Inside Line Promotions – WHEATLAND, Mo. (June 21, 2016) – Ray Allen Kulhanek was close to capping the 24th annual Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour Sizzlin’ Summer Speedweek with his first career ASCS National Tour victory last Saturday at Lucas Oil Speedway.
Kulhanek, who tackled the final four Speedweek nights driving for Jeff and J.J. Simmons, won a heat race, advanced to third place in a qualifier and had maneuvered from his eighth starting position into the top three early in the main event.
“When we hit lapped traffic you could have thrown a blanket over me, Brad Loyet and Sam Hafertepe Jr.,” he said. “I had a really, really good car. I went to go slide Loyet. I drove straight across the middle. As soon as I started rotating to get to the cushion I couldn’t help it from spinning. It stepped out on me. I wasn’t expecting the car to jump sideways on me. I got on the gas to spin it around and I got collected by another driver. I’m super disappointed with how it turned out. I feel like I should have had my first national win.”
Kulhanek was unable to finish the race and he was credited with a 20th-place result, which was his first outside of the top 15 during the busy week.
“We had a lot of ups and downs,” he said. “I felt like we had plenty of speed. I was trying to learn what to do and what not to do. J.J.’s car has a different engine and chassis and shocks than I’m used to. We made strides by the end of the Speedweek.”
Last week began on Wednesday at Lawton Speedway in Lawton, Okla., where Kulhanek placed fifth in a heat race before winning a B Main. He then maneuvered from 18th to 13th place in the main event.
“We got the car really good for the B Main and made a small adjustment for the main event,” he said. “We were middle of the road there. We’d go forward and then lose a couple of spots. On the restarts it’d take me three or four laps to get going again. Everything I’d gain I’d lose on the restarts.”
Creek County Speedway in Sapulpa, Okla., hosted action the ensuing night. Kulhanek finished second in a heat race and seventh in a qualifier to garner the 15th starting position in the main event.
“We made the show and we drove up to about ninth,” he said. “About halfway through the race the groove started going away for me with the way the car was. I started searching trying to keep the car going. I was just hanging on at that point.”
Kulhanek ended with a 14th-place result.
The team ventured to Missouri State Fair Speedway in Sedalia, Mo., last Friday. Kulhanek scored a third-place result in a heat race to lock himself into the 11th starting position in the feature.
“We ran around the top 10 for the first part of the race,” he said. “We started fading early, but the longer we ran the better I was getting. We got a caution and I thought it’d help, but I had a wing slider break on me. That killed my chances there on picking up more spots.”
Kulhanek settled for a 13th-place finish.
He is scheduled to take the next month off before returning to action July 22 at Heart O’ Texas Speedway in Waco, Texas, and July 23 at Cotton Bowl Speedway in Paige, Texas, with the ASCS Gulf South Region.
QUICK RESULTS –
June 15 – Lawton Speedway in Lawton, Okla. – Heat race: 5 (7); B Main: 1 (1); Feature: 13 (18).
June 16 – Creek County Speedway in Sapulpa, Okla. – Heat race: 2 (4); Qualifier: 7 (5); Feature: 14 (15).
June 17 – Missouri State Fair Speedway in Sedalia, Mo. – Heat race: 3 (4); Feature: 13 (11).
June 18 – Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo. – Heat race: 1 (2); Qualifier: 3 (4); Feature: 20 (8).
SEASON STATS –
19 races, 0 wins, 3 top fives, 7 top 10s, 12 top 15s, 16 top 20s
UP NEXT –
July 22 at Heart O’ Texas Speedway in Waco, Texas, and July 23 at Cotton Bowl Speedway in Paige, Texas, 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, J&J Auto Racing, Miller’s RV Park, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, ASI Racing Engines, Frazier & Son, Smiley’s Racing Products, 41 Shocks, Engler Machine & Tool, Outlaw Wings, Hoosier Racing Tire Southwest, Penske Racing Shocks, C4 Graphics, Simpson Race Products and Marvin and Peggy Pearson 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 Jun 21, 2016
- Article Date: 6/21/2016 by Inside Line Promotions