Terry Gray gets 2006 O’Reilly USCS win number one at Golden Isles “Clash on the Coast”
April 21, 2006
For immediate release:
Terry Gray gets 2006 O’Reilly USCS win number one at Golden Isles “Clash on the Coast”
April 21, 2006
Brunswick, GA - Four time O’Reilly Auto Parts / United Sprint Car Series www.uscsracing.com National champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee passed 1999 O’Reilly USCS Dirt Cup titlist Marshall Skinner from West Memphis, Arkansas on lap eighteen of the “Clash on the Coast” 20 lap preliminary USCS A-Main event at Golden Isles Speedway near Brunswick, Georgia on Friday night to win his first feature of the year. Gray was driving his familiar black Wendy’s, C&B Mushroom Farms, B&W Enterprises, LLC, Goodson Farms sponsored, Wesmar powered Maxim car.
After an initial false start that saw fourth fastest qualifier and top contender Sport Allen from Pinellas Park, Florida leave the event before a lap was completed due to damage on both ends of his #42x American Drilling mount, pole-starter Marshall Skinner bolted into the lead in turn one with nineteen year old Stephen Darvalics from Venice, Florida just behind him. Gray who started in the fourth position was chasing the two front row companions around the semi-banked half mile oval for the first six laps. On lap seven the veteran, Gray passed Darvalics for the runner-up spot.
On the same lap, defending O’Reilly USCS Champion, Kenny Adams from Malabar, Florida raced into the top three with Skinner and Gray and appeared to be headed to the front from his eighth starting position. But, on lap nine just as he was making a move for second place and as the leaders approached several cars to lap, Adams slowed to a stop with mechanical problems at the top of turn four. He would not return to the torrid racing action on the rain assisted tacky red clay surface.
When racing resumed after the second caution period, Skinner who won the previous Friday night at Garnertown Speedway ( www.garnertownspeedway.com ) in the 20 lap Hooker Hood Sprint Car Shootout preliminary, appeared to be driving away from the field again in his Parts Plus sponsored Dynotech powered J and J Auto Racing #26.with Gray in tow. Danny “Hammer” Martin, Jr. from Sarasota, Florida who had been in fifth place, passed both Darvalics and sixteen year old Matt Tiffany from Daytona Beach, Florida to move from fifth to third on lap ten and was now a contender.
By lap sixteen Gray and Martin were racing hard and quickly closing on Skinner while battling each other for the runner-up spot. On lap nineteen Gray raced by the early leader to grab the point. Then on the final lap Martin squeezed by Skinner to snatch the runner-up spot with Skinner in third, Darvalics had a great effort for an O’Reilly USCS career-best fourth place finish and second year hot-shoe Tiffany rounded out the top five.
2005 O’Reilly USCS Rookie of the Year, Bryn Gohn from Malabar, Florida headed the next five in sixth, Tom Winegarner, Jr. from Pierson, Florida rallied from twelfth to seventh. Rookie Bryan Eckley from Tampa, Florida was eighth and 2004 USCS Rookie of the Year R.J. Johnson finished ninth. The Butlerbuilt Second Heat winner, Terry Witherspoon from Jacksonville, Florida rounded out the top ten.
Gohn started off the evening by winning his first Lucas Oil Power Dash of the year in convincing fashion. Skinner was the winner in the Engler Tool and Machine First Heat. Witherspoon captured the Butlerbuilt Second Heat. Danny Martin, Jr. garnered the events Huggins Cams Hard Charger award for his charge from seventh to second place.
Several other drivers made impressive runs as Tom Winegardner, Jr passed five cars as well to finish seventh. Danny Martin also received the evenings JE Pistons Top Guns Award for his second place finish. Bryan Eckley was declared the Robison Racing Products Rookie of the Race. Skinner grabbed the K&N Filters Pole Award and also garnered K&N Filters 3rd place feature finisher award. Martin was recognized as the Hoosier Tire Young Gun of the Race, which is awarded to the top-finishing driver under twenty-five years old. The Weld Racing Hard Luck award went to Former O’Reilly USCS Florida State Champion, Sport Allen for his misfortunes on the initial start.
The next O’Reilly USCS National points event and O’Reilly USCS Carolina Thunder and Southern Thunder points event will be Saturday night at Golden Isles Speedway in Brunswick, Ga on April 22nd. For moré info visit www.goldenislesspeedway.com or http://www.uscsracing.com/. Next weekend the O’Reilly USCS Asphalt Thunder Tour returns to pavement eracing action at Lanier National Speedway in Braselton, GA on Saturday April 29th.
