By Roby Helm
MILTON, FL – Lane Whittington of Denham Springs, LA won his second straight United Sprint Car Series Presented by K&N Filters 25-lap feature race Saturday night at Southern Raceway. Whittington, who led every lap and won every race he competed in on Friday night, started where he left off on Saturday night.
Whittington won the Engler Machine and Tool first eight-lap lap Heat Race, and then earned the pole position for the main event by winning the six-lap Hoosier Racing Tire Speed Dash. But along the way, Whittington found a new rival, as fourth-generation driver P.J. Reutimann of Zephyrhills, FL kept Whittington from leading every lap.
Reutimann led five laps in the Feature Race, and the first three laps in the Hoosier Racing Tire Speed Dash. Reutimann’s chance for victory in the main event came to an end on lap 20 when spun out while running second. Whittington then cruised to victory over the 15-time USCS National Champion and National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN.
Spencer Meredith of Hernando, MS finished third, and Jake McLain of Hembry Bridge, NC took the fourth spot. Butlerbuilt Racing Products second Heat Race Winner Blake Bowen of Dothan, AL was fifth, and Jeff Willingham of Ripley, MS drove to a sixth-place finish.
Jake Brashier of Denham Springs, LA started 12th and finished seventh to earn the Wilwood Brakes Hard Charger of the Race Award. Chase Wood Sr. of Tampa, FL took the eighth spot, and Reutimann was ninth. Bob Auld of Largo, FL rounded out the top ten.
Whittington took the lead at the start of the race followed by Reutimann, Gray, Meredith, and Bowen. Whittington led the field until lap 12 when Reutimann grabbed the point. Whittington reclaimed the lead on lap 17. Reutimann’s best performance of the 2024 season came to an end on lap 20 when he spun in turn four while running second.
Whittington led Gray, Meredith, McLain and Bowen down for the green flag on the restart, and pulled away in the five lap dash to the finish. Whittington took a 2.986 second margin of victory over Gray under the checkered flag.
The next event for the United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters will be the $10,000-to-win World Short Track Challenge at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, AR on Friday night, September 27, and Saturday night, September 28.
The World Short Track Challenge will be co-sanctioned by USCS and the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS). For more information about USCS and the World Short Track Challenge, visit their website at uscsracing.com and the series Facebook page, or call the USCS office at 770-865-6097.
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 AT SOUTHERN RACEWAY IN MILTON, FL ON 9/21/24:
FEATURE RACE – 25 Laps: 1. 9 Lane Whittington, Denham Springs, LA (1); 2. 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN (3); 3. 21 Spencer Meredith, Hernando, MS (4); 4. 67 Jake McLain, Hembry Bridge, NC (7); 5. 12 Blake Bowen, Dothan, AL (5); 6. 28 Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS (8); 7. 13x Jake Brashier, Denham Springs, LA (12); 8. 6 Chase Wood Sr., Tampa, FL (6); 9. 00 P.J. Reutimann, Zephyrhills, FL (2); 10. 83 Bob Auld, Largo, FL (11); 11. 67m Blake Mallette, Vancleve, MS (9); 12. 61 Sean Wimpee, Mobile, AL (10); 13. Kyle Mabry, Cottondale, FL (14); 14. 06 Jason Breeland, Sandy Hook, MS DNS.
HOOSIER RACING TIRE SPEED DASH – 6 Laps: 1. Whittington; 2. Reutimann; 3. Gray; 4. Meredith.; 5. Bowen; 6. Wood DNS.
HEAT RACES – 8 Laps:
ENGLER MACHINE & TOOL HEAT 1: 1. Whittington; 2. Reutimann; 3. Meredith; 4. Willingham; 5. Mallette; 6. Auld; 7. Mabry DNS.
BUTLERBUILT RACING PRODUCTS HEAT 2: 1. Bowen; 2. Gray; 3. Wood; 4. McLain; 5. Wimpee; 6. Brashier; 7. Breeland.