Crawley blasts to USCS Spring Xplosion finale win at Magnolia

By Pete Walton

Columbus, MS – March 27, 2010 – Tim Crawley from Benton, Arkansas charged past Friday night’s preliminary feature winner Jason Sides from Bartlett, Tennessee between turns three and four on lap twenty-three and led the final eight circuits to victory lane in the United Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear Spring Xplosion 30-lap main event at Magnolia Motor Speedway on Saturday night. It was Crawley’s first USCS presented by Goodyear win of the season in three attempts in the familiar Ward Racing #88. Crawley won eleven times in 2009 USCS competition.

Sides who hit a rut entering turn three on lap twenty-three, momentarily slowed giving Crawley the opportunity to race past him. Sides followed Crawley, the 2008 USCS Mid South Thunder regional series Champion to the finish line in the runner-up spot. The defending and eight-time USCS National Champion Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee who started twelfth raced home in third place. Michael Dupuy from Amite, Louisiana followed Gray in fourth place. Young gun Brad Bowden from Hernando, Mississippi charged from a fourteenth place starting position passing nine cars to round out the top five drivers.

Jerrod Hull from Sikeston, Missouri led the next group with his second sixth place finish in two nights. in sixth. 2007 USCS Rookie of the Year and USAC Silver Crown racer Derek Hagar from Marion, Arkansas was a one man show as he started eleventh and raced his way around the top of the slick 4/10 mile racing surface up to fourth position twice before fading to seventh position. Past USCS Champion, Marshall Skinner from West Memphis, Arkansas who won the season-opener last weekends at Malden Speedway finished in the eighth position. The 2008 USCS National Rookie of the Year, Anthony Nicholson from Bartlett, Tennessee collected the ninth position paycheck and 2008 USCS Mid South regional series Rookie of the Year, Chris Williams rounded out the top ten finishers.

Jason Sides won the 6 cars, 6 laps, Goodyear Speed Dash. Wade Oliver from Southaven, Mississippi won the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat. Marshall Skinner won the Butlerbuilt Second Heat. The FSR racing Third Heat victory was collected by Chris Williams. Michael Miller from Ocean Springs, Mississippi won the 10-lap K&N Gold Filters B-MAIN after early race leader Ronny Howard from Nesbit, Mississippi coasted to the infield with engine woes on lap eight.

Jan Howard was the K&N Filters Pole award recipient after the previous night’s feature winner Jason Sides drew a four inversion pill in the K&N Filters Pole Award drawing. Brad Bowden collected the honors for Goodyear Young Gun that is awarded to the top finishing driver under 25 years old.

The only female driver in the 30 car field, Morgan Turpen from Bartlett, Tennessee garnered the Rookie of the Race honors while finishing in eleventh place in the main event. The seventeen year-old Turpen also edged out team-mate Terry Gray and young gun Brad Bowden for the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award. Both of those drivers passed nine cars in the A-main, but she passed ten to garner the award that goes to the driver thar=t advances the most positions in the main event.

The next USCS presented by Goodyear sprint car event will be on pavement on Saturday April 10th at Lanier National Speedway. For more info please visit www.uscsracing.com or call the series office at 770-460-7223.

USCS presented by Goodyear results Magnolia Motor Speedway – Sat., March 27th

USCS Goodyear Speed Dash: Jason Sides, Tim Crawley, Michael Dupuy, Jerrod Hull, Terry Gray and Jan Howard.

Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: Wade Oliver, Terry Gray, Brad Bowden, raymiond Stull, Matt Linder, Michael Miller, Morgan Turpen, Carl Zaniboni and Jay Adams.

Butlerbuilt Second Heat: Marshall Skinner, Jerrod Hull, Justin Carver, Derek Hagar, Ronny Howard, Brian Bell, Jared Kelly and Ryan Moore.

FSR Racing Third Heat: Chris Williams, Tommy Worley, Jr., Anthony Nicholson, timmy Thrash, Jon Stinson, Lee Sowell and Troy Dow.

B-main 10-laps: Michael Miller, Jon Stinson, Morgan Turpen, Ray Bugg, Troy Dow, Carl Zaniboni, Ryan Moore, Ronny Howard, Lee Moore, Jay Adams, Jared Kelly and Brian Bell DNS.

USCS presented by Goodyear Spring Xplosion A-Main 30-lap Finale:

1 – 88 Tim Crawley, Benton, AR
2 – 7s Jason Sides, Bartlett, TN
3 – 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN
4 – 00 Michael Dupuy, Amite LA

5 – 39 Brad Bowden, Hernando, MS
6 – 12 Jerrod Hull, Sikeston, MO
7 – 9 Derek Hagar, Marion, AR
8 – 26 Marshall Skinner, West Memphis, AR

9 – 16 Anthony Nicholson, Bartlett, TN
10 – 8x Chris Williams, Cordova, TN
11 – 80 Morgan Turpen, Bartlett, TN
12 – 26s Jon Stinson, Memphis, TN
13 – 4m Michael Miller, Ocean Springs, MS
14 – 1x Matt Linder, Hoschton, GA
15 – 46 Jan Howard, Marion, AR
16 – 51 Lee Sowell, Nesbit, MS
17 – 6 Raymond Stull, Independence, MS
18 – 09 Timmy Thrash, Gulfport, MS
19 – 58 Wade Oliver, Southaven, MS
20 – A12 Tommy Worley, Jr., Farmington, MO

21 – 25 Ray Bugg, Iuka. MS
22 – Justin Carver, Drummonds, TN

GOODYEAR SPEED DASH WINNER: Jason Sides

K & N FILTERS POLE AWARD: Jan Howard

KSE Racing Products HARDCHARGER Award : Morgan Turpen (started 21st passed 10 cars)
GOODYEAR TIRE YOUNG GUN OF THE RACE: Brad Bowden
RE TECHNOLOGIES ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Morgan Turpen
JE PISTONS TOP GUNS AWARD: Terry Gray (3rd place)
K&N FILTERS 3RD-PLACE AWARD: Terry Gray
BUTLERBUILT 4TH-PLACE AWARD: Michael Dupuy

DYNOTECH TOP FIVE AWARD: Brad Bowden

ENTRIES: 30
PROVISIONALS: None

LAP LEADERS: Jason Sides Laps 1-22; Tim Crawley Laps 23-30