By Lonnie Wheatley
TULSA, Okla. (May 24, 2010) – A full Memorial Day weekend slate of action awaits the American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region with three nights of competition about to unfold in southeast Texas.
The three-night ASCS Gulf South set fires off Friday night at Beaumont’s Golden Triangle Raceway Park. Action resumes Saturday night at the Gator Motorplex in Willis and then concludes on Sunday night at Lufkin’s Speedarama Raceway.
Fresh off his eighth career ASCS Gulf South feature win in the series most recent outing at Waco’s Heart O’ Texas Speedway on May 14, Brandon Berryman of Missouri City, TX, sits atop the point charts entering the weekend.
Berryman, the back-to-back Gulf South champion in 2007 and 2008, carries 24-point lead over reigning series champion Aaron Reutzel of Clute, TX, into the weekend.
Scottie McDonald of New Caney, TX, enters the weekend ranked third in points, with Conroe’s Ray Allen Kulhanek and Montgomery’s Tommy Bryant rounding out the current top five.
Other top contenders expected for the weekend include Gulf South Iron Man Greg Rilat (Texas City, TX), Wes Miller (Santa Fe, TX), Chris Sweeney (Channelview, TX), Klint Angelette (Thibodaux, LA), Logan Bledsoe (Richmond, TX), Travis Knighton (Angleton, TX), Travis Elliott (Alvin, TX), Eric Baldaccini (Keller, TX) and Lone Star points leader Bean Elliott (Alvin, TX).
Golden Triangle Raceway Park hosted the 2010 season opener for the ASCS Gulf South Region with Gary Wright reaching victory lane. A subsequent event in April was rained out.
Saturday’s stop at the Gator Motorplex marks the first of two series stops at Willis this year. Last year, Skip Wilson topped the Memorial Day weekend event at Gator.
Lufkin’s Speedarama hosted the ASCS Gulf South for the first time just a few short weeks ago on April 24 with Jason Johnson reaching victory lane.
Friday’s action at Golden Triangle Raceway Park goes green at 8:00 p.m., Saturday’s card at Gator Motorplex fires off at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday’s action gets under way at 7:00 p.m. as well.
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.
The Gator Motorplex is located in Willis, TX, off I-45 Exit 98 (Shepherd Hill exit), then east, then 1.4 miles south on SR 75. For more information, contact the track at 936-588-6127.
Speedarama Raceway is located east of Lufkin, TX, on SR 103, just one mile east of Loop 287. For more information, contact the track at 936-328-7571.
The ASCS Gulf South Region is slated 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 ten 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 Gator Motorplex:
5/23/09 – Skip Wilson
3/28/09 – Jason Johnson
7/19/08 – Tommy Bryant
5/24/08 – Chris Sweeney
9/16/06 – Brad Best
5/27/06 – Chris Sweeney
10/8/05 – Travis Rilat
4/16/05 – Scottie McDonald
Past ASCS Gulf South Region Feature Winners at Speedarama Raceway:
4/24/10 – Jason Johnson
Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com.