From Pete Walton
HATTISBURG, Miss. (September 2, 2022) — Shane Morgan from Gulfport, Mississippi raced from outside the front row past K&N Filters Pole Position starter Brandon Blendon from Biloxi, Mississippi to take the lead on lap one exiting turn four.
After that Morgan survived two cautions, but, never relinquised the lead in his charge to the USCS Victory Lane in the 3rd Annual USCS Mississippi Sprint Car Championship Race. It was Morgan’s career-third win in USCS competion.
Blendon in his best-ever USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour performance chased the eventual winner from two to three car lenghts back the entire distance but had to settle for the runner-up spot.
Blendon also had to hold off 13-time USCS National Champion and 2022 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductee, who followed the lead duo across tge finish line in the final podium spot in third place.
Ryan Harrison from Rockwell New Hamptonshire, England who traveled across the Atlantic to compete with the USCS series for five races over two weekends finished in fourth place to add to his recent top fives in USCS competion. Butch David from Geismar, Louisiana rounded out the top five.
Jeff Smith also from Gulfport, Mississippi led the next group under the flagstand in sixth place while collecting the Wildwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Aaard after advancing seven positions in the main event. The 2012 USCS Rookie of the Year, Jeff Willingham from Ripley Mississippi finished in the seventh position.
2022 Rookie of the Year contender, Alex Lyles from Arlington, Tennessee followed in eighth place with 2020 USCS Southern Thunder Tour regional series Rookie of the Year Eric Gunderson from Canton, Georgia behind him in ninth place. Jake Brashier from Denham Springs, Lousiana completed the top ten.
Shane Morgan kicked off the USCS prelim action by winning the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat. Brandon Blenden won the JJ Supply of NC Second Heat.
Brandon Blenden also won the 6-lap USCS Hoosier Speed Dash for the top six after heat races.
Additionally, Eric Gunderson won the special six-lap Tom Selhorst classic Dash.
The USCS events at ECM Speedway on Saturday night and at Talladega Short Track on Sunday have been cancelled due to expected weather each night.
United Sprint Car Series
Hattiesburg Speedway
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Friday, September 2, 2022
Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 01-Shane Morgan[2]
2. 21-Butch David[4]
3. 1A-Lee Moore[5]
4. 10-Terry Gray[7]
5. 7E-Eric Gunderson[1]
6. 2H-Tommy Hall[6]
7. 56-Jeff Smith[3]
8. 13X-Jake Brashier[8]
Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 88-Brandon Blenden[4]
2. 197-Ryan Harrison[2]
3. 37-Scott Craft[3]
4. 17-Alex Lyles[7]
5. 28-Jeff Willingham[6]
6. 4X-Scott Baldwin[1]
7. 61-Sean Wimpee[8]
8. 83-Blake Carrier[5]
Tom Sehlhorst Invitational (6 Laps)
1. 7E-Eric Gunderson[1]
2. 4X-Scott Baldwin[3]
3. 13X-Jake Brashier[5]
4. 56-Jeff Smith[4]
Hoosier Speed Dash (6 Laps)
1. 88-Brandon Blenden[2]
2. 01-Shane Morgan[3]
3. 10-Terry Gray[6]
4. 17-Alex Lyles[1]
5. 1A-Lee Moore[4]
6. 21-Butch David[5]
Feature (30 Laps)
1. 01-Shane Morgan[2]
2. 88-Brandon Blenden[1]
3. 10-Terry Gray[3]
4. 197-Ryan Harrison[7]
5. 21-Butch David[6]
6. 56-Jeff Smith[13]
7. 28-Jeff Willingham[9]
8. 17-Alex Lyles[4]
9. 7E-Eric Gunderson[10]
10. 13X-Jake Brashier[14]
11. 4X-Scott Baldwin[12]
12. 37-Scott Craft[8]
13. 1A-Lee Moore[5]
14. 83-Blake Carrier[16]
15. 2H-Tommy Hall[11]
16. 61-Sean Wimpee[15]