Brandon Bendele Pre-race report

[NickHolt]

San Antonio, Texas

 

Release: July 28, 2004

 

Hottest Driver in Texas Having “Feast or Famine” Season; Still in Position to Defend 2003 "Texas Tornado Tour" Title

 

Houston, TX -- Defending ROMCO Texas Tornado Tour champion Brandon Bendele of San Antonio has the Premier Minerals Chevrolet Monte Carlo in a tie for third place as the ROMCO series comes into Houston Motorsports Park July 31, despite having an “up and down” season. In seven Tornado Tour races in 2004 the “hottest driver in Texas” has qualified on the pole three times and has four top ten finishes, including a win in the first of three races at Corpus Christi.

 

Unfortunately, he also got involved in someone else’s spin in races at Houston and twice at Thunder Hill Raceway in Kyle. Those incidents, and a fifth-place finish two weeks ago due to a right rear tire losing air after he led the second race at Corpus Christi, have Bendele in a tie for third. Seven races, four top tens and three bad results (though fifth isn’t that bad). Bendele isn’t discouraged as he prepares for Saturday night.

 

“We’ve got a good car, and we’ve been fast every time out,” he points out. “No one else has been fast qualifier more often than we have. We’ve just had some bad luck, and maybe that will even out during the rest of the season.”

 

Last month, Bendele won the Texas Challenge 125 for limited late models at San Antonio, not only leading every lap from the pole but also posting a one-two finish with his dad, Larry, in an event that included drivers from tracks all over Central Texas.

 

Also in his favor coming to Houston is the fact that he won the last race of 2003 at Houston Motorsports Park to clinch his Tornado Tour title (after winning the rookie of the year chase in 2002). He knows how to run the track: he was on the pole for the first race in 2004 and was racing in third place when he was unable to avoid a car spinning out in front of him. He just needs a little better luck this weekend.