From Pete Walton
MILTON, FL (February 26, 2022) — Mark Smith completed a weekend sweep of the 5th annual USCS Battle at the Beach and won his 40th career USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour presented by K&N Filters main event on Saturday night at Southern Raceway in the process.
Smith led all 30 laps of the $3000 to win contest after starting from the K&N Filters Pole Position.
Chris Martin from Ankeny, Iowa followed Smith across the line in second place to upgrade his career-best USCS finish from a third place earned the night before. 2020 World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year, Wayne Johnson from Oklahoma City , Oklahoma garnered another podium finish on Saturday in third place.
The 2022 USCS Winter Heat Series points leader, Davie Franek from Wantage, New Jersey followed in fourth place. Missourian Slater Helt completed the top five.
Cherryville, North Carolina’s Johnny Bridges led the second group in sixth with defending USCS Champ Danny Smith from Chillicothe, Ohio in seventh place.
Englewood, Florida’s Connor Morrell followed Smith in eight place. The 13-time USCS National Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee was ninth and two-time All Star Champion, Greg Wilson from Benton Ridge, Ohio put a wrap on the top ten.
Danny Smith won the Engler First Heat, Mark Smith led wire to wire in the JJ Supply of NC Second Heat, and Johnny Bridges closed qualifying by winning the Hero Graphics Third Heat. Mark Smith kept his sweep rolling by winning the USCS Hoosier Speed Dash to place him on the main event’s pole.
Cody Bova from Struthers, Ohio garnered the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award after starting the A-Main twenty-first and advancing ten places to finish eleventh.
The USCS Winter Heat Series next stops at Hattiesburg Speedway in Hattiesburg, Mississippi for Rounds #7 and #8 on Friday and Saturday, March 4th and 5th. For track info www.HattiesburgSpeedway.net For USCS info please visit www.uscsracing.com
United Sprint Car Series
Southern Raceway
Milton, Florida
Saturday, February 26, 2022
Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 66-Danny Smith[4]
2. 43-Terry Witherspoon[2]
3. 22S-Slater Helt[6]
4. 88-Brandon Blenden[3]
5. 121-Jan Howard[5]
6. 28W-Jeff Willingham[7]
7. 7J-Gregg Jones[1]
8. 20B-Cody Bova[8]
Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 43M-Mark Smith[1]
2. 83-Mark Ruel Jr[6]
3. 12-Corbin Gurley[2]
4. 28M-Conner Morrell[3]
5. 10-Terry Gray[4]
6. 00-Harley Zimmerman[7]
7. 7E-Eric Gunderson[5]
Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 07-Johnny Bridges[1]
2. 44-Chris Martin[3]
3. 2C-Wayne Johnson[2]
4. 28F-Davie Franek[4]
5. 97-Greg Wilson[6]
6. 20-Brayden Cooley[7]
7. 56-Jeff Smith[5]
Dash (6 Laps)
1. 43M-Mark Smith[4]
2. 44-Chris Martin[6]
3. 22S-Slater Helt[3]
4. 83-Mark Ruel Jr[2]
5. 66-Danny Smith[1]
6. 07-Johnny Bridges[5]
Feature (30 Laps)
1. 43M-Mark Smith[1]
2. 44-Chris Martin[2]
3. 2C-Wayne Johnson[9]
4. 28F-Davie Franek[10]
5. 22S-Slater Helt[3]
6. 07-Johnny Bridges[6]
7. 66-Danny Smith[5]
8. 28M-Conner Morrell[12]
9. 10-Terry Gray[15]
10. 97-Greg Wilson[13]
11. 20B-Cody Bova[21]
12. 12-Corbin Gurley[8]
13. 20-Brayden Cooley[18]
14. 00-Harley Zimmerman[17]
15. 7J-Gregg Jones[22]
16. 88-Brandon Blenden[11]
17. 28W-Jeff Willingham[16]
18. 7E-Eric Gunderson[19]
19. 121-Jan Howard[14]
20. 83-Mark Ruel Jr[4]
21. 43-Terry Witherspoon[7]
DNS: 56-Jeff Smith