By Pete Walton
Atlanta, GA – May 15, 2017 – The United Sprint Car Series 21st annual Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by K&N Filters for winged sprint cars makes its only second-ever appearance at Needmore Speedway on Friday, May 19th for the speedway’s USCS “Sprint Car Speed Spectacular”. The USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour winged sprint cars headline the two-night racing event. The top speed for the sprint cars are expected to reach in excess of 130 miles per hour around the high-banked four-tenths mile D-shaped clay oval. The two nights of speed include a www.rockauto.com USCS 600 Sprint Car Series sanctioned event for winged mini sprint cars as well.
The USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour winged sprint cars and the www.rockauto.com USCS 600 Sprint Car Series winged mini sprints will contest a complete action filled racing format including test and tune hot laps, a Hoosier Tire Speed Dash, qualifying heat races and main events in each division on EACH night. The racing card will also feature a full racing program including Late Model and Stock Car Racing in the speedway’s weekly racing divisions each night as well.
Fans can expect a talent laden field in both divisions. The United Sprint Car Series drivers entered include two-time (2015 and 2016) National Champion Morgan Turpen from Cordova, Tennessee who is the top ranked female sprint car driver in North America. Turpen may be the hottest sprint car drver in the land presently, as she has a four-race win streak going coming into Friday’s opening night event at Needmore Speedway.
Also entered is her team-mate and eleven time USCS National Champion and current points leader, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee who ranked second in the final USCS 2015 and 2016 National standings. Gray currently leads the USCS National point standings by just a dozen points over 2016 National Sprint League 360 sprint car Champion, Jordon Mallett from Greenbrier, Arkansas. Mallett leads the USCS Southern Thunder regional series point standings.
Other USCS regulars who are traveling to Needmore Speedway include 2016 USCS Rookie of the Year, Danny Sams III, from Englewood, Florida who finished in third place in the USCS National point standings in 2016. The 2012 USCS Rookie of the Year, Jeff Willingham from Ripley, Mississippi who was fourth in the 2015 National standings is entered, as is 2014 USCS Rookie of the Year, Brandon McLain from Indian Trail, North Carolina. Eric Riggins, Jr. from Charlotte, North Carolina who was a four-time 2015 USCS winner and finished in the runner-up spot in.
The USCS regulars will have their hands full with a challenge from several Florida drivers who have previously won USCS sprint car races including former USCS regular Danny Martin, Jr. from Sarasota, Florida. Martin who competes on a part-time basis in the traveling series, won three times in 2015 and five times in 2016 USCS competition. Martin dominated on the series’ first-ever visit to Needmore Speedway in 2016 by parking his Doug Shaw owned #24 in the www.RockAuto.com USCS Victory Lane on both nights as the feature winner.
Other expected entries include Tony Agin from Ft. Myers, Florida who is currently fifth in the USCS National point standings. Also reentered is the Southern Outlaw Sprint series 2016 Rookie of the Year, Joey Schmidt from Ellisville, Mississippi. Another talented young gun and USCS Rookie of the Year contender, Brandon Taylor from Cumming, Georgia has joined the entry list as well.
USCS veteran drivers Brian Thomas from Pendergrass, Georgia and Bob Auld from Largo, Florida are both expected too. Other drivers entered from North Carolina include veteran sprint car driver Lance Moss from Cherryville and Rookie of the Year contender and currently Rookie of the Year points leader, Scott Hunter from Concord, North Carolina.
A strong contingent of Jacksonville, Florida drives is entered including veteran racer Terry Witherspoon and son Tanner Witherspoon. Aditionally, Matt Kurtz a former Top Gun Sprint Series Champion, Shawn Murray and Darren Orth, all three from Jacksonville are expected as well.
The grandstands gates open at 5pm on Friday, May 13th. Test and Tune hot laps kick off at 7 pm with racing action beginning at 8pm. On Saturday night gates open a half hour earlier and racing kicks off at 7:30 pm.
Needmore Speedway is located at 1060 John Vickers Road in Norman Park, Georgia 31771. The track phone number 229-630-7207. The Official website is www.needmorespeedway.org
For rules and updated schedules and other info for the USCS please visit the official USCS website at www.uscsracing.com The USCS phone numbers are 770-460-7223 and 770-865-6097.