By Roby Helm
TUSCUMBIA, AL – May 1, 2026 – Two-time Hoosier Race Tire United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour Presented By XC Gear National Champion Morgan Havener (formerly Turpen) of Piperton, TN won a wild 25-lap Feature Race Friday night, at North Alabama Speedway. The “Queen of the Wings” took the lead on a lap 17 restart and drove to her 32nd USCS career win.
Havener took the lead from her teammate, 16-time USCS National Champion Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN, a National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee. Gray held on to finish second, one spot short of his 99th USCS career win.
Former USCS National Champion Jordon Mallett of Greenbrier, AR took the third spot, and Landon Britt of Memphis, TN was fourth. The defending USCS National Champion and early race leader Dale Howard of Byhalia, MS came back from a lap 11 spin to finish fifth, and Jeff Willingham of Ripley, MS took the sixth spot.
Hayden Martin of Olive Branch, MS started 17th and finished seventh to earn the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger of the Race Award. The eighth spot went to B.J. Simmerman of Batesville, MS and Derek Hagar of Marion, AR was ninth. USCS National point leader Coen McDaniel of Gaffney, SC rounded out the top ten.
In preliminary action, Howard won the six-lap Hoosier Racing Tire Speed Dash to earn the Pole Position for the 25-lap Feature Race. The three eight-lap Heat Races were won by Havener in the Engler Machine & Tool First Heat, Hagar in the Butlerbuilt Second Heat, and Gray in the Schoenfeld Headers Third Heat.
Howard took the lead at the start of the race followed by outside front row starter Howard Moore of Memphis, TN, Gray, Havener, and Hagar in the top five. Howard opened up a 1.165 second lead on lap five, and 1.176 seconds over Moore on lap ten. The top two drivers would get together on 11 to bring out the caution flag.
Howard was able to restart, but Moore was out of the race. Hagar also went to the rear of the pack for the restart. Gray inherited the lead followed by Havener, McDaniel, Mallett, and Willingham taking over the top five spots. Britt got by Willingham on lap 15 to move up to the top five.
McDaniel spun out of the third spot in turn two on lap 17 to bring out the final caution flag. When the field went back to green flag action, Havener passed Gray to take the lead, and stretched it out to a 1.738 second advantage on lap 20. Havener went under the checkered flag with a 2.8 second margin of victory over Gray to claim her 32nd USCS career win.
The Hoosier Racing Tire United Sprint Car Series Presented By XC Gear 30th Anniversary Outlaw Thunder Tour travels to Thunderhill Raceway in Summertown, TN 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 Marketing Partners are XC Gear, Engler Machine & Tool, Hoosier Racing Tire, Huggins Cams, Hero Graphics, DMI/Bulldog, Racing Electronics, JE Pistons, DHR Suspension, Wilwood Disc Brakes, AR Dyno Specialties, KSE Racing Products, PRO Shocks, Schoenfeld Headers, and Arizona Sport Shirts.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF THE UNITED SPRINT CAR SERIES PRESENTED BY XC GEAR OUTLAW THUNDER TOUR EVENT AT NORTH ALABAMA SPEEDWAY IN TUSCUMBIA, AL ON 5/1/26:
FEATURE RACE – 25 Laps: 1. 10m Morgan Turpen-Havener, Gallatin, TN (4); 2. 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN (3); 3. 3 Jordon Mallett, Greenbrier, AR (8); 4. 10L Landon Britt, Memphis, TN (10); 5. 47 Dale Howard, Byhalia, MS (1); 6. 28 Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS (7); 7. 67 Hayden Martin, Olive Branch, MS (17); 8. 4x B.J. Simmerman, Batesville, MS (13); 9. 9jr Derek Hagar, Marion, AR (5); 10. 48 Coen McDaniel, Gaffney, SC (6); 11. 82b Jason Milan, Guntown, MS (9); 12. 33 Joe Larkin, Suwanee, GA (15); 13. 88 Trent Moss, Medon, TN (11); 14. 40 Howard Moore, Memphis, TN (2); 15. 21 Jake Jones, Marion, AR (16); 16. 18 Paul Jones, Kokomo, MS (12); 17. 16 Greg Merritt, Nesbit, MS (14); 18. 8x Brad Bowden, Hernando, MS DNS.
HOOSIER RACING TIRE SPEED DASH – 6 Laps: 1. Howard; 2. Moore; 3. Gray; 4. Turpen-Havener; 5. Hagar; 6. Bowden DNS.
HEAT RACES – 8 Laps:
ENGLER MACHINE & TOOL HEAT 1: 1. Turpen-Havener; 2. Bowden; 3. Mallett; 4. Milan; 5. Simmerman; 6. J. Jones DNS.
BUTLERBUILT HEAT 2: 1. Hagar; 2. McDaniel; 3. Moore; 4. Britt; 5. P. Jones; 6. Larkin.
XC GEAR HEAT 3: 1. Gray; 2. Howard; 3. Willingham; 4. Moss; 5. Merritt; 6. Martin DNS.