Hohenwald, TN – Saturday, March 16, 2013 – Derek Hagar from Marion Arkansas drove his #9Jr. Dynotech powered J&J Auto Racing/R.E. Enterprise sprint car from outside the front row into the www.rockauto.com United Sprint Car Series victory lane at Tennessee National Raceway on Saturday night. It was Hagar’s twelfth career United Sprint Car Series feature win and second win in a row in just the second USCS sprint car event of the young 2013 season. The win again showed why the former USCS Rookie of the Year and current series points leader is one of the favorites to contend for the series 17th annual United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour National Championship.
On the initial start, another former USCS Rookie of the Year (2008), Anthony Nicholson from Bartlett, Tennessee who started from the K&N Filters Pole Position raced his #16 sprint car into the lead before a lap two caution for a spinning rookie Tristan Tidmore from Hernando, Mississippi slowed the race with a yellow flag. Nicholson led the field to green again only to see another yellow on lap four for a loop by Tony Smith, who tangled with another car on the backstretch. This damaged his front end and ended his night.
When the race resumed for the second time, Nicholson led until three-fourths of the way through the next circuit when Hagar made a pass for the lead exiting turn four of lap five. The race stayed green with Hagar now leading over Nicholson, 2010 Rookie of the Year Morgan Turpen from Cordova, Tennessee (the only woman in the field) in third place, Three-time Powri Midget Series Champion Brad Loyet from St. Louis, Missouri in fourth and Jarod Roller from Olive Branch, Mississippi in fifth position. By lap twenty when the next yellow waved for another loop by Tristan Tidmore’s #13, Brad Loyet had advanced to third place, with 2010 USCS Mid-South regional series Rookie of the Year and two time 2012 feature winner, now in fourth position Morgan Turpen rounding out the top five in the running order.
On lap twenty-one, defending USCS National sprint car Champion, Tim Crawley replaced Roller in the top five. On lap twenty-two Brad Loyet passed Anthony Nicholson for the runner-up position. On lap twenty-eight Crawley slipped past Morgan Turpen into the fourth position, flipped in turn three before a lap was completed, The crossed the finshline with Hagar headed to the www.rockauto.com USCS victory lane and the balance of the top five to the scales in the following order; Brad Loyet in the runner-up spot, Anthony Nicholson in third place, the 2012 series Champion, Tim Crawley in fourth place and Morgan Turpen rounding out the top five.
Young gun Dalton Davis from Millington, Tennessee led the next group of drivers in sixth place. Brad Bowden from Hernando, Mississippi finished in seventh place followed by ten-time series Champion Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee. Jerod Roller from Olive Branch, Mississippi followed Gray in ninth place and Eric Riggins, Jr. from Charlotte, North Carolina rounded out the top ten.
Morgan Turpen, won the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat. Jerod Roller won the Butlerbuilt Second Heat. Brad Loyet competing for his second time in USCS competition collected the win in the www.rockauto.com Third Heat. Anthony Nicholson garnered the K&N Filters Pole Award. Tim Crawley who started 10th in the main event advanced the most positions (6 places) to earn the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hardcharger Award.
The next event for the USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour winged sprint cars will be on Friday, April12th at Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, North Carolina. The following night the series invades Toccoa Speedway in Toccoa, Georgia. For information Carolina Speedway way please visit www.carolinaspeedway.net For racing info on Toccoa Speedway just go their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/toccoa.speedway.5 For rules, schedules and other info on the USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour winged sprint car series 2013 and 17th annual National tour please visit www.uscsracing.com or call 770-460-7223 or 865-6097.
USCS Outlaw Thunder Main Event 30-laps – Tennessee National Raceway – Saturday, March 16, 2013
1. 9Jr Derek Hagar, Marion, AR
2. 05 Brad Loyett, St. Louis, MO
3. 16 Anthony Nicholson, Bartlett, TN
4. 88 Tim Crawley, Benton, AR
5. 10m Morgan Turpen, Oakland, TN
6. 12 Dalton Davis, Millington, TN
7. 39 Brad Bowden, Hernando, MS
8. 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN 5
9. Jerod Roller, Olive Branch, MS
10. 47 Eric Riggins, Jr., Charlotte, NC
11 ti64 Alex Pettas, Phoenix, AZ
12. 27 Curt Terrell, Bartlett, TN
13. 25 Ray Bugg, Iuka, MS
14. 13B Taylor Tidmore, Hernando, MS
15. 11 Jake Roach, Sardis, TN
16. 13 Tristan Tidmore, Hernando, MS
17. 44 Ronny Howard, Nesbit, MS
18. 5s Tyler Smith, Olive Branch, MS
Did not start the main event:
19. 14 Marty Echols, Horn Lake, MS – DNS
20. 2 Lee Sowell, Nesbit, MS – DNS
USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour Race Awards:
Hoosier USCS Sprint Speed Dash: 10 Terry Gray
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: 10M Morgan Turpen
Butlerbuilt Second Heat Award: 5 Jarod Roller
www.rockauto.com Third Heat: 05 Brad Loyet
K&N Filters Pole Award: 16 Anthony Nicholson
JE Pistons Top Guns Award: 05 Brad Loyet (2nd place)
K&N Filters Podium (3rd place) Award: 16 Anthony Nicholson
Wilwood Disc Brakes Hardcharger Award: 88 Tim Crawley
Keizer Aluminum Wheels Top Five Award: Morgan Turpen
DMI/Bulldog rear Ends top Ten Award: Eric Riggins