Rookie Taylor Brandes snags his first TSRS Late Model victory

Taylor Brandes, who is the 17-year-old rookie driver of the #92 red Monte Carlo, claimed his first feature win in the 40-lap TSRS Late Model Race on Saturday, August 28, at Thunderhill Raceway.

Brandes started out on the outside of the third row in the 10-car field.  Following an incident that involved several cars on the first lap, Brandes went to the pits and restarted at the rear of the field.  He quickly worked up through the field, passing almost half of the remaining cars before the caution flag flew on Lap 5.  

At the halfway point, Brandes strongly challenged TSRS Late Model points’ leader Bobby Teer, Jr., and veteran race JC Umscheid for the lead.  Following a caution on Lap 23, the battle resumed on Lap 30 when the green flag was thrown again (yellow flag laps count until the last ten laps).   Brandes passed both leaders on the restart and held onto the lead for the last ten laps.

The official TSRS Late Model results are shown below:

TSRS Late Model Race
Feature Race

1. 92 Taylor Brandes Garden Ridge, TX 40 laps QT 15.630
2. 54 J.C. Umscheid Austin, TX 40 laps QT 15.604 Hard Charger
3. 2 Bobby Teer Jr. Comfort, TX 40 laps QT 15.385 Fast Time/ Hard Charger
4. 25 JT Schild Leander, TX 40 laps QT 15.849
5. 56 Joey Jenkins Del Valle, TX 40 laps QT 16.425 Hard Charger
6. 28 Jeff O’Neill Round Rock, TX 40 laps QT 16.010
7. 38 Craig Sellman Buda, TX 40 laps QT 16.035
8. 37 Mark Ackerman 32 laps QT 15.996
9. 07 Austin Self Austin, TX 0 laps QT 15.715
10. 3 Mike Reininger San Antonio, TX 0 laps QT 15.718
11. 5 Heather Ables Whitney, TX DNS  DNQ

QT – Qualifying Time
DNQ – Did Not Qualify
DNS – Did Not Start

Austin Self notches third TSRS Late Model victory in a thriller

Fourteen year-old Austin Self continues to impress the Texas stock car racing community as he notched his third Texas Super Racing Series Late Model race of the season and his second-in-a-row at the D-shaped, 3/8-mile speedplant in Kyle, Texas, on Saturday, August 15, 2010.

Self, who started his #07 TSRS Late Model in the seventh spot due to the inversion, quickly moved into second, but fast-qualifier and TSRS points leader Bobby Teer, Jr, slipped under the youngster a lap or two later and to claim the spot and set sail for the leader, JT Schild.

And it wasn’t long before Teer worked his way past Schild to grab the lead and took off, opening a several car-length lead over Schild and Self, who seemed content to stay behind Schild for the time being.
Teer’s lead evaporated on lap 21, however, after a caution flag and subsequent red flag on 27 for liquid on the racing surface.

On the restart Self got under Schild to grab second, but cagey veteran and multi-race winner Robert Barker was quickly moving up through the field after a pit stop during the previous caution.

A lap-33 spin by Kristin Bumbera, who broke a suspension part while running in third place, brought out the second yellow, which then put Barker on Self’s rear bumper and Self on Teer’s rear bumper for the restart.

As the green waved, Self nosed under Teer which moved the leader over just enough to allow Self to get under and pass for the lead. Barker followed Self through the opening which dropped Teer to third. For the next few laps the trio raced nose-to-tail with the large crowd in attendance on their collective feet.
After some paint exchanges up front, Teer got into Barker a bit too hard and Barker spun to bring out the yellow on lap 43. After some discussion, the track ordered Teer to the rear of the pack for the restart with Barker retaining his second place spot behind Self.

On the restart, Barker gave Self a tap, but the youngster held on and retained the lead. But Teer was on a tear and a couple of laps later was filling Barker’s mirror to make it a three car shootout up front with five to go. Barker again tried the bump and run, but this time it backfired and it was Barker who spun to bring out the yellow with five to go.

Would Teer return the favor that Self had used to grab the lead earlier in the race? The large crowd on hand thought so and was on its collective feet as the green waved. And sure enough, the lead pair made a bit of contact and Teer squeezed by to re-take the lead. But as fate would have it, Mike Reininger spun in turn 3-4 to bring out the final yellow of the race before the lap was completed, nullifying the pass for the lead.
So once again the fans were on their feet waiting for the sparks to fly as the green waved with five to go, but this time Self in the FEP Chevrolet was ready and hammered down with Teer having to settle for a last-lap try on the outside which came up a half-car-length short at the finish line. Taylor Brandes, JT Schild and Jeff O’Neil rounded out the top five.

“I have to credit my team and FEP for this one,” Self said. “Heath and JR gave me an awesome car that was there at the finish. We were a little loose earlier in the day, but the car came to me as the track cooled. That was really an exciting race and I’m glad the fans enjoyed it as much as I did.”

Official Results Texas Super Racing Series Late Model event, August 14, 2010
1.07 Austin Self, Austin, TX, 50 laps, QT 15.668
2. 2 Bobby Teer, Jr., Comfort, TX, 50 laps, QT 15.503
3. 92 Taylor Brandes, Garden Ridge, TX, 50 laps, QT 15.624
4. 25 JT Schild, Leander, TX, 50 laps, QT 15.844
5. 28 Jeff O’Neill, Round Rock, TX, 50 laps, QT 16.168
6. 3 Mike Reininger, San Antonio, TX, 50 laps, QT 15.872
7. 17 Robert Barker, Boerne, TX, 45 laps, QT 15.810
8. 04 Cory Roper, Baytown, TX, 36 laps, QT 15.892
9. 06 Kristin Bumbera, Cypress, TX, 35 laps, QT 16.072
10. 5 Heather Ables, Whitney, TX, 31 laps, QT 16.490
11. 9 Jason Campbell, Cibolo, TX, 3 laps, QT 18.891

QT = Qualifying Time

by Nick Holt, Lone Star Speedzone
Photo by Tory Christopher

Rookie Austin Self claims second TSRS Late Model victory

Rookie driver #07 Austin Self started the 50-lap TSRS Late Model Reagan Smith Memorial Race in the second row on the outside.   He took the lead after the complete restart following an incident on the first lap.  Self held off two hard-charging veteran drivers, #17 Robert Barker and #2 Bobby Teer, Jr., for the win.  It was Self’s second win of the season. 

The complete results are shown below:

TSRS Late Model Reagan Smith Memorial Race

Feature Race

1. 07 Austin Self Austin, TX 50 laps QT 15.677
2. 2 Bobby Teer Jr. Comfort, TX 50 laps QT 15.383 Fast Time/ Hard Charger
3. 17 Robert Barker Boerne, TX 50 laps QT 15.476
4. 92 Taylor Brandes Garden Ridge, TX 50 laps QT 15.581
5. 28 Jeff O’Neill Round Rock, TX 50 laps QT 15.869
6. 56 Joey Jenkins Del Valle, TX 48 laps QT 16.628
7. 5 Heather Ables Whitney, TX 48 laps QT 16.418
8. 04 Cory Roper Baytown, TX 37 laps QT 15.885
9. 3 Mike Reininger San Antonio, TX 2 laps QT 15.966
10. 25 JT Schild Leander, TX 0 laps QT 15.703

QT – Qualifying Time