Drag Illustrated Issue 127, November 2017 | Page 60

30 UNDER 30 The White Alligator Racing lifestyle was a major departure from the low-budget operation Tonglet and his family left behind in Louisiana. Tonglet, who once barely scraped together enough money to fund big moment after big moment during his championship season, suddenly found himself as a part of one of the most professional and sophisticated operations in the Pro Stock Motorcycle pits. It didn’t take long to get used to the new atmosphere. “For one, the main thing that sticks out when I pull up at the track is the big 18-wheeler com- pared to our 24-foot Pace trailer,” laughs Tonglet, whose 2010 championship motorcycle had sur- vived a beating during Hurricane Katrina five years before carrying him to the title. “The other thing is being able to fly in to races. We flew to the most races we’ve ever flown to this year because we usually have to drive to the races to bring the bike and everything. That took a lot of the pres- sure and stress off, being able to fly in and fly out. Then just the technology and resources that Jerry and Tim (Kulungian, crew chief ) have on the motorcycle and in the trailer is just unbelievable.” A board the Nitro Fish Racing Suzuki with additional support from Suzuki Extended Protection, Mr. Race Oil and Denso Spark Plugs, Tonglet enjoyed a season that was almost as statistically different from his 2010 championship season as it was different in terms of resources. In 2010, Tonglet hit his stride in the Count- down when he reached five of his season-total seven final rounds, winning four of them. He 60 | D r a g I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com TEAM EFFORT LE Tonglet and his father, Gary (center), joined the White Alligator Racing team this season, coupling their 2010 world-championship knowledge with the tuning expertise of Tim Kulungian (left), who tuned Jerry Savoie to the 2016 world championship. Issue 127