By Pete Walton
West Memphis, AR – November 5, 2011 – The USCS Fall Nationals 2011 presented by Goodyear “Flip Flop 50” season finale for the United Sprint Car Series winged sprint cars at historic Riverside Speedway on Saturday night produced two different winners. Tim Crawley from Benton, Arkansas who started 15th in the talent-laden field charged past early race leader Derek Hagar from nearby Marion, Arkansas on the final turn of the first 25-lap contest to take the lead and pull into the www.RockAuto.com USCS victory lane to place himself in position to collect a $5000 bonus if he could win the second fully inverted 25-lap contest starting from the rear of the field. The 2011 Riverside International Speedway 360 sprint car track Champion, Cody Gardner from Little Rock, Arkansas captured the victory in the second fully inverted 25-lap main event after starting ninth in the field. Crawley managed to advance from the rear of the field only to eighth place at the finish in the second feature race.
The first “Flip Flop 50” feature race started straight up after a series of qualifying races on Friday and Saturday. Friday night’s USCS presented by Goodyear racing format included the Goodyear Speed Dash for the top six drivers from the series previous event followed by four 10-lap qualifying heat races and a 15-lap K&N Filters Pole Scramble race for the top eight drivers on Friday night. Saturday’s sprint car racing format included twin 12-lap B-Mains to complete the starting alignment for the 23-car USCS “Flip Flop 50” feature race number one.
Friday, November 4, 2011 USCS presented by Goodyear at Riverside Int. Speedway results:
On Friday night Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee kicked off the evening’s action by winning the six cars, six laps Goodyear Speed Dash. Gary Taylor from Houma, Louisiana won the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat Race, Tony Bruce from Liberal Kansas won the Butlerbuilt Second Heat Race, Derek Hagar from Marion, Arkansas won the Schoenfeld Headers Third Heat Race and Jerod Roller from Olive Branch, Mississippi won the www.RockAuto.com Fourth Heat Race. Derek Hagar was the victor in the race for the K&N Filters Pole Position in the K&N Filters Pole Scramble.
USCS presented by Goodyear winged sprints – Goodyear Speed Dash
Finish Start Car Driver/Hometown
1 2 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN
2 4 12 Jerrod Hull, Sikeston, MO
3 1 14 Jordon Mallett, Greenbrier, AR
4 5 3 A.G. Rains, West Memphis, AR
5 3 87 Justin Carver, Drummonds, TN
6 6 80 Morgan Turpen, Cordova, TN
USCS presented by Goodyear winged sprints – Engler Machine and Tool Heat 1
Finish Start Car Driver/Hometown
1 4 1x Gary Taylor, Houma, LA
2 1 16 Dwayne Prince, Munford, TN
3 2 8x Chris Williams, Memphis, TN
4 3 58 Wade Oliver, Southaven, MS
5 6 88 Tim Crawley, Benton, AR
6 7 8z Zach Pringle, Benton, AR
7 5 3 A.G. Rains, West Memphis, AR
8 8 87 Justin Carver, Drummonds, TN
9 9 25 Ray Bugg, Iuka, MS
USCS presented by Goodyear winged sprints – Butlerbuilt Heat 2
Finish Start Car Driver/Hometown
1 2 7 Tony Bruce, Jr., Liberal, KS
2 4 12 Jerrod Hull, Sikeston, MO
3 6 16N Anthony Nicholson, Bartlett, TN
4 3 14 Jordan Mallett, Greenbrier, AR
5 8 44w Austen Wheatley, Lake Stevens, WA
6 9 44c Ty Young, Memphis, TN
7 1 80 Morgan Turpen, Oakland, TN
8 5 1G Cody Gardner, Little Rock, AR
9 7 66 Tommy Worley, Jr., Farmington, MO
USCS presented by Goodyear winged sprints – Schoenfeld Headers Heat 3
Finish Start Car Driver/Hometown
1 8 9 Derek Hagar, Marion, AR
2 2 44 Ronny Howard, Nesbit, MS
3 7 39 Brad Bowden, Hernando, MS
4 3 09 Timmy Thrash, Gulfport, MS
5 1 99 Jimmy Davies, Oquawka, IL
6 6 28 Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS
7 5 00 Ed Lee, Biloxi, MS
8 4 33 Joe Larkin, Suwannee, GA
USCS presented by Goodyear winged sprints – www.RockAuto.com Heat 4
Finish Start Car Driver/Hometown
1 2 5 Jerod Roller, Olive Branch, MS
2 4 26s Marshall Skinner, West Memphis, AR
3 3 40 Ernie Ainsworth, Bartlett, TN
4 5 C4 Casey Rowland, Nesbit, MS
5 1 1 Eddie Gallagher, Piper ton, TN
6 8 5H Mason Moore, Princeton, CA
7 7 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN
8 6 11 Carl Zaniboni, Pass Christian, MS
9 9 38 Ryan Moore, Moss Point, MS