OFFICIAL RESULTS - ROUND EIGHT - O’REILLY USCS
OUTLAW THUNDER TOUR AT GOLDEN ISLES SPEEDWAY
IN BRUNSWICK, GA ON 4/21/06:
POS START CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS
1. 4 10 Terry Gray Bartlett, TN 20
2. 7 00 Danny Martin, Jr. Sarasota, FL 20
3. 1 26 Marshall Skinner W. Memphis,AR 20
4. 2 32 Stephen Darvalics Venice, FL 20
5. 3 19T Matt Tiffany Daytona Beach 20
6. 6 4B Bryn Gohn Malabar, FL 20
7. 12 11T Tom Winegardner,Jr Pierson, FL 20
8. 11 12B Bryan Eckley - R Tampa, FL 20
9. 10 71 R.J. Johnson Decatur, TN 20
10. 9 43 Terry Witherspon Jacksonville 20
11. 15 3x Brian Maddox Brandon, FL 20
12. 14 20 Frank Carlsson Oxford, FL 20
13. 16 11 Tom Winegardner Pierson, FL 19
14. 19 10s Matt Stegeman -R Tampa, FL 14
15. 13 88z Shane Nelson - R Chattanooga,TN 13
16. 8 4A Kenny Adams Malabar, FL 8
17. 18 19 Jerry Jones Clermont, FL 8
18. 20 59 Dan Statter Deltona, FL 7
19. 5 42x Sport Allen Pinellas Park 1
20. DNS 1x Matt Linder Atlanta, GA DNS
C&B Mushroom Farms Fast Time:
Kenny Adams 15.840 (new track record)
LUCAS OIL POWER DASH WINNER: Bryn Gohn
K & N FILTERS POLE AWARD: Marshall Skinner
HUGGINS CAMS HARD CHARGER: Danny Martin
(started 7th and passed 5 cars)
HOOSIER TIRE YOUNG GUN OF THE RACE: Danny Martin, Jr..
ROBISON RACING PRODUCTS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Bryan Eckley
JE PISTONS TOP GUNS AWARD: Danny Martin, Jr. (2nd place)
K&N FILTERS 3RD-PLACE AWARD: Marshall Skinner
BUTLERBUILT 4TH-PLACE AWARD: Stephen Darvalics
OUTLAW DISC BRAKES TOP FIVE AWARD: Matt Tiffany
SIMPSON SAFETY PRODUCTS 6TH-PLACE AWARD: Bryn Gohn
FSR RACING PRODUCTS-7 TH-PLACE AWARD: Tom Winegardner, Jr.
AIR FLOW RESEARCH 9TH-PLACE AWARD: R.J. Johnson
FSR TOP 10 AWARD : Terry Witherspoon
WELD RACING HARD LUCK AWARD: Sport Allen
ENTRIES: 20
PROVISIONAL: none
LEAD CHANGES: one
LAP LEADERS: Hull 1-19
CAUTIONS: two
LUCAS OIL POWER DASH - 5 Laps: 1. Bryn Gohn ; 2. Tom Winegardner, Sr. 3. Marshall Skinner; 4.Terry Gray; 5 Danny Martin; 6. Tiffany;
HEAT RACES:
ENGLER TOOL AND MACHINE 1ST HEAT: 1. Marshall Skinner; 2. Kenny Adams; 3. Matt Tiffany; 4. Bryn Gohn; 5. R.J. Johnson; 6. Bryan Eckley; 7. Shane Nelson; 8. Brian Maddox; ,9. Matt Linder; 10. Matt Stegeman.
BUTLERBUILT 2ND HEAT: 1. Terry Witherspoon; 2. Sport Allen; 3. Stephen Darvalics; 4. Terry Gray; 5. Danny Martin, Jr. 6. Tom Winegarner, Jr.; 7. Frank Carlsson; 8. Tom Winegardner, Sr.; 9. Jerry Jones; 10. Dan Statter.
PHOTO / CAPTION: Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee won his first O'Reilly Auto Parts United Sprint Car Series feature race of the young season in Friday night's 20 lap preliminary feature in the "Clash on the Coast" at Golden Isles Speedway. Gray made his exciting pass for the lead on the front stretch of the 19th lap. Gray is pictured here with longtime crew chief and friend Donnie "Red" Taylor. ( photo by Don Wilshe).
Media contact: Pete Walton 404-886-5913
