Allstate TX Thunder & Lightning Fest (pt. 1)
04/20/2008
TSRS & the Nascar Camping World Series (West).
I headed down to the track early in the afternoon to attend the drivers meeting for Texas Super Racing Series (TSRS) and get a handle on the rules for the 30 minuet or 50 lap race. They were running up against TV time for the West Series going live. Special rules, a new track manager and the first run of the season combined to make it an interesting opener. They qualified the night before to save time during Saturday’s events.
I headed up to the press booth for the West Series qualifying that went rather quickly. Twenty two cars entered the race. The favorites were the cars of Eric Holmes (20) in the Napa car with his teammate Austin Cameron (18) who is healthy and back in a race car. David Mayhew (21), Jeff Barkshire (46), Jason Patison (17), Eric Hardin (5) and Jason Bowles (22) rounded out the top qualifying. A local female racer, Kristin Bumbera (40) from Sealy, TX qualified 13th in her first start in the Grand National series. She qualified 13th. She is a familiar racer around Kyle, but her home track would be Houston Motorsports Park with her ASA racing roots.
There was a bit of discussion about the track record being broken last night: 14.836 is what I had listed and 14.839 was the qualifying time on Eric Holms car. The track was its usual loose in Turn 4 coming into the front stretch. The cars were loosing grip in the sunlight and the track was going to change when the sun went down on the asphalt 3/8 mile D shaped track.
The TSRS series headed out for the first race of the night. Heath Stewart (1), Brian Moczygemba (50), Cody Smith (05), Joe Aramendia (79) and Chris Schild (7) took the green flag for the four caution race. It ended with a green/white/ checked finish with all the fans on their feet: Heath Stewart kept the lead, Cody Smith placed a shy second and then Bobby Teer Jr. and Chris Schile were nose to nose crossing the finish line. I couldn’t see the finish line with all the folks standing and cheering in the stands. I didn’t get the “official” results so I am not sure if it was Schile’s or Teer that crossed the finish line next. Nothing is posted on line yet this morning.
There was a celebrity race next with Ed Goble (UT) blasting past the field of competitors for the win. Paula Nelson, Brad Leland, Paul Carrozza, Ian Crocker, Bridget Taylor, Phil Wilson, Michelle Valles and our own Allstate sponsor and racing fan Lisa Sturgen rounded out the field.
