Texas Motor Speedway
Hebert rallies from 14th for Port-A-Cool Championship
By Bryan Wimberley
P&W Sales SUPR Series
Shane Hebert climbs atop his car in victory lane. (Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, Texas (March 2) — Shane Hebert of Lafayette, La., and Allgayer Racing started the P&W Sales Southern United Professional tour season with a bang, winning the Port-A-Cool Texas World Dirt Track Championship and collecting $3,500 at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track. | Slideshow
The 14th-starting Hebert overtook teammate Jeremy Payne of Springfield, Mo., with three laps remaining and held off late-charging polesitter Rob Litton of Alexandria, La., at the 4/10-mile oval for his second career SUPR victory.
“I’ve been racing here for a few years in the Modifieds and Limited Modifieds, but this was my first time in the Late Model,” said the 33-year-old Hebert, who started in the seventh row but was up to sixth after just three laps. “I’ve been close, but I haven’t ever won here and I never thought my first victory would be in this series.
“You come here in Late Models and modifieds and you got 125 to 200 cars in each class and you pretty much have to have the perfect car to beat that many competitors at one track. Everything has to click. It happens for someone every time, but it is difficult to be that one person.”
With Litton up front early and Payne taking the lead midway through the 40-lap feature, Hebert tracked down the frontrunners and stalked them while setting up the final run to the checkered flags. Hebert beat Litton, the three-time and reigning SUPR champ, to the finish line by one second.
Payne finished third while making his first Late Model start in more than a year while modified ace Jason Krohn of Slayton, Mo., was fourth. Timothy Culp of West Monroe, La., rallied from 16th to round out the top five finishers.
Notes: Hebert’s Jeff Allgayer-owned No. 9 Pierce Race Car is sponsored by D-A-M Services, Allgayer Inc., Victoria Mack, NAPA and Express Trucking. ... Hebert’s previous SUPR victory came April 7, 2012, in his first-ever series start. ... The Late Model feature concluded about 12:15 a.m. ... Thirteen of 22 starters finished on the lead lap in a race slowed by four cautions. ... The event drew 237 entries among three divisions with Rodney Sanders winning the modified feature and John Whittington the limited modified feature. ... Late Model runner-up Rob Litton won previously in Fort Worth in 2006 and ’09. ... Third-place finisher Jeremy Payne was making his first stateside Late Model start since leaving Springfield, Mo.-based Terry Phillips Racing at the end of the 2011 season. Payne focused on modified racing in 2012 ... Fifth-place finisher Timothy Culp has recently moved his racing shop to Prattsville, Ark. ... Late Model drivers failing to make the feature lineup: Bobby Malchus, Tom Lorenz, Brandon Hightower, Nate Jantz, Mikey Kile, John Klenzing, Ricky Begnaud, Todd Hormel, Darin Busch, Chris Patton, Allen Murray, Robert Metz, Terry Johnson, Jay Sale, Cameron Wilson, Skip O'Neal and Joseph Horn. ... SUPR's season-opening weekend continues Sunday at Kennedale Speedway Park for the first-ever series visit to the Texas oval.
Port-A-Cool Texas World Dirt Track Championship: (1) Shane Hebert, (2) Rob Litton. (3) Jeremy Payne, (4) Jason Krohn, (5) Timothy Culp, (6) Morgan Bagley, (7) Kevin Sitton, (8) Chase Allen, (9) Ray Moore, (10) Sean Jones, (11) Patrik Daniel, (12) Jim Bryant, (13) Wendall Bolden, (14) Tyler Erb, (15) Jeff Chanler, (16) Steve Whiteaker Jr., (17) Chris Brown, (18) Gary Christian, (19) Jon Mitchell, (20) Ryan Gustin, (21) Jesse Stovall, (22) Zach McMillan. Heat race winners (among 37 cars): Gustin, Moore, Sitton, Jones. Consolation winners: Whiteaker, Hebert. Provisional starters: Erb, Mitchell.
