From Pete Walton
Talladega, AL — (October 10, 2015) — The 2013 United Sprint Car Series filter charged by K&N Filters National Champion and 2006 USCS Rookie of the Year, Derek Hagar from Marion, Arkansas raced past current USCS National point’s leader, Morgan Turpen on lap 23 of the 30-lap “Shootout at the Short Track” for the lead to capture his seventh USCS win of the 2015 season at Talladega Short Track on Saturday night. It was also Hagar’s 36th career trip to the www.rockauto.com USCS Victory Lane.
The win was especially sweet since the United Sprint Car Series had not visited the famed 1/3 mile red clay oval at Talladega Short Track in over a decade. The USCS held it’s first ever sanctioned event at the track on April 25, 1997, The historic win for Hagar during the series return was on the series first visit to the track, since Hagar started his sprint car driving career with the USCS in 2006.
In an post race interview Hagar said, “Man she (Turpen) drove me real clean, but, she drove real hard. I was fortunate to get by her. It looked like she just got loose toward the end and got a little wide exiting turn four. That gave me the opportunity for the pass. to win it”.
The 2009 USCS Rookie of the Year and Millington, Tennessee racer, Anthony Nicholson battled most of the race for the third position with Turpen’s team-mate Terry Gray before slipping past Turpen’s fading mount on the final lap to garner the runner-up spot at the finish. Turpen, who hails from Cordova, Tennessee, crossed under the checkers in the K&N Filters Podium Award third place. 11-time USCS National Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee finished behind her in the fourth place. Young gun Howard Moore from Memphis, Tennessee started eighth and battled his way into the top five at the finish..
Four-time 2015 winner, Eric Riggins, Jr. from Charlotte, North Carolina, who is in a tight battle with Terry Gray and Morgan Turpen for the USCS Southern Thunder Tour championship, led the next group of finishers in sixth place. The 2012 USCS Rookie of the Year, Jeff Willingham from Ripley, Mississippi, who ranks fourth in the current National point standings, followed Riggins across the finish line in seventh place. Former series champion and four time 2015 USCS feature winner Marshall Skinner from Marion, Arkansas started fifteenth and finished eighth. Ocean Spring’s Mississippi’s Michael Miller who was the 2000 USCS Rookie of the Year followed Skinner in ninth place and 2013 USCS Rookie of the Year, Curt Terrell also from Bartlett, Tennessee rounded out the top ten.
Riggins kicked off the evening’s racing action by winning the Hoosier Tire Speed Dash, Terry Gray scored the win in the Engler Machine and Tools First Heat. Morgan Turpen raced to victory in the Butlerbuilt Second Heat, and Derek Hagar took the victory in the Schoenfeld Headers Third Heat.
Morgan Turpen was the provisional pole-starter after she scored the most passing points in heat race action, After a zero was rolled on the K&N Inversion Die, She also received the K&N Filters Pole Award. Marshall Skinner passed the most cars in the A-main (seven) to grab the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award.
The United Sprint Car Series filter charged by K&N continues their 2015 schedule on Friday and Saturday, October 16th and 17th with the USCS Florida State Championship races at Bubba Raceway Park n Ocala, Florida. The event will be also include a two night www.rockauto.com USCS 600 Sprint Car Series and FMSA sanctioned winged mini sprint challenge event sponsored by Todd’s Tomatoes, that will pay $1000 to win the Championship final on Saturday night.
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 “Shoot Out at the Short Track”
Talladega Short Track on Saturday, October 10, 2015.; September 4, 2015
Hoosier Tire Speed Dash: Eric Riggins Jr., Terry Gray, Morgan Turpen, Marshall Skinner, Brian Thomas and Jeff Willingham.
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: Terry Gray, Brian Thomas, Nick Snyder, Jeff Willingham, Don Goodwin, Lee Moore and Bob auld (DNS).
Butlerbuilt Second Heat: Morgan Turpen, Howard Moore, Anthony Nicholson, Michael Miller, Marshall Skinner, Aubrey Black and Tony Agin.
Schoenfeld Headers Third Heat: Derek Hagar, Eric Riggins Jr., Brandon McLain, Curt Terrell, Lance Hester, Joe Larkin and Ray Bugg (DNS).
USCS Sprint Car Series filter charged by K&N Filter “Shoot Out at the Short Track” A-main: 30-laps
#9jr. – Derek Hagar, Marion, AR
#16 – Anthony Nicholson, Millington, TN
#10M – Morgan Turpen, Cordova, TN
#10 – Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN
#40 – Howard Moore, Memphis, TN
#47 – Eric Riggins Jr., Charlotte, NC
#28 – Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS
#26 – Marshall Skinner, Marion, AR
#4 – Michael Miller, Ocean Springs, MS
#27 – Curt Terrell, Bartlett, TN
#1A – Lee Moore, Tuscaloosa, AL
#116 – Nick Snyder, Marco Island, FL
#67 – Brian Thomas, Pendergrass, GA
#21 – Aubrey Black, Lookout Mountain, TN
#33 – Joe Larkin, Suwannee, GA
#87 – Don Goodwin, Goodlettsville, TN
#F16 – Lance Hester, Montgomery, AL
#3 – Tony Agin, Brandon, FL
#9 – Brandon McLain, Indian Trail, NC
#25 – Ray Bugg, Iuka, MS
#83 – Bob Auld, Largo, FL