 5. 64J-Johnny Miller, 6. 22L-Kent Lewis, Sr., 7. 10-Larry Hartwell, 8. 11-Kelly Angelette, 9. 6s-Steven Padgett.

 

Heat Two: 1. L23-Landon Brown, 2. 41-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 3. 20-Richard Holt, 4. 65-Skip Wilson, 5. 96-Rod Craddock, 6. 3-Gary Watson, 7. 69h-Larry Howery, 8. 15-Brad Stokes.

 

Heat Three: 1. 71-Channin Tankersley, 2. 9-Lane Whittington, 3. 12m-Tommy Bryant, 4. 35-Greg Rilat, 5. 4J-Jamie Will, 6. 13m-Kathryne Minter, 7. 5-John Pate. DNS: 51-Jimmy Brooks.

 

Pole Dash: 1. 71-Channin Tankersley, 2. 31-Brandon Berryman, 3. 41-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 4. 21T-Kent Lewis, Jr., 5. L23-Landon Brown, 6. b4-Eric Baldaccini.

 

"B" Feature: 1. 3-Gary Watson, 2. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 3. 13m-Kathryne Minter, 4. 96-Rod Craddock, 5. 5-John Pate, 6. 11-Kelly Angelette, 7. 6s-Steven Padgett, 8. 22L-Kent Lewis, Sr., 9. 10-Larry Hartwell, 10. 69n-Larry Howery. DNS: 15-Brad Stokes

 

“A†Feature (25 Laps): 1. 31-Brandon Berryman, 2. 41-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 3. 64J-Johnny Miller, 4. 35-Greg Rilat, 5. 21T-Kent Lewis, Jr., 6. b4-Eric Baldaccini, 7. 65-Skip Wilson, 8. 3-Gary Watson, 9. 11-Kelly Angelette, 10. 4J-Jamie Will, 11. 12m-Tommy Bryant, 12. 93-Chris Sweeney, 13. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 14. 13m-Kathryne Minter, 15. 71-Channin Tankersley, 16. L23-Landon Brown, 17. 96-Rod Craddock, 18. 9-Lane Whittington, 19. 5-John Pate, 20. 20-Richard Holt.

 

ASCS Gulf South Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Johnny Miller 286, 2. Brandon Berryman 278, 3. (tie) Skip Wilson, Kent Lewis, Jr., and Eric Baldaccini 276, 6. Ray Allen Kulhanek 268, 7. (tie) Greg Rilat and Gary Watson 266, 9. Chris Sweeney 256, 10. Jimmy Brooks 250.