By Pete Walton
March 19, 2014 – Get ready Missouri! The 2014 racing season kicks off early and fast. Three United Speed Contest Sanction (USCS) and five Poplar Bluff Speedway weekly racing divisions break out the speed and excitement of a brand new racing year with the 7th Annual “Bootheel 200” Weekend of Speed on Friday and Saturday, March 21st and 22nd at Poplar Bluff Speedway in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. (The race was formerly held at the now closed Malden Speedway)
The USCS will contest its’ third sanctioned triple-header of the young season at the 3/8 mile red clay oval located just off US Highway 60 Business with two of its’ divisions in action both nights and the earth-shaking United Sprint Car Series “Outlaw Thunder” Tour presented by K&N Filters winged Outlaw sprint cars headlining the Saturday night portion of the event. Nearly $40,000 is posted in guaranteed prize money for eight of the Mid South’s most popular racing divisions during the two-day event. The action-packed racing card includes drivers contesting approximately 350 laps of racing action with 200 laps of main event finals scheduled during the 7th Annual “Bootheel 200” Weekend of Speed.
The mighty open wheel modifieds of the K&N Filters USCS Outlaw Modified Series will contest their qualifying races on Friday night. The first entry for the K&N Filters USCS Outlaw Modified Series portion of the event is NASCAR veteran driver and dirt track open wheel ace, Ken Schrader from Concord, North Carolina (hometown Fenton, Missouri). Schrader won the USCS season opener during the USCS Frostbuster 250 at Magnolia Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 1st. He bested a 40 car field of most of the South’s top Modified drivers. He also won the “Tennessee 200” final at Tennessee National Raceway in Hohenwald, Tennessee on Saturday, March 15th. Schrader is currently the K&N Filters USCS Modified Series point’s leader.
The 100 mile per hour www.rockauto.com USCS 600 Sprint Car Series winged mini sprints co-headline the USCS portion of Friday night’s event. The USCS 600 Sprint Car Series will contest a complete racing program including the Hoosier Speed Dash, qualifying heat races and 20-lap main event. They are joined on the busy “Pole Night” racing card on Friday night by the Crate Late Models, E-Modified, Super Street (Hobby), Pure Street and Mini Stock divisions. Six of those seven divisions will contest qualifying races on Friday night to set the top positions for Saturday night’s B-Main and A-Main finals. Saturday night’s racing program features 200 laps of main event finals in all divisions.
On Saturday night (March 22nd) the 700 horsepower, 1300 pound United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour winged Outlaw sprint cars invade the speedway and are expected to step the tempo up with speeds near 120 miles per hour around the high-banked 3/8 mile clay oval. The USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour winged sprint car drivers will contest a complete program of winged sprint car racing including, a dash for the top six cars from the previous event, qualifying heat races and main events. The evenings sprint car finale is a 30-lap main event.
Drivers from at least six states are expected for the series second event of the year. Entries include 2013 USCS National Sprint Car Champion, Derek Hagar from Marion, Arkansas who won the USCS sprint car portion of the “Cotton Boll Cup” races on October 12, 2013 at the speedway. The 2012 USCS national Champion Tim Crawley from Benton, Arkansas and 10-time United Sprint Car Series National Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee are both entered as well. Also entered is popular female sprint car racer, Morgan Turpen from Cordova, Tennessee. The now 20-year old Turpen was the 2010 USCS National “Rookie of the Year” and has finished no worse than fourth in the National point standings each season since then. She has four main event wins to her credit in USCS competition. Also entered is two-time 2013 USCS sprint car winner, Anthony Nicholson from Bartlett, Tennessee.
On Saturday night the K&N Filters USCS Outlaw Modifieds will race for $2000 to win as they contest another complete round of action including the K&N Filters Power Dash and their B and A Main events. The www.rockauto.com USCS 600 Sprint Car Series winged mini sprints will also contest another complete racing card including the Hoosier Tire Speed Dash for their top six finishers in Friday night’s main event, qualifying heat races and a Championship main event.
Poplar Bluff Speedway is located at 1989 Speedway Dr, Poplar Bluff MO. 63901. For Track Info Contact: Vernon Barker (573) 718-9658 or Butch Knuckles (573) 718-6307. On Facebook they are @ Poplar Bluff Speedway. For additional information about the United Speed Contest Sanction (USCS) three racing divisions including rules and complete racing schedules, please visit www.uscsracing.com or call the series office at 770-460-7223 or mobile number at 770-865-6097.