November,15 2010
LE Tonglet Named Top NHRA Rookie Driver
One day after he became NHRA's youngest world champion, LE Tonglet picked up two prestigious post-season honors - the $20,000 Automobile Club of Southern California's Road to the Future Award and the Full Throttle Hard-Working Crew Award - during Monday night's awards ceremony in West Los Angeles
He also collected the championship trophy and the $75,000 check that accompanied it.
The Road to the Future Award recognizes the top rookie driver of the year, and the 20-year-old Pro Stock Motorcycle champ's stellar performance in the Countdown playoffs drew the most ballots from motorsports journalists. The other two candidates were Pro Stock driver Shane Gray and Jeff Diehl in Funny Car.
"It was an honor to receive this award," said Tonglet, who won four of the six playoff races. "We have the opportunity to win more championships, but we only have one chance to get this Auto Club award.
"This is very special because my brother GT won the rookie of the year award in 2001. Our dad (Gary) is a very happy man right now."
Team Tonglet - Gary, LE and GT - added another $5,000 to their coffers when fans voting via the Internet decided the Nitro Fish Suzuki team's victory at the prestigious U.S. Nationals deserved the Hard-Working Crew Award.
"There are a lot of people I need thank," LE commented, "but I wouldn't have won anything without my dad, my brother and support from Kenny Koretsky and his Nitro Fish Gear. I am surprised that we were able to accomplish so much in my first year in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class.
"It has been a fantastic season."
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November,14 2010
LE Tonglet wins NHRA Pro Stock Bike championship
The best feel-good story in NHRA’s 2010 Full Throttle Drag Racing Series had a story book ending Sunday afternoon when LE Tonglet got the win light and claimed the Pro Stock Motorcycle world championship.
Team Tonglet – Gary and his two sons, GT and LE combined to put the finishing touches to a memorable six-race Countdown to the Championship run that included four victories in five final rounds. But it was the 20-year-old Tonglet’s second-round defeat of Steve Johnson Sunday that officially ended Andrew Hines’ title aspirations.
Tonglet trailed Hines by 36 points when eliminations began, but Hines stunned everyone with a foul start in the first round, opening the door for Tonglet to ease through and claim the top prize by four points – 2681-2677.
The driver of the Tonglet Racing Nitro Fish Suzuki GSXR immediately took advantage by eliminating Matt Guidera with a quarter-mile run of 6.874 seconds at 189.29 mph to a 7.103 at 185.31 and putting himself one more round win away from the $75,000 championship.
Nonplussed, LE registered a .007 reaction time against Johnson and was never challenged. He won with a 6.860 at 192.66 to Johnson’s 7.018 at 178.02 and became the youngest driver to win an NHRA championship and join 1982 Funny Car champion Frank Hawley and 1997 Top Fuel winner as the only rookie titlists.
“This is just unbelievable,” he said. “I can’t thank my family and Kenny Koretsky enough for this. Without Kenny, we wouldn’t have made it past the race at Indianapolis. We were on a tight budget and thankfully he stepped up at the right time and we have just been on a roll since then.
“This is for my dad because he hasn’t won one of these, but we came close a few times. This is just awesome to be going back home with this championship.”
Tonglet did, however, end his competitive day with a foul start against eventual race winner Eddie Krawiec in the semifinals. “That red light didn’t hurt too badly,” he commented. “It still hurts, but at least we got the big prize.”
What was he thinking when he saw the win light in his race against Johnson?
“Please don’t wake up,” he answered. “It has been an unbelievable year for us since the start.”
Overall, LE won five races in seven final rounds – including the U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis – and accumulated a sparkling 23-2 round-win record in the six playoffs events.
“We weren’t even thinking of winning a championship at the start of season,” Tonglet said. “And then to get the win . . . it was a story book year. We were just having fun. The only race we didn’t have fun was when we broke the motor at Brainerd we and thought our season was over. But (engine builder) Terry Vance (Vance and Hines) helped us out to get us to Indy and Kenny joined us. After that, it was like it was meant to be. It was just one of those things. We couldn’t do anything wrong.
