6/19/2009
Sprint Source
Gray collects Parts Plus USCS Penton win
PENTON RACEWAY: Penton, AL - June 19, 2009 - Defending Parts Plus United Sprint Car Series Champion, Terry Gray swept to victory lane in the 30-Lap Parts Plus USCS main event at Penton Raceway on Friday night. Gray drove his Rislone Oil Treatment sponsored Wesmar powered, J&J Auto Racing car into turn one ahead of last week’s feature winner Marshall Skinner and commenced to wire the field with Skinner in pursuit for the next 30 laps. Rookie point’s leader Justin Carver finished third followed by 2008 Rookie of the Year, Anthony Nicholson and Matt Linder rounded out the top five.
Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee started from the K&N Filters Pole Position after collecting the most passing points while winning the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat. He then drew a zero in the K&N Filters Pole Award inversion drawing. Seventeen-year old, rookie sensation Justin Carver from Drummonds, Tennessee won the Butlerbuilt Second Heat race and started outside of the front row. Skinner from West Memphis, Arkansas started in the third slot with young gun Tyler Godwin from Tampa, Florida started outside of row two.
After two re-starts for a three car tangle, followed by a two car tangle, Gray launched into the first turn ahead of Carver and Skinner and never looked back. At the finish line Skinner from West Memphis, Arkansas was about 6-8 car lengths back of Gray hoping for the caution that didn’t come. The seventeen year-old rookie, JustinCarver followed the hard charging veterans across the finish line. Nicholson started eighth in Jay Hancock’s #1A but hustled home in the top four just behind Carver. Second-generation sprint car ace Matt Linder from Hoschton, Georgia started sixth and ran in the top group for the entire race to end up in the fifth.
Hard-charging 2007 USCS Rookie of the Year, Don Young from Bartlett, Tennessee who started seventh finished in sixth place. Young was running in the third position with three laps to go but spun to avoid a lapped car’s maneuver and lost three positions in the process. Matt Kurtz from Jacksonville, Florida followed Young across the finish line in seventh place. Another top rookie of the year candidate, Jon Stinson from Memphis, Tennessee finished eighth followed by Brian Thomas from Pendergrass, Georgia in ninth place. Veteran USCS racer, David Thorman from Greenville, South Carolina rounded out the top ten finishers.
Terry Gray kicked-off the evening's racing activities by winning the special two region 10-cars, 8-laps Parts Plus Power Dash challenge event. Current rookie point’s leader Justin Carver garnered both the Rookie of the Race and Hoosier Tire young Guns awards. Anthony Nicholson garnered the evening’s Lunati Crank It Up Award for passing the most cars in the main-event.
The next Parts Plus USCS event, the 2nd Annual Randy Helton Memorial Race is on Saturday, June 20th at East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, Alabama.
Submitted By: Adam Ulrey
