By Pete Walton
SWEETWATER, TN (August 31, 2018) – Defending United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by K&N Filters National Champion Jordon Mallett, who resides in Greenbrier, Arkansas, has found an East Tennessee home-track on the 1/3-mile clay oval at I-75 Raceway where he posted his second straight series win of the season at the track on Friday night during night #1 of the USCS Weekend of Speed. He won the April 21, 2018 event earlier in the year as well. It was his eighth win in USCS competition during the 2018 season.
Mallett charged from the K&N Filters Pole Position starting spot to take the lead on the first lap. Mallett had to follow outside front row starter and two-time series Champion, Morgan Turpen from Cordova, Tennessee into turn one and around the oval to turn four before regaining the lead to lead lap one. Turpen’s left front rode over an infield tire and caused her #10m to wheelie and Mallett rode by on her outside. He then led every lap while Turpen pursued him, gaining ground behind lap cars. Two caution periods, both on lap thirteen, pulled Turpen and the rest of the field up to Mallett’s rear bumper. But he was able to race away on both restarts. Turpen got close on several occasions over the final twelve laps while both dealt she and Mallett dealt with lapped traffic near the end of the 25-lap contest, but, to no avail for her.
Mallett saw the checkers first and proceeded to the www.RockAuto.com USCS Victory Lane for his parking spot there. Morgan Turpen crossed under the flag stand in the runner-up spot followed by her teammate 11-time USCS National Champion Terry Gray of Bartlett, Tennessee in the K&N Filters Podium Award third place. R.J. Jacobs from Dover, Ohio finished in fourth place and Brandon McLain from Indian Trail, North Carolina who was the 2014 USCS Rookie of the Year rounded out the top five.
Lee Moore from Tuscaloosa, Alabama drove to a sixth-place finish and seventh place went to Tim Perry from Mooresville, North Carolina. Joe Larkin who is currently in third place in the USCS Southern Thunder regional series point standings was eighth. The 2012 USCS Rookie of the Year, Jeff Willingham from Ripley, Mississippi followed in ninth place and newcomer, Danny Oliver from San Diego, California rounded out the top ten drivers,
In preliminary action, Terry Gray won the six-lap Hoosier Tire Speed Dash, Morgan Turpen won the eight-lap Engler Machine and Tool First Heat Race, and Mallett won the Brown and Miller Racing Solutions second eight-lap heat race. Jordon Mallett scored the most passing points among the entrants, but Morgan Turpen drew a zero in the K&N Filters Pole Award Draw to put Turpen on the outside of the third row to start the main event, and place Mallett on the K&N Filters Pole Position to start the 25-lap prelim A-Main. Brandon McLain passed the most cars in the A-Main to garner the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger of the Race Award.
The USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by K&N Filters and the USCS RockAuto.com 600 Mini Sprints will race again at I-75 Raceway in Sweetwater, Tennessee on Saturday night in the finals of the USCS Weekend of Speed. The series then heads down the road for a Labor Day weekend finale and the USCS Sunday of Speed at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, Alabama on Sunday, September 2nd. For track info please visit www,talladegashorttrack.com
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, DSR Fuel Systems, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Arizona Sport Shirts, FireAde, FireAde Enforcer and Hero Graphics.
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. You can also like the United Sprint Car Series Facebook page at USCS Racing.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF USCS OUTLAW THUNDER PRESENTED NY K&N FILTERS AT I-75 RACEWAY IN SWEETWATER, TN ON 4/28/17:
A-MAIN: 30 LAPS:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN
1. 1 14m Jordon Mallett Greenbrier, AR
2. 2 10m Morgan Turpen Cordova, TN
3. 3 10 Terry Gray Bartlett, TN
4. 4 18j RJ Jacobs Dover, OH
5 8 21b Branon McLain Indian Trail, NC
6. 9 1A Lee Moore Tuscaloosa, AL
7. 7 36 Tim Perry Mooresville, NC
8. 6 33 Joe Larkin Suwanee, GA
9. 10 28 Jeff Willingham Ripley, MS
10. 11 29d Danny Oliver San Diego, CA
11. 5 29 Jeff Oliver Pendergrass, GA
12. 12 20 Nick Drake Mooresville, NC
DNS 51 Jay Dunham Grovetown, GA
USCS Sprint Car Series Race Awards:
Hoosier Tire Speed Dash: 10 Terry Gray
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: 10m Morgan Turpen
Brown and Miller Racing Solutions Second Heat: 14 Jordon Mallett
K&N Filters Pole Award: 14 Jordon Mallett
JE Pistons Top Guns Award: (4th Place): 18j R.J. Jacobs
PRO Shocks Champion Choice Award (5th-Place): 21B Brandon McLain
K&N Filters Podium (3rd place) Award: 10 Terry Gray
Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award: Auld (started 8th and finished 5th)
Saldana Racing Products Super Sixth Award: 1a Lee Moore
Pyrotect Racing Cells Lucky Seven Award: 36 Tim Perry
DHR Suspension Eighth Place Award: 33 Joe Larkin
DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends Top Ten Award: 29D Danny Oliver
Hoosier Tire Speed Dash (6 Laps): 1. Gray; 2. Turpen; 3. Mallett; 4. McLain; 5. Larkin; 6. Drake.
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat (8 Laps): 1. Turpen; 2. Gray; 3. Perry; 4. J.Oliver; 5. Moore; 6. D.Oliver; DNS Dunham.
Brown and Miller Racing Solutions Second Heat (8 Laps): 1. Mallett; 2. Jacobs; 3. Larkin; 4. McLain; 5. Willingham; 6. Drake.