Monticello, AR April 11, 2009 – Defending Parts Plus United Sprint Car Series Mid South Thunder Tour Champion, Tim Crawley from Benton, Arkansas battled past seven-time USCS National Champion Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee on lap five of the 25-lap main event at Drew County Speedway on Saturday night for his second USCS feature win of the season. It was Crawley’s seventh USCS main event win in the last eight attempts dating back to last season in the Ward Racing Boatersports sponsored David McCarver powered #88 Maxim Car.
Past Parts Plus USCS Champion, Marshall Skinner from West Memphis, Arkansas won the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat Race. Skinner then drew a zero inversion in the K&N Filters Pole Award drawing to start his Stinson Industrial #26M J&J Auto Racing car in the pole position for the 25-lap feature race contest. Gray who won the six-lap Parts Plus USCS Power Dash and the 8-lap Butlerbuilt Second Heat Race would start outside the front row next to him. Crawley who struggled in the Parts Plus Power Dash and in the Engler Machine and Tool first Heat started third in the main event with Bryce Vowan from Forrest City, Arkansas next to him.
Gray beat Skinner into turn one at the start of the feature ace on lap one. Crawley drove underneath Skinner as well exiting turn two at the start. After chasing Gray for the first four laps, Crawley won the drag race down the front stretch on lap five to grab the race lead. He then led then final 20-laps to victory lane. Crawley survived a lap-nine caution period caused by a collision between 2008 USCS Rookie of the Year, Anthony Nicholson from Bartlett, Tennessee and 2007 USCS Southern Thunder Rookie of the Year Lee Moore from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Skinner followed Crawley across the finish line after Gray dropped out of the race on lap on lap-21 with a rare (for Gray) mechanical failure. Vowan had his best finish of the season so far in third place and moved up one spot in the standings. Rookie standout Justin Carver from Drummonds, Tennessee finished fourth and Anthony Nicholson rounded out the top five.
Another top rookie, Jon Stinson from Memphis, Tennessee followed that group in sixth place and Jeremy Newkirk from Little Rock, Arkansas finished seventh. Veteran Michael Craddock from Olive Branch, Mississippi finished in the eighth position followed by Ray Bugg from Iuka, Mississippi in ninth place. Gray rounded out the top ten.
Justin Carver garnered the RE Technologies Rookie honors as well as the Lunati “Crank It Up” Award for his charge past five cars in the main event. Vowan received the K&N Gold Oil Filters third place award for his position. Nicholson captured the JE Pistons Top Guns award that rotates from 1st through 5th positions in the main event with his fitth place finish. The Dyno Tech Hard Luck Award went to Wade Oliver who had engine problems.
The next Parts Plus United Sprint Car Series racing events are a pair of Asphalt Thunder Tour races on pavement this coming weekend on April 17th and 18th. Friday night finds the series at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, NC and the moves to Florence Motor Speedway on Saturday night.