By J M Hallas
Killeen, Tx.,(March 6th, 2010) Venerable old Texas Thunder Speedway kicked off it’s 2010 racing season with a new look and new promoter. David Goode took over the reins from former promoter Pat Wilson with his first endevour into running a race track. Goode, a former TTS racer himself still has a son and daughter in the IMCA Modified and Southern Sportmod classes. Continue reading »
Tags: dwarf cars, IMCA, modifieds, sportmods, stock cars, street stocks, Texas Thunder SpeedwayKILLEEN, Texas (March 3) – An early season practice session gave David Goode Sr. a new perspective on running a race track.
The new promoter at Texas Thunder Speedway opened the gates for an afternoon of hot laps on Feb. 20. Skies were overcast and Goode spent as much time answering the telephone as he did tending to last minute details. Continue reading »
Tags: IMCA, modifieds, sportmods, Texas Thunder SpeedwayBy J M Hallas
Killeen, Tx., (March 7th, 2009)
Despite a struggling economy, Killeen’s Texas Thunder Speedway had nearly 100 competitors sign in for opening night on the high-banked, 1/4 mile, dirt oval. Decent weather also brought out the fans as nearly a capacity crowd was on hand as the track kicked off 2009 in grand style. Long time track and IMCA Modified class supporter, Dodge Country was the evenings presenting sponsor.
Egbert ekes out IMCA Modified main win
At first glance, one would figure another win for 2008 IMCA National Champion, PJ Egbert. Not so fast. Tonight it was cousin Trevor finding his way to the Winners Circle in the 20-lap main event. T. Egbert was challenged hard early by Cham Savage, who tangled with a lapped car. After a late restart T. Egbert had to fend off past track champ Hardy Henderson for the hard-earned victory.
Savage was first into turn 1 for the lead as 22 ground pounding, IMCA Modifieds took the green. Outside front row starter, Jimmy Tidwell drifted too high in turn 2 losing several spots to fifth. Ken Old, JP Dowell and Ben Ketteman made their way into second, third and fourth, respectively. Old suffered the same fate on lap 1, going too high in turn 2, spinning from second to bring out a yellow. During caution, PJ Egbert pitted with a flat right front.
On the restart Savage got sideways in turn 2 with Ketteman spinning along with James Cochran and Wayne Walker who ended up in the infield. Dowell was charged with contact on Savage and black flagged.(looked like a hard racing deal to me) Once back to green David Goode took over second when Tidwell again drifted too high. Scooter Bates slowed in turn 3, pitting and giving up his top five spot.
T. Egbert tried top grab second from Goode on lap 2, while Allen Essenburg charged to fourth after starting last, with Henderson, Mike McCarthy and Rick Green making their way forward from mid-pack starts. Brad Jordan brought out the yellow on lap 3 when he rolled to a stop on track. Essenburg got good jump on the restart, too good in fact, bringing the yellow back out and a warning from the starter.
Finally back under green again T. Egbert completed his pass on Goode for second, with Henderson following along for third. T. Egbert got inside Savage on lap 4 and got the point on coming out of turn 2 to lead lap 5. Henderson moved along Savage for second, while Essenburg and Goode were side by side for fourth. Green took sixth from McCarthy on lap 7.
Savage held off Henderson and closed back in on T. Egbert for the lead. Savage would show T. Egbert the nose on several occasions. Green and McCarthy were able to get past a fading Essenburg. At the crossed flags it was T. Egbert, Savage, Henderson, Green and Goode running in the top five.
The lead duo were still nose to tail as they caught slow traffic on lap 12. Savage kept the pressure on T. Egbert as they fought their way around lapped cars. Once clearing traffic Savage was still holding on to T. Egbert’s rear bumper. That battle ended when Savage tangled with a lapped car, peeling the sheet metal off both and bringing out a caution for debris. Savage was forced to pit with a flat right rear.
On the green, white, checkered restart, Henderson made slight contact with T. Egbert and fell back several spots, shaking up the running order. Green assumed second, with Ketteman rebounding from the early spin to third. Green was never able to get close enough to mount a serious challenge as T. Egbert in the 121 Towing & Recovery, Big Tex Autoplex, Pro Image Graphics, E&E Collision Center, Phils Motorsports, Lingo Race Engines, Hoffman Chassis snared the opening night win.
