Malden, MO - 9/12/08 - Series points leader, Tim Crawley from Benton Arkansas drove the Boatersports sponsored David McCarver powered Ward Racing #88 to victory lane in the 20-lap Missouri State championship preliminary main event on Friday night at Malden Speedway. It was Crawley's ninth feature win in O'Reilly USCS Mid South Thunder Tour regional series this season and his second in-a-row.
After starting next to K&N Pole Award recipient Justin Carver from Drummonds, Tennessee, rookie Mark Shirshekan from Farmington, Missouri led lap one. On lap two Crawley who started in third place, took command of the point and raced around the top of the emmaculately prepared 3/8 mile clay oval to victory lane. 2000 Missouri State Champion Marshall Skinner from West Memphis, Arkansas chased Crawley home in the runner-up spot followed by six-time O'Reilly USCS series Champion Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee in third place. Young gun Lee Sowell from Nesbit, Mississippi finshed fourth after another solid run and Shirshekan rounded out the top five finishers.USCS4saluteMalden9.12.08.jpg
Another talented young gun, Dustin Barks also from Farmington, Missouri led the balance of the 22-car field from six states home in sixth place. Current O'Reilly USCS Rookie points leader, Anthony Nicholson from Bartlett, Tennessee followed in seventh. Another top rookie driver, Justin Carver was eighth, Kent Buckley from Farmington, Missouri finished in the ninth position and 2007 O'Reilly USCS Mid South Thunder Rookie of the Year, Chris Williams from Memphis, Tennessee rounded out the top ten.
Marshall Skinner won the evenings six cars, six laps Lucas Oil Power Dash after battling side by side with the eventual feature winner, Crawley for the entire 6-laps. A pair of stand-out rookie drivers, Justin Carver and Mark Shirshekan, grabbed the victories in the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat and Butlerbuilt Second Heat races. Veteran Tim Crawley won the Bar's Leaks Third Heat. Wade Oliver passed eight cars in the main event to garner the Huggins Cams Hard Charger Award. Rookie of the Race honors went to Mark Shirshekan and Lee Sowell was the Hoosier Tire Young Gun of the Race.
The series completes the final round of the Missouri State Championship Races on Saturday night at 7:00pm at Malden Speedway with another complete program of sprint car racing including the Lucas Oil Power Dash, qualifying heat races and a 30-lap Championship sprint car finale. Also on the racing card will be the Championship finals for the $1200 to win Rislone USCS Modifieds, $1000 to win Fastrak Late Models Championship plus $700 to win Malden Hobby , $500 to win Street Stock, $500 to win E-Mod and $200 to win Mini Stock Championship races.