Terry Gray scores O'Reilly USCS win at South Georgia Motorsports Park
May 8, 2006 - For immediate release:
May 13, 2006 Cecil, GA. - Four time National Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee prevailed in what was possibly the wildest finish to an O'Reilly Auto Parts United Sprint Car Series feature race ever. Gray lead just one half of the final lap of the O'Reilly USCS Asphalt Thunder Tour 35 lap main event after the lap thirty-four race leader, Red Stauffer from Winter Park, Florida coasted to a stop on the backstretch as the checkered flag fell with a driveline failure. Gray raced the rest of the way around the half-mile paved oval into victory lane.
Gray, who started fifth, chased three Kenny Adams Racing Team entries piloted by Stauffer, who lead twice in the see-saw battle between Adams himself from Malabar, Florida and 2005 O'Reilly USCS Rookie of the Year Bryn Gohn also from Malabar, Florida. The team dominated the first half of the event with Stauffer who started outside the front row leading the first seventeen laps with Gohn in the runner-up spot for fifteen of those circuits before Adams who started seventh charged past him and into the lead on lap eighteen.
Photo By: Phil Hubbard, the official photographer of South Georgia Motorsports Park.
Adams looked to be cruising to the win when a caution flew for K&N Pole Award winner Tom Winegardner, Jr. from Pierson, Florida who came to rest in turn three after he made contact with another car on lap thirty. Adams lead with five laps to go with team-mates Gohn and Stauffer behind him followed by Terry Gray and Danny Martin, Jr. rounding out the top five. The evenings fastest qualifier, sixteen year-old Matt Tiffany from Daytona Beach, Florida who started eighth was next in sixth followed by Ryan Myers from Eaton, Ohio and Shane Butler from Busnell, Florida. All of these drivers were on the lead lap with only one lapped car in the first nine in the running order. This set up an apparent five-lap dash to victory lane. The final five laps were wild.
On the re-start teammates Adams , Stauffer and Gohn raced into turn one nearly three abreast and were three wide and side by side down the back stretch before Adams drove by on the outside to lead lap thirty-one. He then lead the next circuit before slowing to a near stop on lap thirty-three while showering sparks from two tires going flat. The caution flew for him and he limped to the work area and his crew quickly changed tires and sent him back out to the rear of the field. Ditto for Danny Martin who came off for air on lap thirty and was back for a tire on lap thirty-two with Adams and joined him at the rear of the field
This activity placed Stauffer back at the point with Gray, Tiffany, Gohn, Butlerand Myers in tow when the race resumed on lap thirty-tow. Stauffer gunned hard toward victory lane and lead laps thirty-three and thirty-four and seemed to have the victory lane celebration in his grasp when his luck ran out coming off turn two. Gray raced by him with celebration ideas of his own after a steady performance that netted him the win. Tiffany who set a new track record of 14.81 raced home in the runner-up spot followed by a rallying Shane Butler then Kenny Adams who came back from the rear after the tire change. Adams was followed by previous track record holder, Ryan Myers who came into the event in second place behind Gray in the O'Reilly USCS Asphalt Thunder standings. Danny Martin, Jr. was sixth. Bryn Gohn seventh, Stauffer was eighth followed by Charlie Ladner from Brandon, Florida in ninth and Tom Winegardner, Sr. rounded out the top ten.
The Huggins Cams Hard Charger Award went to Tiffany who passed six cars in the A-Main. Shane Butler also passed six cars and finished third. Tiffany was also awarded the Hoosier Tire Young Gun of the Race (for drivers under 25 years old). The K&N Filters Pole Award recipient was Tom Winegardner, Jr. from Pierson, Florida . Robbie Skidmore from Tampa, Florida was the Robison Racing Rookie of the Race.
