(Photo by Brandon Young Photography)
Inside Line Promotions – FORT WORTH, Texas (Sept. 13, 2015) – Ray Allen Kulhanek exceeded his expectations during his first career race as a sprint car owner.
Kulhanek, who took over the reins of the team he’d driven for the past several years, made the most of his new opportunity during his first Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour start of the season on Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track.
“It was a huge night for me because it was the first night as the car owner and driver,” he said. “It was a little nerve-wracking. This is a big blessing. I can’t thank David Miller enough for the opportunity the last few years. He was a great car owner. He gave me my first ride in a sprint car in 2002 and we won nine championships together.”
Kulhanek kicked off the night with a high pill draw, which lined him up at the back of a heat race.
“A couple of guys who drew right in front of me drew in the teens and 20s and then I walk up and draw a 70,” he said. “We started dead last in our heat and I ended up getting in a heat with only one slow car. I felt like starting ninth if I could get in the top five we’d make the A Main. We were fortunate to get up into fifth. It was a good heat race for us.”
Kulhanek maneuvered from ninth to fifth place in his heat, which advanced him into the 40-lap feature as the 13th starter.
“I didn’t know how far we’d get up there,” he said. “At the time I was hoping to pull off a top 10. The track was really, really tricky. There was a little bit of a bottom at the beginning and the cushion was up on the fence. We took off and I ran across the bottom the first couple of laps and I got by one or two cars, but then started racing with a guy. I moved to the top and was just following everybody up there so I moved back to the bottom.”
Kulhanek found speed on the bottom groove as he began to move forward.
“I felt like we found the rubber first being back in midpack,” he said. “We definitely had a good run. It was probably one of the best cars I’ve had on a rubber-down track. The balance was just phenomenal. I could run off into the corner two or three car lengths deeper than other people right in front of me.”
Kulhanek steadily advanced through the field before ending with a fifth-place finish, which was his 14th top five of the season.
QUICK RESULTS –
Sept. 12 – Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track in Fort Worth, Texas – Heat race: 5 (9); Feature: 5 (13).
SEASON STATS –
20 races, 3 wins, 14 top fives, 17 top 10s, 17 top 15s, 18 top 20s
UP NEXT –
TBD
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 – Texas Rotating Equipment
Based in Dayton, Texas, Texas Rotating Equipment is an industrial turbine services and repairs company for oil companies.
“Texas Rotating Equipment has partnered with us the past couple of years and it has really helped our team out,” Kulhanek said. “We appreciate their support and hope to represent them in Victory Lane a lot this season.”
Kulhanek would also like to thank Oilfield Equipment & Manufacturing, Miller’s RV Park, Frazier and Son, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, DR2 Racing Engines, J&J Auto Racing, Smiley’s Racing Products, 41 Shocks, Engler Machine & Tool, Outlaw Wings, Hoosier Racing Tire Southwest, Penske Racing Shocks, Snap Graphics 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 by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on Sep 13, 2015
- Article Date: 9/13/2015 by Inside Line Promotions