“That was pretty tiring,” stated T. Egbert. “I should have been in better shape. It was a heavy track. I knew Cham(Savage) was there. I could see he was behind me on the scoreboard and every now and then I could see the blue nose piece and knew it was him.”
“That lapped traffic was tough. You have to make a split second decision to pick the bottom or the top. When you see a gap you go for it. It’s all improvising. You can’t try to plan anything especially as fast as you come up on some of these guys. You just make a decision and stick with it whether it’s right or wrong.”
“We’re not going try to get another Egbert championship. We’ll just run when and where we can. I just opened up a new towing business. Whenever I get time I’ll race, but you never know what’s going to happen. All of us Egbert’s get dreams, and we may chase it.
Tags: abilene, engine, hallas, IMCA, Modified, modifieds, speedway, sportmod, stocks, Texas Thunder Speedway, UMPGates Open 6 pm, Races Begin 8 pm
Each Saturday Night – March thru September
GATE ADMISSION PRICES
Pit Admission = $25 (all ages)
General Admission Adults = $10
General Admission Child (ages 6-12) = $3
General Admission Child (ages 5 & under) = FREE!
Tags: speedway, Texas Thunder SpeedwayIMCA Modified King of the Hill Night
By J M Hallas
Killeen, Tx., (June 28th, 2008) Along with the regular weekly class racing night for the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Southern Sportmods, IMCA Stock Cars, Street Stock and Texas Twisters, Texas Thunder Speedway’s high-banked 1/4 mile also had slated the King of the Hill race for the IMCA Modifieds. Unfortunately inclement weather moving in forced track officials to postpone that race until next week, and save promoter Pat Wilson the $200 bounty on his local hotshoe P J Egbert.
Wilson was forced to open up his wallet, let the moth’s out and pay out $350 when a lucky spectator hit the Speedy’s Street Stock Pot of Gold tri-fecta. The Pot of Gold game, which rolls over every week it’s not won, allows fans to try to predict the Street Stock feature’s top three finishers. Not an easy task with the close competition among the class.
In the coming weeks, Texas Thunder Speedway will be auctioning off a chance to ride in one of the Texas Twister cars, with a local driver behind the wheel. Scheduled drivers include two former track and regional champions, P J Egbert and Keith White. Minimum bid starts at $25
Egbert Edges out Ketteman on Last Lap for Win
Despite having his wins streak snapped, Copperas Cove’s P J Egbert has still been hotter than the Texas weather. This week Egbert got a couple breaks with cautions and capitalized on the opportunity. Egbert ran down race-long leader Ben Ketteman, made a last lap charge, held on after getting banged and snatched the victory only leading ½ of the last lap.
The 20-car, 20-lap IMCA Modified main, featuring no less than five former track and three IMCA Regional champions, was paced to green by Joey Craig and George Lamphere jr. Craig and Ben Ketteman ran side by side out of turn 2, with three wide racing in the pack for sixth. Ketteman got the advantage, but one of the track champions, Pat McGuire rolled to stop on the back stretch to bring out yellow and a complete restart.
The second try saw Craig lead into turn 1, but Ketteman come out of turn 2 with the point and Allen Waltermire moving up to second. In the pack it was three wide for fifth, with Allen Essenburg, another one of the champs, getting the position. Essenburg then charged past Lee Chasse and Craig for third. P J Egbert was also on the move running three wide with Gerald Helmandollar and Hardy Henderson for fourth. After taking the spot, P J Egbert ran down Essenburg to get third on lap 5, followed by Henderson.
Ketteman had built a huge lead by lap 6 as he caught the back of the pack. Trevor Egbert caught and got along side Essenburg as they battled for fifth. Henderson, another one of those past champs, wrestled third away from P J Egbert on lap 8. At the crossed flags it was Ketteman still far out front, Waltermire, Henderson and P J Egbert side by side for third, with T. Egbert rounding out the top five.
