Martin wins USCS feature at Needmore Speedway

Danny Martin, Jr. (Chris Seelman Photo)

From USCS

Danny Martin, Jr. raced from his K&N Filters Pole Position starting spot into the www.rockauto.com USCS Victory Lane in the 20-lap USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by K&N Filters preliminary main event on Friday night at Needmore Speedway. The win was Martin’s 25th career USCS win.

Even though he led every lap, the win wasn’t a slam dunk for the three-time USCS National championship runner-up from Sarasota, Florida. Martin charged from the K&N Filters Pole Position into the lead in turn one, but, had to hold off repeated challenges from defending series National Champion Morgan Turpen from Cordova, Tennessee over the first 17 laps of the contest before pulling to a comfortable lead at the checkers. after a lap seventeen caution period bunched the field behind him.

The 2015 USCS National sprint car Champion, Morgan Turpen from Cordova, Tennessee , who started next to Martin in the front row, chased him across the line in the runner-up spot. Jacksonville, Florida’s Terry Witherspoon had a stellar performance and his season’s best finishing behind the duo in the K&N Filters Podium Award in third place. Turpen;s team-mate and eleven time USCS National Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee finished in fourth place after battling the whole race with Witherspoon for that final podium position. USCS Rookie of the Year points leader, In another stellar performance, Brandon Taylor from Cumming, Georgia charged from a twelfth place starting position to round out the top five finishers.

The next group of finishers was led by 2015 USCS Rookie of the Year Nick Snyder from Marco Island, Florida who earlier in the evening set an unofficial track record of 13.08 seconds around the D-Shaped 4/10 mile clay oval while winning the Engler Machine and Tools First Heat Race. Snyder finished sixth in the main event. 14 year-old USCS Rookie of the Year contender, Danny Sams III, from Englewood, Florida followed Snyder in seventh place.

Another past Rookie of the Year, Brandon McLain from Indian Trail, North Carolina who claimed the RoY title in 2014 finished eighth. The 2012 USCS Rookie of the Year, Jeff Willingham from Ripley, Mississippi followed McLain in the ninth position and Clint Weiss from Jessup, Georgia rounded out the top ten drivers.

In the www.rockauto.com USCS Victory Lane, Danny Martin, Jr. said “I really loved this race track, it’s really fast and a lot of fun.” He also gave credit to his car owner and crew, “It’s a great night for us. I have to thank my car owner, Doug Shaw – we couldn’t do this without him.”

The series current 2016 National point’s leader, Terry Gray kicked off the evening’s racing action by winning the Hoosier Tire Speed Dash, Nick Snyder scored the win in the Engler Machine and Tools First Heat. Rookie of the Year points leader, Danny Sams III Danny Martin claimed the checkers in the Brown and Miller Racing Solutions Second Heat,

Nick Snyder was the provisional pole-starter after scoring the most passing points in heat race action, But, after a four was rolled on the K&N Inversion Die, Danny Martin, Jr. received the K&N Filters Pole Award. Rookie driver Brandon Taylor passed the most cars in the A-main (7) to grab the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award.

The United Sprint Car Series presented by K&N continues their 20th anniversary 2016 schedule on Saturday night, with the weekend final at Needmore Speedway.

For rules and updated schedule information about the United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour, please visit www.uscsracing.com or call the series office at 770-460-7223 or 770-865-6097.

United Sprint Car Sereis
Needmore Speedway
Norman Park, GA
Friday May 13, 2016

Dash – 1. 10- Terry Gray; 2. 10m- Morgan Turpen; 3. 116- Nick Snyder; 4. 43- Terry Witherspoon; 5. 21b- Brandon McLain; 6. 28- Jeff Willingham

Engler Machine & Tool Heat 1, Group A – (8 Laps)
1. 116-Nick Snyder[3] ; 2. 28-Jeff Willingham[1] ; 3. 83-Bob Auld[2] ; 4. 24d-Danny Sams III[7] ; 5. 99-Tanner Witherspoon[8] ; 6. 0x-Clint Weiss[6] ; 7. 07-Brandon Taylor[5] ; 8. 34-Darren Orth[4]

Brown and Miller Racing Solutions Heat 2, Group B – (8 Laps)
1. 24-Danny Martin Jr[1] ; 2. 43-Terry Witherspoon[4] ; 3. 10M-Morgan Turpen[6] ; 4. 10-Terry Gray[7] ; 5. 21b-Brandon McLain[8] ; 6. 67-Jake McLain[5] ; 7. 22-Shawn Murray[2] ; 8. 29-Kyle Amerson[3]

USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour A-Main 1 – (20 Laps)
1. 24-Danny Martin Jr[1] ; 2. 10M-Morgan Turpen[2] ; 3. 43-Terry Witherspoon[3] ; 4. 10-Terry Gray[6] ; 5. 07-Brandon Taylor[13] ; 6. 116-Nick Snyder[4] ; 7. 24d-Danny Sams III[5] ; 8. 21b-Brandon McLain[9] ; 9. 28-Jeff Willingham[7] ; 10. 0x-Clint Weiss[11] ; 11. 22-Shawn Murray[14] ; 12. 29-Kyle Amerson[16] ; 13. 67-Jake McLain[12] ; 14. 34-Darren Orth[15] ; 15. 99-Tanner Witherspoon[8] ; 16. 83-Bob Auld[10]