From Pete Walton
GASTONIA, N.C. (April 9, 2021) — Justin Barger from Cornelius, NC went wire-to-wire to park in the RockAuto.com USCS Victory Lane after 25 laps around Carolina Speedway on Friday night. It was the New York transplant’s first win of the season in his first attempt.
Eric Riggins, Jr. from Charlotte, NC started fourth and chased Barger in the runner-up spot where he finished. Lance Moss from Cherryville, NC collected the final podium spot and Sprint Car Hall of famer and current USCS National points leader Danny Smith from Chillicothe, OH followed in fourth. Rookie young-gun, Brent Marks from Denver, NC rounded out the top five.
The 2020 USCS Rookie of the Year, Conner Leoffler from Myrtle Beach, SC who was also the 2020 USCS Southern Thunder regional series Champion led the next group in sixth. Jeff Oliver from Pendergrass, GA was seventh. Kyle Amerson charged from a fourteenth place start to finish eight and collected the Wildwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award.
Two Floridians completed the top ten with Garrett Green from Valrico, FL in ninth and Mark Ruel, Jr. from Jacksonville, FL completing the top ten.
Danny Smith kicked of the evening’s sprint car action by winning the USCS Hoosier Speed Dash. Justin Barger won the Engler Machine and Tool 1st Heat. Brent Crews won the 8-lap Brown and Miller Racing Solutions Second Heat.
The USCS drivers and teams move less than an hour South to Cherokee Speedway on Saturday night 4/10 for tge weekend racing finale where are joined by five of Cherokee Speedway’s weekly racing divisions. For more info please visit www.CherokeeSpeedwaySC.com and www.uscsracing.com
USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by K&N Filters
Carolina Speedway
Gastonia, NC
Friday April, 9, 2021
Engler Machine & Tool Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 5-Justin Barger[2]
2. 47-Eric Riggins Jr[3]
3. 83-Mark Ruel Jr[1]
4. 23-Lance Moss[6]
5. 4-Danny Smith[8]
6. 29O-Jeff Oliver[4]
7. 9-Danny Oliver[7]
8. 29A-Kyle Amerson[5]
9. 33-Joe Larkin[9]
Brown & Miller Racing Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 1X-Brent Crews[1]
2. 3-Todd Gracey[4]
3. 22-Connor Leoffler[3]
4. 20-Garrett Green[2]
5. 67-Brian Thomas[8]
6. 28-Jeff Willingham[7]
DNS: 7E-Eric Gunderson
DNS: 10-Terry Gray
Hoosier Speed Dash (6 Laps)
1. 4-Danny Smith[1]
2. 83-Mark Ruel Jr[2]
3. 29A-Kyle Amerson[6]
4. 7E-Eric Gunderson[5]
5. 28-Jeff Willingham[4]
6. 10-Terry Gray[3]
Feature (30 Laps)
1. 5-Justin Barger[1]
2. 47-Eric Riggins Jr[4]
3. 23-Lance Moss[5]
4. 4-Danny Smith[6]
5. 1X-Brent Crews[3]
6. 22-Connor Leoffler[7]
7. 29O-Jeff Oliver[12]
8. 29A-Kyle Amerson[14]
9. 20-Garrett Green[10]
10. 83-Mark Ruel Jr[8]
11. 7E-Eric Gunderson[15]
12. 67-Brian Thomas[9]
13. 9-Danny Oliver[13]
14. 28-Jeff Willingham[11]
15. 3-Todd Gracey[2]
16. 10-Terry Gray[16]
DNS: 33-Joe Larkin