By John Rittenoure
KELLYVILLE, Okla. (July 18, 2025) – Friday’s Ortco, Inc. United Sprint League presented by Same Day Auto Repair main event at Creek County Speedway was more like a game of cat and mouse as six lead changes in the 30-lap feature captured everyone’s attention. Tanner Conn and Craig Carroll swapped the lead throughout the race, but with three laps remaining Conn made the final pass and came away with a victory.
“That was a really fun and clean race between us,” Conn said of his battle with Carroll. “You never want to go backwards when you start on the pole. I can’t thank Tanner, Ashley and Nick (Newton) enough for giving me a great car and the opportunity. That was a fun race.”
Conn led the first 13 laps before Carroll made his first move. Carroll edged slightly ahead on lap 14 but that only lasted 2 laps. Conn was back in front on lap 16 then Carroll pulled ahead on lap 20. Laps 23-25 belonged to Conn with Carroll sneaking across the scoring loop first on lap 26. The last lead change came on 27 with Conn getting the top spot.
At one point midway through the race Conn jumped the cushion which allowed Carroll to take advantage.
“Sometimes it is better to have a little bit of luck and we definitely had that tonight after the poor pill draw for the heat,” said Conn who drew a 50 and started seventh in his heat. “We had a good redraw and just thankful we were able to hold on to it.”
The victory allowed Conn to take away the points lead from Johnny Kent (886-883). Kent started 20th and climbed into third on lap 24 to salvage what started off very uncharacteristic for Kent.
“I was never doubtful we could get up on the wheel, I was a little doubtful after the way our night started if we would get from the back to the front tonight,” Kent of his finish.
A handling mishap in his heat race had Kent up on two wheels. Kent went to the pits and finished last and losing valuable points.
“We got really tight off of (turns) 3-4 and when we came off of four it snapped and went left,” Kent said of his loss of control. “I thought something broke in the frontend. I jumped a tire and came to the pits.
“We just came back, put our heads together, and did something different for the feature. I tried to be patient getting through there. Just bidding our time and that is what we did.
“It is not about how you start, but how you finish.”
The night had several yellows and Kent was worried he might run out of fuel.
“I started running out of fuel with two to go,” he said. “It was getting really close.”
United Sprint League
Creek County Speedway – Kellyville, Oklahoma
July 18, 2025
Morton Excavating A-Feature (30 Laps): 1. 6-Tanner Conn[1]; 2. 24C-Craig Carroll[3]; 3. 55-Johnny Kent[20]; 4. 24H-Ty Hulsey[10]; 5. 79-Tim Kent[13]; 6. 53-Brett Wilson[4]; 7. 8R-Ryker Pace[2]; 8. 50-Cody Whitworth[8]; 9. 45-Tyler LaPointe[6]; 10. 6K-Brylee Kilmer[14]; 11. 5X-Cooper Cottrell[11]; 12. 6T-Cameron Hagin[7]; 13. 21P-Mike Ables[12]; 14. 7F-Joshua Tyre[9]; 15. 21-Jeremy Wickham[16]; 16. 5B-Brock Cottrell[5]; 17. 97-Kevin Cummings[19]; 18. 98-Ryan Padgett[17]; 19. 69-Greg York[15]; 20. 5F-Sandy Rushing[18]
Speed Stix Shocks Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 8R-Ryker Pace[4]; 2. 45-Tyler LaPointe[1]; 3. 5B-Brock Cottrell[5]; 4. 7F-Joshua Tyre[6]; 5. 21P-Mike Ables[7]; 6. (DNF) 5F-Sandy Rushing[2]; 7. (DNF) 55-Johnny Kent[3]
Kent Fireworks Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 6-Tanner Conn[7]; 2. 6T-Cameron Hagin[1]; 3. 24H-Ty Hulsey[2]; 4. 79-Tim Kent[4]; 5. 6K-Brylee Kilmer[6]; 6. (DNF) 98-Ryan Padgett[3]; 7. (DNF) 97-Kevin Cummings[5]
H&R Auto Glass Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 24C-Craig Carroll[2]; 2. 53-Brett Wilson[3]; 3. 50-Cody Whitworth[4]; 4. 5X-Cooper Cottrell[5]; 5. 69-Greg York[1]; 6. 21-Jeremy Wickham[6]
Lap Leaders: Tanner Conn 1-13, 16-19, 23-25, 27-30; Craig Carroll, 14-15, 20-22, 26.
Margin of victory: 0.529.
2025 Winners: 3/22 – Steven Shebester, Red Dirt Raceway; 4/11 – Johnny Kent, Tulsa Speedway; 4/12 – Johnny Kent, Creek County Speedway; 4/25 – Tyler Edwards, Creek County Speedway; 6/14 – Ty Hulsey, Lawton Speedway; 7/18 – Tanner Conn, Creek County Speedway.
2025 Top 10: 1. Tanner Conn 886; 2. Johnny Kent 883; 3. Ty Hulsey 851; 4. Ryker Pace 825; 5. Tim Kent 824 ; 6. Cameron Hagin 796; 7. Craig Carroll 774 ; 8. Brock Cottrell 753; 9. Cody Whitworth 746; 10. Brylee Kilmer 743.