Tuscumbia, Alabama - May 24, 2009 – The 2008 Parts Plus United Sprint Car Series Rookie of the Year Anthony Nicholson from Bartlett, Tennessee who started twelfth in the initial order charged his way to the front on lap twenty-two and led the final nine laps to victory lane in the 30-lap Parts Plus United Sprint Car Series Speedweek Round Two event at North Alabama Speedway on Sunday night. It was Nicholson’s career-first USCS feature win over a talented field of competitors from six states.
Nicholson started in row six on the initial start, but a huge first lap crash on the back stretch when outside front row starter Bryce Vowan from Forrest City, Arkansas got sideways and flipped several times collecting three top cars with him. After the melee was assessed, Vowan plus third starting Michael Miller from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, fourth starting Marshall Skinner from West Memphis, Arkansas and current Rookie of the Year points leader, Justin Carver from Drummonds, Tennessee were all sidelined for the balance of the evening. Vowan was shaken but okay.
When the re-aligned event re-started veteran sprint car racer Jeff Swindell from Bartlett, Tennessee brought the field to green from the K&N Filters Pole Position with seven-time series Champion Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee outside the front row. Gray, who was looking to extend his win streak to three-in-a-row, won the drag race to turn one for the lead and looked to race away with the $2000 paycheck. Swindell challenged for several laps before Gray started to pull away. All the while the twenty-two year-old Nicholson who started in row four after the r-alignment, was in the top five behind Gray, Swindell, Tommy Worley, Jr., from Farmington, Missouri by lap four. Nicholson was rim-riding the high side of the 3/8 mile Alabama red clay oval as he surged past Raymond Stull from Independence, Mississippi into the third position on lap seven. On lap ten the sophomore driver charged past Swindell on the outside exiting turn two into the runner-up spot and set his sights on the leader. Gray who was still using the low line around the racing surface.
Nicholson showed Gray his nose on lap eighteen and then raced around the defending Champion on lap twenty- one. Gray challenged the hard-charging young gun for about a lap before his rear top wing brackets broke and fell down. Nicholson pulled away from the field over the final eight laps. Gray tried to hold onto the runner-up spot with his now disabled wing. Raymond Stull raced past the veteran into the runner-up spot on lap twenty-four. On lap twenty-eight Swindell pushed past to finish in the third position. Gray collected fourth place money and Lee Sowell from Nesbit, Mississippi who started seventeenth rounded out the top five.
Wade Oliver from Southaven, Mississippi headed the next group in sixth place followed by two rookies, Casey Rowland from Nesbit, Mississippi and Dalton Davis from Bartlett, Tennessee in seventh and eighth places. Veteran racer, Henry Gustavus from Marion Arkansas finished in ninth place and Ronny Howard from Southaven, Mississippi who started twenty-first rounded out the top ten finishers.
Rookie of the Year candidate, Jon Stinson from Memphis, Tennessee won the six-lap Parts Plus Power Dash in a photo finish over Terry Gray. Tommy Worley, Jr. from Farmington, Missouri won the 10-lap Engler Machine and Tool First Heat Race. Current point’s leader, Terry Gray raced to victory in the Butlerbuilt Second Heat. The Bar’s Leaks Third Heat Race was won by Marshall Skinner.
Lee Sowell garnered the Lunati “Crank It Up” Award for his charge past twelve cars in the main event to finish fifth. The RE Technologies Rookie of race honors went to Casey Rowland. The event’s Dynotech hard luck award went to 2001 USCS Rookie of the Year, Michael Miller.
The next Parts Plus United Sprint Car Series racing event is the Speedweek Round #4 on Thursday, May 28th at I-30 Speedway.