9/2/2007
Sprint Source
Gray grabs O'Reilly USCS Sunday Speed Spectacular loot at Camden Speedway
Defending O’Reilly USCS Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee inherited the lead from the 2002 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame 360 Driver of the Year, Tim Crawley while under caution on lap 14 and went on to lead the final sixteen laps race of the 30-lap Sunday Speed Spectacular at Camden Speedway to pocket the $2000 first place money. It was Gray’s eighth O’Reilly USCS win of the 2007 season. On lap fourteen while under caution, Crawley’s motor stalled and the Benton, Arkansas driver was sent to the rear of the field. A rare on the road appearance by Ernie Ainsworth from Memphis, Tennessee driving the Shorty Chambliss #40 netted a strong runner-up finish behind Gray. Past O’Reilly USCS Champion, Marshall Skinner from West Memphis, Arkansas raced home in the third position followed by Crawley and Ohio traveler Kent Wolters from Tip City, Ohio rounded out the top five positions. Crawley, a four-time 2007 O’Reilly USCS Mid-South Thunder winner recovered for a fourth place finish from there. Skinner started on the pole and lead the first seventeen laps before Crawley raced by on the inside in Mike Ward’s #88. Skinner held onto the runner-up spot until the five laps to go mark when defending series Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee who started tenth speed by into the runner-up spot and started to reel Crawley in before running out of laps. Skinner held on to finish in the third spot. Sixteen year-old 2006 O’Reilly USCS Rookie of the Year, Derek Hagar from Marion, Arkansas who had won the last two O’Reilly USCS Mid-South Thunder regional events finished fourth after starting the feature race in thirteenth. Another improving young second-generation driver, Brian Bell from Memphis, Tennessee rounded out the top five. The evening’s Butlerbuilt Second Heat race winner, Chris Williams from Memphis, Tennessee, headed the next five cars in sixth place. Wade Oliver from Southaven, Mississippi had another solid performance and finished seventh after starting fourteenth. An outstanding driving performance by veteran driver Dewayne Prince from Munford, Tennessee, netted him the eighth position after starting eighteenth. Kenny Coke from Olive Branch, Mississippi started seventeenth and finished ninth and Todd Fayard from Biloxi, Mississippi rounded out the top ten. Marshall Skinner won the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat Race. Chris Williams won the Butlerbuilt Second Heat Race. Brian B ell captured the JE Pistons Third Heat Race. Dewayne Prince earned the events Huggins Cams Hard Charger award for his charge from 18th place into eighth. Chris Williams was recognized as the Robison Racing Products Rookie of the Race. 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 snagged the K&N Filters Pole Award. The JE Pistons Top Gun Award went to the runner-up Terry Gray. The races only two cautions were for Todd Fayard’s spin and Ronny Howard’s subsequent contact with the wall in turn two on three and for Anthony Nicholson’s rollover exiting turn four on lap eight. The next O’Reilly USCS National points events are an O’Reilly USCS Asphalt Thunder double-header at Greenville Pickens Speedway on Friday July 6th and at Watermelon Capital Speedway on Saturday night July7th.
Submitted By: Adam Ulrey
