Gastonia, NC - April 24, 2009 - Seven-time Parts Plus United Sprint Car Series National Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee won the 30-lap Parts Plus USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour feature race during the Parts Plus USCS Thunder in Carolina event at Carolina Speedway on Friday night. It was the first USCS feature win of the season for Gray over a talent-laden field of twenty-nine competitors from eleven states that included two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart from Indianapolis, Indiana who set fast time and won the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat Race in front of a near capacity crowd.
Gray started fourth in the field after Tony Stewart drew a six inversion in the K&N Filters Pole Award drawing on the front stretch in front of the speedway’s packed grandstands. The inversion placed young-gun Tyler Godwin from Tampa, Florida on the pole with 2004 Rookie of the Year Bryn Gohn from Malabar, Florida on the outside of the front row. 2009 Rookie points-leader, Justin Carver from Drummonds, Tennessee and Gray were in the second row and past USCS Champion Johnny Bridges from Cherryville, North Carolina started inside Stewart in row three after setting a second fastest lap of 14.09 seconds.
On initial start the anxious Godwin fired early in an attempt to lead the race into turn one and the start was called off. As the field slowed when the yellow light was displayed on the back stretch to signal the restart, several cars tangled and Stewart unfortunately got the worst of it, rolling his Old Spice #20 several times down the backstretch wall. Josh Weller from Mertztown, Pennsylvania also tangled with Brian Thomas from Pendergrass, Georgia.
Stewart’s great run was over. His talented display included a thrilling and crowd-pleasing outside pass of Weller on lap eight before the first 10-lap heat of the night. He most assuredly would have been a factor in who occupied victory lane in the main event. Both he and Weller went to the pits with their nights over. Thomas re-fired his mount and continued.
After the re-start Godwin jumped out into the lead and Gray who won the Bar’s Leaks Third Heat after setting third quick time, advanced to the second position by the end of lap one. It took him four more laps to reel in the streaking Godwin and captured the lead exiting turn tow on lap five. Gray survived two more caution periods and led the final twenty-five laps to victory lane for his initial win of the season. Tyler Godwin had a USCS career-best runner-up finish. Veteran Kramer Williamson from Palmyra, Pennsylvania who started eighth finished in third place. Matt Linder from Hoschton, Georgia followed in fourth place. Eighteen year-old Nick Bashford from China Grove, North Carolina hustled his new Roush-Yates Ford powered sprinter from an eighteenth place start to fifth place.
The next group was headed by Bryn Gohn, from Malabar, Florida in sixth place. Lunati Crank It Up Hard Charger, Rory Janney from Estill Manor, New Jersey started 21st and finished seventh. 2008 USCS Rookie of the Year, Anthony Nicholson from Bartlett, Tennessee finished in the eighth position. C.J. Miller from Denver, North Carolina finished ninth and fourteen-year old rookie Eric Riggins from Charlotte, North Carolina rounded out the top ten.
Anthony Nicholson won the six-lap Parts Plus Power Dash. Tony Stewart won the 10-lap Engler Machine and Tool First Heat Race. Brian Thomas rolled to victory in the Butlerbuilt Second Heat Race. The Bar’s Leaks Third Heat Race was won by the eventual feature winner Terry Gray. Rory Janney from Estill Manor, New Jersey garnered the Lunati “Crank It Up” Award for his charge past fourteen cars in the main event. First time sprint car racer, Eric Riggins, Jr. from Charlotte, North Carolina garnered The RE Technologies Rookie of race honors.
The next Parts Plus United Sprint Car Series racing event is on Saturday, April 25th at Harris Motor Speedway in Harris, NC.