By Roby Helm
PENTON, AL – Conner Wray of Olive Branch, MS, took the win in a milestone race for the United Sprint Car Series Presented By Hoosier Racing Tire on Friday night at Penton Raceway in La Fayette, AL. The 25-lap Feature Race was the 1,000th race for USCS since its inception in 1997.
The 16-time and defending USCS National Champion, and National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN finished second. The current USCS point leader Dale Howard of Byhalia, MS came back from an early race spin to take the third spot. Dr. Kyle Amerson of Montgomery, AL was fourth and Ronny Howard of Nesbit, MS drove to a fifth-place finish.
Jeff Willingham of Ripley, MS came home in the sixth spot and seventh went to Jackson Wellman of Belmont, NC. Eric Gunderson of Canton, GA took the eighth spot and Clint Weiss of Jesup, GA started 14th and finished ninth to earn the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger of the Race Award. Early race-leader, Trey Meredith of Dade City, FL rounded out the top ten. Y
In preliminary action, the six lap Hoosier Speed Dash was won by Meredith to earn the Pole Position for the 30-lap Feature Race. The two eight-lap Heat Races were won by Wray in the Engler Machine & Tool First Heat and Dale Howard in the Butlerbuilt Second Heat.
Meredith took the lead at the drop of the green flag to start the race followed by Wray, Jadan Bowling of Holden Beach, NC, Dale Howard, and Gray. The first of four caution flags came out on lap two when Bowling and Dale Howard spun while battling for the third spot.
Wray passed Meredith for the lead after the restart on lap three. The second caution flag came out on lap nine when P.J. Reutimann of Zephyrhills. FL stalled in turn three. Wray led Meredith, Gray, Amerson, and Bowling down for the restart. When the field went back to green flag action, Dale Howard came from seventh to fourth, and Bowling passed Amerson to remain in fifth.
On lap 16, Bowling passed Dale Howard for the fourth spot. The third caution flag came out on lap 20 when Eric Gunderson of Canton, GA spun in turn four. Bowling got by Gray for the third spot on the restart, and then challenged Meredith for the second spot in the closing laps.
Meredith and Bowling got together down the front straightaway on lap 23 while battling for second to bring out the fourth and final caution flag of the race. Gray, Dale Howard, Amerson and Ronny Howard moved up to second through fifth respectively behind Wray for the restart.
Wray pulled away from the field after the restart for the three lap dash to the finish. Wray took a 1.708 second margin of victory over Gray under the checkered flag. Gray finished one spot short of his 99th USCS career win. Race #1,000 for the USCS took 20 minutes and 44.349 seconds to complete.
The United Sprint Car Series Presented By Hoosier Racing Tire will travel to East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, AL for its next show on Saturday night. For more information about USCS, 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 THE UNITED SPRINT CAR SERIES PRESENTED BY HOOSIER RACING TIRE EVENT AT PENTON RACEWAY IN PENTON, AL ON 6/27/25:
FEATURE RACE – 25 Laps: 1. 23w Conner Wray, Olive Branch, MS (2); 2. 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN (6); 3. 47 Dale Howard, Byhalia, MS (3); 4. 29 Kyle Amerson, Montgomery, AL (5); 5. 55 Ronny Howard, Nesbit, MS (8); 6. 28 Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS (9); 7. 19w Jackson Wellman, Belmont, NC (7); 8. 7e Eric Gunderson, Canton, GA (10); 9. 0x Clint Weiss, Jesup, GA (14); 10. 11 Trey Meredith, Dade City, FL (1); 11. 01 Jadan Bowling, Holden Beach, NC (4); 12. 00 P.J. Reutimann, Zephyrhills, FL (12); 13. 67 Hayden Martin, Olive Branch, MS (11); 14. 51 Dustin Burtron, Seminole, FL (13) DNS.
HOOSIER RACING TIRE SPEED DASH – 6 Laps; 1. Meredith; 2. Wray; 3. D. Howard; 4. Bowling; 5. Amerson; 6. Gray.
HEAT RACES – 8 Laps:
ENGLER MACHINE & TOOL HEAT 1: 1. Wray; 2. Meredith; 3. Wellman; 4. R. Howard; 5. Weiss; 6. Martin; 7. Reutimann.
BUTLERBUILT HEAT 2: 1. D. Howard; 2. Bowling; 3. Gray; 4. Willingham; 5. Gunderson; 6. Burtron; 7. Amerson DNS.