Lonnie Wheatley, CLEVELAND, Texas (March 7, 2009) – Gary Wright completed a sweep of the American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region's season opening weekend by racing to victory lane in Saturday night's 25-lap Gulf Coast Nationals at 105 Speedway.
Wright battled past Tony Bruce, Jr., for the lead on the seventh circuit and set the pace over the remaining distance to post his second $3,000 victory in as many nights.
"We're starting to get things dialed in, I think we're just about where we need to be for the National races," Wright commented of his ASI-powered Lubbock Wrecker Service No. 11x Maxim and his looming Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Series championship pursuit.
After another heat race win from the pole position, Wright ranked eighth in passing points to barely make it into the redraw. And, with luck on his side, the seven drivers that drew before "The Texan" left him the number one pill and the pole starting position for the main event.
While Wright led the way to the green flag, it was front row outside starter Tony Bruce, Jr., gunning into the lead at the outset as Wright found himself chasing the Liberal, KS, racer for the second night in a row.
This time though, Wright pounced early rather than waiting for the final circuits. Wright turned the heat up on Bruce just a handful of laps into the race and shot into the lead when Bruce made the slightest of bobbles on the turn four cushion on lap seven.
Bruce kept pace with Wright the rest of the way, looking for an opening that never came as they spent much of the time in lapped traffic. One final opportunity presented itself when Brandon Berryman, Greg Rilat and Tommy Bryant tangled on the backstretch as Wright raced underneath the white flag.
Bruce made a bid for the lead on the ensuing green-white-checkered restart, but Wright was up to the task. Bruce settled for runner-up honors for the second night in a row in his Rider-powered No. 18 Maxim.
Finishing behind Wright and Bruce, Eighteen-year-old Channin Tankersley rebounded from a rough Friday night to snare the show position in the Griffith Truck & Equipment No. 71 Maxim. Jason Johnson climbed seven positions aboard Marvin Pearson's No. 11 Eagle to claim fourth, taking full advantage of the race's final caution to battle past Eric Baldaccini, who rounded out the top five after starting 12th.
Ray Allen Kulhanek raced from 15th to finish sixth, with Aaron Reutzel, 16th-starter Kevin Ramey, Kent Lewis, Jr., and Jimmy Brooks completing the top ten. Finishing one position outside the top ten in just his second Sprint Car outing was Washington teen Logan Forler.
Lewis, Tankersley, Wright, Greg Rilat and James McNeil topped heat race action for the 38-car field, with Kulhanek and Ramey winning the twin "B" Mains. McNeil got upside down in turn one just two laps into the feature event.
American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region Results from 105 Speedway:
Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 1b-Kent Lewis, Jr., 2. 2L-Logan Forler, 3. 74e-Claud Estes, 4. 13-Kathryne Minter, 5. 19-Klint Angelette, 6. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 7. 12s-Steve Hubbard, 8. 1-Sean McClelland.
Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 71-Channin Tankersley, 2. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., 3. 74-Brandon Corn, 4. 87x-Billy Melton, 5. 14e-Todd Evans, 6. 69-Larry Howery, 7. 17c-Greg Coleman, 8. 20-Terry Monroe.
Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 9x-Gary Wright, 2. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 3. 11-Jason Johnson, 4. 5-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 5. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 6. 29-Travis Rilat, 7. 30x-Bean Elliott. DNS: 10-Larry Hartwell.
Heat Four (8 Laps): 1. 35-Greg Rilat, 2. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 3. 30-Scottie McDonald, 4. 12-Trey Schmidt, 5. d20-David Noker, 6. 71s-Tim Simmons, 7. 15T-Travis Elliott.
Heat Five (8 Laps): 1. 80-James McNeil, 2. 31-Brandon Berryman, 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 4. 21T-Tommy Bryant, 5. 76-John Ricketts, 6. 93-Chris Sweeney, 7. 1x-Robby Wolfgang.
First "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 5-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 2. 87x-Billy Melton, 3. 21T-Tommy Bryant, 4. 12-Trey Schmidt, 5. 30x-Bean Elliott, 6. 13-Kathryne Minter, 7. 19-Klint Angelette, 8. 12s-Steve Hubbard, 9. 1x-Robby Wolfgang, 10. 20-Terry Monroe, 11. 69-Larry Howery. Disqualified: 29-Travis Rilat (failed to report to scales after finishing second).
Second "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 2. 74-Brandon Corn, 3. 76-John Ricketts, 4. 1-Sean McClelland, 5. 93-Chris Sweeney, 6. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 7. d20-David Noker, 8. 14e-Todd Evans, 9. 15T-Travis Elliott, 10. 17c-Greg Coleman. DNS: 71s-Tim Simmons, 10-Larry Hartwell.
"A" Feature (25 Laps): 1. 9x-Gary Wright, 2. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., 3. 71-Channin Tankersley, 4. 11-Jason Johnson, 5. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 6. 5-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 7. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 8. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 9. 1b-Kent Lewis, Jr., 10. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 11. 2L-Logan Forler, 12. 30-Scottie McDonald, 13. 87x-Billy Melton, 14. 21T-Tommy Bryant, 15. 31-Brandon Berryman, 16. 35-Greg Rilat, 17. 76-John Ricketts, 18. 74-Brandon Corn, 19. 74e-Claud Estes, 20. 80-James McNeil.
ASCS Gulf South Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Gary Wright 300, 2. Tony Bruce, Jr. 292, 3. Jason Johnson 284, 4. Kevin Ramey 272, 5. Scottie McDonald 266, 6. (tie) Aaron Reutzel and Kent Lewis, Jr. 262, 8. (tie) Channin Tankersley and Tommy Bryant 258, 10. Eric Baldaccini 256.
