Motorsports Venues - Modifieds Roar Into The Texas Stock Car Spectacular

KYLE, September 23, 2011: The annual Texas Stock Car Spectacular is scheduled at Thunderhill Raceway (Kyle, TX) this weekend, and the NASCAR A-Line Modifieds will rock the grandstands on Saturday night.

Points’ leader Zak Hausler will try to clench the track and state NASCAR championship titles by holding off the hard-charging Heath Stewart. Both of these racers have won three feature events so far this year at Thunderhill Raceway (THR). Young Jake Kruger had also claimed a victory earlier in the season, and he’ll be back this weekend to toughen up the competition.

Hausler is a 16-year-old rookie driver from Tomball, TX, and he’s all revved up for this weekend’s event.

“I just want to make sure I finish the race this weekend without tearing up my car,” said Hausler. “Of course, I’d like to take home a win, but I know I’ll have some real competition from Heath and Jake. They both know what to do on this (THR) track. My main goal this year is to win the track championships at both Thunderhill and HMP (Houston Motorsports Park).”

Stewart who’s from Del Valle, TX, has won several championships in the past, including the USRA Super Late Model title in 2005, two Late Model championships at THR and two Late Model titles at Longhorn Speedway. Stewart’s quest for a title this year became more challenging after missing a race earlier in the year due to a non-racing emergency. Stewart goes into Saturday’s event 76 points behind Hausler.

“I hope to qualify well and possibly set the track record this weekend,” said Stewart. “Then I need to draw well and hopefully start on the pole (top six qualifiers draw for position). Zak and Jake are both fast. Zak has figured out the track, and Jake has shown us that he knows how to win at Thunderhill. If I hadn’t missed that race earlier in the year, I feel the points’ race would be much closer.”

Kruger is an 18-year-old rookie from Bastrop, TX, and he’ll be driving the #30 Wildchild Motorsports NASCAR Modified. This teenage competitor also has a championship title under his belt – capturing the coveted TSRS Late Model championship in 2009.

Following his Modified victory at HMP last weekend, Kruger hopes to continue his winning streak.

“I just want to beat everybody,” commented Kruger. “Both Heath and Zak are strong threats, and I know Heath has really come on strong during the last part of this season.”

Some of the other anticipated Modified entries include H E Naumann and Robert Walton. Naumann has consistently turned in Top Five finishes all year.

Ryan Engelhardt will also be returning to the track, along with his dad, Hal Engelhardt. (Hal) Engelhardt is from Austin, TX, and he’ll be making a comeback this weekend after a 26-year “retirement” from racing. He raced a Super Stock at San Antonio Speedway for several years in the 1980s, and he has been the pace car driver at THR off and on since it opened in 1998.

“It would be worth the price of admission for everyone to see me race again,” joked (Hal) Engelhardt. “I’m really excited about returning to racing this weekend, especially since I’ll get to race against my son. We’ve never raced together before, and it’s something we’ve always wanted to do.”

The Spectacular on-track action will begin at 7:00P on Friday. Qualifying runs will held for all 11 divisions throughout the night, along with feature races for the TSRS Allison Legacys, NasKart Pro Racing Series, Mini Stocks and Grand Stocks.

Saturday’s events include a Meet the Drivers autograph session on the front straightaway, starting at 5:15P. Opening Ceremonies are scheduled for 6:00P, followed by feature races in seven divisions – the NASCAR A-Line Modifieds, NASCAR Trucks, NASCAR TSRS Late Models, NASCAR A-Line Super Stocks, Dwarf Car Series of Texas, SportMods and Thunder Stocks.

Thunderhill Raceway is a 3/8-mile, D-shaped asphalt oval track that’s located at 24801 IH-35, Kyle (TX), just north of San Marcos and south of Austin, at Exit #210 (Yarrington Road), just behind the Roger Beasley Hyundai dealer (formerly ThunderZone). Information on Thunderhill Raceway may be found on the track website at www.thunderhillraceway.com.