From Roby Helm
MILTON, FL (September 20, 2024) — Lane Whittington of Denham Springs, LA won the 25-lap Feature Race Friday night for the United Sprint Car Series Presented by K&N Filters. Whittington led every lap, and won every race he entered Friday night. He earned the Pole Position by winning the six-lap Hoosier Racing Tire Speed Dash, and he also won the eight-lap Engler Machine & Tool First Heat.
The defending and 15-time USCS National Champion Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN finished second. The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee also won the Butlerbuilt Racing Products second eight-lap Heat Race.
Fourth-generation driver P.J. Reutimann of Zephyrhills, FL took the third spot, and fourth went to Spencer Meredith of Hernando, MS. Blake Bowen of Dothan, AL was fifth, and John Robicheaux of Gulfport MS drove to a sixth-place finish. Jason Breeland of Sandy Hook, MS finished seventh, and Jeff Whittington of Ripley, MS took the eighth spot.
Blake Mallette was ninth, and Jake Brashier of Denham Springs, LA started 14th and rounded out the top ten to earn the Wilwood Brakes Hard Charger of the Race Award. The race had to be red flagged during the four-wide salute to the fans because of an accident on the road leading to the track, and a patient had to be life flighted from a pit area landing pad.
Once the cars were pushed off for a second time, and the race got started, Whittington took the lead followed by Gray, Reutimann, Meredith, and Willingham. Breeland passed Willingham for fifth on the second lap. Breeland’s visit in the top five was short-lived, however, as he slowed to a stop in turn four on lap seven to bring out the only caution flag of the race.
The top five for the restart was Whittington, Gray, Reutimann, Meredith and Bowen. That’s the way the top five ran for the remaining 18 laps of the 25-lap race. Gray’s second place finish padded his point lead, as he closes in on his 16th USCS National Championship, and he needs two more wins to reach a career milestone of 100 career wins with USCS.
The United Sprint Car Series Presented by K&N Filters returns to Southern Raceway on Saturday night for a 30-lap Feature Race. For more information about USCS, visit their website at uscsracing.com and the series Facebook page.
United Sprint Car Series
Southern Raceway
Milton, Florida
Friday, September 20, 2024
Engler Machine & Tool Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 9-Lane Whittington[1]
2. 12-Blake Bowen[2]
3. 21-Spencer Meredith[5]
4. 28-Jeff Willingham[7]
5. 57R-John Robicheaux[6]
6. 83-Bob Auld[4]
7. 61-Sean Wimpee[3]
Butlerbuilt Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 10-Terry Gray[2]
2. 00-PJ Reutimann[1]
3. 06-Jason Breeland[4]
4. 57-Levi Beard[6]
5. 67-Jake McLain[5]
6. 67M-Blake Mallette[7]
7. 13X-Jake Brashier[3]
Hoosier Speed Dash (6 Laps)
1. 9-Lane Whittington[2]
2. 10-Terry Gray[1]
3. 28-Jeff Willingham[4]
4. 00-PJ Reutimann[6]
5. 12-Blake Bowen[5]
6. 21-Spencer Meredith[3]
USCS Outlaw Sprint Feature (25 Laps)
1. 9-Lane Whittington[1]
2. 10-Terry Gray[2]
3. 00-PJ Reutimann[4]
4. 21-Spencer Meredith[6]
5. 12-Blake Bowen[5]
6. 57R-John Robicheaux[9]
7. 06-Jason Breeland[7]
8. 28-Jeff Willingham[3]
9. 67M-Blake Mallette[12]
10. 13X-Jake Brashier[14]
11. 67-Jake McLain[10]
12. 83-Bob Auld[11]
13. 61-Sean Wimpee[13]
14. 57-Levi Beard[8]