Dale Howard Wires USCS Feature at Talladega

Dale Howard. (USCS Photo)
Dale Howard. (USCS Photo)

From USCS

EASTABOGA, AL (September 1, 2024) — Dale Howard of Byhalia, MS drove to victory on Sunday night in the United Sprint Car Series Presented by K&N Filters 30-lap Sunday of Speed Sprint Car Shootout at Talladega Short Track.

Howard drew the K&N Filters Pole Position in the Top 6 Redraw to start up front for the main event. Former, two-time USCS National Champion Jordan Mallet of Greenbrier, AR finished second in the caution-free race after chasing the two-time USCS Mid-South Thunder regional series Champion the entire distance after starting outside the front row.

Former USCS National Champion Morgan Havener (formerly Turpen) took the third spot. Christopher Townsend of LaPorte, TX, was fourth. Brad Bowden of Hernando, MS drove to a fifth-place finish and National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Sammy Swindell of Germantown, TN, who was the previous night’s feature winner at Buckshot Speedway, finished sixth.

Hayden Martin of Olive Branch, MS, took the seventh spot and eighth went to the defending and 15-time USCS National Champion National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN. Tyler Porter of Pinellas Park, FL was ninth, followed by Spencer Meredith of Hernando, MS, who started 18th and finished tenth to earn the Wilwood Brakes Hard Charger of the Race Award.

In preliminary action, the three eight-lap Heat Races were won by Mallett in the Engler Machine & Tool Heat 1, Howard in the Butlerbuilt Racing Products Heat 2, and Havener in the Racing Electronics Heat 3. The event was delayed for two hours by an early evening rain shower.

Howard took the lead at the start of the race followed, by Mallett from the outside of row one, Morgan Havener, Bowden and Gray. The top five drivers held their respective positions through the first half of the race. Townsend came from the tenth starting spot to pass Gray for the fifth spot on lap 16, and then got by Bowden for fourth on lap 28.

Howard held the lead from flag to flag, leading all 30 circuits around “The Hornet’s Nest” for his third USCS win of the 2024 season. Mallett and Havener held claim to the second and third positions respectively for all 30 laps of the race.

United Sprint Car Series
Talladega Short Track
Eastaboga, Alabama
Sunday, September 1, 2024

Engler Machine & Tool Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 14-Jordon Mallett[3]
2. 67-Hayden Martin[2]
3. 4X-Brad Bowden[5]
4. 33-Joe Larkin[7]
5. 56T-DL (Tank) Brashier[4]
6. 67B-Blake Mallette[6]
7. 17-Alex Lyles[1]

Butlerbuilt Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 47-Dale Howard[3]
2. 10-Terry Gray[5]
3. 71-Christopher Townsend[4]
4. 47S-Sammy Swindell[6]
5. 13X-Jake Brashier[2]
6. 21-Spencer Meredith[1]

Racing Electronics Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 10M-Morgan Turpen Havener[6]
2. 28-Jeff Willingham[2]
3. 16S-Tyler Porter[5]
4. 8X-Tony Higgins[4]
5. 16M-Evan McElhaney[1]
6. 16H-Hannah Merritt[3]

Hoosier Speed Dash (6 Laps)
1. 47-Dale Howard[3]
2. 14-Jordon Mallett[2]
3. 10-Terry Gray[4]
4. 10M-Morgan Turpen Havener[1]
5. 4X-Brad Bowden[5]
6. 16S-Tyler Porter[6]

USCS Outlaw Sprint Feature (30 Laps)
1. 47-Dale Howard[1]
2. 14-Jordon Mallett[2]
3. 10M-Morgan Turpen Havener[4]
4. 71-Christopher Townsend[10]
5. 4X-Brad Bowden[5]
6. 47S-Sammy Swindell[11]
7. 67-Hayden Martin[8]
8. 10-Terry Gray[3]
9. 16S-Tyler Porter[6]
10. 21-Spencer Meredith[18]
11. 33-Joe Larkin[7]
12. 28-Jeff Willingham[9]
13. 13X-Jake Brashier[14]
14. 16M-Evan McElhaney[15]
15. 8X-Tony Higgins[12]
16. 56T-DL (Tank) Brashier[13]
17. 16H-Hannah Merritt[17]
DNS: 67B-Blake Mallette
DNS: 17-Alex Lyles