July 19, 2008 – Bulls Gap, TN - Six-time and defending O'Reilly USCS National Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee raced his way to victory lane in the 30-lap O'Reilly USCS Outlaw Thunder feature at Volunteer Speedway on Saturday night. Gray who had never raced at Joe Loven’s famed high-banked 4/10 mile East Tennessee red clay oval dominated the evening in his #10 Rislone/Bar’s Leaks sponsored Wesmar powered J&J Auto Racing car. He started the night off by setting a new Volunteer Speedway all-time track record and fast time of 11.67 seconds around the high-banked 4/10 mile oval. The torrid lap eclipsed by two one hundredths of a second the 16 month-old mark of 11.690 seconds set by Joey Saldana during the World of Outlaws 410 cubic inch race on March 24, 2007.
Steven Lines from Melbourne, Australia who started outside the front row next to K&N Pole Award recipient Ronnie Blair from Dayton, Ohio in the main event. Lines who won one half of the twin O’Reilly USCS main events at Crossville Raceway on Friday night, raced into the lead in turn one of the 30-lap event. Lines immediately went to work on his third O’Reilly USCS feature win in three weeks. Blair chased him from the runner-up spot for the first three laps before a caution for a spun car bunched the field.
After the re-start on lap-five lap, Gray who started outside the second row slipped into second place. On lap seven Gray passed race-leader Steven Lines low in turns one and two for the lead. On lap eight Lines did a 360 degree spin in turn three and lost two positions. Gray pulled away to a substantial lead by the races midway point.
On lap 22 the yellow flag waved again for the cars of Brad Wickham from Forrest City, North Carolina and Jake McLain from Indian Trail, North Carolina who tangled between turns three and four. The fourth and fifth place cars of Steven lines and three-time 2008 feature winner Johnny Bridges from Cherryville, North Carolina spun to miss the incident. McLain had to go to the pits. McLain’s night was finished . The other three cars went to the rear of the field for the re-start.
After completing one more circuit on lap 23, the fifth and sixth place cars of sensational rookie driver Jon Stinson from Memphis, Tennessee and the evening’s second fastest qualifier, David Adkins from Winston-Salem, North Carolina were battling for a top five finish and tangled with Brad Wickham and Clint Weiss from Phenix City, Alabama in a horrendous crash that sent Adkins tumbling and ripped the top wing from Stinson’s car. Weiss clobbered the wall and was done for the evening. Adkins was shaken, but was not transported to the hospital.
After the debris from the melee was cleared, with minor repairs Stinson and Wickham re-fired and joined the field at the rear for the final seven laps. Gray was the leader with Ronnie Blair, Johnny Bridges and Steven Lines directly behind. On the re-start the final laps went green flag racing all of the way with Gray pulling away to a comfortable lead and demonstrating his superiority on the night the rest of the way to the checkered flag. Blair crossed in the runner-up spot with Bridges in third place and the Aussie, Steven Lines followed in the fourth position. Brad Wickham rallied back to fifth place at the race’s finish.
The next five drivers included sixteen year-old Jon Stinson in sixth place followed by David Adkins scored in the seventh position. Clint Weiss collected the eighth place paycheck of $450.00, Jake McLain finished in ninth place and Bronzie Lawson IV rounded out the top ten.
Gray collected $300 from the O’Reilly United Sprint Car Series for the new record time trial lap that additionally bested the previous O’Reilly USCS 360 cubic inch sprint car Volunteer Speedway track record of 11.806 seconds set by Kenny Adams in August, 2000 prior to weight rules in the series.
Gray won the six-lap Lucas Oil Power Dash that features the top six cars from the previous event. Johnny Bridges won the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat and Bronzie Lawson III from Raeford, North Carolina was victorious in the Butlerbuilt Second Heat Race. Steven Lines again garnered the Hoosier Tire Young Gun off the race awarded to the top driver under 25 years-old. The teenager, Jon Stinson received the Rookie of the Race Award. Gray additionally received $190 from the fans who raised the money to boast the winner’s share of $2000 to $2190.
The series moves on to Malden, Missouri next Friday night (7/25) for an O’Reilly USCS Mid-South Thunder regional point’s event at Malden Speedway. For info on the Malden Speedway event please visit www.maldenspeedway.com