Tiffany was the CnB Mushroom Farms Fast Qualifier with a fast lap of 14.81 around the ½ mile paved oval. This was a new track record amd the first ever sub-fifteen second lap at the speedway. The eight-lap Engler Tool and Machine First Heat was won by Stauffer. The eight-lap ButlerBuilt Second Heat went to Adams. Terry Gray won the six lap Lucas Oil Power Dash.
The O'Reilly USCS www.uscsracing.com returns to action on dirt
at Swainsboro Raceway next Saturday May 20th.
www.swainsbororaceway.com.
OFFICIAL RESULTS South Georgia Motorsports Park - Cecil, GA:
POS STRT CAR# DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS
1. 5 10 Terry Gray Bartlett, TN 35
2. 8 19t Matt Tiffany Daytona Beach, FL 35
3. 9 18 Shane Butler Bushnell, FL 35
4. 7 4a Kenny Adams Malabar, FL 35
5. 4 56r Ryan Myers Eldorado, OH 35
6. 6 00 Danny Martin Jr. Sarasota, FL 35
7. 3 4b Bryn Gohn(R) Malabar, FL 35
8. 2 4X Red Stauffer Winter Park, FL 34
9. 12 0 Charlie Ladner Brandon, FL 34
10. 14 11 Tom Winegardner, Sr. Pierson, FL 32
11. 11 6 Skeeter Faulconer Lutz, FL 32
12. 13 8 Nick Manikis Thonnasassa, FL 31
13. 15 59 Danny Statter Deltona, Fl 30
14 1 11T Tom Winegardner. Jr. Pierson, FL 30
15. 16 6F Robbie Skidmore Tampa, FL 28
16. 10 41 Troy DeCaire Tampa, FL 16
LUCAS OIL POWER DASH WINNER: Terry Gray
K & N FILTERS POLE AWARD: Tom Winegardner, Jr.
HUGGINS CAMS HARD CHARGER: Matt Tiffany
(started 8th and passed 6 cars)
HOOSIER TIRE YOUNG GUN OF THE RACE: Matt Tiffany
(Top finisher under 25 years old )
ROBISON RACING PRODUCTS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Robbie Skidmore
JE PISTONS TOP GUNS AWARD: Matt Tiffany (2nd place)
K&N FILTERS 3RD-PLACE AWARD: Shane Butler
BUTLERBUILT 4TH-PLACE AWARD: Kenny Adams
OUTLAW DISC BRAKES TOP FIVE AWARD: Ryan Myers
SIMPSON SAFETY PRODUCTS 6TH-PLACE AWARD: Danny Martin, Jr.
FSR RACING PRODUCTS-7 TH-PLACE AWARD: Bryn gohn
AIR FLOW RESEARCH 9TH-PLACE AWARD: Charlie Ladner
FSR TOP 10 AWARD : Tom Winehgardner
WELD RACING HARD LUCK AWARD: Tom Winegardner, Jr.
ENTRIES: 16
PROVISIONAL: none
LEAD CHANGES: four
LAP LEADERS: Red Stauffer 1-17, Kenny Adams 18-32, Stauffer 33-34, Gray 35.
CAUTIONS: two
LUCAS OIL POWER DASH - 6 Laps - 1. Terry Gray; 2. Danny Martin; 3. Red Stuaffer; 4. Ryan Myers; 5. Bryn Gohn; 6. Skeeter Faulconer.
HEAT RACES:
ENGLER TOOL AND MACHINE 1ST HEAT: : 1. Red Stauffer; 2. Ryan Myers; Wayne Reutimann, Sr.; 3 Matt Tiffany; 4. Danny Martin; 5. Shane Butler; 6. Skeeter Faulconer; 7. Nick Manikis; 8. Danny Statter.
BUTLERBUILT 2ND HEAT: 1. Kenny Adams; 2. Terry Gray; 3. Tom Winegardner, Jr ; 4. Bryn Gohn ; 5. Shane Butler; 6. Charlie Ladner; 7. Tom Winegardner ; 8. Robbie Skidmore. DNS.
