From Pete Walton
Kenly, NC — (April 26, 2014) — Top ranked United Sprint Car Series female sprint car racer Morgan Turpen from Cordova, Tennessee charged from the K&N Filters Pole Position into the www.rockauto.com USCS victory lane on Saturday night during the USCS presented by K&N Filters forty-lap main event before a near capacity crowd at Southern National Motorsports Park. Turpen dominated by leading every lap after earning the K&N Filters Pole Position by posting the fastest lap of 13.12 seconds around the 4/10 mile paved oval. Turpen held off the previous night’s Anderson Motor Speedway feature winner, Johnny Bridges from Cherryville, North Carolina, for her career fifth USCS victory.
Turpen fended off the charges Bridges over the first ten laps while Bridges tried every move in his veteran racer book to get by her. Turpen managed to hold on to the lead while Bridges and her own teammate Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee were wearing out their tires in pursuit. Turpen then started to pull away from Bridges, Gray and the rest of the field. She held nearly a half lap advantage when the race’s only caution flag was displayed for Tim Perry’s engine failure on the back stretch of the 4/10 mile paved oval.
On the re-start with ten laps to go, Turpen drove away from the field again and had a twelve car length lead at the finish line. Bridges brought his Moss Engines Ford powered mount home in the runner-up spot followed by ten-time series Champion Terry Gray in the K&N Filters podium awarding third position. Brandon McLain from Indian Trail, North Carolina drove his Allen Tate Realty sponsored number 21b across the line forty laps later in the fourth position. More importantly Brandon McLain finished ahead of his brother Jake McLain in the evening’s sibling rivalry contest as Jake McLain rounded out the top five.
Tom Paterson from Argos, Indiana set eighth quick time and then led the second group of drivers with his finish in sixth place. Jeff Willingham from Ripley, Mississippi came home in seventh and Vale, North Carolina’s Jason Troutman finished eighth. Mooresville, North Carolina’s Tim Perry finished in ninth place and Tony Grams from Harrisburg, North Carolina completed the top ten drivers at the finish.
Morgan Turpen successfully contined her time trial dominance by posting her second top time of the weekend with a quick lap of 13.12 seconds around the high-banked 4/10 mile speed plant to claim the K&N Fast Time Award. Terry Gray then kicked off the evening’s racing action by winning the six cars, six lap Hoosier Speed Dash. Gray also won the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat and Jeff Willingham from Ripley, Mississippi scored his first-ever USCS heat race victory in the Butlerbuilt Second Heat. Morgan Turpen then received her time back after heat race action to grab the K&N Filters Pole Position. Jake McLain advanced the most positions in the A-Main to earn the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award.
The next event for the USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour winged sprint cars will the two-night “Thunder in the Smokies” for round numbers eight and nine of the USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour 2014 on Friday, May 2nd at 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tennessee (www.411motorspeedway.net) . On the following night (Saturday, May 3rd) the USCS sprint car teams move just 26 miles West to Smoky Mountain Speedway (www.smokymountainspeedway.com) in Maryville, Tennessee for another dirt oval contest. For rules, schedules and other info on the 2014 and 18th annual USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour winged sprint car series please visit www.uscsracing.com or call 770-460-7223 or 7770-865-6097.
USCS Outlaw Thunder presented by K&N Filters results at Southern national Motorsports Park Saturday, April 26, 2014:
K&N Fast Time Award: Morgan Turpen – 13.12 seconds (4/10 mile pavement)
Hoosier Speed Dash: Terry Gray, Johnny Bridges, Morgan Turpen, Brandon McLain, Jeff Willingham and Tom Paterson,
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: Terry Gray, Johnny Bridges, Morgan Turpen, Brandon McLain, Tim Perry and. Tony Grams.
Butlerbuilt Second Heat: Jeff Willingham, Tom Paterson, Jay Dunham, Jason Troutman, Jake McLain, Bill Moore and Doug Gold.
USCS presented by K&N Filters at Southern National Motorsports Park Main Event: 40-laps
1. 10M Morgan Turpen, Cordova, TN
2. 07 Johnny Bridges, Cherryville, NC
3. 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN
4. 21B Brandon McLain, Indian Trail, NC
5. 67 Jake McLain, Indian Trail, NC
6. 100 Tom Paterson, Argos, IN
7. 28 Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS
8. 4 Jason Troutman, Vale, NC
9. 36 Tim Perry, Mooresville, NC
10. 22 Tony Grams, Harrisburg, NC
11. 06 Bill Moore, Mooresville, NC
12. 51 Jay Dunham, Augusta, GA
13. 07G Doug Gold, Concord, NC
USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by K&N Filters Race Awards:
K&N Filters Fast Time Award: 10M – Morgan Turpen
USCS Sprint Hoosier Speed Dash: #10 – Terry Gray
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: #10 Terry Gray
Butlerbuilt Second Heat Award: #28 Jeff Willingham
K&N Filters Pole Award: #10M – Morgan Turpen
JE Pistons Top Guns Award: #07 – Johnny Bridges (2nd place)
K&N Filters Podium (3rd place) Award: #10 – Terry Gray
Wilwood Disc Brakes Hardcharger Award: #67 – Jake McLain
Keizer Aluminum Wheels Top Five Award: #67 – Jake McLain
Saldana Racing Products Super Sixth Award: #100 – Tom Patterson
Pyrotect Racing Cells Lucky Seven Award: #28 – Jeff willingham
DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends Top Ten Award: #22 – Tony Grams
The United Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters would like to gratefully thank its sponsoring partners for their involvement in the 2014 and 18th anniversary USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour: K&N Filters, www.rockauto.com, Engler Machine and Tool, Butlerbuilt, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Saldana Racing Products, Pyrotect Racing Cells, DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends. KSE Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, DSR Fuel Systems, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions and Safety-Kleen.