Stone Trailer 100 results

[rebelracewriter]

Local driver continues on comeback trail.

Elgin Texas driver Tommy Gural took the popular win, leading flag to flag in the 100 lap TSRS race Saturday night. Brad Hudak piloted the SouthEast Customs/DC Eale Paint and Body/ Monte Carlo to fast time of the 19 cars on hand, turning the 3/8th mile D-shaped track with a 15.483. Hudak's luck then took a turn for the worst as he rolled a 7 for the invert, putting Brian Schild and Gural on the front row.

Gural, on the high side was able to power his way into the lead on lap 1, with Todd McLemore getting hung out to dry on top, falling back to seventh. As the top two of Gural and Schild started to inch away, Beau Bukowski took a trip through the infield, then finally spun on lap 13.

This cost Gural a comfortable lead, and bunched the field that was separated by Bukowski's trip across the grass. On the restart, McLemore blew the rear end sending the field scattering and spinning in the fluid. Steve Sims, Leland Waddell, David Snokhaus and Michael Jones all spun, while Ryan Englehardt, in a borrowed car, T-boned the disabled car of McLemore.

Shortly after the restart, Hudak got loose coming out of two causing the field to stack, with Bobby New getting getting spun in the chain reaction. Once back to green, Gural and Schild were again pulling away from the pack. Lap 41 saw Hudak's troubles continue as he slid off turn 1 into the tire barrier, forcing him to pit and lose several laps.

As the crossed flags were shown it was Gural, Schild, Ronnie New, Mike Yale and Jeff Pollard rounding out the top five. Englehardt would stall on track to bring out the yellow on lap 56. Before the race could get restarted, the field checked up, with Allen Alexander spinning. Back under green with Gural still holding the point, while Lloyd Alexander and Waddell swapped a little paint as L. Alexander tried to get under Waddell.

Robert Stewart took a trip across the infield after contact to bring out another caution on lap 69. Just before the green flag was about to fly, A. Alexander stopped on track to keep the field under caution. The race went back to green with 20 laps to go, and Gural eking out a slight advantage over 2nd-5th who were running nose to tail.

Gural kept building his lead and with 10 to go had a nice eight car advantage over Schild. At the same time B. New expired the motor to set up a 10 lap shootout to the checkers. On the restart Schild slipped in the still slick area and fell back. Schild tried to find a spot low, but got into Pollard sending him spinning to the infield in turn 4, while A. Alexander was spinning in turn 1.

As the green came back out, Gural inched ahead of Schild as the top six all hung together, single file. With 5 to go Gural had three cars on Schild, with the only battle being between Sims and Snokhaus for 8th. Gural's last obsticle was a lap car which he easily got by to put his TORCO Racing Oils/Austin Mobile Marine/Steve Chapman Motors/Gural Chassis into victory lane.

This was a big win for Gural who is coming back from serious injuries suffered in a 2002 off season motorcycle accident, that put him out racing for eight months. Gural the 2001 Thunder Hill Raceway Limited Late Model track champion, scored his first TSRS win putting his past THR and 17 years of racing experience to good use. Despite being shelved with his injuries, and rehab, he had his own therapy working on the car and motor. The motor was built while he was still in a wheelchair, using a chain hoist to install the crankshaft.

1 Tommy Gural

2 Brian Schild

3 Ronnie New

4 Mike Yale

5 Jeff Pollard

6 Michael Jones

7 Leland Waddell

8 David Snokhaus

9 Steve Sims

10 Jamie Fuller

11 Lloyd Alexander

12 Beau Bukowski

13 Bobby New

14 Brad Hudak

15 Allen Alexander

16 Robert Stewart

17 Ryan Englehardt

18 Todd McLemore

19 Don Fowler

 

******Results unofficial till Chucky gives them his Okie-Dokie******