Turpen races to victory in Hub City Havoc at Hattiesburg Speedway

Morgan Turpen scored her first USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by K&N Filters win of the 2018 season on Friday night at Hattiesburg Speedway. (USCS photo)

From Pete Walton

HATTIESBURG, Ms. (June 8, 2018) – Two-time United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by K&N Filters National Champion, Morgan Turpen from Cordova, Tennessee raced from outside the second row into the www.RockAuto.com USCS Victory Lane on Friday night at Hattiesburg Speedway to gather the $2000 top prize and collect her first series win of the 2018 season. She became the sixteenth different winner in the first twenty USCS contests during the current season.

Turpen’s team-mate and eleven-time series Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee grabbed the lead from K&N Filters Pole Position starter Tony Agin from Ft. Myers, Florida on lap two of the twenty-five lap main event. Gray then led the main event until lap sixteen when, Turpen shot past on the inside entering turn three to take the lead and never looked back on her way to victory lane.

Gray who discovered his right rear tire was flat in post-race inspection followed his team-mate to the finish line in the runner-up spot. The defending USCS National Champion and current points leader, Jordon Mallett from Greenbrier, Arkansas chased to lead duo to the finish line in the K&N Filters Podium Award third place.

Another Arkansas traveler, Marshall Skinner from Marion, Arkansas raced across the line in fourth place.
The 2017 sprint car USCS Rookie of the Year driver, Brandon Taylor from Cumming, Georgia rounded out the top five. Taylor had collected the most passing points in the heat race qualifying events and then had to start sixth after Engler Machine and Tool First Heat winner Skinner drew a six in the K&N Filtes Pole Award dice roll.

USCS Sprint Speedweek Round #2 (Jackson Motor Speedway) winner, Shane Morgan from Biloxi, Mississippi, led the next group of drivers in sixth place. Joey Schmidt from nearby Ellisville, Mississippi followed in seventh place. Second year driver, Jake Knight from Georgetown, Mississippi was the eighth-place finisher with Tony Agin just behind him in ninth place. The 2012 USCS Rookie of the Year, Jeff Willingham from Ripley, Mississippi rounded out the top-ten.

In preliminary action, Jordon Mallett kicked off the action by winning the USCS Hoosier Tire Speed Dash. As previously mentioned, Marshall Skinner won the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat Race. Terry Gray collected the victory in the Brown and Miller Racing Solutions Second Heat race. Jake Knight advanced the most positions in the main event to garner the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award.

The next USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour event is on this Saturday night (June 9th) when the USCS visits the 3/8-mile ECM Speedway in Bremen, Alabama (www.ecmspeedway.net) for the very first time.

The United Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters would like to gratefully thank its sponsoring partners for their involvement in the 2018 and 22nd USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour. Those include: K&N Filters, www.rockauto.com,Engler Machine and Tool, FireAde, Arizona Sport Shirts, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Butlerbuilt, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Saldana Racing Products, Pyrotect Racing Cells, DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends. PRO Shocks, KSE Racing Products, DHR Suspensions, Schoenfeld Headers, Bell Helmets, DSR Fuel Systems, and the great people at Hero Graphics.

United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by K&N Filters at Hattiesburg Speedway on Friday, June 8, 2018 results:

USCS Hoosier Tire Speed DASH – (6 Laps)1. 14-Jordon Mallett[2] ; 2. 10m-Morgan Turpen[1] ; 3. 10-Terry Gray[3] ; 4. 26-Marshall Skinner[4] ; 5. 01-Shane Morgan[6] ; 6. 93-Jake Knight[5]

Heat 1 – Engler Machine & Tool First Heat (8 Laps)
1. 26-Marshall Skinner[4] ; 2. 14-Jordon Mallett[3] ; 3. 10m-Morgan Turpen[8] ; 4. 01-Shane Morgan[2] ; 5. 1s-Joey Schmidt[7] ; 6. B52-Bill Mason[6] ; 7. 44-Ronny Howard[1] ; 8. 12m-Greg Merritt[5]

Heat 2 – Brown and Miller Racing Solutions Second Heat (8 Laps) 1. 10-Terry Gray[1] ; 2. 07-Brandon Taylor[7] ; 3. 38-Tony Agin[4] ; 4. 28-Jeff Willingham[2] ; 5. 44c-Chase Howard[5] ; 6. 93-Jake Knight[3] ; 7. 88-Brandon Blenden[6]

USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour FireAde A-Main 1 (25 Laps)
1. 10m-Morgan Turpen[4] ; Cordova, TN
2. 10-Terry Gray[3] ; Bartlett, TN
3. 14-Jordon Mallett[2] ; Greenbrier, AR
4. 26-Marshall Skinner[5] ; Marion, AR
5. 07-Brandon Taylor[6] ; Cumming, GA
6. 01-Shane Morgan[8] ; Biloxi, MS
7. 1s-Joey Schmidt[7] ; Ellisville, MS
8. 93-Jake Knight[12] ; Georgetown, MS
9. 38-Tony Agin[1] ; Ft. Myers, FL
10. 28-Jeff Willingham[9] ; Ripley, MS
11. B52-Bill Mason[11] ; Richland, MS
12. 44-Ronny Howard[14] ; Nesbit, MS
13. 44c-Chase Howard[10] ; Nesbit, MS
14. 88-Brandon Blenden[13] ; Gulfport, MS
15. 12m-Greg Merritt[15] ​; Nesbit, MS

USCS Sprint Car Series Race Awards:
Hoosier Tire Speed Dash: 14 Jordon allett
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: 26 Marshall Skinner
Brown and Miller Racing Solutions Second Heat: 10 Terry Gray
K&N Filters Pole Award: 38 Tony Agin
JE Pistons Top Guns Award (5th place) 26 Marshall Skinner
K&N Filters Podium (3rd place) Award: 14 Jordon Mallett
Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award: 93 Jake Knight (passed 4 cars in A-Main)
PRO Shocks Top Five Award: (1st place) 10m Morgan Turpen
Saldana Racing Products Super Sixth Award:01 Shane Morgan
Pyrotect Racing Cells Lucky Seven Award: 1s Joey Schmidt
DHR Suspension 8th place Award: 93 Jake Knight
DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends Top Ten Award:28 Jeff Willingham