By Pete Walton
Senoia, Georgia – August 27, 2011 – Defending United Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear National Champion Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee raced from the K&N Filters Pole Position into the USCS www.RockAuto victory lane in the United Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear portion of the USCS Senoia Summer Nationals II at New Senoia Raceway on Saturday night. It was Gray’s fourth USCS feature win of the 2011 season.
Gray bested outside front row starter, Lance Moss from Cherryville, North Carolina in the drag race to turn one to lead the first lap. The 2010 Senoia Summer Nationals Champion, Matt Linder from Hoschton, Georgia moved into the position runner-up position on lap two and took up the chase. Gray’s team-mate and the only female racer in the field, eighteen year-old Morgan Turpen from Cordova, Tennessee passed Lance Moss for the third spot on lap two as well. The running order on lap seven was Gray, Linder, Turpen, Moss and past regional series Champion, Johnny Bridges from Cherryville, North Carolina.
On lap eight, Turpen raced past Linder into the runner-up spot. Moss got a position back on lap ten when he passed Linder to move back into the top three…That running top five order survived until lap sixteen when Moss, was involved in a four car tangle with Tim Perry from Mooresville, North Carolina, Brian Thomas from Pendergrass, Georgia and Ray Bugg from Iuka, Mississippi in turns one and two. That ended Moss’ run as well as Perry’s for the night. Thomas and Bugg continued on after a push off.
Over the final caution-free fourteen laps, Turpen stayed close behind the veteran Gray, but could not pull along beside him for a pass attempt. The previous night’s winner, Sport Allen from Pinellas Park, Florida benefited from Moss’ misfortunes and moved into the top five after starting eighth. The final top five finishing order had Terry Gray in victory lane and Morgan Turpen in the runner-up spot followed by Matt Linder in the K&N Filters third position. Johnny Bridges finished in the fourth position for the second night in a row and Sport Allen rounded out the top five drivers.
The next group was headed by the 2010 USCS Southern Thunder Rookie of the Year, sixteen year-old Eric Riggins, Jr. from Charlotte, North Carolina in sixth place. Rookie driver A.J. Maddox from Tampa, Florida followed in seventh position. The 2000 USCS Rookie of the Year, Michael Miller from Ocean Springs, Mississippi finished in eighth place. Veteran USCS driver Brian Thomas, who was involved in the lap sixteen tangles finished ninth. The 2007 USCS Southern Thunder Rookie of the Year, Lee Moore from Tuscaloosa, Alabama rounded out the top ten finishers.
Morgan Turpen kicked off the evening’s USCS action with a win in the 6-lap Goodyear Speed Dash. Matt Linder grabbed the win in the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat Race. Lance Moss rolled to victory in the Butlerbuilt Second Heat Race. Morgan Turpen passed the most cars in the main event and garnered the Wilwood Engineering Hard Charger Award. A.J. Maddox from Brandon, Florida garnered the Goodyear, Rookie of Race honors. The 2010 USCS National Rookie of the Year Morgan Turpen earned the JE Pistons Top guns Award for her second place finish in the main event.
The next United Sprint Car Series event is the 3rd annual Sprint Car Mania event, this Friday, September 2nd at Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, Georgia. For more information on that event please visit www.boydsspeedway.net or call 706-891-6803. For rules and 2010 schedule info on the USCS please visit www.uscsracing.com or call 770-460-7223 or 770-865-6097.
USCS results for USCS Summer Nationals II Finale at New Senoia Raceway 8/27/11:
Goodyear Speed Dash: Morgan Turpen, Matt Linder, Terry Gray, Sport Allen, Brian Thomas and Johnny Bridges.
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: Matt Linder, Terry Gray, Eric Riggins, Jr., A.J. Maddox, Brian Thomas, Ray Bugg, Clint Weiss and Joe Larkin.
Butlerbuilt Second Heat: Lance Moss, Morgan Turpen, Johnny Bridges, Sport Allen, Lee Moore, Michael Miller, Tim Perry and Nick Defeo – DNS
USCS presented by Goodyear Feature Race results (30 laps) New Senoia Raceway – Saturday, August 27, 2011.
1 – 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN
2 – 80 Morgan Turpen, Bartlett, TN
3 – 1X Matt Linder, Hoschton, GA
4 – 07 Johnny Bridges, Cherryville, NC
5 – 82 Sport Allen, Pinellas Park, FL
6 – 47 Eric Riggins, Jr., Charlotte, NC
7 – 3a A.J. Maddox, Tampa, FL
8 – 4m Michael Miller, Ocean Springs, MS
9 – 67 Brian Thomas, Pendergrass, GA
10 – 1A Lee Moore, Tuscaloosa, AL
11 – 0x Clint Weiss, Columbus, GA
12 – 33 Joe Larkin, Suwannee, GA
13 – 25 Ray Bugg, Iuka, MS
14 – 23 Lance Moss, Cherryville, NC
15- 04 Tim Perry, Mooresville, NC
16 – 96 Nick DeFeo, Marietta, GA…DNS
GOODYEAR SPEED DASH WINNER: ##80 Morgan Turpen
K & N FILTERS POLE AWARD: #10 Terry Gray
Wilwood Engineering HARDCHARGER AWARD: #80 Morgan Turpen
GOODYEAR RACING TIRE YOUNG GUN OF THE RACE: Morgan Turpen
ROOKIE OF THE RACE: A.J. Maddox
JE PISTONS TOP GUNS AWARD: #80 Morgan Turpen (2nd place)
K&N FILTERS 3RD AWARD: #1x Matt Linder
BUTLERBUILT 4TH-PLACE AWARD: #07 Johnny Bridges
Keizer Aluminum Wheels Top Five Award: #82 Sport Allen
DMI/Diversified Machine Top Ten Award: #1a Lee Moore
ENTRIES: 16
PROVISIONALS: None
LAP LEADERS = Terry Gray Laps 1-30