Lonnie Wheatley
TULSA, Okla. (March 29, 2010) – The American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region gears up for its second weekend of 2010 competition with another pair of $3,000-to-win events on the docket in southeast Texas.
The series takes to Beaumont’s Golden Triangle Raceway Park on Friday night for the Prelude to the Lone Star Shootout before moving on to Baytown’s Houston Raceway Park on Saturday night for the inaugural Lone Star Shootout.
Friday’s card marks the second of seven scheduled Friday night stops for the ASCS Gulf South Region at Golden Triangle, while Saturday will be the first of four Saturday night Gulf South outings at Houston Raceway Park.
The weekend double also marks the first of four GTRP-HRP weekend doubles on the 2010 ASCS Gulf South slate.
The ASCS Gulf South Region kicked off its ninth year of competition on the opening weekend of March with Hooks, TX, ace Gary Wright besting a 37-car field at Golden Triangle. While Wright is the most recent Golden Triangle victor, he is also the most recent series winner at Houston Raceway Park after topping the series September 2009 stop in Baytown.
After Wright won the March 5 season opener at GTRP, Missouri’s Brian Brown cracked ASCS Gulf South victory lane for the first time the following night.
Although Jesse Hockett escaped the series opening weekend of competition atop the Gulf South point charts, the series likely leading points contender is Tommy Bryant, who left an invader-filled opening weekend ranked seventh.
Bryant, among last year’s Gulf South GTRP winners, is just four points ahead of two-time ASCS Gulf South champion Brandon Berryman, who has a pair of Gulf South wins at Houston Raceway Park and one at Golden Triangle.
Other top ASCS Gulf South contenders with the initial pair of events in the books include Wes Miller, defending champion Aaron Reutzel, Scottie McDonald, Klint Angelette, Travis Knighton, Ray Allen Kulhanek, Jimmy Brooks and Greg Rilat.
Gary Wright was the only repeat winner in seven ASCS Gulf South stops at Golden Triangle last year. Wright picked off a pair of wins, with other victors including Channin Tankersley, Jason Johnson, Travis Rilat, Aaron Reutzel and Tommy Bryant.
There were four different winners in as many Gulf South cards at Houston Raceway Park, with Wright, Kevin Ramey, Ray Allen Kulhanek and Eric Baldaccini each cracking victory lane.
With $3,000 up for grabs on both nights, several Lucas Oil ASCS National contenders are liable to take advantage of an idle weekend. Following this weekend’s double which runs the Gulf South season-opening stretch to four $3,000-to-win events in a row, only the three remaining Houston Raceway Park events will offer up $3,000 to win with the balance of the 27-race schedule at $2,000 to win.
Friday night at Golden Triangle Raceway Park will offer up on Easter Egg Hunt an hour before the races, with complimentary grandstand tickets available for Saturday’s card by calling the Houston Raceway Park ticket center at 281-383-7223.
Friday’s racing action at Golden Triangle Raceway Park goes green at 8:00 p.m., while Saturday’s card at Houston Raceway Park fires off at 7:00 p.m.
Golden Triangle Raceway Park is located 9.5 miles west of I-10 on US 90 near Beaumont, TX. For more information, contact the track at 409-752-7200.
Houston Raceway Park is located east of Houston on I-10 to Exit 798, then three miles south on State Road 146, then 0.8 miles southeast on FM 1405, then 1.5 miles northeast on FM 565. For more information, contact the track at 281-383-7223.
The ASCS Gulf South Region is set for 27 nights of racing action at ten different tracks throughout Texas in 2010.
In its 19th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing, the American Sprint Car Series brings the best of Sprint Car racing to approximately 100 different tracks throughout 30 states and Canada. Anchored by the Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of eleven different Regions throughout the nation.
Past ASCS Gulf South Region Feature Winners at Golden Triangle Raceway Park:
3/5/10 – Gary Wright
10/2/09 – Channin Tankersley
9/18/09 – Jason Johnson
7/17/09 – Aaron Reutzel
6/19/09 – Travis Rilat
5/16/09 – Gary Wright
5/16/09 – Tommy Bryant (4/24 Makeup Feature)
3/6/09 – Gary Wright
8/15/08 – Channin Tankersley
7/18/08 – Gary Watson
5/9/08 – Channin Tankersley
2/29/08 – Jason Johnson
9/28/07 – Jason Johnson
6/22/07 – Michael Dupuy
5/18/07 – Brandon Berryman
4/6/07 – Jason Johnson
9/29/06 – Kevin Ramey
8/18/06 – Jason Johnson
6/23/06 – Gary Watson
8/19/05 – Ray Allen Kulhanek
6/17/05 – Ray Allen Kulhanek
4/15/05 – Travis Rilat
9/18/04 – Kelly Angelette
7/9/04 – Stephen Chevallier
* 9/28/02 – Michael Dupuy
* 9/27/02 – Tim Crawley
7/5/02 – Buddy Bodden
5/24/02 – Jason Johnson
* 4/5/02 – Zach Chappell
Past ASCS Gulf South Region Feature Winners at Houston Raceway Park:
9/19/09 – Gary Wright
7/18/09 – Kevin Ramey
6/20/09 – Ray Allen Kulhanek
5/16/09 – Eric Baldaccini
9/27/08 – Jason Johnson
6/21/08 – Michael Dupuy
5/10/08 – Brandon Berryman
3/1/08 – Jack Dover
9/29/07 – Brandon Berryman
8/18/07 – Travis Rilat
5/19/07 – Johnny Miller
9/30/06 – Ray Allen Kulhanek
8/19/06 – Brad Best
6/24/06 – Ray Allen Kulhanek
4/8/06 – Travis Rilat
8/20/05 – Lane Whittington
6/18/05 – Ray Allen Kulhanek
7/10/04 – Kevin Ramey
* – Indicates events held in conjunction with ASCS National Tour.
Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com.