Wright battled past Tony Bruce, Jr., for the lead on the seventh circuit and set the pace over the remaining distance to post his second $3,000 victory in as many nights.
"We're starting to get things dialed in, I think we're just about where we need to be for the National races," Wright commented of his ASI-powered Lubbock Wrecker Service No. 11x Maxim and his looming Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Series championship pursuit.
After another heat race win from the pole position, Wright ranked eighth in passing points to barely make it into the redraw. And, with luck on his side, the seven drivers that drew before "The Texan" left him the number one pill and the pole starting position for the main event.
While Wright led the way to the green flag, it was front row outside starter Tony Bruce, Jr., gunning into the lead at the outset as Wright found himself chasing the Liberal, KS, racer for the second night in a row.
This time though, Wright pounced early rather than waiting for the final circuits. Wright turned the heat up on Bruce just a handful of laps into the race and shot into the lead when Bruce made the slightest of bobbles on the turn four cushion on lap seven.
Bruce kept pace with Wright the rest of the way, looking for an opening that never came as they spent much of the time in lapped traffic. One final opportunity presented itself when Brandon Berryman, Greg Rilat and Tommy Bryant tangled on the backstretch as Wright raced underneath the white flag.
Bruce made a bid for the lead on the ensuing green-white-checkered restart, but Wright was up to the task. Bruce settled for runner-up honors for the second night in a row in his Rider-powered No. 18 Maxim.
Finishing behind Wright and Bruce, Eighteen-year-old Channin Tankersley rebounded from a rough Friday night to snare the show position in the Griffith Truck & Equipment No. 71 Maxim. Jason Johnson climbed seven positions aboard Marvin Pearson's No. 11 Eagle to claim fourth, taking full advantage of the race's final caution to battle past Eric Baldaccini, who rounded out the top five after starting 12th.
Ray Allen Kulhanek raced from 15th to finish sixth, with Aaron Reutzel, 16th-starter Kevin Ramey, Kent Lewis, Jr., and Jimmy Brooks completing the top ten. Finishing one position outside the top ten in just his second Sprint Car outing was Washington teen Logan Forler.
Lewis, Tankersley, Wright, Greg Rilat and James McNeil topped heat race action for the 38-car field, with Kulhanek and Ramey winning the twin "B" Mains. McNeil got upside down in turn one just two laps into the feature event.
American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region Results from 105 Speedway:
Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 1b-Kent Lewis, Jr., 2. 2L-Logan Forler, 3. 74e-Claud Estes, 4. 13-Kathryne Minter, 5. 19-Klint Angelette, 6. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 7. 12s-Steve Hubbard, 8. 1-Sean McClelland.
Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 71-Channin Tankersley, 2. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., 3. 74-Brandon Corn, 4. 87x-Billy Melton, 5. 14e-Todd Evans, 6. 69-Larry Howery, 7. 17c-Greg Coleman, 8. 20-Terry Monroe.
Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 9x-Gary Wright, 2. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 3. 11-Jason Johnson, 4. 5-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 5. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 6. 29-Travis Rilat, 7. 30x-Bean Elliott. DNS: 10-Larry Hartwell.
Heat Four (8 Laps): 1. 35-Greg Rilat, 2. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 3. 30-Scottie McDonald, 4. 12-Trey Schmidt, 5. d20-David Noker, 6. 71s-Tim Simmons, 7. 15T-Travis Elliott.
Heat Five (8 Laps): 1. 80-James McNeil, 2. 31-Brandon Berryman, 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 4. 21T-Tommy Bryant, 5. 76-John Ricketts, 6. 93-Chris Sweeney, 7. 1x-Robby Wolfgang.
First "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 5-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 2. 87x-Billy Melton, 3. 21T-Tommy Bryant, 4. 12-Trey Schmidt, 5. 30x-Bean Elliott, 6. 13-Kathryne Minter, 7. 19-Klint Angelette, 8. 12s-Steve Hubbard, 9. 1x-Robby Wolfgang, 10. 20-Terry Monroe, 11. 69-Larry Howery. Disqualified: 29-Travis Rilat (failed to report to scales after finishing second).
Second "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 2. 74-Brandon Corn, 3. 76-John Ricketts, 4. 1-Sean McClelland, 5. 93-Chris Sweeney, 6. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 7. d20-David Noker, 8. 14e-Todd Evans, 9. 15T-Travis Elliott, 10. 17c-Greg Coleman. DNS: 71s-Tim Simmons, 10-Larry Hartwell.
"A" Feature (25 Laps): 1. 9x-Gary Wright, 2. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., 3. 71-Channin Tankersley, 4. 11-Jason Johnson, 5. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 6. 5-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 7. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 8. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 9. 1b-Kent Lewis, Jr., 10. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 11. 2L-Logan Forler, 12. 30-Scottie McDonald, 13. 87x-Billy Melton, 14. 21T-Tommy Bryant, 15. 31-Brandon Berryman, 16. 35-Greg Rilat, 17. 76-John Ricketts, 18. 74-Brandon Corn, 19. 74e-Claud Estes, 20. 80-James McNeil.
ASCS Gulf South Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Gary Wright 300, 2. Tony Bruce, Jr. 292, 3. Jason Johnson 284, 4. Kevin Ramey 272, 5. Scottie McDonald 266, 6. (tie) Aaron Reutzel and Kent Lewis, Jr. 262, 8. (tie) Channin Tankersley and Tommy Bryant 258, 10. Eric Baldaccini 256.