USCS presented by Goodyear winged sprint – K&N Filters Pole Scramble
Finish Start Car Driver/Hometown
1 1 9 Derek Hagar, Marion, AR
2 2 1x Gary Taylor, Houma, LA
3 4 7 Tony Bruce, Liberal, KS
4 5 5 Jerod Roller, Olive Branch, MS
5 6 12 Jerrod Hull, Sikeston, MO
6 8 16N Anthony Nicholson, Bartlett, TN
7 3 39 Brad Bowden, Hernando, MS
8 7 26s Marshall Skinner, West Memphis, AR
9 9 44 Ronny Howard, Nesbit, MS
Saturday, November 5, 2011 USCS presented by Goodyear at Riverside Int. Speedway results:
On Saturday evening, Tim Crawley advanced to the A-Main by winning the Engler Machine and Tool First B-Main event and Wade Oliver from Southaven, Mississippi won the Goodyear Racing Tire Second 12-lap B-Main contest to set the final eight positions in the field. Defending series Champion and current 2011 National point’s leader, Terry Gray was added in the twenty-third position as a provisional starter to set the field for Saturday’s feature race finals.
USCS Flip Flop 50 – Main Event Number One:
After collecting the most passing points on Friday evening in his heat race and winning the K&N Filters Pole Scramble on Friday night, Derek Hagar from Marion, Arkansas started from the K&N Filters Pole Position in the first 25-lap USCS presented by Goodyear “Flip Flop 50” main event. Hagar won the first half of the 2010 version of the USCS “Flip Flop 50”. The first feature race started straight-up from the finish of the K&N Filters Pole Scramble on Friday night. Gary Taylor from Houma, Louisiana started outside of Hagar in the front row. Tony Bruce from Liberal, Kansas started inside the second row with 2010 USCS Mid South regional series Rookie of the Year, Jerod Roller from Olive Branch, Mississippi would be in the second row outside.
On the start of the race, Taylor charged past Hagar into the lead in turn one. He (Taylor) then led the first four laps before Hagar raced back into the lead. Meanwhile, Tim Crawley charged from his fifteenth place starting position to ninth place by lap two, then into seventh position on lap three. He (Crawley) then passed Brad Bowden for sixth place on lap four. Crawley then followed the top five comprised of Hagar, Taylor, Bruce, Midwest hot-shoe Jerrod Hull from Sikeston, Missouri and 2008 USCS Rookie of the Year Anthony Nicholson from Bartlett, Tennessee until lap six. Crawley then charged past Nicholson into the top five on lap six. On lap eight he raced past Hull into fourth place.
On lap ten a caution flag was thrown for a spinning Ronny Howard who had made contact with the race leader Derek Hagar as Hagar was lapping Howard. Hagar still led after the re-start with Gary Taylor driving the Pitts #1x on his rear bumper. Tony Bruce followed the lead duo in third place with Crawley threatening him for the position from fourth place. Jerrod Hull completed the top five in the running order. On lap twelve Crawley passed Bruce for the third position.
Crawley followed Taylor for the next five laps before racing past him into the runner-up position on lap seventeen. Meanwhile, Hagar was putting space between he and Crawley with lapped cars as the race continued green. Crawley quickly erased lapped car advantage and pulled within range of Hagar on lap twenty-two. Over the final three laps he made several runs at the talented young gun before pulling off the pass entering turn three of the final lap. Hagar wasn’t done yet and threw a big slide job at the veteran former National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Driver of the Year racer. Hagar’s momentum carried him past Crawley into the outside wall exiting turn four and the wily veteran (Crawley) drove past him under the checkered flag first. Hagar saved the runner-up spot with a slightly disabled car. Tony Bruce grabbed the K&N Filters Podium (third place) position followed by Gary Taylor in fourth place and Jerrod Hull rounded out the top five finishers.
Zack Pringle from Benton, Arkansas crossed the finish line in sixth place followed by Jerrod Roller in seventh place. Veteran sprint car driver and former Riverside Ernie Ainsworth finished in eighth place. Brad Bowden from Hernando, Mississippi finished in ninth place and 2008 USCS Rookie of the Year, Anthony Nicholson from Bartlett, Tennessee rounded out the top ten drivers.
