Gray leads young guns in O’Reilly USCS “Asphalt Thunder” standings at mid-season

Atlanta, GA – Veteran sprint car driver Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee leads the all pavement O’Reilly United Sprint Car Series Asphalt Thunder Tour points standings after six races with 888 points. The veteran driver who has won once in 2006 O’Reilly USCS Asphalt Thunder competition finished in the runner-up spot over the weekend in two events held at Florence Motor Speedway in Florence, SC and Southern National Raceway Park in Kenly, NC to increase his points lead over nineteen year-old Ryan Myers from Eaton, Ohio. Myers has accumulated 854 points with five top fives and one top ten finish. He was fourth at Florence Motor Speedway and finished in sixth place at Southern National Raceway Park to hold onto the runner-up spot in the standings at mid-season.

In third place in the O’Reilly USCS Asphalt Thunder (all paved track) points standings with 848 points and one feature win that came last Saturday night (June 17th) at Southern National Raceway Park is seventeen year-old Matt Tiffany from Daytona Beach, Florida. Tiffany started ninth on Saturday night and impressed all in attendance with his cool-headed driving to come from mid-pack to victory lane in the 35-lap race on the 4/10 mile paved oval. Tiffany who is also ranked third in the National point standings, is just two points or one feature race finish position ahead of twenty-year old Hoosier Tire Young Gun points leader, Danny Martin, Jr. from Sarasota, Florida who was the runner-up for the National crown in the series for the past two seasons is in second place. Martin has 846 Asphalt Thunder points. Martin trails Gray by just 88 points in the National title chase.

Another Hoosier Tire Young Gun, 21 year old, Tom “TJ” Winegardner, Jr. from Pierson, Florida is fifth in the Asphalt Thunder standings with 748 points. His teammate and Father Tom Winegardner, Sr. also from Pierson, Florida moved up two spots in the Asphalt Thunder standings over the weekend with 740 points.

Veteran driver Charles Ladner from Brandon, Florida is seventh in the pavement standings with 668 points and three top ten finishes. Defending O’Reilly USCS National champion Kenny Adams from Malabar, Florida is in the eighth spot with 578 points after grabbing two feature wins, but missed this weekend’s events due to other commitments. 2005 O’Reilly USCS Rookie of the Year, twenty year-old Bryn Gohn from Malabar, Florida is ninth in the point standings with 538 points. Gohn also missed last weekend’s action to participate in the USAC New Generation Silver Crown Series where Adams manages Gohn’s race team. Nineteen year-old Stephen Darvalics from Venice, Florida with 524 points rounds out the top ten in the Asphalt Thunder rankings after a solid performance in two pavement events at Florence Motor Speedway www.florencemotorspeedway.com and Southern National Raceway Park www.southernnational.net this past weekend. Darvalics won Friday night’s B-Main event and finished in the top ten Saturday night.

The O’Reilly USCS Asphalt Thunder events have had five different winners in the six pavement events held in the 2006 season. Kenny Adams won Rounds One and Two at Five Flags Speedway on March 10th and at Mobile International Speedway on March 11th. Wayne Reutimann, Sr. from Zephyrhills, Florida won Round Three at Lanier National Speedway on April 29th. Four-time National Champion, Terry Gray won the Round Four event at South Georgia Motorsports Park event on May 13th. Veteran sprint car driver Johnny Bridges from Cherryville, NC won his first ever O’Reilly USCS feature on Friday night June 16th at Florence Motor Speedway in Round Five. Matt Tiffany claimed his second O’Reilly USCS career victory by winning Round Six at Southern National Raceway Park on Saturday night (June 17th). The O’Reilly USCS Asphalt Thunder Round Seven and the next National points event is on Friday, June 30th at Greenville-Pickens Speedway www.greenvillepickens.com .

O’Reilly USCS National point standings top twenty as of 6/17/06 @ Southern National Raceway Park

1 - Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN                        888
2 - Ryan Myers, Eaton, OH                           854
3 - Matt Tiffany, Daytona Beach, FL                 848
4 - Danny Martin, Jr., Sarasota, FL                 846
5 - Tom Winegardner, Jr., Pierson, FL               748
6 - Tom Winegardner, Sr., Pierson, FL               730
7 - Charles Ladner, Brandon, FL                     668
8 - Kenny Adams, Malabar, Fl                        570
9 - Bryn Gohn, Malabar, FL                          538
10  Stephen Darvalics, Venice, FL                   524
11- Doug Berryman, Mansfield, OH                    522
12 - Jason Kemp, Mansfield, OH                      498
13 - Skeeter Faulconer, Lutz, FL                    476
14 - Shane Butler, Bushnell, FL                     398
15 - Nick Mnikis, Thonassa, FL                      378
16 - Danny Statter, Deltona, FL                     342
17 - Johnny Bridges, Cherryville, NC                292
18 - Stan Butler, Bushnell, FL                      282
tie - Red Stauffer, Winter Park, FL                 282
20 - Keith Butler, Riverview, FL                    280