From Pete Walton
Senoia, GA – May 7, 2011 – Past United Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear regional Champion, Johnny Bridges from Cherryville, North Carolina captured his first victory of the 2011 season before a near capacity crowd on Saturday night at New Senoia Raceway. Bridges blasted his number 07 Roush-Yates powered J&J Auto Racing winged sprint car from the K&N Filters Pole Position starting spot into the lead in turn one of the Race Against Drugs main event and led every lap to the www.RockAuto.com USCS victory lane. He bested a fast closing Matt Linder from Hoschton, Georgia, who was about a car length behind at the finish line.
Bridges finished in the runner-up spot in his heat race after starting fifth. That was an effort good enough to place him first in the USCS passing points. The Engler Machine and Tool First Heat race winner Lance Moss from Cherryville, North Carolina then drew a zero inversion in the K&N Filters Pole award drawing leaving Bridges on the Pole.
On the initial start defending series Champion and point’s leader, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee made contact with Matt Linder in turn one, struck the wall and flipped. This incident also collected 2009 USCS Southern Thunder Rookie of the Year, Brandon Rekow from Mooresville, North Carolina. Both Gray and Rekow were towed to the infield and their racing nights were over. The race re-started completely.
On the third lap the caution flag appeared for Brian Thomas from Pendergrass, Georgia who looped in turn four and did front end damage to his car. The race again went green until lap six when veteran USCS driver David Thorman from Greenville, South Carolina struck the outside retaining wall exiting turn two, bringing out another yellow.
When the race re-started with nineteen laps to go, Bridges led the event with sixteen year-old 2010 USCS Southern Thunder presented by Goodyear Rookie of the Year, Eric Riggins, Jr. from Charlotte, North Carolina in the runner-up spot. The young driver (Riggins) was followed by Lance Moss in third place, Matt Linder was in the fourth position and 2008 Southern Thunder regional series Rookie of the Year, Jake McLain from Indian Trail, North Carolina was in fifth place.
On lap twelve with Bridges still leading, the final caution of the race waved. This time it was for Riggins who finished in the runner-up spot last August on both nights of the USCS Senoia Summer Nationals 2010.
Bridges led the final thirteen laps to the www.RockAuto.com victory lane while Linder moved past Lane Moss for the second position and then moved close enough to challenge Bridges for the lead over the final five circuits. At the finish line it was Bridges, Linder, Moss, Jake McLain and 2010 USCS presented by Goodyear National Rookie of the Year, eighteen year-old female racer Morgan Turpen rounding out the top five.
Those five were followed to the payoff window by Eric Riggins Jr. in sixth, David Clark from Huntersville, North Carolinas in seventh. David Thorman, Joe Larkin from Suwannee, Georgia and Nick DeFeo from Marietta, Georgia completed the top ten in that order.
Terry Gray kicked off the evening’s speed contest with a win in the six car, six lap, Goodyear Speed Dash. Lance Moss then won the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat. Terry Gray won the Butlerbuilt Second Heat. Johnny Bridges was awarded the K&N Filters Pole Award after Lance Moss drew a zero in the K&N Filters Pole drawing. David Clark 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 fifth place. The Keizer Wheels Top Five award went to Turpen as well. The DMI/Bulldog Rear End Top Ten Award was collected by Nick Defeo.
The next two USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by Goodyear sprint car events are at Tennessee National Raceway www.racetn.com in Hohenwald, Tennessee on Friday, May 13th. On the following night the second half of the weekend’s double-header is at Thunderhill Raceway www.thunderhillracing.com in Summertown, Tennessee. 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 – New Senoia Raceway
USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by Goodyear – Saturday, May 7, 2011.
Goodyear Speed Dash: winner = Terry Gray, Matt Linder, Lance Moss, Eric Riggins, Morgan Turpen and Jake McLain.
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: winner = Lance Moss, Matt Linder, Eric Riggins, David Clark, Morgan Turpen, Joe Larkin and Nick DeFeo.
Butlerbuilt Second Heat: winner = Terry Gray, Johnny Bridges, Brian Thomas, Jake McLain, Brandon Rekow, David Thorman and Darren Clark.
USCS presented by Goodyear www.RockAuto.com Feature 25 laps:
1 – 07 Johnny Bridges, Cherryville, NC
2 – 1x Matt Linder, Houschton, GA
3 – 23 Lance Moss, Cherryville, NC
4 – 67B Jake McLain, Indian Trail, NC
5 – 80 Morgan Turpen, Bartlett, TN
6 – 47 Eric Riggins, Jr., Charlotte, NC
7 – 21 David Clark, Huntersville, NC – Wilwood Eng. Hard Charger
8 – 5 Dave Thorman, Greenville, SC
9 – 33 Joe Larkin, Suwanee, GA
10 – 96 Nick DeFeo, Marietta, GA
11 – 67R Brian Thomas, Pendergrass, GA
12 – 20 Darren Clark, Huntersville, NC
13 – 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN
14 – 12 Brandon Rekow, Mooresville, NC
USCS presented by Goodyear Sprint Car Race Awards:
Goodyear Speed Dash winner: Terry Gray www.racegoodyear.com
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat Award: Lance Moss www.englermachine.com
Butlerbuilt Second Heat Award: Terry Gray www.butlerbuilt.net
K&N Filters Pole Award: Johnny Bridges www.knfilters.com
Wilwood Eng. Hard Charger Award: Clark started 14th finished 7th) www.wildwood.com
JE Pistons Top Guns Award: Morgan Turpen (5th place) www.jepistons.com
K&N Filters Podium Award: Lane Moss (3rd place) www.knfilters.com
Keizer Wheels Top Five Award: Morgan Turpen www.keizerwheels.com /
Diversified Machine Inc/DMI Top 10 Award: Nick DeFeo www.diversifiedracing.com