By Pete Walton
June 5, 2010 – Greenville, MS – Past USCS series Champion, Marshall Skinner from West Memphis, Arkansas started eighteenth, then steadily charged forward into the runner-up position on lap twenty-four. Skinner then passed veteran Jan Howard from Marion, Arkansas for the lead one lap later in the thirty-lap United Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear main event to capture the Biobased USA (FARM Products) USCS Speedweek 2010 Finale at Greenville Speedway on Saturday night. Skinner picked up a $2000 paycheck for his win and clinched the title as Biobased USA USCS Speedweek 2010 Champion. It was Skinner’s second win of the week in the rain-shorted Speedweek 2010 mini-series and the third win of the season in USCS competition.
Midwest hot-shoe Tommy Worley, Jr. from Farmington, Missouri collected the most passing points in the qualifying heat races. Worley then drew a zero in the K&N Filters Pole Award drawing. This placed Worley who charged from last to second in the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat on the K&N Filters Pole with first heat winner, Jan Howard outside the front row. Young gun Brian Bell from Cordova, Tennessee, who won the FSR Racing Products Third Heat, was inside row. The Butlerbuilt Second Heat winner Raymond Stull from Coldwater, Mississippi was to his right for the start of the A-main.
On lap one, Jan Howard grabbed the lead and was officially scored as the race leader for the next ten laps while battling with Worley and Bell for the point. On lap nine Bell grabbed the runner-up spot from Worley. On lap twelve Bell then raced past Howard into the lead. The young driver, who was looking for his career-first USCS win, lead until lap fourteen.
On lap fifteen Bell went off the top of the race track and brought out the caution flag. On the re-start Jan Howard again held the point with Worley in the runner-up spot, Lee Sowell from Nesbit, Mississippi was in the in third position followed by Marshall Skinner and defending series Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee in the top five.
On lap seventeen Skinner charged around Sowell into the third position behind Howard and Worley. On lap twenty-three Worley ran off of the track (which has no retaining wall) in turns one and two and once again brought out the caution flag. After the re-alignment Skinner (who started in the ninth row) was on the leader Jan Howard’s rear bumper to start lap twenty-four.
On lap twenty-five Skinner raced past Howard into the lead. On lap twenty-six the field slowed again for a spinning car. The field bunched behind the new race-leader Skinner with Jan Howard in the runner-up spot, Sowell in the third position, Gray in fourth and now young gun Brad Bowden comprising the top five. After the final re-start, Skinner raced home to victory lane to clinch the win and the Speedweek title.
At the finish line it was Skinner with Jan Howard four car lengths back in the runner-up spot. The veteran Gray slipped past Sowell on lap twenty-seven for the third position in the main and was four points back of Skinner and the runner-up on the Speedweek 2010 standings. Sowell finished fourth in the race and third in the week’s mini-series standings. Jerrod Hull from Sikeston, Missouri passed Bowden on the last lap to round out the top five finishers in the Biobased USA USCS Speedweek 2010 Finale.
Bowden led the next group to the stripe with a sixth place finish. The 2008 Rookie of the Year, Anthony Nicholson from Bartlett, Tennessee was in the seventh place at the finish. Raymond Stull raced home in the eighth position followed by 2009 USCS Mid South Thunder Tour Rookie of the Year, Jon Stinson from Memphis, Tennessee in ninth place. 2010 Rookie of the Year contender, Jarod Roller from olive Branch, Mississippi rounded out the top ten finishers.
Terry Gray kicked off the evening’s sprint car action by winning the 6-cars, 6-laps Goodyear Speed Dash. Jan Howard won the 8-lap Engler Machine and Tool First Heat. Two time 2009 USCS/Greenville Speedway feature winner, Raymond Stull from Coldwater, Mississippi won the 8-lap Butlerbuilt Second Heat. Young gun Brian Bell from Cordova, Tennessee picked up the win in the 8-lap FSR Racing Products Third Heat Race. The Goodyear racing Tire Young Guns award for the top finishing driver under 25 years-old went to Lee Sowell who finished in fourth place.
