By Pete Walton
Atlanta, GA – May 15, 2017 – The United Sprint Car Series 21st annual Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by K&N Filters has announced a schedule that is a repeat of last season’s most intense and exciting USCS Sprint Speedweek for the 12th annual version of the popular mini-tour. The 2017 USCS Sprint Speedweek will again visit the same seven speedways in four states over the nine-day schedule running from Friday, May 26th through Saturday, June 3rd.
The United Sprint Car Series will return to the site of its 2017 season-opener for the Round #1 Speedweek mini-tour opener when it travels to Donald and Kelli Parker’s Hattiesburg Speedway in Hattiesburg, Mississippi on Friday, May 26th. Last season’s USCS Speedweek opening event at Hattiesburg Speedway was won by 2013 USCS National Champion, Derek Hagar.
On the following night, Saturday, May 27th, the series makes its 5th annual Speedweek stop at the famed Jackson Motor Speedway in Byram, Mississippi for the 19th annual Ival Cooper Memorial Race and Round #2 of the 2017 USCS Sprint Speedweek. Hagar was also the winner of the Jackson Motor Speedway USCS Speedweek Round #2 event last season.
After the event at Jackson Motor Speedway, the high-speed USCS contingent then travels two hours North for Speedweek 2017 Round #3 at Greenville Speedway in Greenville, Mississippi on Sunday May 28th. The 2016 Greenville Speedway USCS Sprint Speedweek Round #3 victory went to Brian Bell from Cordova, Tennessee.
The traditional Memorial Day Monday event held for ten of the last eleven seasons at Clayhill Motorsports in Atwood, Tennessee returns for this season’s USCS Sprint Speedweek schedule with Round #4 for the traditional Memorial Day holiday Monday, May 29th. 2012 USCS National champion, Tim Crawly from Benton, Arkansas was the winner of the Monday Round #4 race at Clayhill Motorsports.
After a torrid four-race first weekend schedule, the traveling show will then take two days off for repairs before returning to action on Thursday, June 1st with Round #5 at the historic 1/3 mile Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, Alabama. Talladega Short Track is significant to the history of the United Sprint Car Series as the first-ever USCS event was held at the speedway on Friday, April 25, 1997. The 2016 USCS Sprint Speedweek winner there was 2008 USCS Rookie of the Year, Anthony Nicholson from Millington, Tennessee.
After having its 2017 season opening weekend stop at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, Mississippi on March 4th, the series is scheduled to return to The Mag for its USCS Sprint Speedweek Round #6 on the Friday, June 2nd. The USCS Sprint Speedweek event fell victim to rain last season.
The 2017 USCS Sprint Speedweek Round #7 Grand Finale is set for the fourth year in a row to happen on Saturday, June 4th at historic Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Arkansas for some “Thrills, Chills and Spills” at one of the country’s oldest operating dirt ovals. Last season’s USCS Sprint Speedweek final, like the one at Magnolia Motor Speedway fell to Mother Nature.
Derek Hagar who won twice during five races and added two second-place and a third-place finish to his week’s effort was crowned the 2016 USCS Sprint Speedweek Champion, Tim Crawley, Marshall Skinner, Andy McElhannon from Hernando, Mississippi and Terry Gray completed the top five drivers in the five race standings. 2010 USCS Southern Thunder Tour Rookie of the Year, Eric Riggins Jr. from Charlotte, North Carolina finished sixth followed by Morgan Turpen, Anthony Nicholson, Brian Bell and 2015 USCS Rookie of the Year.
Approximately $100,000 in total prize money is guaranteed with one driver able to win a possible $15,000 plus including Hoosier Speed Dashes, Speedweek point’s monies plus numerous contingencies for the week’s
action. All seven of the events pay at least $2000 to win with a minimum of $250 to start the A-Main in each. The Finale at Riverside International Speedway will pay $2500 to the winner if they ran the entire Speedweek 2017. Any driver who starts all seven A-Main events is guaranteed to go home with a minimum of $2000 for the week including prize money and the Speedweek point’s money.
There is a USCS Sprint Speedweek mini-series point’s fund that pays back 10 places. Each night’s Speedweek 2017 event awards drivers USCS National points as well as USCS Mid-South Thunder Tour points.
During the seven nights of competition, many of the top ranked drivers in the Nation are expected to compete. Those include eleven-time USCS Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee and team-mate Morgan Turpen from Cordova, Tennessee. Turpen has been the series National Champion each of the last two seasons.
Terry Gray currently leads the USCS National point standings by a dozen points over Jordon Mallett from Greenbrier, Arkansas who was the 2016 National Sprint League 360 Sprint Car Champion and was the 2011 USCS Rookie of the Year. Morgan Turpen is the 2017 win’s leader after ten events with five victories including the last four USCS contests in a row.
The 2002 NSCHOF 360 Sprint Car Driver of the Year and the 2012 USCS Outlaw Thunder National Champion Tim Crawley from Benton, Arkansas is entered as well. Crawley is a three-time USCS Mid-South regional series Champion. The 2016 USCS Sprint Speedweek Champion and 2013 USCS National Champion, Derek Hagar from Marion, Arkansas is expected as well as past USCS series Champion and previous Speedweek titlist Marshall Skinner plans to compete again for the 2017 USCS Sprint Speedweek crown.
Over 60 different drivers from 7-10 states are expected to compete in the seven USCS Sprint Speedweek 2016 events. For further USCS info including updated schedules and rules, etc please visit the series official website at www.uscsracing.com or call the USCS at 770-865-6097.
The United Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters drivers get their last chance to tune-up for the 2017 USCS Sprint Speedweek mini-tour this coming Friday and Saturday nights at Needmore Speedwayn Norman Park, Georgia with two full nights of action. Each night at Needmore Speedway includes a full USCS sprint car racing program including the Hoosier Speed Dash, qualifying heat races plus main events.
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. Those include K&N Filters, www.RockAuto.com, Engler Machine and Tool, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Saldana Racing Products, Pyrotect Racing Cells, DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends, KSE Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, DSR Fuel Systems, DHR Suspensions, Butlerbuilt, and Hero Graphics. USCS