TONGLET JUMPS TO TOP QUALIFYING SPOT IN PRO STOCK BIKE FIELD
Pro Stock Motorcycle racer L.E. Tonglet is a man of his word.
He said after he double-clutched in Friday night’s final qualifying chance for the NGK Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals and – in his words – “blew the whole run,” he apologized to crew chief Tim Kulungian.
“I told Tim I’m really sorry and that won’t happen again,” Tonglet said.
He not only kept his promise, but he came out Saturday and improved from 10th place on the grid to first, putting himself in the best spot possible to repeat his 2017 victory here.
It marks, surprisingly, only the sixth time in 119 races that the 2010 champion and rookie of the year will lead the field for Sunday’s eliminations.
Tonglet’s 6.812-second elapsed time at 196.99 mph on the zMAX Dragway quarter-mile at Concord, N.C., came in the third overall qualifying session. He showed the consistency of his KPK / NitroFish Suzuki by running a mere on-thousandth of a second off his best time at a faster 197.59 mph in his final chance.
Only four-thousandth of a second separates the top three Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifiers (including No. 3 Scotty Pollacheck on his Suzuki). That underscored Tonglet’s opinion that “the class is so tight right now.”
He said White Alligator Racing boss Jerry Savoie, who qualified eighth Saturday, has a bike that’s coming around. We’re going to have two fast Suzukis tomorrow.”
He and Savoie will line up in the same quartet for the first round of runoffs, and Tonglet said, “We bring out the best in each other. Hopefully I can race him three times tomorrow.”
The top two from each so-called “quad” will advance.
“I feel comfortable racing four-wide,” Tonglet said. “You’ve got to stay level-headed. It does get a little chaotic.”
Tonglet began the year on his own motorcycle with his family-owned operation but is back with White Alligator Racing and the dangerous duo of Savoie and Kulungian, who combined for the 2016 series crown and four final rounds with two victories last season. Tonglet counted this Charlotte triumph as one of his six victories in eight finals last season, when he and Savoie both posted top-five finishes.
This year, Tonglet lost to Eddie Krawiec in the opening round at Gainesville, Fla., in the only other appearance for the bike class so far. But Saturday, he edged Krawiec by two-thousandth of a second for top-qualifying honors.
He credited W.A.R. for his success Saturday, although he gave a disclaimer, saying his goal is to make perfect runs “but this weekend I haven’t done that, by any means.” Still, he said, “Jerry and Tim have built an awesome team. They built a really good program, and I’m just fortunate to be a part of it. It’s good to be back, good to be home. We’re having fun. The bike’s flying, and I’m looking forward to going three rounds tomorrow. We need win lights, and I feel like I’m on a bike that can do that.”
Team Liberty’s Cory Reed was the provisional leader at the end of Friday qualifying. He ended up the No. 7 starter.
Suzuki racer Jim Underdahl held onto the bump spot with a 6.942-second E.T. and a 195.25-mph speed.
Missing the cut were Victory rider Mark Paquette, Kelly Clontz on her Suzuki, and Buell riders Scott Bottorff, Lance Bonham, and Melissa Surber.