Eventual winner Timothy Culp stalks Dayton, Texas
veteran Robbie Starnes, who led the first four laps of Saturday's SUPR Series event at Lone Star
Speedway. (Best Photography)
SUPR: Culp
Enjoying Late-Season Hot Streak With Lone Star
Trophy
Bryan Wimberley
KILGORE, Tex.- Sept. 10. Taking charge early and never looking back, Timothy Culp of West Monroe,
La., continued his winning ways on the O'Reilly Southern United Professional Racing (SUPR) Series tour
Saturday at Lone Star Speedway. Fourth-starting Culp was on cruise control most of the way, leading 35 of
40 laps at the shortened 3/8-mile East Texas speedway. The rookie collected a $2,500 payday in holding off
Morgan Bagley of Longview, Tex., by five lengths.
With defending SUPR champ Rob Litton rideing high, Morgan Bagley storms the low side
of his home track before taking second. (Best
photography)
Bagley got one last crack at Culp when a late race caution appeared, making Culp defend his
ground in a six-lap sprint. Bagley, who started alongside Culp in the second row, settled for the
runner-up position. With the win, Culp shaved another five points off of Bagley's lead in SUPR's title
chase with the races dwindling down. Culp has been as close as 15 points earlier in the season to
Bagley, but the margin currently stands at 210. The pair have both left their Modified backgrounds behind
in the wake of sensational first years in the Late Model division.
Two-time series champion, Rob Litton of Alexandria, La., claimed third, while Robbie Starnes of
Baytown, Tex., took the point for the first four laps, but slipped back to a fourth place finish.
Seventh-starting Chris Holley of Dayton, Tex., rounded out the top five finishers.
Polesitter Robbie Starnes jumped to the lead on the initial lap with Litton, Culp, Bagley and
Jeff Chanler trailing. Culp wasted no time in getting by Litton two laps later for second, then placing
the target squarely on leader Starnes.
South Texas driver Chris Holley rolls under Wendall Bolden before taking fifth at
Kilgore. (Best photography)
Starnes fell victim to Culp on lap five, as Culp began to take control during the long green flag
run. On the same lap, Holley gained the advantage on Jim Bryant of Natchitoches, La., elevating him to
sixth.
Bagley made his move on current SUPR champion, Rob Litton, on the 11th circuit, only to trail
Culp and Starnes. As the race wore on, limited movement throughout the top five or six positions occurred
over the next eight laps.
Just before the halfway mark, Culp approached lap traffic and kept a one-car cushion on himself
and Starnes. Culp increased that by another on lap 27, making it Jody Prince and Patrik Daniel,
sandwiched between him and the runner-up position.
Bagley grabbed second from Starnes and now focused on reeling in Culp, eliminating his two lapped
car cushion that stood between them. Bagley began to see the daylight with ten to go and a clear shot at
the leader.
Starnes would feel pressure for third by Litton. Litton would work on Starnes and seize the spot
just before the caution for fifth-running Jeff Chanler flew on lap 34. The late caution would give the
opportunity for the top two drivers in the series to duke it out for the last six remaining laps.
Timothy Culp at Lone Star. (Best
photography)
Culp wouldn't be denied and took his third series win in the last eight SUPR events, ignited a
challenge down the homestretch, from now to the end of the season.
Notes: Culp's Trak-Star Race Car is powered by a Wall 2 Wall Performance Engine
and sponsored by Miller Motorsports, PRP Racing Suspensions, Beau Taylor Technologies, Culp's Automotive,
J&J Motorsports, Graduate Sales and BA Motorsports.
Culp registered his 16th top five finish this season in 34 entered events, including four
wins at Greenville Speedway, Devil's Bowl, 171 Speedway, and Lone Star Speedway.
* The Culp/Miller Motorsports team will welcome another car to their stable in about two weeks,
when the No. c8 will add a Warrior Race Car to their newly constructed automotive business shop. The
21-year old Culp said it will most likely debut the ride at the start of next season, when the team plans
to head out west.
* The feature had ten cars running at the finish, had two lead changes and was slowed by a single
caution.
Jeff Chanler stuggles to an 11th place showing at Kilgore. (Best photography)
* Morgan Bagley continues a current comfortable margin atop the point standings, but a day after
the Lone Star event, Team 14 had to evacuate its East Texas shop due to area wildfires. The team
successfully moved from the area unscathed and has since returned after control was restored.
