Florence, SC – April 18, 2009 - Blaze Martin from Brandon, Florida raced to his third consecutive win in the 2009 Parts Plus United Sprint Car Series Asphalt Thunder Tour Saturday night at Florence Motor Speedway. The 25-year old Martin collected $2100 for his efforts after setting fast time and holding off hard-charging 2008 USCS Rookie of the Year Anthony Nicholson from Bartlett, Tennessee in the 35-lap Night of Thunder Finale.
Martin started from the outside of the front row after Engler Machine and Tool First Heat winner Adam Jackson from Birmingham, England drew a zero in the K&N Filters Pole Award drawing. Jackson’s draw placed two-time 2008 Asphalt Thunder feature winner, Johnny Bridges from Cherryville, North Carolina in the K&N Pole Position for the start. Defending series Champion, Terry Gray and 2008 USCS Rookie of the Year Anthony Nicholson from Bartlett, Tennessee were behind the fleet duo in the second row. Adam Jackson and sixth fastest qualifier and 2008 USCS Southern Thunder Rookie of the Year, Jake McLain from Indian Trail, North Carolina would start from row three.
When the green flag flew for the start of the 15 mile contest, Bridges who set quick time for the evening with a 14.07 second lap around the 4/10 mile paved oval won the drag race to the first turn. The North Carolina “Wild Child” (Bridges) was flying high for the first eight laps with Martin, Nicholson, Gray and Jackson in pursuit behind him. On lap nine the smoke that had been coming from Bridges’ #07 J&J Auto Racing dirt car for several laps revealed itself when he entered turn one laying down a trail of engine oil after the power plant let go. Bridges night was over and Martin inherited the point after the caution for the oil spill.
On the re-start Martin pulled to an eight to ten car length lead for the next ten laps with Anthony Nicholson in second position followed by Terry Gray in the third slot. England’s Adam Jackson and Rookie points-leader Justin Carver from Drummonds, Tennessee comprising the balance of the top five on lap twelve.
For the next eight laps, the running order remained the same. On lap sixteen Gray’s evening ended with a broken drive-line component and he coasted down pit road to his pit.
On about lap twenty Anthony Nicholson seemed to put the knowledge he had gained in only three night’s of racing a dirt-style winged car sprint on pavement to good use. Nicholson started to aggressively reel-in the seemingly unbeatable Martin. Nicholson put on an unbelievable performance of hard charging determination and skill chasing Martin through the lapped traffic until he got close enough to race underneath Martin and show him the nose of his #16 Maxim car on lap twenty-nine. From that point forward for the next six laps the 22 year-old Nicholson stayed close enough to the speedy Florida young gun to snatch victory from his grasp had he bobbled just once, but he didn’t.
Martin raced home to victory lane with Nicholson on his tail in the runner-up spot. Adam Jackson garnered his second show position over two nights with a third place finish. Carver who races a car similar to Nicholson’s collected another top-five finish in his third night of pavement experience. Veteran Brad Wickham from Rutherfordton, North Carolina raced his way into the top five at the finish.
Jake McLain followed the top five and led the next group in sixth position. Brian Carter from Concord, North Carolina finished in the seventh position after starting thirteenth. USCS veteran David Thorman from Greenville, South Carolina finished in eighth place. Rookie Brandon Rekow from Mooresville, North Carolina finished in the ninth position and C.J. Miller from Denver, North Carolina rounded out the top ten.
Johnny Bridges set a fast one-lap time of 14.07 seconds around the 4/10 mile Florence Motor Speedway paved oval. Seventeen year-old Rookie hot-shoe, Justin Carver won the Parts Plus Power Dash for the top six finishers from the previous event. Adam Jackson won the 8-lap Engler Machine and Tool First Heat. Blaze Martin won the Butlerbuilt Second Heat.
Anthony Nicholson was the Hoosier Tire Young Gun of the Race. Justin Carver was the RE Technologies Rookie of the Race. Pavement rookie, Brian Carter additionally garnered the Lunati Cranks "Crank It Up" Award for his charge past six cars in the A-Main.
The next Parts Plus Outlaw Thunder events are on Friday, April 24th at Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, NC. and on Saturday April 25th at Harris Speedway in Harris, N.C.