A fight for second began on lap 11 when lapped traffic closed the gaps between Waltermire, Henderson and the Egbert’s. Yellow waved on lap 12 when Helmandollar, Brad Jordan and Jason Bernal tangled on the front stretch leaving Helmandollar sideways in front of the charging pack, including the second place battle. The caution erased Ketteman’s big lead, but he still had two lapped cars as buffers for the restart.
As green waved again, Ketteman got a good jump, with P J Egbert moving up to second, while Henderson blew up running third and rolled to the infield. This moved T. Egbert to third with Essenburg now fourth. Ketteman had inched out to a five car length advantage when Chasse spun in turn 2 for another caution. This put P J Egbert on Ketteman’s bumper when green came back out. T. Egbert got the drop on cousin P J sneaking by in turns 1-2 for second, but P J recovered getting the spot back in turns 3-4
Tags: abilene, engine, fuel, hallas, IMCA, Modified, modifieds, speedway, sportmod, stocks, Texas Thunder Speedway, UMPBudget Pick-n-Pull Night Texas Thunder Speedway, 4/12/08
By J M Hallas
Polesitter, Mike Autrey beat Tim Foster into turn 1 for the lead of the IMCA Southern Sportmod main, with Mitch Tierney, Mike McDougal and Kenny Ware three wide for second. McDougal got spot and closed in on Autrey while Ware and Eric Tomlinson got by Tierney. Ware, using the high side, took second briefly from McDougal on lap 3. McDougal retook the spot, with Tomlinson getting along side Ware for third.
Ware then charged back getting the best of McDougal, then Autrey to grab the point on lap 6. McDougal took over second as Autrey began to fade with a flat tire. Just as the battle for the lead heated up with Ware, McDougal and Tomlinson three abreast for the top spot, yellow flew for debris on the front stretch. Once back to green, Tomlinson dove inside Ware, and after quick side by side run, Tomlinson snagged the lead on lap 9.
McDougal and Ware were now wheel to wheel for second as current points leader and former track champ, Keith White and Greg Atwood ran side by side for fourth. White continued his charge getting by Ware for third on lap 10, followed by Atwood and Shad Stevens.
David Goode jr spun on lap 11 with a flat bring out a caution and rebunching the field. On green, White edged around McDougal for second as the top three got away clean. Atwood joined the trio with two to go, as White closed in on Tomlinson. As the white flag waved, White made a deep dive into turn 1 on Tomlinson, but came up short with Tomlinson holding on for the win in the BG Products, Nightmare Grafix, Greens Automatic Transmissions, Holt Cat of Waco, Outlaw Race Engines sponsored SSM.
Danny’s Transmission IMCA Southern Sportmods
1. 45t Eric Tomlinson
2. 1 Keith White
3. 224 Mike McDougal
4. 23x Greg Atwood
5. 10 Mike Autrey
6. 83K Kenny Ware
7. 48 Mitch Tierney
8. 9 Olin Dillard
9. 23 Shad Stevens
10. 36 Tim Foster
11. 14 Gary Thomas
12. 107 David Goode,Jr
13. 05 Ryan Anderson
Heat winners, 83K Kenny Ware, 1 Keith White
Tags: engine, hallas, IMCA, midgets, Modified, modifieds, short, speedway, sportmod, stocks, Texas Thunder Speedway, UMPTexas Thunder Speedway, 4/14/07
By J M Hallas
Killeen, Tx.(April 14, 2007) Cold, blustery conditions didn’t deter over 100 race teams from signing in to the pits as Texas Thunder Speedway resumed it’s racing after losing night to snow the previous week. Diehard fans huddled together to watch their favorites in action, along with the Southern States Midget Association as they competed on the high-banked 1/4 dirt track. The winds made for tricky track conditions with the turns 3-4 going dry slick and dusty early, while the leeward end retained it’s moisture.
Tags: hallas, IMCA, short, speedway, sportmod, Texas Thunder Speedway, UMPTexas Thunder Speedway Opens 2006 Season
March 25, 2006 Racing Opening Night
Effective June 11, 2005
IMCA SPORT MODS WILL RUN
EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT
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