By Jacob Seelman
SENOIA, Ga. – August 21,2015 – 20-year-old Charlotte, N.C. hot-shoe Eric Riggins Jr. picked up right where he left off in United Sprint Car Series filtercharged by K&N action at the Senoia Raceway, going wire-to-wire to score his third-consecutive victory at the three-eighths mile Georgia oval on Friday night.
After the original start was called back when Bob Auld sputtered to a stop in turn one, the remainder of the race was caution-free – allowing Riggins to run away from the rest of the pack.
“We just had a great car tonight,” Riggins said in www.rockauto.com USCS Victory Lane after his 13th career win and fifth of the season. “I’m glad we had that one back because on the first start I just started too deep and it was slow getting to the line. Luckily we were able to have a second shot at it and once we got out front we were good from there.Thanks to all the fans that come out to support what we do as well; without you guys we couldn’t put on this kind of a show.”
16-year-old Nick Snyder had actually cleared Riggins in turn three of the opening lap, but wasn’t able to keep the lead due to the caution and couldn’t replicate the feat on the ensuing restart. The Marco Island, Fla. young gun ultimately finished second, chasing the “Fast 47” the entire way.
“Eric just outsmarted us on the restart there,” Snyder admitted. “I really hate that the caution came out because I think we had the fastest car of anyone all night and we could have made it a show. Once he had the clean air though, he just worked traffic a little better than we did. Second’s solid, but this one stings just a bit.”
Former series rookie of the year Curt Terrell, from Bartlett, Tenn., had a career night in finishing on the podium in third – saying that Senoia Raceway was “his new favorite track” after how well his car ran during the feature. Cherryville, N.C.’s Johnny Bridges followed him home in fourth and Andy McElhannon, who made the haul from Nesbit, Miss., rounded out the top five.
Lima, Ohio invader Shawn Dancer led the next group of drivers home with a sixth-place finish, and Tennessee hotshoe Morgan Turpen finished where she started in seventh. Danny Martin Jr., out of Sarasota, Fla., beat Montgomery, Alabama’s Kyle Amerson to the line in a drag race for eighth, with Amerson ninth and 11-time USCS champion Terry Gray completing the top 10.
Bridges kicked off the evening’s racing action by winning the Hoosier Tire Speed Dash, and Snyder scored the win in the Engler Machine and Tools First Heat. Riggins rolled to the victory in the Butlerbuilt Second Heat.
Riggins was also the provisional polesitter after scoring the most passing points in heat race action, and after a zero was rolled on the K&N Inversion Die, he officially received the K&N Filters Pole Award. Danny Martin Jr. passed the most cars in the A-main (five) to grab the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award.
The United Sprint Car Series filtercharged by K&N continues their 2015 schedule on Saturday night, August 22 with the finale of the 6th annual Senoia Summer Nationals at Senoia Raceway.
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 “Senoia Summer Nationals VI”; Senoia Raceway; August 21, 2015
Hoosier Tire Speed Dash: Johnny Bridges, Eric Riggins Jr., Terry Gray, Morgan Turpen, Nick Snyder, Brian Thomas.
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: Nick Snyder, Johnny Bridges, Shawn Dancer, Brian Thomas, Brandon McLain, Joe Larkin, Bob Auld, Jeff Willingham, Col. Lance Hester.
Butlerbuilt Second Heat: Eric Riggins Jr., Curt Terrell, Terry Gray, Andy McElhannon, Morgan Turpen, Kyle Amerson, Danny Martin Jr., A.J. Maddox.
USCS Sprint Car Series filtercharged by K&N Senoia Summer Nationals VI preliminary A-main: 20-laps
- #47 – Eric Riggins Jr., Charlotte, NC
2. #116 – Nick Snyder, Marco Island, FL
3. #27 – Curt Terrell, Bartlett, TN
4. #07 – Johnny Bridges, Cherryville, NC
5. #42 – Andy McElhannon, Nesbit, MS
6. #49 – Shawn Dancer, Lima, OH
7. #10M – Morgan Turpen, Cordova, TN
8. #24 – Danny Martin Jr., Sarasota, FL +5
9. #3 – Kyle Amerson, Montgomery, AL
10. #10 – Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN
11. #3A – A.J. Maddox, Brandon, FL
12. #67 – Brian Thomas, Pendergrass, GA
13. #21B – Brandon McLain, Indian Trail, NC
14. #28 – Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS
15. #F16 – Col. Lance Hester, Wetumpka, AL
16. #33 – Joe Larkin, Suwanee, GA
17. #83 – Bob Auld, Largo, FL
USCS Sprint Car Series Race Awards:
Hoosier Tire Speed Dash: #07 – Johnny Bridges
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: #116 – Nick Snyder
Butlerbuilt Second Heat: #47 – Eric Riggins Jr.
K&N Filters Pole Award: #47 – Eric Riggins Jr.
JE Pistons Top Guns Award: #47 – Eric Riggins Jr. (1st place)
Bell Helmets Focus Award: #116 – Nick Snyder
K&N Filters Podium (3rd place) Award: #27 – Curt Terrell
Brown and Miller Racing Solutions Fourth Place Award: #07 – Johnny Bridges
Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award: #24 – Danny Martin Jr.
Keizer Aluminum Wheels Top Five Award: #42 – Andy McElhannon
Saldana Racing Products Super Sixth Award: #49 – Shawn Dancer
Pyrotect Racing Cells Lucky Seven Award: #10M – Morgan Turpen
DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends Top Ten Award: #10 – Terry Gray
The United Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters would like to gratefully thank its sponsoring partners for their involvement in the 2015 and 19th 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. Bell Racing USA, KSE Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, DSR Fuel Systems, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions.
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Jacob Seelman
Speed77 Motorsports Radio, Founder/Producer
RaceChaserOnline.com, Managing Editor
Performance Motorsports Network, Radio Co-Host
National Speed Sport News, Staff Writer
United Sprint Car Series, Series Announcer