“Getting Nitro Fish on board was a huge help to us. We got a spare motor and we had to use it at Las Vegas and it came through for us. We’ve been running it here and it was hauling. Without Kenny, my dad and GT, we wouldn’t have won it.”
Koretsky was proud of the team’s performance.
“LE has been incredible this year,” he said. “It was fun for me to experience what he experienced in winning a world championship. The whole thing hasn’t sunk in yet. I’ve won a championship. And it only took 28 years and a wise decision to support the Tonglets. GT and I have been friends and he has been a big part of this.”
LE and the team will receive the championship trophy Monday night at the awards ceremony.
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November,5 2010
LE Tonglet ready for final shot at Pro Stock Bike championship
LE Tonglet may not want this drag racing season to end. He’s having too much fun.
The Tonglet Racing team was justifiably pleased and proud when the rookie Pro Stock Motorcycle driver scored a stunning victory over NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing series point leader Andrew Hines to claim the coveted U.S. Nationals title at Indianapolis on Labor Day.
The win in the first of six Countdown to the Championship playoff events propelled him from seventh to second place in points and smack dab in the middle of the championship battle and turned out to be a precursor of good things to come.
Tonglet has been almost perfect ever since. He won three of the next four races and sits a mere 34 points behind Hinds. He also takes a 19-1 Countdown round-wins record into the deciding event, the Automobile Club of Southern California Finals at Pomona, Calif., Nov. 11-14.
LE won at Charlotte and again at Dallas before losing at Reading, Pa. He was unable to gain much ground because Hines was his opponent each time. On Halloween night in Las Vegas, the 20-year-old driver from Metairie, La. once again reached the winner’s circle after beating Matt Smith, who ousted Hines in the semifinals. The decision lifted LE’s 2010 final-round record to 5-2 and put him within two round wins – the closet he’s ever been – of the leader.
“We never really thought we could be in this kind of position,” said Tonglet, driver of the Tonglet Racing Nitro Fish Suzuki GSXR. “I’m glad we can be a threat to Andrew. If we want to beat him, we need to get on the same side of the ladder so we can meet him before the finals.
“We plan to go into Pomona and come out swinging.”
There was a time during the U.S. Nationals’ victory celebration that LE, his dad/team owner Gary and brother GT questioned whether they would be able to compete in the remaining five events. Their dazzling performance attracted the attention of Nitro Fish owner Kenny Koretsky, who stepped in with sponsorship for the remainder of the season.
“LE has done a terrific job,” Koretsky said. “This is a very exciting time for them. I hope they win the championship.”
“We are really confident,” LE added. “The new motor we have is running good numbers and we have two motors that are really fast. That takes a lot of pressure off us. We don’t have to try and save the one motor like we have been doing all year. Now we have a reliable backup that is just as fast, if not quicker than the one we’ve been using. That’s a huge help.
“We’ve couldn’t have done it without support from Kenny Koretsky or Vance and Hines, who supply our motors. It has been a great five races and a great year. For this being my rookie year, I couldn’t ask for anything more.
“We went to Indy hoping to qualify and win a couple or rounds so we could pay for the trip.”
Now, the shoo-in for NHRA’s Auto Club Road to the Future Award (aka rookie of the year), Tonglet hopes Sunday he will add the category’s $75,000 top prize to his list of accomplishments. If he does, LE would become the youngest NHRA world champion and the second rookie champion. Gary Scelzi was first, winning the Top Fuel title in 1997 as a rookie. Hines was 21 when he won his first of three championships in 2004.
“Dad, GT and I are a great team,” LE said. “My dad knows a lot about the sport. He used to ride and he’s been around the sport for a long time. GT rode for six years, so we have a lot of experience between the three of us.”
When it comes to tuning the bike, Gary said he and GT talk to LE about the runs “and we tune it and make the changes.
“We really didn’t have anybody sponsoring us until Kenny came on board. Until then, it was just some local guys at home throwing their names on the bike for fun.
