By Jacob Seelman
BRASSTOWN, N.C. – September 1, 2014 – Anthony Nicholson, the 2008 USCS Rookie of the Year from Bartlett, Tennessee, stormed around the outside of K&N Filters pole-sitter Michael Miller on the opening lap of Monday night’s 30-lap “Thunder in the Mountains” Labor Day Classic A-main and never looked back, wiring the field en route to his fourth USCS victory of 2014 at Ray Cook’s Tri County Race Track. The win was Nicholson’s eighth career USCS feature win and fourth of the 2014 season.
The victory also redeemed Nicholson for being passed by 10-time series National Champion Terry Gray at the same race track where he lost the battle inside of four laps to go seeking his first series win during his rookie year in 2008. Nicholson has now doubled his career series win total this season from four to eight.
“This is a little bit of redemption,” Nicholson said in www.rockauto.com USCS Victory Lane. “When I got out front there on the start I wasn’t letting anyone back past me tonight. We rebuilt the entire front end of this car last night and this shows how hard my dad and the crew worked because we’re sitting here celebrating right now.”
The pace was slowed by three cautions; the first coming out on lap 2 when Brandon McLain spun in turn 3.
The second caution changed the complexity of the race, shuffling the running order when Morgan Turpen and Michael Miller were battling for the runner-up spot and got together on the front stretch. Turpen slowed to a crawl and retired from the race due to the bleeder and shock on her right rear wheel being knocked off in the fray, while Miller retired following the restart.
The final caution flew on lap 12 when Jeff Willingham looped his car around in turn 4, setting up one last chance for the field to take the fight to Nicholson, but ten-time series champion Gray said this time, he had nothing left to get past Nicholson.
“That was all I had right there,” Gray said following the race. “Anthony did a good job tonight, he drove hard and earned this one. We’ll take a runner-up after the weekend we’ve had and go on to the next one.”
Saturday night’s Harris Speedway winner Eric Riggins Jr., from Charlotte, North Carolina completed the podium in third. Jacksonville, Florida pilot Terry Witherspoon and Thonotosassa, Florida young gun Collin Cabre got his second top five finish in two nights finishing in fifth place.
Fifteen year-old Nick Snyder, a sprint car rookie from Marco Island, Florida finished a career-best sixth, to lead the next group of racers. Brandon McLain from Indian Trail, North Carolina followed Snyder in seventh place. Jeff Willingham finished in eight place with Kent Wolters from Pipp City, Ohio just behind in the ninth position. Michael Miller was scored in the tenth position.
Terry Gray kicked off the evening’s racing action by winning the Hoosier Tire Speed Dash, and followed that up with a win in the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat. Morgan Turpen rolled to the victory in the Butlerbuilt Second Heat.
Michael Miller was the provisional pole-starter after scoring the most passing points in heat race action, and after a zero came up in the K&N Inversion Draw, he received the K&N Filters Pole Award and the prime starting position. Rookie driver Nick Snyder passed the most cars in the A-main (six) to grab the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award.
The United Sprint Car Series filtercharged by K&N continues their 2014 schedule on Saturday, September 13th at Tennessee National Raceway in Hohenwald, Tennessee with the running of the Tennessee Fall Nationals.
For rules and updated schedule information about the United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour, please visit www.uscsracing.com or call the series office at 770-460-7223 or 770-865-6097.
RESULTS: USCS Sprint Car Series “Thunder in the Mountains” Labor Day Classic at Ray Cook’s Tri-County Race Track; September 1, 2014
Hoosier Tire Speed Dash: Terry Gray, Michael Miller, Terry Witherspoon, Collin Cabre, Jeff Willingham, Brandon McLain.
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: Terry Gray, Eric Riggins Jr., Anthony Nicholson, Brandon McLain, Jeff Willingham, Nick Snyder.
Butlerbuilt Second Heat: Morgan Turpen, Michael Miller, Collin Cabre, Kent Wolters, Terry Witherspoon, Kris Davis.
USCS Sprint Car Series filtercharged by K&N Labor Day Classic A-main: 30-laps
1. #16 – Anthony Nicholson, Bartlett, TN
2. #10 – Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN
3. #47 – Eric Riggins Jr., Charlotte, NC
4. #43 – Terry Witherspoon, Jacksonville, FL
5. #12C – Collin Cabre, Thonotosossa, FL
6. #116 – Nick Snyder, Marco Island, FL
7. #21B – Brandon McLain, Indian Trail, NC
8. #28 – Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS
9. #12H – Kent Wolters, Tipp City, OH
10. #4M – Michael Miller, Ocean Springs, MS
11. #10M – Morgan Turpen, Cordova, TN
12. #121 – Kris Davis, Burbank, OH
USCS Sprint Car Series Race Awards:
Hoosier Tire Speed Dash: #10 – Terry Gray
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: #10 – Terry Gray
Butlerbuilt Second Heat: #10M – Morgan Turpen
K&N Filters Pole Award: #4M – Michael Miller
JE Pistons Top Guns Award: #12C – Collin Cabre (5th place)
K&N Filters Podium (3rd place) Award: #47 – Eric Riggins Jr.
Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award: #116 – Nick Snyder
Keizer Aluminum Wheels Top Five Award: #12C – Collin Cabre
Saldana Racing Products Super Sixth Award: #116 – Nick Snyder
Pyrotect Racing Cells Lucky Seven Award: #21B – Brandon McLain
DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends Top Ten Award: #4M – Michael Miller
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.