5/25/2007
Sprint Source
Gray captures O'Reilly USCS Speedweek 2007 opener at Malden Speedway
Malden, MO - Defending O'Reilly USCS Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee won the 30-lap O'Reilly United Sprint Car Series www.uscsracing.com Speedweek 2007 opening round Friday night at Malden Speedway in Malden, Missouri. Gray bested a stellar twenty-five car field from seven states for the win. It was Gray's first win at Malden Speedway since 2001 when he swept the North vs. South weekend winning three main events the weekend after the 9/11 tragedy. Gray also has a three-race National points event win streak going after winning at Southern Raceway on dirt on April 7th. He then won last on a paved track event at Senoia Raceway and Friday night's race at Amldn Speedway.
Gray started outside of the front row next to Hoosier tire young Gun Lee Sowell from Nesbit, Mississippi then led every lap of the main event. Sixteen-year-old 2006 O'Reilly USCS Rookie of the Year, Derek Hagar from Marion, Arkansas followed Gray across the finish line for the runner-up. Lee Sowell got the other podium spot in third place. Bryce Vowan from Forrest City, Arkansas started twelfth and charged home in the fourth position. Raymond Stull from Coldwater, Mississippi raced from eleventh stating position to round out the order for the top five cars.
Danny Martin, Jr. from Sarasota, Florida drove from his seventeenth place feature race starting position into sixth place.. Another Hoosier Tire Young Gun 19 year-old Brad Bowden from Hernando, Mississippi was seventh. Lucas Oil Power Dash winner Brian Bell from Memphis, Tennessee drove from from his nineteenth starting position into eighth place also passing eleven cars in the main event. O'Reilly USCS veteran DeWayne Prince from Atoka, Tennessee finished in the ninth position. Dustin Barks from Farmington, Missouri rounded out the top ten.
Brian Bell won the 6-lap Lucas Oil Power Dash. Marshall Skinner won the Engler Tool and Machine First Heat Race. Derek Hagar won the Butlerbuilt Second Heat Race. Terry Gray captured the JE Pistons Third Heat. Ryan Myers from Eaton, Ohio won the 10 lap B-Main. Danny Martin, Jr. garnered the events Huggins Cams Hard Charger award for his charge from seventeenth to sixth place in the 30-lap A-Main event. Dylan DeJournett from Essex, Missouri was the Robison Racing Products Rookie of the Race. Lee Sowell snagged the K&N Filters Pole Award. Derek Hagar was recognized as the Hoosier Tire Young Gun of the Race, which is awarded to the top-finishing driver under twenty-five years old. Skinner was awarded he Weld racing Hard Luck award.
The next O'Reilly USCS National points event and O'Reilly USCS Mid-South Thunder points event is the Speedweek 2007 Round #2 at Riverside Speedway www.riversidespeedway.us in West Memphis, AR on Saturday night. The O'Reilly USCS Speedweek 2007 continues on with events Sunday night at Green Valley Speedway www.greenvalleyspeedway.com in Glencoe, Alabama and at Clayhill Motorsports in www.clayhillmotorsports.com in Atwood, Tennessee on Monday night. After two days off the schedule picks back up at Clarksville Speedway www.clarksvillespeedway.com in Clarksville, Tennessee on Thursday night, May 31st. Then the tour moves 77 miles SW to Camden Speedway in Camden, Tennessee on Friday night June 1st before the grand finale in the "Columbus Clash" at Columbus Speedway in Columbus, Mississippi on Saturday night June 2nd.
Submitted By: Adam Ulrey
