July 3, 2008 - Camden, TN - Defending O'Reilly United Sprint Car Series National Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee beat current O’Reilly USCS Mid-South Thunder point’s leader, Tim Crawley from Benton, Arkansas to the first turn in Thursday night’s O’Reilly USCS sprint car portion of the Firecracker 100 at Camden Speedway. Gray then held off the hard-charging Crawley through several caution periods that kept Crawley on his rear bumper to collect the $2000 paycheck for the win in the 30-lap winged sprint car main event. It was Gray’s second O’Reilly USCS feature win of the season.
Crawley applied the heat to Gray throughout the entire race and held off the rest off the field to garner the $1200 runner-up spot on the night. Marshall Skinner from West Memphis, Arkansas chased Crawley around the high speed 4/10 mile red clay oval and across the line for the final podium position in third place. Last weekend’s Travelers Rest Speedway feature winner, Matt Linder from Hoschton, Georgia finished in fourth place and seventeen year-old 2006 O’Reilly USCS Rookie of the Year, Derek Hagar from Marion, Arkansas rounded out the top five drivers.
2007 O’Reilly USCS Rookie of the Year, Don Young from Bartlett, Tennessee led the next pack in sixth place. Tim Sites from Southaven, Mississippi who started thirteenth charged through the field to finish seventh and garnered the evening’s Huggins Cams Hard Charger Award. Veteran Ernie Ainsworth from Bartlett, Tennessee who is on a two-race win streak at his home track at Riverside International Speedway followed in eighth place. 2008 O’Reilly USCS Mid-South Rookie point’s leader, Anthony Nicholson from Bartlett, Tennessee followed in ninth place. Another top rookie driver, Justin Carver from Drummonds, Tennessee rounded out the top ten.
Terry Gray won the evening’s 6-cars, 6-laps Lucas Oil Power Dash. He continued his sweep of the Holiday weekend’s event by also winning the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat. Point’s leader Tim Crawley got the victory in the 10-lap Butlerbuilt Second Heat. The Hoosier Tire Young Guns award went to 17 year-old Derek Hagar. Anthony Nicholson garnered the Rookie of the Race honors.