Despite Bad Luck, Kole Raz Expects to Compete for the $8,000 Win
Despite Bad Luck, Kole Raz Expects to Compete for the $8,000 Win at All American Speedway
Kole Raz had quite the adventure the last time the Spears Srl Southwest Tour Series visited ALL AMERICAN SPEEDWAY – ROSEVILLE CA in May. Raz and Carlos Vieira ended up in the front stretch wall 38 laps into the 147-lap event. Vieira was eliminated and Raz looked to have extensive damage to his Sigma Performance Services Super Late Model. But his crew went to work, and he returned looking more like a Spears Modified Series machine. 109 laps later, Raz parked his Super Late Model on the front stretch after securing a fifth-place finish in the “JM Environmental Inc. Wild West Shootout – Are You Ready 147 presented by 51 FIFTY LTM.”
Raz will make his return to Roseville on the 18th of September for the “Nut Up 125 presented by 51 FIFTY LTM.” It will be Round #9 of the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series 10-race schedule. Raz will be looking for a much calmer race, but would love to improve upon his fifth-place finish and park it in Victory Lane. He could take home $8,000 thanks to the $3,000 Motor City Throwdown Challenge bonus. Based on his wild comeback in May, Raz is confident he will be fast at the 1/3-mile oval.
“Crazy would be a fair way to put our last trip to AAS”, the 2021 Kulwicki Driver Development Program finalist recalled. “You know I was ready to actually climb out after the incident, figuring our night was over. But I was able to get the car re-fired and come back to a strong run. I’m looking forward to going back. I think even with our damage last time out, we had a really strong race car. I love the track. It’s a great facility and looking forward to another race weekend. I just really need a smooth weekend to transpire, and I believe if we have that, we will be in contention with these top dogs.”
The two-time NASCAR Advanced Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series State of Arizona Champion, as well as the 2020 Tucson Speedway. Track Champion, has experienced a season of bad luck in both the SRL and the Northwest Super Late Model Series. But he has still managed a fourth-place standing in the SRL, scoring three top-five’s and six top-10’s in eight events. He also sat fourth in the NWSLMS standings, before missing last weekend’s event at Hermiston Raceway. In his six starts he had two top-five and three top-10’s, but three mechanical DNF’s, the most heartbreaking being a motor failure, while appearing to have the best car at South Sound Speedway.
In his last SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series event, Raz led 76 laps at Stockton 99 Speedway – Stockton Ca. He was running third when on lap 155 he was contacted in the rear, causing a three-car incident that eliminated the Rookie-of-the-Year competitor. It was just another disappointment for Raz, who has been fast at almost every event.
Next Saturday, Raz hopes to finally turn his luck around and show the potential that he and his team have demonstrated in the past. An $8,000 win would go a long way to demonstrate his skill behind the wheel and shake 2021’s bad memories from his mind. For that opportunity Raz is thankful.
“I would really like to thank Brad and Joan Corneliusen, as well as my family, Jimmy, Garret, Patrick, Ken, Dustin Ash, and all the race fans who come out to support us. Of course, I would really like to thank the members of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program, for the opportunity to represent them at the track at each event.”
The “Nut Up 125 presented by 51 FIFTY LTM” will be Round #9 of the 2021 SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series season. They will be joined by the SPEARS Pro Late Model Series presented by Sigma Performance Services, and the SPEARS Modified Series. The BMR Driver’s Academy will also be on the card. $8,000 will be on the line for the winner, other than Derek Thorn, thanks to the Motor City Throwdown Challenge. For those who cannot attend, the races can be followed LIVE on www.SpearsRacing.TV. It will be broadcast on MAVTV at a time and date to be named later.
Celebrating its twenty-first season in 2021, the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series is a regional stock car series competing on paved ovals in the southwestern portion of the U.S. “The SPEARS Southwest Tour Series…Where the Champions Race”.
