From Peter Walton
Atlanta, GA – September 25, 2012 – All track records are expected to fall when the 130 mile per hour United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by Goodyear www.uscsracing.com winged Outlaw sprint cars invade the re-configured red dirt 3/8 mile racing surface at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, South Carolina for the first time ever this Saturday night (9/29). The United Sprint Car Series last raced at the former 5/8 mile “long track” configuration seven seasons ago. The World’s most powerful and fastest short track cars take to the racing surface for time trial/track record attempts in the 2012 Carolina Nationals Round #2 on Saturday night.
In addition to the USCS presented by Goodyear winged warriors, the USCS Carolina Thunder Nationals 2012 Round #2 racing event is loaded with action-packed racing in six other divisions. The evening’s acing action will feature a full program of USCS winged outlaw style sprint car racing plus racing in four of Cherokee Speedway’s most popular weekly racing divisions. Additionally the 100+ mile per hour winged www.rockauto.com USCS 600 Sprint Car Series Mini/Micro Sprints and new US Legends Modified divisions s have been added to the racing card as well.
The four Cherokee Speedway weekly racing divisions included on the racing program include the popular Fastrak Late Models who will be racing for $1000 to win, the speedway’s Open Wheel Modifieds will be racing for a $600 top prize in their main event. The Crate Sportsman division will be racing for $500 to win. The Front wheel drive Extreme 4 portion of the event pays $300 to the winner of the main event.
The USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour winged sprint cars and USCS 600 Sprint Car Series will contest a full racing program including their Speed Dashes, Qualifying Heat races and Main Events on Friday. All five of the other divisions will also contest a full program of qualifying races and main events. As previously mentioned, the 1300 pound and 700 plus horsepower USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour winged sprint cars will time trial as well.
The Cherokee Speedway event is expected to bring top winged outlaw sprint car drivers from at least eight states to the track from as far away as Florida and Arkansas . The exotic fire breathing, alcohol burning, 700 horsepower open-wheeled USCS sprint cars weight just 1,300 pounds, and are pound for pound the World’s most powerful short track race cars. The cars will literally fly around the track surface at speeds well over 130 M.P.H. It is not uncommon to see the USCS sprint cars popping “wheelies” or doing wheel stands because of the brute force of their engines and their huge 18-inch wide Goodyear Eagle rear tires.
Last year’s two-night 3rd annual USCS Carolina Thunder Nationals event was held only at Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, North Carolina and both main events were contested on the final night. Thus year the Friday night (9/28) Round #1 will be contested at Carolina Speedway with the Round #2 finals at Cherokee Speedway for the first time.
During 2011, two popular 2010 USCS “Rookie of the Year” drivers won the USCS Carolina Thunder Nationals main events. The 2010 USCS Southern Thunder regional series “Rookie of the Year” 16 year-old Eric Riggins, Jr. from Charlotte, North Carolina was the winner in the first main event. The only female in the field and the 2010 National “Rookie of the Year”, 18 year-old Morgan Turpen from Oakland, Tennessee won the second Thunder Nationals main event. Both drivers are entered for this year’s Round#2 event at Cherokee Speedway with a host of other talented drivers.
Cherokee Speedway is located at 153 Speedway Rd., Gaffney, South Carolina 29341. The race track phone number is: (864) 489-1969. The track’s website is www.cherokeespeedwaysc.com For USCS info visit the USCS web site at www.uscsracing.com or call the USCS presented by Goodyear at 770-460-7223.