Tully takes fifth in B-main

Brian Tully celebrated his 64th birthday by racing at Perris Auto Speedway and advancing from last to fifth in the Street Stocks B-main June 2.

“It’s a really wonderful birthday,” Tully said. “One of the best presents I had today.”

Tully qualified for the main event, although a first-lap crash in the B-main led to engine problems which prevented him from racing in the feature.

The race night also included cake in the pits provided by Tully’s family. “I was really surprised and enjoyed it,” Tully said. “It was great to have all the fans celebrate my birthday.”

Tully started his heat race on the inside of the fifth row but spun on the first lap. “I overdrove the first corner,” he said.

Tully was unable to catch up to the other drivers and finished last among the ten cars in his heat race. “It was very slow. The track was real slick,” Tully said.

The top four finishers in each of the three Street Stocks heats advanced to the main event, as did the top eight finishers in the 10-lap B-main. Tully was slated to begin the B-main last among the 15 cars, but only 14 drivers competed in that race and Tully began on the inside of the sixth row.

Tully was stuffed into the inside wall shortly after the green flag was thrown, but his car was able to continue. Another accident on the first lap caused a yellow flag and a full restart for those cars not disabled from that crash, and Tully began the restart on the inside of the fifth row.

Tully was ninth entering turn four of the first lap. Ted Link, who was eighth, spun in that turn. Tully drove around Link to avoid contact and take over eighth place.

Tully gained an additional position during the third lap and passed a competitor on the fourth lap to take over sixth. He inherited fifth place in the sixth lap when Ronnie Everheart limped into the pits.

“That was a thrill,” Tully said of moving from the back to fifth.

That qualified Tully for the main event, but the crash had loosened a bolt. “When I turned into the pits it fell down the carburetor,” Tully said.

That affected a couple of push rods and a valve, and his crew was unable to make the necessary repairs in time for the main event.

Although Tully wasn’t able to race in the main event, the fact that he qualified for the feature gave him an official 20th-place finish along with the associated points for the season standings and payout check. “I worked really hard, and it worked,” he said.

Tully’s crew of Howard Bymark, Brandon Davis, and Laurie Hancock were successful on replacing a distributor which was a casualty of the practice laps. “I was able to enjoy the race,” Tully said.

Three of Tully’s six children and seven of his ten grandchildren were at the race along with his wife and brother-in-law. “It was a great family night,” he said.

Tully was born in Inglewood on June 2, 1943. He graduated from Hawthorne High School and began his racing career with go-karts at the age of 18. He first began racing stock cars at the Ascot track in 1978 and also raced on the Speedway 605, Oildale, and Adelanto tracks as well as the Irwindale asphalt oval. Tully moved to Fallbrook six years ago.