By Pete Walton
USCS photo
Lancaster, SC – April 8, 2017 – Burlington, New Jersey’s Robbie Stillwaggon raced into the USCS www.RockAuto.com Victory Lane again on Saturday night in the United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by K&N Filters 25-lap main event at Lancaster Speedway in the USCS “Thunder in Carolina” Round #2. The win was Stillwaggon’s career-third win in USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour competition.
Stillwaggon’s good fortunes continued for the second straight night in USCS competitions Two things happened on lap twenty of the 25-lap contest around the high-speed half-mile in Lancaster, South Carolina that helped put Stillwaggon in the www.RockAuto.com USCS Victory Lane at the conclusion.
First, Stillwaggon was able to capitalize on veteran Ohio sprint car driver Danny Smith’s mechanical misfortunes on lap twenty in the main event. On that lap (20) Danny Smith coasted to the pits with a broken U-Joint after leading laps five through twenty.
On that same lap, Johnny Bridges from Cherryville, North Carolina who was running in the sixth position in the high-speed duel at the time, left the park in turn three and landed down the banking after entering the turn at approximately 140 miles per hour and having something break in his steering. Very fortunately, Bridges escaped the scary incident unharmed.
An extended red flag period and open red-flag condition occurred for the sprint car teams. On the restart Stillwaggon was on the point after being in the runner-up spot trying to run down the sailing Smith who had earlier won the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat race then having his rear-end lock-up at the scales.
After the restart Stillwaggon charged away from the challengers and raced under the checkered flag in first place ahead of runner-up and the 2016 winner at Lancaster Speedway in the event Trey Starks from Puyallup Washington. On the night before Starks had crashed hard while leading the “Thunder in Carolina ” Round #1 event at Carolina Speedway that Stillwaggon went on to win as well. Starks’ crew had to make huge repairs over night for the Washington state hot-shoe to even return for the night’s event at Lancaster Speedway.
Jordon Mallett from Greenbrier, Arkansas held off hard-charging Eric Riggins, Jr. from Charlotte, North Carolina to finish in the K&N Filters Podium Award (third place). Riggins started in the ninth position and finished fourth in a borrowed ride. Riggins, who is a two-time USCS winner and fan favorite in USCS competition at Lancaster Speedway, crashed hard in his own ride in hot laps. Fellow competitor Terry Witherspoon then loaned Riggins a spare car he had in his trailer for the event. Brandon McLain from Indian Trail, North Carolina, who was the 2014 USCS Rookie of the Year finished in fifth place. McLain who earlier won the Brown and Miller racing Solutions Second Heat Race started from the K&N Filters Pole Position and led the first four laps of the main event.
Terry Witherspoon from Jacksonville, Florida led the next group with a sixth-place finish. Mitch Brown from Brantford, Ontario, Canada charged from a ten place start to finish seventh. Rookie of the Year contender Scott Hunter from Concord, North Carolina finished in eighth place followed by fifteen-year-old, 2016 USCS Rookie of the Year Danny Sams III from Englewood, Florida in ninth-place finish. Lance Moss from Cherryville, North Carolina rounded out the top ten.
Heat race wins went to National Sprint Car Hall of Fame 2015 inductee Danny Smith in the Engler Machin and Tool First Heat and to Brandon McLain in the Brown and Miller Racing Solutions Second Heat. The K&N Filters Pole Award and pole position was garnered by McLain. Trey Starks was the high point earner in the heat race competition. Veteran sprint car racer, Terry Gray had to start seventeenth after a flat tire during his heat race passed the most cars in the main event to earned/collect the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award. Tony Agin from Ft. Myers, Florida, who blew an engine during the heat race, was awarded the Piedmont
For updated schedules and other USCS info please visit www.uscsracing.com or call the series at 770-865-6097.
The United Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters would like to gratefully thank its sponsoring partners for their involvement in the 2017 and 21st 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. PRO Shocks, KSE Racing Products, DHR Suspensions, Schoenfeld Headers, Bell Helmets, DSR Fuel Systems, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Arizona Sport Shirts and Hero Graphics.
USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by K&N Filters Sprint Car results from Lancaster Speedway on Saturday, April 8, 2017 results:
USCS Hoosier Speed Dash – (6 Laps)
- 07-Johnny Bridges [3] ; 2. 10-Terry Gray [1] ; 3. 4-Danny Smith [2] ; 4. 14m-Jordon Mallett [5] ; 5. 38-Tony Agin [6] ; 6. 89-Robbie Stillwaggon [4]
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: (8 Laps)
- 4-Danny Smith [1] ; 2. 43-Terry Witherspoon [2] ; 3. 116-Nick Snyder r[3] ; 4. 23s-Trey Starks [6] ; 5. 1x-Scott Hunter [4] ; 6. 47-Eric Riggins Jr. [9] ; 7. 23-Lance Moss [8] ; 8. 22-Shawn Murray [7] ; 9. 10-Terry Gray [5]
Brown and Miller Racing Solutions Second Heat: (8 Laps)
- 67-Brandon McLain [2] ; 2. 14m-Jordon Mallett [3] ; 3. 89-Robbie Stillwaggon [5] ; 4. 10B-Mitch Brown [4] ; 5. 07-Johnny Bridges [8] ; 6. 24d-Danny Sams III [7] ; 7. 67t-Brian Thomas [6] ; 8. 38-Tony Agin [1] ; 9. 33-Joe Larkin [9]
USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour at Lancaster Speedway on Saturday, April 8, 2017 A -Main – (25 Laps) results
Pos. / Car# / Driver / Start /Hometown:
- 89-Robbie Stillwaggon[4] ; Burlington, NJ
- 23s-Trey Starks[6] ; Puyallup, WA
- 14m-Jordon Mallett[3] ; Greenbrier, AR
- 47-Eric Riggins Jr.[9] ; Charlotte, NC
- 67-Brandon McLain[1] ; Indian Trail, NC
- 43-Terry Witherspoon[5] ; Jacksoville, FL
- 10B-Mitch Brown[10] ; Brantford, Ontario, CAN
- 1x-Scott Hunter[11] ; Concord, NC
- 24d-Danny Sams III[12] ; Englewood, FL
- 23-Lance Moss[13] ; Cherryville, NC
- 10-Terry Gray[17] ; Bartlett, TN
- 22-Shawn Murray[15] ; Jacksonville, FL
- 67t-Brian Thomas[14] ; Pendergrass, GA
- 4-Danny Smith[2] ; Chillicothe, OH
- 07-Johnny Bridges[7] ; Cherryville, NC
- 116-Nick Snyder[8] ; Marco Island, FL
- 33-Joe Larkin[18] ; Suwannee, GA
- 38-Tony Agin[16]; Ft. Myers, FL
USCS Sprint Car Series Race Awards:
Hoosier Tire Speed Dash: Johnny Bridges
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: Danny Smith
Brown and Miller Racing Solutions Second Heat: Brandon McLain
K&N Filters Pole Award: Brandon McLain
JE Pistons Top Guns Award: (1st Place) Robbie Stillwaggon
PRO Shocks Champion Choice Award: (7th place) Mitch Brown
K&N Filters Podium (3rd place) Award: Jordon Mallett
Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award: Terry Gray (started 17th and finished 11th)
Saldana Racing Products Super Sixth Award: Terry Witherspoon
Pyrotect Racing Cells Lucky Seven Award: Mitch Brown
DHR Suspension Eighth Place Award: Scott Hunter
DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends Top Ten Award: Lance Moss