By Pete Walton
Norman Park, GA – Saturday, May 14, 2016 – For the second night in a row, Danny Martin, Jr. raced from the K&N Filters Pole Position starting spot into the www.rockauto.com USCS Victory Lane in the 20-lap USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by K&N Filters main event on Saturday night before the largest crowd in track history and a capacity crowd at Needmore Speedway. The win ran Martin’s career win total to 26 victories in USCS competition.
Martin led every lap, on his way to the winner’s share paycheck. Four caution periods and a red flag for 2015 USCS Rookie of the Year Nick Snyder’s spectacular crash in turn three on lap nine kept the field close behind him. Snyder who hales from Marco Island, Florida was chasing Martin past a lapped car and launched his #116 off the right rear of the car and took a nasty ride over the guard rail and into the catch fence.
After Snyder’s untimely exit, 14 year-old Rookie of the Year contender Danny Sams III from Englewood, Florida took over the runner-up spot in the race order. Sams III held on to the spot for five laps before fading to third place on lap 14. At that point, 2015 USCS National sprint car Champion, Morgan Turpen from Cordova, Tennessee , who started inside the second row, took up the chase after Martin. Just like on night #1 of the two-night contest, Turpen chased Martin across the line in the runner-up spot.
Danny Sams III held on to the final podium spot and finished in the K&N Filters Podium Award third place. Just like on the previous night as well, 11-time USCS National Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee raced across the finish line in fourth place. Young gun Kyle Amerson from Montgomery, Alabama had a much improved performance from Friday night and rounded out the top five drivers.
The next group of finishers was led by Jacksonville, Florida’s Shawn Murray, who was the provisional pole-starter after scoring the most passing points in heat race action, bur lost the K&N Filters Pole Position via the re-draw to the eventual feature winner (Martin). Murray had a stellar performance and his season’s best finish so far in sixth place. The current USCS Rookie of the Year points leader, Brandon Taylor from Cumming, Georgia followed Murray to the final stripe in seventh place after starting fourteenth. Another Rookie of the Year contender, Tanner Witherspoon, also from Jacksonville, placed eighth. Darren Orth also a Jacksonville, Florida entry finished ninth followed by past USCS Rookie of the Year, Brandon McLain from Indian Trail, North Carolina who rounded out the top ten drivers.
Danny Martin, Jr. also captured the evening’s the Hoosier Tire Speed Dash to kick off the action. Danny Sams III got his second qualifying heat race win of the weekend when he rolled to victory in the 8-lap Engler Machine and Tools First Heat. Then, veteran Terry Gray charged to the checkers first to claim the win in the Brown and Miller Racing Solutions Second Heat.
After a six was rolled on the K&N Inversion Die, Danny Martin, Jr. received the K&N Filters Pole Award and starting position. Rookie driver Brandon Taylor passed the most cars in the A-main for the second night in a row (7) to grab the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award.
The United Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters continues their 20th anniversary 2016 schedule on Friday, May 27th at Hattiesburg Speedway in Hattiesburg, Mississippi with the 11th annual USCS Sprint Car Speedweek Round #1 of seven events scheduled to transpire over nine days.
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.
USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by K&N Filters winged sprint cars results Needmore Speedway results for Saturday, May 14, 2016.
USCS Hoosier Speed Dash (6 Laps): 1. 24-Danny Martin, Jr.; 2. 10m-Morgan Turpen; 3. 10-Terry Gray; 4. 43-Terry Witherspoon; 5. 116-Nick Snyder; 6. 07-Brandon Taylor.
Engler Machine & Tool Heat 1, Group A – (8 Laps): 1. 24d-Danny Sams III[1] 2. 116-Nick Snyder[4] 3. 22-Shawn Murray[8] ; 4. 99-Tanner Witherspoon[3] ; 5. 21b-Brandon McLain[5] 6. 34-Darren Orth[7]; 7. 43-Terry Witherspoon[2] 8. 07-Brandon Taylor[6].
Brown and Miller Racing Solutions Heat 2, Group B – (8 Laps): 1. 10-Terry Gray[1] ; 2. 10M-Morgan Turpen[3]; 3. 29-Kyle Amerson [4] 4. 24-Danny Martin Jr. [6]; 5. 28-Jeff Willingham[2]; 6. 0x-Clint Weiss[5]; 7. 67-Jake McLain[DNS]
USCS Sprint Car Series presented by K&N A-main May 14m 2016
@ Needmore Speedway – 20-laps
1. #24 – Danny Martin Jr., Sarasota, FL
2. #10M – Morgan Turpen, Cordova, TN
3. # 24D – Danny Sams III, Sarasota, FL
4. #10 – Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN
5. #29 – Kyle Amerson, Montgomery, AL
6. #22 – Shawn Murray, Jacksonville, FL
7. #07 – Brandon Taylor, Cumming, GA
8. #99 – Tanner Witherspoon, Jacksonville, FL
9. #34 – Darren Orth, Jacksonville, FL
10. #21B – Brandon McLain, Indian Trail, NC
11. #28 – Jeff Willingham., Ripley, MS
12. #0X – Clint Weiss, Jessup, GA
13. #116 – Nick Snyder, Marco Island, FL
14. # 67M – Jake McLain, Indian Trail, NC
15. #43 – Terry Witherspoon, Jacksonville, FL
16. #83 – Bob Auld, Largo, FL (DNS)
USCS Sprint Car Series Race Awards:
Hoosier Tire Speed Dash: #24 Danny Martin, Jr.
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: #24D Danny Sams III
BMRS Second Heat: #10 Terry Gray.
K&N Filters Pole Award: #24 Danny Martin, Jr.
JE Pistons Top Guns Award: #24D Danny Sams III (3rd place)
K&N Filters Podium (3rd place) Award: #24D Danny Sams III
Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award: #07 Brandon Taylor
Keizer Aluminum Wheels Top Five Award: #29 Kyle Amerson
Saldana Racing Products Super Sixth Award: #22 Shawn Murray
Pyrotect Racing Cells Lucky Seven Award: #07 Brandon Taylor
DHR Suspension 8th place: #99 Tanner Witherspoon
DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends Top Ten Award: #21B Brandon McLain
The United Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters would like to gratefully thank its sponsoring partners for their involvement in the 2016 and 20th anniversary USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour: K&N Filters,www.rockauto.com, Hoosier Race Tires, Engler Machine and Tool, Butlerbuilt, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Saldana Racing Products, Pyrotect Racing Cells, DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends. Hero Graphics, KSE Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, DSR Fuel Systems, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions and DHR Suspensions.