“There’s going to be a lot of pressure on LE at this race,” Gary concluded. “We all have to do our best. It is fun and it’s exciting . . . and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
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October,31 2010
LE Tonglet adds another win; stays in title contention
LE Tonglet had a real treat on Halloween night – a trip to the winner’s circle at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway that included a move to within 34 points of first place in NHRA’s bona fide two-driver Pro Stock Motorcycle championship fight.
Tonglet stretched his amazing streak of consecutive final-round visits to five and notched his fourth victory in that span when his Nitro Fish Suzuki GSXR defeated Matt Smith, 6.951 seconds at 188.86 mph to 6.983 at 189.07.
When Smith ousted point leader Andrew Hines in the semifinals it enabled Tonglet to whittle the difference between him and Hines from 72 to 34 points in the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.
“This has been an awesome year,” said Tonglet, who now has five victories in seven finals in his rookie year. “We have been on a roll in the last five races and we want to keep the momentum going to Pomona (Calif., for the Auto Club Finals, Nov. 11-14).”
Three days ago, however, Team Tonglet – dad Gary, LE and GT – were uncertain how well they would do. “We broke our good motor Friday morning and we were all down because that’s the one we’ve won all the races with,” said LE. “But we put in our new motor and the performance picked up on every run it made.”
It was flawless on Sunday.
Tonglet began by dispatched Bailey Whitaker in the first round (6.986 at 188.81 to 7.126 at 180.40). He eliminated defending series champion Hector Arana in the quarterfinals with a 7.004 at 187.26 while Arana was slowed by mechanical problems and it was Tonglet over Jim Underdahl in the semifinals (6.948 at 190.22 to 6.988 at 190.78).
“That 6.94-second time really came out of nowhere,” LE added. “It really brought our confidence up.”
So did Smith’s upset of Hines.
“Matt helped us a lot,” Tonglet remarked. “That was huge when he went out in the semis and we won the race. They are a very tough team. I think the championship will come down to the late rounds at Pomona.”
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September,19 2010
LE Tonglet 2 for 2 at O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA NATIONALS
LE Tonglet makes it two in a row with O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA NATIONALS Win.
Rookie of the year front runner Tonglet just a little more than two weeks ago was sponsor-less, motor-less and did not even think he would make it to the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, but overcame opposition and qualified #2 and then took out #1 qualifier Andrew Hines for his first INDY U.S. Nationals win.
Now this weekend In Charlotte at the O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA NATIONALS the now Kenny Koretsky Nitro Fish Sponsored Suzuki rider not only snatched the #1 qualifying position from Andrew Hines in the last session but then found himself in a repeat run for the Wally against Hines in the finals to once again put the Harley on the trailer and capture back to back wins. All but locking up the rookie of the year award and moving him one step closer to the PSM series championship. A true Cinderella story.
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September,18 2010
LE Tonglet #1 Qualifier at zMax.
Rookie of the year sensation LE Tonglet has once again shown he has what it takes to shake things up in Pro Stock Motorcycle. The NHRA U.S. Nationals INDY Champion snatched the number one qualifying position from Andrew Hines in Saturday’s last qualifying round at Zmax Dragway in Concord NC. Tonglet who was just picked up by the Nitro Fish stable continues to make a name for himself and once again showed that racing runs in the family.
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September,10 2010
Pro Bike rising star LE Tonglet joins Nitro Fish Racing team.
When LE Tonglet began Monday’s eliminations in his first NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, his primary goal was to win the opening round to see how his unsponsored Tonglet Racing Suzuki stacked up against the powerhouses of the category.
It was, in a word, unbeatable. Now it is sponsored, too.
Kenny Koretsky announced Thursday that he has added the Tonglet Racing Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle team to his Nitro Fish lineup for the remaining five Countdown to 1 championship races. LE’s first event with the bike’s new colors is the O’Reilly Auto Parts Nationals, Sept. 17-19, at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, N.C.
“We want to thank Kenny for helping us,” said LE, the family’s youngest driver. “Getting Nitro Fish as a sponsor is going to boost our spirits going into Charlotte, and it is really going to help out going to each race after that.