Jarod Roller from Olive Branch, Mississippi garnered the Rookie of the Race honors. Marshall Skinner passed the most cars in the main event to earn the evening’s KSE racing Products Hardcharger Award.
Action continues for the United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour this coming weekend at Lonesome Pine Raceway in Coeburn, Virginia, but the racing surface switches to pavement at the beautiful 4/10 mile paved oval near Bristol, Tennessee and the Tri-Cities area.
USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by Goodyear results for the Biobased USA USCS Speedweek 2010 Round #4 at Greenville Speedway on June 5, 2010:
USCS Goodyear Speed Dash: 1.Terry Gray #10, 2. Lee Sowell#51, 3. Anthony Nicholson #16, 4. Tommy Worley, Jr. A12, 5. Marshall Skinner #26, 6. Jerrod Hull #12,
USCS Sprint Cars Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: 1. Jan Howard #46S, 2. Tommy Worley #A12, 3. Gary Bell #32, 4. Ronny Howard #44, 5. Derek Hagar #9, 6. Marshall Skinner #26,
7. Brad Bowden #39.
USCS Sprint Cars Butlerbuilt Second Heat: 1. Raymond Stull #44c, , 2. Phillip Faulkner #7, 3. Lee Sowell #51, 4. Jarod Roller #5, 5. Jerrod Hull #12, 6. Jon Stinson #26s, 7. Greg Merritt #12m.
USCS Sprint Cars FSR Racing Third Heat: 1. Brian Bell #23, 2. Terry Gray #10, 3. Anthony Nicholson #16, 4. Casey Rowland #c4 5. Morgan Turpen #80, 6. Ray Stevison and 7. Lee Moore #1A – DNS.
Biobased USA USCS Speedweek 2010 Finale
USCS presented by Goodyear Sprint Car Feature (30 Laps)
1. #26 – Marshall Skinner, West Memphis, AR
2. #46S – Jan Howard, Marion, AR
3. #10 – Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN
4. #51 – Lee Sowell, Nesbit, MS
5. #12 – Jerrod Hull, Sikeston, MO
6. #39 – Brad Bowden, Hernando, MS
7. #16 – Anthony Nicholson, Bartlett, TN
8. #44c – Raymond Stull, Nesbit, MS
9. #26S – Jon Stinson, Memphis, TN
10. #5 – Jarod Roller, Olive Branch, MS
11. #80 – Morgan Turpen, Bartlett, TN
12. #9 – Derek Hagar, Marion, AR
13. #C4 Casey Rowland, Hernando, MS
14. #44 – Ronny Howard, Nesbit, MS
15. #99 – Ray Stevison, Long Beach, MS
16. #12m – Greg Merritt, Nesbit, MS
17. #A12 – Tommy Worley, Farmington, MO
18. #23 – Brian Bell, Cordova, TN
19. #7 – Phillip Faulkner, Drummonds, TN
20. #32 – Gary Bell, Memphis, TN
21. #1A – Lee Moore, Tuscumbia, AL – DNS
GOODYEAR SPEED DASH WINNER: Terry Gray
K & N FILTERS POLE AWARD: Tommy Worley
KSE racing Products HARD CHARGER: Brad Bowden (started 18th passed 17 cars)
GOODYEAR TIRE YOUNG GUN OF THE RACE: Lee Sowell
ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Jarod Roller
JE PISTONS TOP GUNS AWARD: Lee Sowell (fourth place)
K&N FILTERS 3RD-PLACE AWARD: Terry Gray
BUTLERBUILT 4TH-PLACE AWARD: Lee Sowell
DYNOTECH TOP FIVE AWARD: Jerrod Hull
ENTRIES: 21
PROVISIONALS: None
LAP LEADERS: (Three) Jan Howard led laps 1-11; Brian Bell led laps 12-14; Jan Howard led laps 15-24 and Marshall Skinner: led laps 25-30.