* Allen Tippen of Minden, La., took the top ten hard charger of the race, going from 11th to
sixth. Although Tippen nearly cracked the top five in the feature, he stands in a distant third in
the points chase with two races remaining and a possible third event looming. Tippen trails leader Bagley
by 284 markers.
* Patrik Daniel of Wills Point, Tex., was a late arrival to Lone Star, missing heat racing action
and putting him at the tail of the grid for the feature -Daniel finished eighth.
* Ray Allen Kulhanek of Montgomery, Tex., got behind the wheel of a Dirt Late Model for his first
series start. The 29-year old Kulhanek is a regular on the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS), particularly
in the Gulf South Region and won at Golden Triangle Raceway in Beaumont, Tex., in April.
Kulhanek's first time in the No. 3T Late Model notched him seat time and a 10th place finish at
Lone Star.
* Jason Ingalls of Longview, Tex., returned to pilot the No. 87M for the first time in almost two
months. The Jerry Mayne-owned car received near total damage from an end-of-the-race accident at Devil's
Bowl Speedway in July. The team's luck wouldn't fair much better in the return, with Ingalls pulling off
in the first ten laps and retiring to a 12th-place finish.
* Ronny Adams of Diana, Tex., and Gary Christian of Broken Bow, Okla., both had rearend issues on
their race cars, making for early departures from the event.
* Robbie Stuart of DeRidder, La., hit the wall during his heat, making damage to the 6R car
unrepairable before the feature.
The Erb Racing Team announced a couple weeks ago, that Tyler Erb (son of
team owner Mark Erb) will be teammates with Chris Holley in the upcoming 2012 season. Holley currently
stands fifth in SUPR points and last won in the series in July 2009. Holley was teammates to veteran
Robbie Starnes, until Starnes' departure in early May.
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Strong ALMS Showings Move Feger Closer to Top 25 - The A-Team Has Been Updated 05-21-12
Scott James battles #13 Barry Doss in heat race action at Florence (Ky.) Speedway, but in the $2,000-to-win feature, the only thing anyone saw was the tail end of James' #81 car. (Roy Walker)
After plenty of trash-talking via the electronic media between Jeff Matthews and Ivedent Lloyd last week, it was #21 Lloyd who got the final word as he reeled in #33 Matthews to win Friday's LM feature at Oclala, Fla.'s Bubba Raceway Park. (R.E. Wing)
Fans at Markleysburg, Pa.'s Roaring Knob Motorsports Comlex were treated to dual LM features Saturday - one a makeup from a May 5th rainout. (Above) Tim Senic challenges eventual regular feature winner Chuck Harper, while Jared Hawkins (below) claimed the makeup race. (Tommy Micheals)
Henley, Missouri's Jason Russell leads the way to Victory Lane in the ULMS Late Model feature at Lucas Oil Speedway Saturday. (Chris Bork)
Some fierce racing action at Lucas Oil speedway. (Chris Bork)
Dalton, Ga.'s Craig Reece returned to Dixie Speedway Saturday and led all the way to win the Crate LM victory. (Steve Hixson)
Ray Guss Jr. races last week's Quad City Speedway winner, Mike Murphy, Jr. This time, it was advantage Guss. (Chris Damitz)
With a strong motor back into his mount, Veteran Lamar Scoggins claimed last Friday's Crate LM victory at Boyd's Speedway. (Steve Hixson)
Veteran racer Lance Matthees navigates Spring Lake, Minnesota's Deer Creek Speedway before taking Saturday's WISSOTA Late Model checkers. (Jason Durst)
Racing hard at mid-pack, it's the dueling 55s of Cory Mahder (inside) and Greg Nippoldt at Deer Creek. (Jason Durst)
Ryan King (above and below) swept both the Ltd. Late Model and Crate Late Model features Saturday at 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tenn. (Chad Wells)
Still riding his wave in Iowa, Mike Murphy, Jr. in early action before taking the main event win at Davenport last Friday. (Chris Damitz)
Jason Jameson ran a gauntlet to finally capture another win Friday night at Moler
Raceway Park (see main page). (Roy
Walker)
After holding back a charge from Alex Ferree, Chub Frank drove home with a Friday night win at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa. (John Stivason)
Bobby Pierce, Brett Sievert, and Mike Glynn race in a tight pack in Kankakee (Ill.) Speedway's "Crosstown Cup", but (below) it was ultimately Shawn Toczek (42) here racing the high side of Mike Provenzano, who sailed to the win. (Dan Simpson)
A-Team Leaders from 1997-2011 (Click on link for complete rundown)
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