“We have a bike that can potentially win the championship now, and with Kenny and Nitro Fish on board, we have a backup,” LE continued. “Now we don’t have to worry if we are going to be at the next race or if this will be our last race. That really takes the burden off us.”
The U.S. Nationals triumph was the second in his first full season of NHRA racing. He was runner-up at St. Louis in his fourth race and went to the winner’s circle two races later at Chicago. His team includes his father Gary and brother GT.
Gary had three top-10 NHRA finishes during his career and GT added to the family tradition with four top 10s. They serve as co-crew chiefs for LE.
“The Tonglet family has been racing for a long time and LE is an excellent driver,” Koretsky said. “He showed Monday that he is capable of winning the championship. He is definitely a top contender for NHRA’s rookie of the year award.”
LE qualified second at the U.S. Nationals behind Andrew Hines and in front of Eddie Krawiec. He ousted Krawiec in the semifinals and erased Hines’ title hopes in the finals with the quickest elapsed time of eliminations, 6.869 seconds at 195.22 mph.
“Our Suzuki is going to have a whole different look at Charlotte,” LE added. “I’m looking forward to seeing how everyone reacts when we unveil it.”
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September,6 2010
LE Tonglet Wins the Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indy
LE Tonglet has made what was just two weeks ago thought to be impossible a reality.
After breaking his only motor in the first round of competition in Brainerd, LE Tonglet’s rookie season had come to an abrupt end.
Not having the funds to fix the motor and continue to race, going to Indy had become an impossible dream. Fate and destiny though it seems had other plans for the young twenty year old PSM racer. So with some help from friends and Vance & Hines Motorsports LE was able to make it to Indy and the Big Go and take home his second win at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis IN.
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August,28 2010
LE Tonglet Headed to Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals.
NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle rookie sensation LE Tonglet is headed to the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.
After losing a engine in the first round at Brainerd it was unlikely that the rookie of the year contender would be able to make it to INDY. With no sponsor and his only engine broken it was not looking good for the 2010 Route 66 winner.
“We were not very hopeful that we would be able to continue after Brainerd, but with the help of some co competitors, friends and fans we were able to pull it all together in the eleventh hour for Indy. I am very grateful for their contributions and support and look forward to showing everyone that we are still here and ready to race. It feels so good to know that so many people are pulling for us and I just want to let them know how much all of us appreciate it.”
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August,14 2010
LE Tonglet gets career best 3rd qualifying position in Brainerd.
Not only has rookie of the year contender LE Tonglet qualified a career best 3rd at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd but he is also has the fasted qualified Suzuki in the field. Once again showing that team Tonglet certainly make the most out of talent and their limited resources.
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August,13 2010
LE Tonglet Qualified 5th after first day at Brainerd.
LE Tonglet finds himself in the 5th spot after the first day of the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. " The updates we did to the engine are working great and even though we bogged real bad in Q1 we know there is room for even more improvment." Tonglet stated.
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August,12 2010
LE Tonglet looking to get locked in at Brainerd.
With Brainerd being the last race before the U.S. Nationals at Indy and LE still 7th in the points. The NHRA team of rookie of the year contender LE Tonglet are very optimistic that Brainerd will keep him in the top ten for the countdown.
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June,27 2010
Tonglet Leaves Norwalk Holding Strong.
LE Tonglet leaves Norwalk still holding his 6th place point standing by getting a first round hole shot win over number six qualifier Karen Stoffer.
Tonglet then advanced to the second round of eliminations, where he ran Andrew Hines. Hines had his work cut out for him as Tonglet did not make it an easy win. Tonglet held the advantage until half track when the power of the Vance & Hines Harley just proved to be too much passing Tonglet by and giving Hines the win.
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June,26 2010
LE Tonglet qualified 11th at Norwalk NHRA Nationals.
LE Tonglet has qualified in the 11th slot in the SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NHRA NATIONALS in Norwalk Ohio.
