(Photo by Seth Lacewell)
Inside Line Promotions – LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Oct. 26, 2014) – Ray Allen Kulhanek had one of the most consistent cars throughout the 27th annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals Presented by Hoosier Tires.
In his final event of the season, Kulhanek recorded a top 10 during the Short Track Nationals Open on Wednesday, a top five during his preliminary night on Thursday and he was on his way to another top five on Saturday during the $15,000-to-win Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour main event at I-30 Speedway prior to a brake issue.
“We had a good car the entire weekend,” he said. “Everything was pretty good. It’s a fun race to go to. We’ve always seemed to have success at that race and at I-30 Speedway in general. That’s a track that fits my driving style.”
The busy weekend opened last Wednesday when Kulhanek won his Short Track Nationals Open heat race from the pole. That locked him into the main event, which he started on the inside of the seventh row.
“We got up to sixth and was going to pass (Derek) Hagar for fifth,” he said. “He saw me under him and chopped the nose going in. It cost me a couple of positions. After that we just maintained and stayed there with everybody else.”
Kulhanek ended with an eighth-place finish, which marked his 19th top 10 of the season.
He returned to the quarter-mile oval for preliminary action on Thursday, when he advanced from fourth to second place during a heat race. He then finished where he started – fifth – during a qualifier, which gave him enough overall points to start the main event on the inside of the fifth row.
“We started out a little snug in the feature,” he said. “The longer we went we burned the fuel off and I could pound the cushion,” he said. “We were working the top pretty good at the end of the race. We had a good enough car to be a top-three car. It was a matter of track position.”
Kulhanek survived a couple of close calls in the final laps en route to a fourth-place finish, which was only one spot out of locking into Saturday’s main event.
He entered the final day in a solid points position and after finishing second in a last chance qualifier, Kulhanek moved into the 40-lap feature where he lined up ninth.
“I set up for a 40-lap run and was a little too snug at the beginning of the race,” he said. “I was riding the brakes and about the time we got to the midway point of the race the car was coming in and getting pretty decent. However, I was fighting the brakes at that time.
“You generally use a lot of brake at I-30. It’s so fast getting from one end to the other. You get on the binders pretty hard. Even when it slicking off you ride the brakes to keep the car loaded.”
Kulhanek lost his brakes midway through the main event and he spun out in turn four while he was in eighth place just after the midpoint of the feature. He pulled off the track soon after the restart and was credited with a 17th-place result.
Kulhanek finished the season with three wins, 10 top-five finishes and 20 top 10s.
QUICK RESULTS –
Oct. 22 – I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. – Heat race: 1 (1); Feature: 8 (13).
Oct. 23 – I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. – Heat race: 2 (4); Qualifier: 5 (5); Feature: 4 (9).
Oct. 25 – I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. – Last chance qualifier: 2 (2); Feature: 17 (9).
SEASON STATS –
30 races, 3 wins, 10 top fives, 20 top 10s, 23 top 15s, 27 top 20s
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.RayAllenKulhanek.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dork.racing.9?fref=ts
APPAREL –
Kulhanek will have apparel available for sale at his race trailer throughout the season. For a list of his scheduled events, visit http://www.RayAllenKulhanek.com.
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems
Based in Concord, N.C., ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems manufactures custom seats and distributes a variety of racing accessories, including seat mounts, padding, belts and restraints, steering wheels and helmets. For additional information, visit http://www.ButlerBuilt.net.
“ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems are definitely the safest seats on the market,” Kulhanek said. “I’ve had a couple of bad crashes and I definitely didn’t move because the seat did its job.”
Kulhanek would also like to thank Oilfield Equipment & Manufacturing, Miller’s RV Park, Texas Rotating Equipment, J&J Auto Racing, Smiley’s Racing Products, Engler Machine & Tool, Outlaw Wings, Hoosier Racing Tire Southwest, Penske Shocks, Don Ott Racing Engines, Snap Graphics, Frazier and Son Laser Cutting and Simpson Race Products for their support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program and to join Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or InsideLinePromotions@gmail.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on Oct 26, 2014
- Article Date: 10/26/2014 by Inside Line Promotions