Culp rules at Lonestar, gets fourth SUPR win of season
Photo courtesy of Best Photography
 

By Bryan Wimberley
O'Reilly SUPR Series correspondent

KILGORE, Tex. (September 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 Series tour Saturday night at Lonestar Speedway. Fourth-starting Culp was on cruise control most of the way, leading 35 of 40 laps at the shortened 3/8-mile speedway, located in east Texas. The rookie collected a $2,500 payday in holding off Morgan Bagley of Longview, Tex., by five-lengths.

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 year's 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.

Starnes fell victim to Culp on lap 5, 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 eleventh 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 & 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 5th-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.

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 5 finish this season in 34 entered events, including four wins at Greenville Speedway, Devil's Bowl, 171 Speedway & Lonestar 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.

Morgan Bagley continues a current comfortable margin atop the point standings, but a day after the Lonestar event, Team 14 had to evacuate their 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 5 in the feature, he stands in a distant 3rd 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 Lonestar, missing heat racing action and putting him at the tail of the grid for the feature -Daniel finished 8th.

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 Lonestar.

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 rear end 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 5th 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.

The O'Reilly SUPR Series makes its next stop at Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track on Saturday, September 17th, for the U.S. National Dirt Track Championship near Justin, Texas. Will Vaught of Crane, Mo., won the earlier series event held at TMSDT in March.

SUPR @ Lonestar: (1) Timothy Culp, (2) Morgan Bagley, (3) Rob Litton, (4) Robbie Starnes, (5) Chris Holley, (6) Allen Tippen, (7) Jim Bryant, (8) Patrik Daniel, (9) Jody Prince, (10) Ray Allen Kulhanek, (11) Jeff Chanler, (12) Jason Ingalls, (13) Wendall Bolden, (14) Gary Christian, (SCR) Robbie Stuart, (SCR) Ronny Adams.

Heat race winners (among 16 cars): Starnes, Litton

O'Reilly SUPR Series points

(Top 15 thru September 10th)
1. Morgan Bagley - 2,564
2. Timothy Culp - 2,354
3. Allen Tippen - 2,280
4. Rob Litton - 1,818
5. Chris Holley - 1,779
6. Jeff Chanler - 1,629
(tie) Kevin Sitton - 1,629
8. Jody Prince - 1,616
9. Ronny Adams - 1,489
10. BJ Robinson - 1,206
11. Robbie Stuart - 1,194
12. Ray Moore - 1,182
13. Jay Brunson - 1,068
14. Robbie Starnes - 933
15. Bubba Mullins - 877
 

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