Blue Ridge, GA - Former O'Reilly USCS Champion, Marshall Skinner from West Memphis, Arkansas ran his series winning streak to two-in-a-row on Friday night at Sugar Creek Raceway in Blue Ridge, Georgia by winning the 30-lap O'Reilly United Sprint Car Series portion of the 8th Annual Sugar Creek Raceway "Night of Thunder". Skinner who started fourth in the field finished lap-one in third place then passed pole-starter Lance Moss from Cherryville, North Carolina for the runner-up spot on lap four. It took him until lap twenty-three to chase down and pass sixteen-year old 2006 O'Reilly USCS Rookie of the Year Derek Hagar from Marion, Arkansas for the lead. Skinner then traced the final seven laps to victory lane untouched.
Hagar, who has won feature races twice already in his Sophomore season in the O'Reilly USCS started outside of Lance Moss in the front row and grabbed the lead going into turn one at the start. Hagar appeared to be driving away from the field for his third win of the season before caution flags on laps seven, nine and twelve bunched the field behind him. But, through the restarts the young driver held his lead until Skinner just found a faster line around the race track and passed Hagar for the lead. Hagar finished in the runner-up spot. Defending series Champion and current points leader Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee started in the sixth position and chased Skinner and Hager home in the third slot. Lance Moss came home in the fourth position followed by 2003 USCS AOAS Champion, Johnny Bridges also from Cherryville, North Carolina in the fifth position.
Photo/Caption car #26 - Marshall Skinner ran his win streak to two in a row in O'Reilly USCS competition Friday night at Sugar Creek Raceway by winning the 30 lap Shootout at Sugar Creek feature race. (USCS file photo).
Second-generation driver, Matt Linder from Hoschton, Georgia started eighth and finished sixth. 2004 O'Reilly USCS Rookie of the Year, R.J. Johnson from Tampa, Florida was seventh in the final order. Andy McElhannon from Nesbit, Mississippi finished in the eighth position followed by veteran USCS racer David Thorman from Greenville, South Carolina in ninth place. Frank Carlsson from Oxford, Florida rounded out the top ten.
One usually highly competitive entry had misfortunes during the evening. 2002 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Driver of the Year, Tim Crawley from Benton, Arkansas broke a set of spur gears in his heat race. The three-time 2007 O'Reilly USCS feature winner then had more rear-end problems after starting thirteenth in the feature and advancing six positions in seven laps.
Terry Gray won the evening's 6-lap Lucas Oil Power Dash. Lance Moss won the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat Race. Derek Hagar won the Butlerbuilt Second Heat Race. Gray also garnered the events Huggins Cams Hard Charger award. Ryan Partin was awarded the Robison Racing Products Rookie of the Race. Lance Moss snagged the K&N Filters Pole Award after drawing himself back to the pole in the K&N inversion draw after winning the first heat 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..
The next O'Reilly USCS event is Saturday night July 28th at Dixie Speedway www.dixiespeedway.com in Woodstock, Georgia on Saturday night, July 28th. The event awards, National, Mid-South and Southern Thunder regional series points.