Pensacola, FL - March 30, 2007 - Truly phenomenal fourteen-year-old Trey Robb from Newcastle, Oklahoma became the youngest driver to ever win an O'Reilly United Sprint Car Series www.uscsracing.com feature race Friday night at the historic Five Flags Speedway. The slightly built, but hugely talented teenager with a lead foot passed five-time National O'Reilly USCS Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee on the final lap to win the 30-Lap O'Reilly USCS Asphalt Thunder Tour National points event before a capacity crowd at the track known Worldwide home of the Snow Ball Derby held annually in December.
Troy Lowery from Martin, Tennessee who started outside of the K&N Pole Award recipient Charles Ladner from Tampa, Florida lead the first lap around the high-banked half-mile before Robb raced into the lead with a pass in turn one on the second lap. Robb then charged hard to build a slight advantage over the night's C&B Mushroom Farms fast qualifier, Kenny Adams from Malabar, Florida. Adams while chasing Robb, was also chasing his 100th series career win on this night. Adams followed the teenager in the runner-up spot until lap eight when Terry Gray pulled past Adams into the runner-up spot and started to reel in the streaking teenager who seemed to be quickly using up his tires. On lap thirteen Gray took the lead from Robb and pulled to a slight advantage for the next several laps before Robb utilized lapped traffic to close the gap and come fighting back.
As the veteran and the talented teen raced through lapped traffic, Robb smartly tucked in behind Gray and appeared to save his tires. The final five laps Robb challenged Gray several times and was able to take advantage of lap traffic and the fact that Gray seemed to have run out of rubber and was pretty loose. Entering turn one of the final lap Robb went low and raced under Gray exiting turn two and lead the final lap at the checked flag for his first career sprint car pavement win in only his second attempt. After the exciting finish, Robb was welcomed into victory lane with a standing ovation by the entire crowd.
Kenny Adams crossed the finish line in third place with his team-mate 2005 O'Reilly USCS Rookie of the Year Bryn Gohn from Malabar, Florida in fourth place. Troy Lowery got his career best O'Reilly USCS finish in fifth place.
Ryan Myers from Eaton, Ohio, who started last in the A-Main after having a major crash in his heat race finished sixth followed by Charles Ladner in seventh place. Veteran Michael Craddock from Olive Branch, Mississippi was eighth after running well all evening in his 2007 pavement debut. Dan Statter from Deltona, Florida finished in the ninth position and Mike Blake from Indianapolis, Indiana rounded out the top ten.
Ryan Myers from Eaton, Ohio kicked off the evening by winning the six car, six lap Lucas Oil Power Dash. Trey Robb won the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat Race and the series defending National Champion, Terry Gray won the Butlerbuilt Second Heat Race. Ryan Myers garnered the Huggins Cams Hard Charger Award after starting last and finishing in sixth place. Charles Ladner received the K&N Pole award. The JE Pistons Top Guns Award went to the veteran Gray. Trey Robb was awarded the Hoosier Tire Young Gun of the Race (for the highest finishing driver under 25 years old.).
The O'Reilly USCS www.uscsracing.com returns to action on Saturday, March 31st at Mobile International Speedway in Mobile, Alabama for Round two of the three-race Gulf Coast Challenge event. The third event will be held at Southern Raceway in Milton, Florida on Saturday April 7th. If the same driver wins Race One and Race Two at Five Flags and Mobile they will be eligible to start last at Southern Raceway and win $10,000 for the feature that night. If two different drivers win at Five Flags and Mobile, both drivers may start in the last row and if either one wins the event it will pay them $7500 to win.
O'Reilly USCS OFFICIAL RESULTS Five Flags Speedway, Pensacola, FL 3/30/07:
PS ST CR# DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS
1 4 12 Trey Robb Newcastle, OK 30
2 5 10 Terry Gray Bartlett, TN 30
3 6 4a Kenny Adams Malabar, FL 30
4 3 4b Bryn Gohn Malabar, FL 30
5 2 6 Troy Lowery Martin, TN 29
6 12 56r Ryan Myers Eaton, OH 34
7 1 39 Charles Ladner Tampa, FL 29
8 14 41 Michael Craddock Olive Branch, MS 28
9 9 59 Danny Statter Deltona, Fl 20
10 8 81 Mike Blake Indianapolis, IN 19
11 7 98j Jonathan Kettlewell Englewood, OH 33
12 10 11T Tom Winegardner, Jr.Pierson, FL 5
13 11 55R Chad Livingston Bellville, OH 1
14 DNS 00 Danny Martin Sarasota, FL DNS
15 DNS 4X Dusty Rhoades Clearwater, FL DNS
LUCAS OIL POWER DASH WINNER: Ryan Myers
K & N FILTERS POLE AWARD: Charles Ladner
HUGGINS CAMS HARD CHARGER: Ryan Myers
HOOSIER TIRE YOUNG GUN OF THE RACE: Trey Robb (Top finisher under 25 years old )
ROBISON RACING PRODUCTS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: none
JE PISTONS TOP GUNS AWARD: Terry Gray (2nd place)
K&N FILTERS 3RD-PLACE AWARD: Kenny Adams
BUTLERBUILT 4TH-PLACE AWARD: Bryn Gohn
OUTLAW DISC BRAKES TOP FIVE AWARD: Troy Lowery
SIMPSON SAFETY PRODUCTS 6TH-PLACE AWARD: Ryan Myers
FSR RACING PRODUCTS-7 TH-PLACE AWARD: Charles Ladner
AIR FLOW RESEARCH 9TH-PLACE AWARD: Dan Statter
FSR TOP 10 AWARD : Mike Blake
WELD RACING HARD LUCK AWARD: Tom Winegardner, Jr.
ENTRIES: 15
PROVISIONAL: none
LEAD CHANGES: three
LAP LEADERS: Troy Lowery lap #1, Trey Robb laps #2-12, Terry Gray, #13 -29, and Trey Robb lap #30.
CAUTIONS: None
LUCAS OIL POWER DASH - 6 Laps - 1. Ryan Myers; 2. Trey Robb: 3. Kenny Adams ; 4. Terry Gray; 5. Bryn Gohn; 6. Michael Craddock.
HEAT RACES:
ENGLER MACHINE AND TOOL 1ST HEAT: 8 laps : 1. Trey Robb; 2. Kenny Adams; 3. Mike Blake ; 4. Chad Levingston; 5. Jonathan Kettlewell; 6. Troy Lowery; 7. Danny Martin, Jr. ; Dusty Rhoades.
BUTLERBUILT 2ND HEAT: 8 laps 1. Terry Gray; 2. Michael Craddock; 3. Charles Ladner; 4. Bryn Gohn ; 5. Ryan Myers; 6. Danny Statter; 7. Winegardner, Jr.
Photo/Caption #12: Teenager Trey Robb won the Friday night O'Reilly USCS 30-lap sprint car main event at Five Flags Speedway. (USCS photo)