From Lonnie Wheatley
TULSA, Okla. (May 23, 2011) – A Memorial Day weekend racing triple looms for the Smiley’s Racing Products ASCS Gulf South Region as the series tackles three south Texas tracks in Beaumont, Willis and Lufkin.
A sweep of the weekend’s Memorial Day Classic would be worth $7,000, as a $1,000 three-race sweep has been posted by Mark Laney and Old School Racing on top of the $2,000 winner’s share for each night. Winning two of three features will net a $500 bonus.
The Memorial Day Classic kicks off Friday night at Beaumont’s Golden Triangle Raceway Park, shifts to Willis’ Gator Motorplex on Saturday night and then concludes Sunday at Lufkin’s Speedarama Raceway.
An extra $100 bonus has been posted each night for the first non-qualifier as well as a $100 bonus posted for the team that makes the longest tow for all three nights of competition. These bonuses are offered up by Lecolift Truck Rigging, Jaz-Tek Services and Tan-Mar Rentals.
The weekend will likely prove pivotal in the Smiley’s Racing Products ASCS Gulf South championship points chase, as Tommy Bryant enters the triple with just a two-point advantage over Fort Worth’s George White.
While Bryant holds the slightest of leads over White, the likes of Ray Allen Kulhanek, Brandon Berryman, Chris Sweeney, Channin Tankersley and more will try to claw their way back into the title fight with a strong weekend.
Two-time and reigning Gulf South champ Kulhanek is 87 points off the lead pace in third, with fellow two-time champ Berryman just nine more points back in fourth. Chris Sweeney is holding strong in fifth, with the rest of the top ten including Tankersley, Travis Elliott, Greg Rilat, Gary Watson and Aaron Reutzel.
With eight nights of Smiley’s Racing Products ASCS Gulf South competition in the books thus far in 2011, there have been eight different winners including Kulhanek, Tankersley, Reutzel, Jason Johnson, Travis Rilat, Michael Dupuy, Sam Hafertepe, Jr., and Gary Wright.
Last year’s Memorial Day Classic produced three winners in as many nights including Chris Morgan (Beaumont), Kent Lewis, Jr. (Willis) and Tommy Bryant (Lufkin).
Tankersley turned his 2011 season around with a triumph in the Gulf South’s most recent stop at Golden Triangle Raceway Park on May 13. Saturday’s card marks the first stop of the year at the Gator Motorplex while Gary Wright was a Gulf South winner at Speedarama in April.
Friday’s action at Golden Triangle Raceway Park fires off at 8:00 p.m., Saturday’s green flag at the Gator Motorplex flies at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday’s tilt at Speedarama Raceway gets under way at 4:00 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.
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 Smiley’s Racing Products ASCS Gulf South Region is slated for 28 nights of racing action at eleven different tracks throughout Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi in 2011.
Past ASCS Gulf South Region Feature Winners at Golden Triangle Raceway Park:
5/13/11 – Channin Tankersley
4/15/11 – Ray Allen Kulhanek
3/4/11 – Sam Hafertepe, Jr.
9/3/10 – Jason Johnson
8/20/10 – Jason Johnson
7/16/10 – Gary Wright
6/18/10 – Tommy Bryant
5/28/10 – Chris Morgan
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
* – Indicates events held in conjunction with ASCS National Tour.
Past ASCS Gulf South Region Feature Winners at Gator Motorplex:
9/4/10 – Jason Johnson
5/29/10 – Kent Lewis, Jr.
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:
4/2/11 – Gary Wright
9/5/10 – Andy Shouse
5/30/10 – Tommy Bryant
4/24/10 – Jason Johnson
The 2011 season marks the 20th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing for the American Sprint Car Series, with approximately 200 nights of competition at tracks throughout the nation and into Canada. Anchored by the Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of ten different Regions throughout the nation.
Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com.