“ We put on a new tire this weekend and have been fighting a bit with the set up. When we finally found what we needed the air started to go away from us. GT and My Dad as usual have done a great job on getting the bike ready for me.
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June,13 2010
LE Tonglet sixth in PSM points race.
After seven of the seventeen races completed Rookie LE Tonglet finds himself sixth over all in the NHRA PSM national point standings.
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June,13 2010
LE Tonglet takes out Hector Arana at E-Town advances to second straight semi-final.
For the second straight time LE Tonglet has defeated last years PSM champion Hector Arana in eliminations at a NHRA national event.
What was to become the highlight of Sundays PSM eliminations at E-town, LE Tonglet defeated Hector (the Hammer) Arana in a classic heads up confrontation to where Tonglet defeated the Hammer by a mere .0006 of a sec margin of victory to advance LE to his second straight semi-final round.
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June,12 2010
LE Tonglet Qualified 7th at E-Town.
LE Tonglet qualified 7th at the NHRA SuperNationls at raceway park in Englishtown, NJ
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June,6 2010
LE Tonglet Wins Route 66 NHRA Nationals.
LE Tonglet at only his sixth race of his rookie year has won his first NHRA national event by taking out veteran Steve Johnson in the final round at the 13th annual United Association Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Chicago.
In a statement Tonglet said “ I have been waiting for a Wally of my own ever since I was young and saw GT win his first one. I said to myself then that I would have one of my own someday day. Well today is the day”
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June,5 2010
LE Tonglet qualified 4th at Route 66 Raceway.
LE Tonglet with his best career qualifying position yet has qualified in the 4th slot at the 13th annual United Association Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Chicago
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May,14 2010
LE Tonglet qualified 7th after first day of qualifying.
Friday’s qualifying is over and LE Tonglet once again proves he has what it takes to compete with the big boys. LE took the 7th slot in this highly competitive field, and he did so by running the second fastest sixty foot of a 1.065 sec, and a impressive 7.008sec/190.57Mph. “ My Dad and GT made some changes after first round, and we picked up what we needed to improve. We still have two more rounds tomorrow, we will just have to wait and see what they bring.”
Make sure you stop by LE’s pits to pick up a hero card and show your support for LE at this weekends NHRA Summit Racing Southern Nationals, at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce GA.
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May,2 2010
LE Tonglet takes out Hector Arana advances to Finals.
LE Tonglet with a tight .021 light to Arana’s .103 takes out the reigning PSM champion to advance to the final round of Pro Stock Motorcycle against Michael Phillips.
With a truly exciting 1/4 mile run, LE schooled Arana at the tree giving LE the advantage and the win to Arana’s obvious horsepower advantage. “ I feel great Tonglet said. I knew I had to cut a good light to even the horsepower advantage that Hector had over us. I knew that if I could do that I could take the win.” This is LE Tonglets first semi final appearance in the NHRA and it will also be his first final round appearance as well.
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May,2 2010
LE Tonglet Takes out Horne to advance to the Semi Finals.
In a classic heads up pairing LE Tonglet with a slight disadvantage off the line drives away from his old AHDRA teammate Douglas Horne, to take the win and advance to the semi final round at the AAA INSURANCE NHRA MIDWEST NATIONALS.
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May,2 2010
LE Tonglet gets through first round going up against Andrew Hines.
LE Tonglet advances to the next round as Andrew Hines red lights at the line, allowing for an easy advancement to the next round for LE Tonglet.
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April,20 2010
LE Tonglet Qualified 13th at AAA INSURANCE NHRA MIDWEST NATIONALS.
LE Tonglet has once again qualified for Sundays show. After installing the new stroker motor at the track on Thursday afternoon, and then blowing a transmission on Friday’s second round of qualifying, LE found himself still not qualified for Sundays show. The GT Motorsports Team worked late into the night on Friday to get the bike and its transmission back together for Saturdays qualifying. “We worked hard on Friday to get the bike back together, and ready to go for Saturday. We had a lot of help from some of the other teams. We really are grateful for their support and loaned parts. Without them we would probably would not have been able to continue.” With a solid run on Saturday LE edned up qualified a solid 13th.
