By Pete Walton
Atlanta, GA – June 15, 2016 – The United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by K&N Filters winged sprint cars keep a busy 50 race 2016 schedule rolling with a Father’s Day weekend Eastern Alabama double-header on both Friday and Saturday nights for the 18th Annual Alabama Sprint Car Nationals at East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, Alabama.
For the USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour drivers the race also carries significance as the 8th annual Randy Helton Memorial Race. The Saturday night portion of the event honors former United Sprint Car Series racer Randy Helton from Palmetto, Georgia who considered the track his favorite. Helton passed away from a massive heart attack in 2006.
The USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by K&N Filters has been a Father’s Day weekend tradition at East Alabama Motor Speedway for eighteen years. The USCS sprint cars will be making their one and only scheduled appearances of the 2016 season at the speedway.
East Alabama Motor Speedway has also been a USCS driver and fan favorite over the past 19 seasons and has been on the schedule every season since the series was founded in 1997. The series last visited The 4/10 mile super-fast high-banked red clay oval track during the 2014 season when Derek Hagar from Marion, Arkansas won his second Randy Helton Memorial Race in a row.
Hagar who additionally won his career-first sprint car and first USCS event at East Alabama Motor Speedway in June of 2007 tops the entry list and has three total visits to the www.rockauto.com USCS Victory Lane in the Randy Helton Memorial Race. He has 39 career victories in the United Sprint Car Series.
Right next to Derek Hagar at the top of the list is 2015 USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour National Champion, Morgan Turpen from Cordova, Tennessee who like Hagar won her first race during the 2011 version of this same event. Like Hagar she was also the previous season’s USCS Rookie of the Year (2010). In addition to being the defending National Champion, Morgan Turpen has a runner-up finish in four previous title runs. She is currently only a couple of points out of first place in the 2016 National point standing in her quest to repeat as the series National Champion.
In addition to Hagar and Turpen a strong contingent of drivers from at least seven states are entered. Those include 11-time USCS National Champion Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee. Also entered is five-time 2015 winner, Eric Riggins, Jr. from Charlotte, North Carolina. and past National Champion, Marshall Skinner from Marion, Arkansas.
In addition to the 130 mile per hour USCS winged sprint cars, the www.rockauto.com USCS 600 Sprint Car series winged mini sprints who will also reach speeds of over 100 miles per hour on the speedway’s straight-aways.
On both Friday and Saturday nights the two USCS sprint car divisions are on the 18th Annual Alabama Sprint Car Nationals racing card with a full racing program that includes Test and Tune Hot Laps, the Hoosier Speed Dash, qualifying heat races and main events in each of them. Three East Alabama Motor Speedway weekly racing divisions join the action with those open wheel headliners each night.
On Friday night the speedway’s Limited Late Model, Nesmith Street Stock and Road Warrior divisions compete in a full racing program. On Saturday evening the EAMS Late Models, Hobby and Hot Shot divisins compete on a busy racing card.
For info on East Alabama Motor Speedway please visit their website www.eamsdirt.com or call the track office at 334-297-2588. For USCS information please call the USCS series office at 770-460-7223 or 770-865-6097. For USCS rules, info and updated schedules please visit www.uscsracing.com
USCS Media contact: Pete Walton 770-865-6097 or Email: peteuscs@att.net
Friday, June 17 Details:
USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by K&N Filters winged sprint cars
www.rockauto.com USCS 600 Sprint Car Series winge mini sprints
Limited Late Model $500 to win
NeSmith Street Stock $350 to win
Road Warrior $250 to win
On Friday night: Competitor Area Pit Passes are $25 for adults. Children walking to age 10 are $15.
Grandstand admission is $15 for adults, children 10 and under are FREE, military/senior discount available at the gate.
Saturday, June 18 Details:
USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by K&N Filters winged sprint cars
www.rockauto.com USCS 600 Sprint Car Series winge mini sprints
EAMS Late Model $1000 to win
Hobby $400 to win
Hot Shots $150 to win.
On Saturday night: Competitor Area Pit Passes are $30 for adults. Children walking to age 10 are $15
Grandstand admission is $20 for adults, children 10 and under are FREE, military/senior discount available at the gate.