(Photo Credit: Ron Skinner)
TULSA, Okla. (June 9, 2014) - The month of June has arrived, and with it a lot of Mother Nature. This past weekend saw the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour scheduled for stops in Tennessee and Arkansas, only to have rain wash away both nights of competition.
Good news though, the Griffith Truck and Equipment Gulf South Region pulled off both nights this past weekend with two drivers each working at getting the proverbial monkey off their back.
A lighter than normal review of the weekend's events, the total number of ASCS Sanctioned nights of racing this year stands at 54 with 37 winners.
The Winners:
Friday, June 6, 2014
• Sam Hafertepe, Jr. (Gulf South) - His second ASCS victory of the season, Hafertepe topped the Gulf South for the first time with the Griffith Truck and Equipment Gulf South Region in 2014 at the Heart O' Texas Speedway in Waco. Marking his sixth win overall with the Region, Hafertepe had to hold off Gulf South points leader, Channin Tankersley, in the closing laps for the win.
Saturday, June 7, 2014
• Ray Allen Kulhanek (Gulf South) - Finally would be the operative word for the five-time Gulf South Champion. With a high finish of third coming on May 3, it seemed that Ray Allen Kulhanek had more of a Gorilla than a Monkey on his back, but apparently the beast found a Banana to chew on for a while this past Saturday night, allowing Kulhanek to claim his first win of 2014 at the Gator Motorplex in Willis, Texas. The victory is Ray's 20th overall with the Region.
Other points from the Weekend:
• Almost - Racing at the I-30 Speedway was so close until Mother Nature showed up for the Driver's Meeting. When the rains came down, 37 drivers had already made their way into the pits with another half-dozen sitting in the parking lot waiting.
• Tyson Hall - A trampoline kind of year so far, Tyson Hall has bounced all over the rundown this season but finally had things go his way on Friday night, earning his best finish so far by coming from fifteenth to third at the Heart O' Texas Speedway.
• Rebound - When we talk about the beast that's been holding down Kulhanek this season, Saturday's win saw a huge release when the Danbury, Texas driver scaled the wing. Twenty-four hours earlier, Kulhanek saw the races end from his trailer with a sixteenth place, DNF, finish.
• Downpour - Rained out may be too light of a statement when talking about the showers that ended the National Tour's weekend. Talking with promoters at the Lexington 104 Speedway on Thursday, upwards to three inches of water had pooled in the track's concession stand. When sunny weather turned stormy in Little Rock on Saturday, the infield was a lake in just under ten minutes.
• Battle for Second - The Gulf South point standings did see some movement over the weekend. With his DNF on Friday, Ray Allen Kulhanek slipped to third but quickly regained the runner up spot from Chris Sweeney with his win the following night.
Coming Up:
The second annual Bob Westphal Memorial ASCS Speedweek kicks off this Saturday, June 14 at the Devil's Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas. A five event swing this year, teams will get a break until Wednesday, June 18 when the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour rolls into the Lawton Speedway. Thursday, June 19 will be at the Creek County Speedway in Sapulpa, Okla. with Friday, June 20 at the Outlaw Motorsports Park in Muskogee, Okla. Speedweek will end at the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo. Jeff Swindell is the reigning ASCS Speedweek Champion.
Speedweek will include combined regional action with the National Tour at all events. The Smiley's Racing Products Lone Star Region will pair up at the Devil's Bowl Speedway. The American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region will be on tap at Lawton, Creek, and Outlaw. The Speedway Motors ASCS Warrior Region joins the National Tour at the Lucas Oil Speedway.
Stand alone ASCS Regional events this weekend will be plenty. The Smiley's Racing Products Lone Star Region will headline at the Timberline Speedway in Corley, Texas on Friday, June 13 with the return of Gary Wright the talk of the town.
ASCS Frontier action resumes at the Gallatin Speedway in Belgrade, Mont. on Friday, June 13 then the Billings Motorsports Park on Saturday, June 14.
The fourteenth running of the U.S. 36 Raceway Budweiser Shootout takes place on Friday, June 13 with the Speedway Motors ASCS Warrior Region. On top of the Region's normal $1,500 to win A-Feature, the night also pays $500 to Heat Race winners and half of the 50/50 money raised goes to the night's hard charger.
ASCS Northwest is scheduled for a double-header at the Cottage Grove Speedway this weekend and the West Texas ASCS 305 Region will have their normal bi-weekly schedule in El Paso, Texas and Las Cruces, N.M.
For a complete listing of every ASCS event in 2014, log onto http://www.ascsracing.com
The 2014 season marks the twenty-third year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing for the American Sprint Car Series, which brings the best of Sprint Car racing to dozens of different tracks throughout the nation. Anchored by the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series, ASCS also consists of ten different Regions throughout the nation.
Lucas Oil Products is the title sponsor of the American Sprint Car Series. More information can be found on Lucas Oil Products at www.lucasoil.com. MAVTV is the presenting sponsor of the American Sprint Car Series. Log onto www.mavtv.com for information regarding availability and listings in your area.
Associate sponsors for the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV include: Hoosier Racing Tire and Brodix.
Team Lucas Sponsors for the American Sprint Car Series consist of Protect the Harvest, iON Camera, Smokey Mountain Moonshine, C&R Radiator, Hawk Performance Products, Geico, E3 Spark Plugs, and General Tire.
Product and Contingency Sponsorship provided by: K&N Filters, KSE Racing Products, SpeedMart, Competition Suspension, Engler Machine and Tool, FSR Radiator and Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Driverwebsites.com, Weld Wheels, Saldana Racing Products, Maxwell Industries, Print Place, Simpson, The Joie of Seating, Wesmar Racing Engines, Hinchman Indy Racewear, Rod End Supply, Smiley's Racing Products, Speedway Motors, and Hilborn Injection Systems.
Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com as well as Twitter (@LucasOilASCS) and Facebook. News and information can also be sent to you with the ASCS E-News by texting ASCS to 22828 with any mobile device.
- Bryan Hulbert on Jun 09, 2014
- Article Date: 6/9/2014