From Pete Walton
Eight-time United Sprint Car Series presented by National Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee won the 30-lap USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour feature race during the 3rd annual USCS Thunder in Carolina event at Carolina Speedway on Friday night. It was the first USCS feature win of the young season for Gray over a talent-laden field of twenty-six competitors from eight states that included three top ranked women sprint car racers. Three is most female sprint car drivers ever at any USCS event.
Gray started in the K&N Filters Pole position after Matt Linder from Hoschton, Georgia drew a six inversion in the K&N Filters Pole Award drawing on the front stretch with a packed grandstands looking on, in front of the speedway’s largest crowd ever. The inversion placed Gray on the pole and Lance Moss from Cherryville, North Carolina outside the front row.
On the initial start the veteran Gray raced into the lead that he never relinquished for his fourth USCS/Carolina Speedway win in a row going back to April 24, 2009. Lance Moss tucked in behind Gray and kept it close the for the first four laps until Erin Crocker (Evernham) from Mooresville, North Carolina raced past Moss into the second position to challenge Gray. On lap fourteen Moss surged back past Crocker for the runner-up spot. The race was never a runaway by Gray who seems to have a lock on the red clay 4/10 mile oval. There were two red flags and one caution period that kept the field bunched
Moss finished just one and one half car lengths back of Gray at the end. Erin Crocker followed in third place. Matt Kurtz from Jacksonville, Florida finished in the fourth position and Josh Weller from Mertztown, Pennsylvania rounded out the top ten.
The next group was headed by C.J. Miller from Denver, North Carolina in sixth place. Tim Perry from China Grove, North Carolina followed in seventh position. Matt Linder who won the Butlerbuilt Second Heat Race finished eighth. The evening’s Goodyear Speed Dash winner 17-year old female sprint car racer, Morgan Turpen, Bartlett, Tennessee finished ninth. Coby Adams from Mooresville, North Carolina rounded out the top ten finishers.
Lance Moss won the 8-lap Engler Machine and Tool First Heat Race. Matt Linder rolled to victory in the Butlerbuilt Second Heat Race. The Schoenfeld Headers Third Heat Race was won by the eventual feature winner Troy Severin from Ashland, Virginia. Jake McLain garnered the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award passing eleven cars in the main event. Morgan Turpen garnered the Goodyear, Rookie of race honors.
The next United Sprint Car Series racing event is on Saturday, May 1st at Jackson Motor Speedway in Jackson, MS. For more information on that event please visit www.jacksonmotorspeedway.net . For rules and info on the USCS please visit www.uscsracing.com or call 770-460-7223 or 770-86-6097.
USCS results Thunder in Carolina Round – Carolina Speedway 4/23/10
Goodyear Speed Dash: Morgan Turpen, Johnny Bridges, Terry Gray, Brian Thomas, Brian Carter and David Thorman.
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: Lance Moss, C.J. Miller, Tim Perry, Brian Carter, Johnny Bridges, David Thorman, Brad Wickham, Joe Larkin and Jessica Zemken.
Butlerbuilt Second Heat: Matt Linder, Matt Kurtz, Erin Crocker, Josh Weller, Nick DeFeo, Brian Thomas, Jake McLain and Brandon McLain.
Bar’s Leaks Third Heat: Troy Severin, Terry Gray, Eric Riggings, Jr., Morgan Turpen, Coby Adams, Ryan Price, Nick Bash ford and Brandon Rekow. Adam Jackson DNS
USCS presented by Goodyear Feature Race results (30 laps)
1 – 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN
2 – 23 Lance Moss, Cherryville, NC
3 – 19 Erin Crocker, Mooresville, NC
4 – 92 Matt Kurtz, Jacksonville, FL
5 – 63 Josh Weller, Mertztown, PA
6 – 9 C.J. Miller, Mooresville, NC
7 – 36 Tim Perry, China Grove, NC
8 – 1X Matt Linder, Hoschton, GA
9 – 80 Morgan Turpen, Bartlett, TN
10 – 29 Coby Adams, Mooresville, NC
11 – 67 Jake McLain, Indian Trail, NC
12 – 67 Brian Thomas, Pendergrass, GA
13 – 96d Nick DeFeo, Marietta, GA
14 – 69 Brandon Rekow, Mooresville, NC
15 – 33 Joe Larkin, Suwannee, GA
16 – 6c Brian Carter, Concord, NC
17 – 47 Eric Riggins, Jr., Charlotte, NC – Rookie
18 – 07 Johnny Bridges, Cherryville, NC
19 – 11 Troy Severin, Ashland, VA
20 – 6w Brad Wickham, Rutherfordton, NC
21 – 822 Ryan Price, Ashland, VA
22 – 24X Nick Bash ford, China Grove, NC
23 – 5 David Thorman, Greenville, SC
Did not start the feature:
14 – Jessica Zemken, Sprakers, NY
21b – Brandon, McLain, Indian Trail, NC
46 – Adam Jackson, Birmingham, ENG
GODYEAR SPEED DASH WINNER: Morgan Turpen – Rookie
K & N FILTERS POLE AWARD: Terry Gray
KSE Hard Charger AWARD: Jake McLain (started 22nd passed 11 cars)
GOODYEAR RACING TIRE YOUNG GUN OF THE RACE: Matt Kurtz (4th place)
ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Morgan Turpen
JE PISTONS TOP GUNS AWARD: Josh Weller (5th place)
K&N FILTERS 3RD-PLACE AWARD: Erin Crocker
BUTLERBUILT 4TH-PLACE AWARD: Matt Kurtz
Dynotech TOP FIVE AWARD: Josh Weller
ENTRIES: 26
PROVISIONALS: None
LAP LEADERS: Terry Gray Laps 1-30