(Photo by Jay Hallas)
Inside Line Promotions – CLEVELAND, Texas (March 28, 2016) – Ray Allen Kulhanek raced with a heavy heart last weekend.
Kulhanek’s grandfather on his mother’s side passed away Friday morning only a few hours before the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour event at Cotton Bowl Speedway in Paige, Texas.
“I know that’s what he would have wanted me to be doing,” Kulhanek said about deciding to race. “Thankfully Randy Allen with Alcon Construction took me to the track that night and Saturday since I’m still without a truck and trailer.”
The weekend began Friday night when Kulhanek placed sixth in a heat race. He then rebounded from an incident in the B Main to finish fifth, which earned a transfer into the back of the main event.
“We climbed over someone’s left front coming out of turn four,” he said. “It bent and rolled the right rear torsion arm and right rear shock and broke the Jacob’s Ladder. To even transfer was a tough accomplishment in itself. We didn’t have much time to get ready for the A Main. We thrashed to get everything fixed and changed. We barely made it on the track for the A Main. I just took my time, kept my nose clean and got up through there and into the top 10.”
Kulhanek capped the night by charging from 21st to a ninth-place result in the main event, which tied him for the most cars passed in the feature.
The action shifted to Bronco Raceway Park on Saturday. Kulhanek took the early lead in a heat race, but a mistake on the cushion and bad luck in traffic cost him two positions. That lined him up on the outside of the seventh row for the main event.
“We were really good in the A Main,” he said. “I just started too far back. We had a bad start and I fell back to 16th or 17th. Then I just snaked my way back up to sixth. Fourth and fifth were right in front of me at the checkered flag. I hated to see the race end at that point.
“I was making the middle and the bottom of the track work. Most of the passes that I made I was able to go down there and I think that was a big key why we got to move up like we did.”
Kulhanek posted a sixth-place finish, which marked his best result of the season.
He is scheduled to race this Saturday at Gator Motorplex in Willis, Texas, for the Nolan Wren Memorial with the ASCS Gulf South Region. Kulhanek is currently tied for the lead in the ASCS Gulf South Region championship standings.
QUICK RESULTS –
March 25 – Cotton Bowl Speedway in Paige, Texas – Heat race: 6 (5); B Main: 5 (7); Feature: 9 (21).
March 26 – Bronco Raceway Park in Cleveland, Texas – Heat race: 3 (2); Feature: 6 (14).
SEASON STATS –
5 races, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 2 top 10s, 2 top 15s, 3 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Saturday at Gator Motorplex in Willis, Texas, for the Nolan Wren Memorial with the ASCS Gulf South Region
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.RayAllenKulhanek.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kulhanek_Ray
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RayAllenKulhanek/?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 – Big Bass Tour
Founded in 2010, the Big Bass Tour is the nation’s premier big bass tournament series. The 2016 season will feature more than $1 million in guaranteed prizes and payouts with events in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. For more information, visit http://www.BigBassTour.com.
“I want to thank Keith Odom and Mark Jones, a.k.a. Jonesy, who are partners in Big Bass Tour,” Kulhanek said. “I look forward to working with them for several years to come. I’m excited to build a new relationship focused on mutual success in both of our ventures.”
Kulhanek would also like to thank Texas Rotating Equipment, Alcon Construction, GoPro, ASI Racing Engines, Miller’s RV Park, Frazier & Son, J&J Auto Racing, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Smiley’s Racing Products, 41 Shocks, Engler Machine & Tool, Outlaw Wings, Hoosier Racing Tire Southwest, Penske Racing Shocks, C4 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 Mar 28, 2016
- Article Date: 3/28/2016 by Inside Line Promotions