By Roby Helm
SWEETWATER, TN – APRIL 26, 2024 – Max Stambaugh of Lima, OH scored a wire-to-wire win in the United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters 25-lap Feature Race co-sanctioned by the Great Lakes Sprint Series Friday night at I-75 Raceway. Stambaugh may have led every lap, but he had a long journey to get to the front.
Stambaugh started sixth and finished third in the Racing Electronics 3rd Heat Race. That placed him fifth in passing points, and earned him a spot in the six-lap Hoosier Racing Tires Speed Dash with the top six in passing points. The drivers drew for their starting spots, and Stambaugh drew the pole and won the Dash to earn the k&N Filters Pole Position pole for the Main Event.
Dustin Daggett of Portland, MI finished second after a heated battle for the runner-up spot with Phil Gressman of Freemont, OH who had to settle for the third spot in the race. Liam Martin of Binbrook, ON was fourth and Ryan Turner of Dunnville, ON charged from the 14th starting hole to finish fifth and earned the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award.
Hayden Martin of Olive Branch, MS took the sixth spot and Corbin Gurley of Hebron, IN was seventh. Chase Dunham of Leipsic, OH finished eighth and the defending and 15-time USCS National Champion and National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Terry Gray drove to a ninth-place finish. Devin Dobie of Wapakoneta, OH rounded out the top ten.
In other preliminary action, the three eight-lap Heat Races were won by Hayden Martin in the Engler Machine & Tool First Heat, Daggett in the Butlerbuilt Racing Products Second Heat, and Alex Lyles of Arlington, TN in the Racing Electronics Third Heat.
The 22 car field with drivers representing seven states and one Canadian Provence were brought to the green flag for the 25-lap Main Event by Stambaugh on the pole, and he took the lead in turn one followed by Daggett, Dunham, Gressman and Hayden Martin. Gressman passed Dunham for the third spot on lap two.
The red flag was displayed on lap three when Lance Moss of Cherryville, NC sailed off the third turn and flipped outside the wall less track. He was uninjured. Stambaugh pulled away on the restart while Gressman began looking to the inside of Daggett to challenge for the second spot. Lap four saw Liam Martin on the move, as he passed Hayden Martin and Dunham to move up to fourth.
Stambaugh began to encounter the cars on tail end of the lead lap on the seventh tour on the 3/8-mile clay oval with a 1.5 second lead over Daggett. That advantage went away with a second red flag on lap 12 when Jac Nickles of Harrod, OH flipped in turn two while running sixth. He walked away uninjured.
Stambaugh quickly opened up a one second lead over Daggett on the restart, and Turner moved into the top five. Stambaugh caught lapped traffic on lap 16 and he kept lapped cars between himself and Daggett. Lyles spun in turn two on lap 21 to bring out the final caution flag of the race. That set up a five lap dash to the finish.
Stambaugh checked out on the restart, while Gressman moved up to challenge Daggett for second. Gressman took the spot on lap 22, but Daggett dove for the bottom of the track in turn one on lap 23 to reclaim the runner up spot. Stambaugh took a 2.482 second margin of victory under the checkered flag in a race that tool 32 minutes and 56.548 seconds to complete.
The United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters and the Great Lakes Sprint Series returns to I-75 Raceway for Night 2 of the North-South Shootout on Saturday night. I-75 Raceway is located at 1791 Tennessee Highway 68, three miles West of I-75 at Exit 60. For more information call 423-599-3026, or visit the track website at www.i-75racewaypark.com, and their Facebook page. For more information about USCS, visit their website at uscsracing.com and their Facebook page.
United Sprint Car Series Marketing Partners are K&N Filters, Engler Machine & Tool, Hoosier Racing Tire, Huggins Cams, Hero Graphics, DMI/Bulldog, J&J Supply of NC, Racing Electronics, JE Pistons, DHR Suspension, Wilwood Disc Brakes, KSE Racing Products, PRO Shocks, Schoenfeld Headers, and Arizona Sport Shirts.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF UNITED SPRINT CAR SERIES PRESENTED BY K&N FILTERS EVENT AT I-75 RACEWAY IN SWEETWATER, TN ON 4/26/24:
FEATURE RACE – 25 Laps: 1. 71 Max Stambough, Lima, OH (1); 2. 85 Dustin Daggett, Portland, MI (2); 3. 7c Phil Gressman, Fremont, OH (5); 4. 9 Liam Martin, Binbrook, ON (8); 5. 15 Ryan Turner, Dunnville, ON (14); 6. 67 Hayden Martin, Olive Branch, MS (6); 7. 12 Corbin Gurley, Hebron, IN (9); 8. 66 Chase Dunham, Leipsic, OH (4); 9. 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN (11); 10. 23d Devon Dobie, Wapakoneta, OH (12); 11. 91 Kyle Connery, Vero Beach, FL, (19); 12. 24 Kobie Allison, Lima, OH (7); 13. 4 Danny Smith, Chillicothe, OH (18); 14. 17 Jared Horstman, Cloverdale, OH (17); 15. 00 P.J. Reutimann, Zephyrhills, FL (22); 16. 28 Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS (21); 17. 17L Alex Lyles, Arlington, TN (3); 18. 23 Lance Moss, Cherryville, NC (15); 19. 31 Jac Nickles, Harrod, OH (10); 20. 46 Ryan Coniam, Burlington, ON (16); 21. 70 Eli Lakin, Buchanan, MI (20); 22. 10s Jay Steinebach, Hudsonville, MI (13).
HOOSIER RACING TIRE SPEED DASH – 6 Laps: 1. Stambough; 2 Daggett; 3. Lyles; 4. Dunham; 5. Gressman; 6. H. Martin.
HEAT RACES – 8 Laps:
ENGLER MACHINE & TOOL HEAT 1: 1. H. Martin; 2. Dunham; 3. Gurley; 4. Steinebach; 5. Dobie; 6. Turner; 7. Connery; 8. Willingham.
BUTLERBUILT RACING PRODUCTS HEAT 2: 1. Daggett; 2. Allison; 3. Gray; 4. Gressman; 5. Moss; 6. Horstman; 7. Lakin.
RACING ELECTRONICS HEAT 3: 1. Lyles; 2. L, Martin; 3. Stambaugh; 4. Nickles; 5. Coniam; 6. Smith; 7. Reutimann.