Tim Crawley also garnered the Hard Charger Award for passing the most cars (14) in main event number one.
United Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear results: Sat., November 5, 2011- Riverside Speedway
USCS presented by Goodyear – Engler Machine and Tool B-Main #1
Pos. Start Car# Driver/Hometown
1 3 88 Tim Crawley, Benton, AR
2 4 8Z Zach Pringle, Benton, AR
3 9 1G Cody Gardner, Little Rock, AR
4 5 1 Eddie Gallagher, Piperton, TN
5 2 14 Jordan Mallett, Greenbrier, AR
6 8 80 Morgan Turpen, Oakland, TN
7 10 25 Ray Bugg, Iuka, MS
8 1 44C Ty Young, Memphis, TN
9 6 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN
10 11 66 Tommy Worley, Jr., Farmington, MO
11 7 00 Ed Lee, Biloxi, MS – DNS
USCS presented by Goodyear – Butlerbuilt B-Main #2
Pos. Start Car# Driver/Hometown
1 1 58 Wade Oliver, Southaven, MS
2 3 5H Mason Moore, Princeton, CA
3 6 3 A.G. Rains, West Memphis, AR
4 7 87 Justin Carver, Drummonds, TN
5 2 09 Timmy Thrash, Gulfport, MS
6 5 28 Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS
7 8 33 Joe Larkin, Suwannee, GA
8 4 99 Jimmy Davies, Oquawka, IL
9 9 38 Ryan Moore, Moss Point, MS
10 0 11 Carl Zaniboni, Pass Christian, MS – DNS
USCS Goodyear Flip Flop 50 Feature Race #1 presented by www.RockAuto.com
Pos. Start Car# Driver/Hometown
1 15 88 Tim Crawley, Benton, AR
2 1 9 Derek Hagar, Marion, AR
3 3 7 Tony Bruce, Jr., Liberal KS
4 2 1X Gary Taylor, Houma, LA
5 5 12 Jerrod Hull, Sikeston, MO
6 17 8Z Zach Pringle, Benton, AR
7 4 5 Jerod Roller, Olive Branch, MS
8 12 40 Ernie Ainsworth, Bartlett, TN
9 7 39 Brad Bowden, Hernando, MS
10 6 16N Anthony Nicholson, Bartlett, TN
11 11 44W Austen Wheatley, Lake Stevens, WA
12 18 5H Mason Moore, Princeton, CA
13 19 1G Cody Gardner, Little Rock, AR
14 14 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN
15 22 87 Justin Carver, Drummonds, TN
16 14 C4 Casey Rowland, Nesbit, MS
17 10 16 Dwayne Prince, Munford, TN
18 8 26S Marshall Skinner, West Memphis, AR
19 20 3 A.G. Rains, West Memphis, AR
20 13 8X Chris Williams, Memphis, TN
21 21 1 Eddie Gallagher, Piperton, TN
22 9 44 Ronny Howard, Nesbit, MS
23 16 58 Wade Oliver, Southaven, MS
USCS presented by Goodyear Sprint Car Race Awards: www.racegoodyear.com
Engler Machine and Tool B-Main #1 Award: #88 Tim Crawley www.englermachine.com
Butlerbuilt B Main #2 Award: #58 Wade Oliver www.butlerbuilt.net
K&N Filters Pole Award: #9 Derek Hagar www.knfilters.com
Wilwood Eng. Hard Charger Award: #88 Tim Crawley (started 15th finished 1st) www.wildwood.com
JE Pistons Top Guns Award: #7 Tony Bruce, Jr. (3rd place) www.jepistons.com
K&N Filters Podium Award: #7 Tony Bruce, Jr. (3rd place) www.knfilters.com
Keizer Wheels Top Five Award: #12 Jerrod Hull www.keizerwheels.com
Diversified Machine Inc/DMI Top 10 Award: #16 Anthony Nicholson. www.diversifiedracing.com
ENTRIES: 35 drivers from 9 states
LEAD CHANGES: three
LAP LEADERS: Gary Taylor led laps1-4, Derek Hagar led laps 5-24 and Tim Crawley led lap 25. CAUTIONS: Cautions one, on lap 10.
