Ray Allen Kulhanek Ready to Tackle the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour Next Year.
Story By: BRYAN HULBERT /ASCS SERIES MEDIA
Photo By: JAY HALLAS
DANBURY, Texas – November 23, 2016-Ray Allen Kulhanek and team owner Bruce Griffith have announced plans to take on the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour full time next season.
“I’ve worked really hard trying to go run the ASCS National Tour,” Kulhanek said. “I’m pretty excited to do that and feel blessed to have the opportunity. To team up with a guy as established as he is it’s an honor and a blessing. I’m not going to race for anything less than the championship. I know that we’re capable of doing it. We have to put all the right pieces of the puzzle in the right place. It’s going to be a lot of work over the winter.”
This year Kulhanek was sidelined for approximately six weeks because of burns sustained while racing.
“That accident was scary,” Kulhanek said. “No driver wants to go through anything like that or see another driver go through anything like that. I had a lot of mental things running through my mind. I didn’t want to end the year with the accident being the last memory of racing I had. To be lucky enough to get back in a car is a blessing.”
Kulhanek scored four feature victories during the year despite missing six weeks, including three straight weekends with a triumph in July.
“I think the highlight of the year is between the last race I won and the one at Texarkana, which was the first night I drove for Bruce Griffith,” he said. “Being a new car, new team, different engines … to go out and win the first night was a confidence booster to know you can adapt quickly.
“I had some good runs that we didn’t get results on,” he said. “We had good speed all year long. We just needed Lady Luck to be a little friendlier and hopefully she will be next season.
“I want to give a special thanks to Bruce for the opportunity as well as Keith Odom, Mark Jones and Tim Cooper with Big Bass Tour, Randy with Alcon Construction, Marvin and Peggy Pearson as well as Dave and Beverly Miller with Miller’s RV Park for all they have done. All of my sponsors are amazing and I feel so grateful for their support.”
