From Pete Walton
Travelers Rest, SC – April 16, 2011 – Nine-time United Sprint Car Series
presented by Goodyear National Champion Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee
passed famed NASCAR Crew Chief and TV analyst turned sprint car racer, Ray
Evernham from Cornelius, North Carolina on lap twenty and then charged the
final ten laps into the www.RockAuto.com victory lane at Travelers Rest
Speedway on Saturday night. Gray was driving his own familiar black #10
Rislone Engine Treatment sponsored, Wesmar powered J&J Auto Racing sprint
car. It was the defending Champion’s second USCS presented by Goodyear
feature win of the 2011 season.
Ray Evernham started in the K&N Filters Pole Position after the heat race
high point driver eighteen year-old female sprint car hot-shoe Morgan Turpen
from Oakland, Tennessee drew a six inversion. When the green flag unfurled
for the initial start, Evernham raced into the lead with Lance Moss from
Cherryville, North Carolina in second place followed by David Clark from
Huntersville, North Carolina in third, fifth starting Turpen in fourth and
sixth starting Gray in the top five behind him.
On lap three the field slowed for the stalled mount of Nick Bashford from
China Grove, North Carolina. Evernham continued to lead the race after the
re-start as Gray charged past Turpen and David Clark into third place before
the caution came out for Clark, who tagged the wall while running in the top
five and ended his night on lap five.
The race went green the rest of the way with Evernham leading and Lance Moss
challenging him for the top spot until lap fifteen. Moss then gave up the
second position to Gray. It took the veteran (Gray) racer four more laps of
rooting around the bottom of the race track looking for traction before he
won the drag race with Evernham down the back-stretch into turn three on lap
nineteen to take the lead. It was all Gray from that point forward for the
$2000 top prize.
Evernham was left to battle with Moss, Morgan Turpen and 2010 USCS Southern
Thunder regional series Rookie of the Year Eric Riggins from Charlotte,
North Carolina for the runner-up spot. Riggins won a wheel-to-wheel duel
with Evernham on the final lap to garner the runner-up position. Evernham
raced across the finish line in third place to grab the final podium spot.
This was quite an impressive run for a virtual sprint car rookie driver. The
2010 USCS National Rookie of the Year, Morgan Turpen followed Evernham
across the finish line in fourth place. Lance Moss rounded out the top five
finishers.
The next group was led by previous Travelers Rest Speedway USCS feature
winner Matt Linder from Hoschton, Georgia in sixth place. The 2008 USCS
Southern Thunder Rookie of the Year, Jake McLain from Indian Trail, North
Carolina finished in seventh place. N, Past USCS regional series
ChampiJohnny Bridges also from Cherryville, North Carolina followed in
eighth place. David Clark and Nick Bashford were credited with the ninth and
tenth positions.
Morgan Turpen won the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat. Terry Gray won the
Butlerbuilt Second Heat. Ray Evernham was awarded the K&N Filters Pole Award
after the high-point earner Morgan Turpen drew a six in the K&N Filters Pole
drawing. Terry Gray was additionally rewarded for his efforts with the
Wilwood Hard Charger Award for the driver who advances the most positions in
the main event after improving five positions.
The JE Pistons Top Guns Award that rotates from first through fifth
positions went to Morgan Turpen for fourth place. The Keizer Wheels Top Five
award went to Lance Moss and the DMI/Bulldog Rear End Top Ten Award was
collected by Bashford.
The next USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by Goodyear and USCS Southern
Thunder Tour event is at New Senoia Raceway www.newsenoiaraceway.com in
Senoia, Georgia on Saturday, May 7th. For information on these and other
USCS Outlaw Thunder events please call 770-460-7223 or visit
www.uscsracing.com
United Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear results – Travelers Rest
Speedway
USCS Southern Thunder Tour presented by Goodyear – Saturday, April 16, 2011.
Goodyear Speed Dash: winner = Nick Bashford, Ray Evernham, Terry Gray, Matt
Linder, Eric Riggins and Morgan Turpen,
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: winner = Morgan Turpen, Eric Riggins,
Ray Evernham, Matt Linder, Nick Bashford and David Thorman.
Butlerbuilt Second Heat: winner = Terry Gray, Lance Moss, David Clark,
Johnny Bridges, Jake McLain DNS, Joe Larkin – DNS.
USCS presented by Goodyear www.RockAuto.com Feature 30 laps:
1 – 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN
2 – 47 Eric Riggins, Charlotte, NC
3 – 19 Ray Evernham, Mooresville, NC
4 – 80 Morgan Turpen, Oakland, TN
5 – 23 Lance Moss, Cherryville, NC
6 – 1x Matt Linder, Hoschton, GA NC
7 – 67 Jake McLain, Indian Trail, NC
8 – 07 Johnny Bridges, Cherryville, NC
9 – 21c David Clark, Huntersville, NC
10 – 24x Nick Bashford, China Grove,
11 – 5 David Thorman, Greenville, SC
12 – 33 Joe Larkin, Suwannee, GA – DNS
USCS presented by Goodyear Sprint Car Race Awards:
Goodyear Speed Dash winner: Nick Bashford www.racegoodyear.com
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat Award: Morgan Turpen
www.englermachine.com
Butlerbuilt Second Heat Award: Terry Gray www.butlerbuilt.net
K&N Filters Pole Award: Ray Evernham www.knfilters.com
Wilwood Eng. Hard Charger Award: Terry Gray (started 6th finished 1st)
www.wildwood.com
JE Pistons Top Guns Award: Morgan Turpen (4th place) www.jepistons.com
K&N Filters Podium Award: Ray Evernham (3rd place) www.knfilters.com
Keizer Wheels Top Five Award: Lance Moss www.keizerwheels.com /
Diversified Machine Inc/DMI: Top 10 Award: Nick Bashford
www.diversifiedracing.com