ATLANTA, Ga. (January 14, 2017) – The United Sprint Car Series would like to congratulate 23-year-old 2016 USCS presented by K&N Filters National Champion, Morgan Turpen from Cordova, Tennessee on being chosen as the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame 2016 “Wild Card” Driver of the Year. The “Wild Card” Driver of the Year Award is voted on annually by NSCHoF pollsters for the driver that has impressed them the most with his/her exciting sprint car racing performances during that season. Turpen also finished in eighth place in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Driver of the Year final standings out of nearly three thousand 360 sprint car drivers considered in North America. She was also only one of four drivers to receive a first-place vote in the final polling.
Turpen who was also the 2015 USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by K&N Filters National Champion made United Sprint Car Series and sprint car racing history again during the 2016 season by becoming the first woman to win the series National Championship two times in-a-row. Turpen put an exclamation point on last season’s accomplishment of becoming the only woman to win a major sprint car touring series National title, by repeating as the series Champion for the 2016 season. She bested her team-mate and 11-time USCS National Champion Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee by just two points in the season long title chase after 36 events.
Turpen, who visited the www.RockAuto.com USCS Victory Lane five times during 2016, also finished in the runner-up spot in the USCS Southern Thunder Tour regional series title chase just a scant fifteen points shy of the title behind her team-mate (Gray). She also had a respectable fourth place finish in the final standings of the USCS Mid-South Thunder Tour regional series Championship standings as well. She finished behind three past USCS National Champions including 2013 USCS National Champion and 2016 USCS Mid-South Thunder Tour Champion Derek Hagar and runner-up Marshall Skinner both from Marion, Arkansas. Terry Gray also finished just ahead of her in that region in third place.
Turpen has competed with the United Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters full time since the 2010 season when she earned the USCS National Rookie of the Year honors. Morgan Turpen has twelve total USCS career feature wins including the five this season. In addition to her 2015 and 2016 USCS National Championships, she has been close to the top of the point standings at the end of three other seasons. She finished in the runner-up position in the USCS National point standings during the 2010, 2011 and 2014 seasons. Other than the 2010 USCS Rookie crown, Turpen also earned the 2014 USCS “Road to Atlanta” Hoosier Asphalt Series Championship.
The 2017 and 21st season USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour kicks off at Hattiesburg Speedway in Hattiesburg, MS on Friday, March 3rd. The series moves over to Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS on Saturday, March 4th.
A full schedule of 2017 USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour winged sprint car events is available at the series website. For series rules and other info please visit www.uscsracing.com or call the series office at 770-460-7223 or 770-865-6097.