Senoia, Ga. The Bartlett Bullet, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee captured his second O'Reilly Auto Parts United Sprint Car Series feature of the young season with a win at Senoia Raceway on Saturday night. Gray reached victory lane in the O'Reilly USCS Asphalt Thunder Tour event after starting on the pole of the main event. Gray lead every lap of the 40-lap thriller, but it wasn't near as easy as it sounds because fifteen year-old open-wheel phenom Trey Robb from Newcastle, Oklahoma raced wheel-to-wheel and nose-to-tail with Gray for the entire forty laps while making it one of the most exciting Asphalt Thunder features ever.
(#10) Terry Gray won the first of twin four-car six-laps Lucas Oil Power Dash at Senoia Raceway before powering to the win in the forty-lap A-Main
(#56R) Ryan Myers won the second four-car six-laps Lucas Oil Power Dash on Saturday night at Senoia Raceway then, finished third in the A-Main behind Terry Gray and Trey Robb.
After setting fast time in the CnB Mushroom Farms time trials Gray finished third in the Engler Machine and Tool First Qualifying race on Friday night to advance to the A-main with his number one qualifying position intact. Robb won the Butlerbuilt Second Qualifying Race Friday night to keep his second place qualifying position alongside Gray for the feature race on Saturday night.
When the 40 lap A-Main began, the pole starter Gray raced his Rislone Lubricants/CnB Mushroom Farms/ Wendy's Wesmar powered #10 Maxim into the lead in turns one and two with Robb's who turned fifteen years old on May 11th in hot pursuit followed by team-mates Buckeye state Ryan Myers from Eaton, Ohio and Doug Berryman from Mansfield, Ohio in tow behind them. Myers was about 5 car lengths behind Robb's #12 Shaw car. The two front-runners raced every lap side by side at some point until lap twelve when a third turn tangle involving Doug Day from Winder, Georgia and Nick Manikis from Thonotosassa, Florida slowed the field for it's first of three cautions. When the duo was untangled, Manikis went to the infield and Day continued his charge from the rear.
On lap eleven the evening's B-Main winner Chris Hill from Wedowee, Alabama had passed Berryman for the fourth position. On lap thirteen the order was Gray, Robb, Myers, Hill, Berryman, Charlie Ladner from Brandon, Florida who had stated twelfth up to sixth with T.J Winegardner from Pierson , Florida in seventh followed by Nick Defeo from Marietta, Georgia then Dan Statter from Deltona, florida in ninth and Day rounding out the top ten.
On lap twenty-two Doug Berryman came to a halt with engine problems exiting turn two. This gave Robb yet another shot at Gray who was never out of reach. Gray got a real good jump on the field on the re-start and tried to stretch his advantage over Robb and Myers before the caution flew again on lap thirty. This one was for a nasty looking crash involving Doug Day up on the front turn wall that ended as Day came to rest at the inside of the track against the wall. Day was deemed okay after the incident. When the action continued for the last ten laps, Robb applied plenty of pressure on Gray, but the veteran held the advantage to the finish line with Robb in the runner-up spot two car length back , Myers finished in third place with Chris Hill in fourth and Chargin' Charlie Ladner rounding out the top five.
T.J Winegardner who won Friday night's 12-lap Engler Tool and Machine First Qualifying Race finished sixth followed by rookie Nick DeFeo in seventh. The veteran Dan Statter finished eighth, Doug Day was ninth and Doug Berryman rounded out the top ten.
On Friday night Gray toured the 3/8 mile paved oval in just 11.91 seconds to garner the CnB Mushroom Farms Fast Time Award. The T.J. Winegardner won the 12-lap Engler Machine and Tool First Qualifying Race. Trey Robb was the victor in the 12-lap Butlerbuilt Second Qualifying Race.
On Saturday night, Terry Gray won the first of the two four cars, six laps Lucas Oil Power Dashes. Ryan Myers from Eaton, Ohio won the second Lucas Oil Power Dash. O'Reilly USCS veteran driver, Chris Hill from Wedowee, Alabama won the 15 lap Huggins Cams B-Main.
Terry Gray received the K&N Pole award after Friday's first qualifying race winner T.J. Wingardner drew a zero inversion for the top six qualifiers. Dan Statter from Deltona, Florida garnered the Huggins Cams Hard Charger Award after starting fourteenth and advancing six positions in the A-Main. The JE Pistons Top Guns Award, which rotates from first through third positions in the A-Main, went to 20 year-old Ryan Myers who finished in third place in the A-Main. Fifteen-year old Trey Robb from Newcastle, Oklahoma was awarded the Hoosier Tire Young Gun of the Race (for the highest finishing driver under 25 years old.) after his runner-up finish.
The O'Reilly USCS www.uscsracing.com returns to action on next Friday, May 25th at Malden Speedway in Malden Missouri with round one of the seven race O'Reilly USCS Speed Week 2007 presented by Arizona Sport Shirts. The series then travels to Riverside Int. Speedway in West Memphis, Arkansas on Saturday night May 26th before moving over to Green Valley Speedway in Glencoe, Alabama on Sunday night May 27th.
On Memorial Day Monday May 28th the O'Reilly USCS Sprint cars make their fourth Speed Week 2007 stop at Clayhill Motorsports in Atwood, Tennessee. Then, after two night's off the Speed Week tour kicks back into action at Clarksville Speedway in Clarksville, Tennessee on Thursday night May 31st for round five1st finds. Friday night June 1st finds the action for round number six at Camden Speedway in Camden , Tennessee. On Saturday night june 2nd the Columbus Clash at Columbus Speedway in Columbus , Mississippi is the O'Reilly USCS Speed Week 2007 Finale.
Malden Speedway is located by traveling one mile North of Malden Missouri on Highway 25 then two miles West on CR 102. For additional info visit www.maldenpeedway.com or call 573-276-6265. For O'Reilly USCS info please visit www.uscsracing.com or call 404-886-5913.