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April,20 2010
LE Tonglet Headed to St. Louis with a new stroked bullet.
LE Tonglet will show up in St. Louis with a newly stroked Suzuki engine from Vance & Hines racing. “We are looking for some extra power to move us up the qualifying latter and allow us a better chance to go more rounds”
Make sure to stop by and pick up a Hero card and show your support for LE at the track. We’ll see you there.
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April,10 2010
LE Tonglet Qualified Sixth.
Surrounded by Factory ,and Corporate backed race teams, Rookie of the year contender, LE Tonglet has shown them what he’s made of by qualifying in the top half of the field with his ten year old Suzuki.
Tonglet still searching for a major sponsor himself, has attained a solid position in the top half of the show. A place not well known for undercapitalized privateers like himself.
When asked how it feels to be qualified sixth amongst all the other heavy hitters. Tonglet stated.
“I feel honored. Myself and my team are here to do the best job we can. We want to show potential sponsors what we have to bring to the table. We may not have the resources the other guys do, but what we lack in that, we make up for in other ways. My Dad and GT have done a great job with the bike, so I repay that by squeezing every bit out of the biike, as I can when going down the track.”
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April,10 2010
Tonglet runs a 6.910 for another career best.
It’s official, LE Tonglet has set another career best run at the O'REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA SPRING NATIONALS with an impressive 6.910 sec/193.79 mph
Be sure to come out and show your support for LE for Sundays event.
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March,18 2010
LE Tonglet Enterd in at the Inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals.
It’s official, LE Tong is going to Concord North Carolina to compete in the Inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at Zmax Raceway.
Be sure to come out and show your support for LE.
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March,17 2010
LE Tonglet Qualified in the Fastest PSM Feild In NHRA History
The NHRA Gator Nationals may be over, but it went down in the history books as haveing the fastest qualifying field in Pro Stock Motorcycle History. LE also ran a career best ET with a 6.962 at 192.33 Mph.
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March,13 2010
LE Tonglet Makes the Show at NHRA Gator Nationals
“We decided to sit out the last round of qualifying because we knew that I had secured a solid posistion in Sunday’s eliminations. We felt it was best to save a run on the motor than to make another pass.” Tonglet stated.
Sunday’s show will be LE’s sixth time that he has raced in the NHRA PSM series, and the the sixth time that he has qualified and made the show.
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March,13 2010
LE Tonglet sets a new Career Best
Saturday is here and the weather is looking great for second round of qualifying and LE steps it up the pace to run a Career best 6.962 sec / 192.33 Mph
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March,12 2010
LE Tonglet with the fastest 60ft of the round
After an all day rain delay, the first round of qualifying has finally been made, and and LE finds himself in the 11th place slot, in the 23 bike field, with the fastest 60ft-1.07 sec.
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February, 28 2010
LE Tonglet Entered At The Gator Nationals
NHRA Pros Stock Motorcycle racer LE Tonglet has submitted his entry for the 2010 NHRA Gator Nationals.
Although a 2010 title sponsor has yet to be secured LE felt that he had to make the season opener for Pro Stock Motorcycle.
“I felt that is was important to ride at the season opener in Gainesville. I am anxious to throw my leg back over the bike and get some competitive track time in. I just need to be on the track, You just can’t get do that sitting on the side lines or watching it on ESPN2.”
The NHRA Gator Nationals are March 11-14, 2010 at Gainesville Raceway. So come out and show your support for LE Tonglet. He will see you there.
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January, 28 2010
LETonglet.com Gets updated.
NHRA Drag Racer Le Tonglet’s website has been updated with a fresh new look and feel. “ It has been more than three years since the site was first launched, and we felt that we needed to update the site to better reflect our momentum of our NHRA focus.”
The new site allows for easy updates from the road, as well as current news and event postings. In addition there are wallpaper downloads and links to LE’s FaceBook and Twitter pages. The layout is easy to navigate and allows LE to better interact with his fan base and supporters.