PHOTO/CAPTION car #88:
Tim Crawley from Benton, Arkansas captured the 25-lap United Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear USCS Fall Nationals main event number one of two on Saturday night (11/5/11) at Riverside International Speedway. (Phil Bowden photo)
Saturday’s USCS Flip Flop 50 – Main Event Number Two:
The 2011 Riverside International Speedway 360 sprint car track Champion, Cody Gardner from Little Rock, Arkansas charged from his ninth place starting position into the www.RockAuto.com USCS victory lane in the second fully inverted half of twin main events in the USCS Fall Nationals “Flip Flop 50” event for winged sprint cars. It was the young driver’s first-ever United Sprint Car Series win. A $2500 paycheck accompanied his victory at the historic ¼ mile Gumbo clay oval.
Past USCS presented by Goodyear National Champion, Eddie Gallagher from Piperton, Tennessee started from the K&N Filters Pole Position and led lap one. Gallagher yielded the lead to 2009 USCS Rookie of the Year, Justin Carver from Drummonds, Tennessee on lap two. Carver held the point until lap eight with Gardner now up to second place while, with Casey Rowland from Nesbit, Mississippi, Gallagher, Ernie Ainsworth from Bartlett, Tennessee, A.G. Rains, Terry Gray and Cody Gardner jockeyed for a place in the top five over the first eight laps.
On lap nine Gardner passed Carver for the lead and raced away to victory lane almost uncontested. Carver got the runner-up paycheck and Ernie Ainsworth who had started fourteenth in the order collected the K&N Filters Podium Award and third place pay. Defending USCS National Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee started eighth in the second feature and finished in fourth place, the runner-up in the first main event, Derek Hagar who started way back in twentieth position charged towards the front fifteen positions and rounded out the top five. Hagar also collected the second race’s Wilwood Engineering Hard Charger Award.
Casey Rowland led the next group to finish in sixth position in the second main event. Long distance traveler Mason Moore from Princeton, California crossed the finish line in seventh place followed by Tim Crawley who won the first 25-lap main event. Crawley who started dead-last in the field in the second main event was competing for a $5000 bonus if he could win the second 25-lap race as well. Gary Taylor who started from eighteenth position after finishing fourth in the first main event finished ninth in this one. Past USCS Champion and three time Riverside Speedway sprint car track Champion, Marshall Skinner from West Memphis, Arkansas rounded out the top ten drivers in the final USCS presented by Goodyear sprint main event of the 2011 season.
USCS “Flip Flop” Feature Race #2 presented by K&N Filters – 25 laps (fully inverted start)
Pos. Start Car# Driver/Hometown
1 9 1G Cody Gardner, Little Rock, AR
2 7 87 Justin Carver, Drummonds, TN
3 14 40 Ernie Ainsworth, Bartlett, TN
4 8 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN
5 20 9 Derek Hagar, Marion, AR
6 6 C4 Casey Rowland, Nesbit, MS
7 10 5H Mason Moore, Princeton, CA
8 21 88 Tim Crawley, Benton, AR
9 18 1X Gary Taylor, Houma, LA
10 4 26S Marshall Skinner, West Memphis, AR
11 11 44W Austen Wheatley, Lake Stevens, WA
12 3 3 A.G. Rains, West Memphis, AR
13 15 5 Jerod Roller, Olive Branch, MS
14 5 16 Dwayne Prince, Munford, TN
15 23 58 Wade Oliver, Southaven, MS
16 19 7 Tony Bruce, Jr., Liberal, KS
17 12 16N Anthony Nicholson, Bartlett, TN
18 1 1 Eddie Gallagher, Piperton, TN
19 22 44 Ronny Howard, Nesbit, MS
20 2 8X Chris Williams, Memphis, TN
21 17 12 Jerrod Hull, Sikeston, MO
22 13 39 Brad Bowden, Hernando, MS
23 16 8Z Zach Pringle, Benton, AR
USCS presented by Goodyear Sprint Car Race Awards: www.racegoodyear.com
K&N Filters Pole Award: #1Eddie Gallagher www.knfilters.com
Wilwood Eng. Hard Charger Award: #9 Derek Hagar (started 20th finished 5th) www.wildwood.com
JE Pistons Top Guns Award: #10 Terry Gray (4th place) www.jepistons.com
K&N Filters Podium Award: #Ernie Ainsworth (3rd place) www.knfilters.com
Keizer Wheels Top Five Award: #9 Derek Hagar www.keizerwheels.com
Diversified Machine Inc/DMI Top 10 Award: #26s Marshall Skinner www.diversifiedracing.com
ENTRIES: 35 drivers from 9 states
LEAD CHANGES: Two
LAP LEADERS: Eddie Gallagher led lap 1, Justin Carver led laps 2-8 and Cody Gardner led laps 9-25.
CAUTIONS: Cautions two, on laps 4 and 6.