NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

LE Tonglet, the 2010 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock Motorcycle champion, will race as a teammate to White Alligator Racing’s Jerry Savoie as part of a two-bike effort in 2017. Tonglet’s bike will carry the familiar colors of Kenny Koretsky’s Nitro Fish brand, and both Suzuki entries will be powered by engines from Vance & Hines.

“I could not be more excited to be racing with Jerry and [crew chief] Tim Kulungian next year,” said Tonglet, who spends his weekdays as a professional firefighter in his hometown of Metairie, La. “They have built an incredible, competitive program and I can’t wait to be a part of it. Ever since I started racing, it has been mostly me, and my brother [GT], and our dad [Gary]. We haven’t had the resources or the manpower that some of the other teams have. Now, we’re going to have two bikes, which we’ll have twice the data, which should help both of us.”

Savoie is a successful alligator farmer who has spent the last six years building a winning Pro Stock Motorcycle program. In 83 career races, Savoie has reached the final round 17 times and recorded five wins. This season, he has been to five finals and recorded a victory at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis. When the opportunity arose to have former champion and fellow Cajun Tonglet join his team, it was too good to pass up. Savoie hails from Cut Off, La., not far from Tonglet’s hometown of Metairie.

“It’s no secret that we’ve been looking to add a second bike to our team,” Savoie said. “We’ve explored some options in the past, but we felt that LE was the best choice. He’s young and talented, but more importantly, he’s a genuinely good person who comes from a good family. I raced with his father, Gary, 30 years ago, and I can tell you that they are the type of people you want on your team. This is also a good deal for Tim. As far as I’m concerned, he’s the most talented crew chief out here, and he’s worked hard to build a winning program, but when you have one bike, it’s hard to compete with the multi-bike teams. Now, we’ll have the same data that they do.”

“I’m really excited to have LE Tonglet race alongside Jerry Savoie next season,” added Koretsky. “When LE won the championship in 2010, that was a special moment that I’ll never forget. Now, I believe he is in a great position to win another title. If you look at Jerry’s operation, everything is first class. He’s built an incredible team, and we’re grateful to be a part of it.”