Lonnie Wheatley, NIXA, Mo. (June 23, 2017) – A return to Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour victory lane for Kyle Bellm and the Resource Asset Management Solutions (RAMS) No. 14k Sprint Car team was the highlight of an ASCS Speedweek that included seven races over the course of nine nights.
The triumph at Amarillo’s Route 66 Motor Speedway on Saturday, June 10, marked Bellm’s second career ASCS National Tour triumph and first since a Devil’s Bowl Spring Nationals triumph in 2013.
“We played it smart on that deal,” the driver of the PPG Automotive Finishes/Colorvision entry explained. “I knew tires would come into play, and they came into play even sooner than I thought.”
Bellm’s game plan worked to perfection.
“(John) Carney blew his with four to go, then I could see the chords on Blake’s (Hahn) right rear under the caution, so I knew we were in good shape,” Bellm commented. “I got around him and as soon as he tried to get on it, he popped his tire too.”
Bellm’s first triumph of the year after four previous top-fives in the VP Racing Fuels/Schure Built Suspensions entry came after a 14th-place finish in the June 9 Speedweek opener at Lubbock’s West Texas Raceway.
Bellm started the remaining five features of Speedweek at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Lawton Speedway, Creek County Speedway, Randolph County Raceway and Lucas Oil Speedway but found that little luck carried over from the Amarillo victory.
“It was good to get that win, it’s what this team was needing,” Bellm commented. “We had some struggles the rest of the week.”
The team found some good speed in the Friday night, June 16, round at Moberly, Missouri’s Randolph County Raceway only to lose an engine.
A balky motor at Lucas Oil Speedway slowed the Christian County Collision Repair/Bybee Lawn Care team’s efforts in the June 17 Speedweek finale at Wheatland, Missouri’s Lucas Oil Speedway.
“The motor was just flat all night, so with it not running right the car was too tight all night,” Bellm explains. “That was disappointing because we always run well at Lucas Oil and we were pretty excited about that one."
The culprit has yet to be determined, but Bellm says that, “We have it narrowed down to two possibilities, so we’ll get that figured out.”
Bellm and the Schaeffer Oil/Prater Designs/The Engine Heater team get to test things out in ASCS Warrior Region competition at Eldon, Missouri’s Lake Ozark Speedway this Saturday night.
“It’s close to home and gives us a chance to make sure we have everything ready to go for four nights next weekend,” Bellm says in reference to a three-day ASCS Warrior Region holiday weekend in Missouri on June 30, July 1 and July 2 that is followed up by a $4,000-to-win tilt at Lake Ozark Speedway on July 3.
2017 Quick Stats: 17 races, 1 win, 5 top-fives, 5 top-tens.
Up Next: ASCS Warrior Region at Eldon, Missouri’s Lake Speedway on Saturday, June 24.
Keep Track: Keep track of Kyle Bellm’s on-track action including schedule and results at http://www.kylebellm.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KyleBellmRacing?fref=ts or on Twitter at @kylebellmracing.
If you would like Kyle Bellm Racing press releases e-mailed directly to you, send your e-mail address to Lonnie Wheatley at lonniewheatley@gmail.com.
Penning the recurring series of “The Wheatley Chronicles” articles on www.sprintcarmania.com, Lonnie Wheatley provides media, public relations and more for select tracks, drivers and events. For more information, Wheatley may be contacted at lonniewheatley@gmail.com.
Article Credit: Lonnie Wheatley