Martin captures O'Reilly USCS Asphalt win at Greenville Pickens on fumes!
Greenville S.C. - Twenty year-old Danny Martin, Jr. from Sarasota, Florida won the O'Reilly United Sprint Car Series www.uscsracing.com "Asphalt Thunder" Tour main event at Greenville Pickens Speedway Friday night. Martin, who was the 2004 and 2005 National title runner-up started fourth, and chased early leader Ryan Myers from Eaton, Ohio, Johnny Bridges from Cherryville, North Carolina and Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee around the tricky half mile before passing Bridges and Gray on lap seventeen. He then passed Myers on lap twenty-two for the lead and traveled the last eleven laps home to the checkered flag but ran out of fuel one-half lap later trying to reach victory lane.
Twenty year-old Danny Martin, Jr. from Sarasota, Florida won the O'Reilly United Sprint Car Series 33 lap feature at historic Greenville Pickens Speedway on Friday night. Martin set fast time, then started fourth after the K&N Filters inversion draw but used a cool head and fast race car to take the lead from nineteen year-old Ryan Myers on lap 22 for the win., (USCS photo by Pete Walton).
Nineteen year-old Ryan Myers who is second in the current O'Reilly USCS Asphalt Thunder point standings behind Gray, lead the caution-free first eighteen laps and seemed to be speeding to his first O'Reilly USCS win. On lap eighteen a caution flag for a crash involving Johnny Bridges and Wayne Reutimann, Sr. and Wayne Reutimann, Jr. both from Zephyrhills , Florida bunched the field behind Myers with Martin in second place.
On the re-start Myers seemed as though his tires had lost speed and Martin cruised by on lap twenty-two with current points leader Terry Gray then passing Myers on lap twenty-three. Three laps later seventeen year-old Matt Tiffany from Daytona Beach, Florida who started sixteenth and Wayne Reutimann, Jr. (who re-started at the rear) passed Myers to move into third and fourth place. Gray and Tiffany pressured Martin the rest of the way in traffic, but never were able to pull alongside him to challenge. Martin crossed under the final flag with, Gray, Tiffany, Wayne Reutimann, Jr. and Myers rounding out the top five.
Tom Winegardner, Jr. from Pierson, Florida and team-mate Tom Winegardner, Sr. also from Pierson Florida finished sixth and seventh. Nineteen year-old Stephen Darvalics from Venice, Florida was eighth. Will Ragsdale from Easley, South Carolina was ninth in Myers back-up car and Skeeter Falcouner from Lutz, Florida rounded out the top ten.
Martin kicked his night off by setting the fastest qualifying time of 17.114 seconds around the historic half-mile asphalt oval. The 8-lap Engler Tool and Machine First Heat Race was won by Wayne Reutimann, Jr. The 8-lap Butlerbuilt Second Heat Race went to Ryan Myers. Myers also won the six-lap Lucas Oil Power Dash. Tiffany captured the evening's Huggins Cams Hard Charger Award for passing thirteen cars in the A-Main. Martin was awarded the Hoosier Tire Young Gun of the Race (for the highest finishing driver under 25 years old). The K&N Filters Pole Award recipient was Myers.
The O'Reilly USCS www.uscsracing.com returns to action on Saturday night July 1st at MoultonSpeedway www.moultonspeedway.com in Moulton, Alabama in O'Reilly USCS Mid-South Thunder Tour regional action. For more info on the series visit www.uscsracing.com or call 404-886-5913.
OFFICIAL RESULTS Grennville Pickens Speedway 6/30/06
PS ST CR# DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS
1 4 19t Danny Martin, Jr. Daytona Beach,FL 33
2 3 10 Terry Gray Bartlett, TN 33
3 16 00 Matt Tiffany Daytona Beach,FL 33
4 7 18 Wayne Reutimann, Jr.Zephyrhills, FL 33
5 1 56r Ryan Myers Eaton, OH 33
6 6 11T Tom Winegardner. Jr.Pierson, FL 33
7 10 11 Tom Winegardner, Sr.Pierson, FL 32
8 8 32 Stephen Darvalics Venice, FL 31
9 9 56W Will Ragsdale Easley, SC 31
10 12 #6F Skeeter Faulconer Lutz, FL 30
11 13 5 David Thorman Greenville, SC 30
12 15 #59 Danny Statter Deltona, FL 24
13 2 07 Johnny Bridges Cherryville, NC 18
14 10 00 Wayne Reutimann Zephyrhills, FL 18
15 11 8x Doug Gold Oakboro, NC 8
16 14 1 Ben Basinger Salisbury, NC 1
17 DNS 6x Ray Mund Tampa, FL DNS
LUCAS OIL POWER DASH WINNER: Ryan Myers
K & N FILTERS POLE AWARD: Myers
HUGGINS CAMS HARD CHARGER: Tiffany
HOOSIER TIRE YOUNG GUN OF RACE:
Danny Martin, Jr.(Top finisher under 25 yrs.)
JE PISTONS TOP GUNS AWARD: Tiffany (3rd place)
K&N FILTERS 3RD-PLACE AWARD: Tiffany
BUTLERBUILT 4TH-PLACE AWARD: Wayne Reutimann, Jr.
OUTLAW DISC BRAKES TOP FIVE AWARD: Ryan Myers
SIMPSON SAFETY PRODUCTS 6TH-PLACE AWARD:
TJ Winegardner
FSR RACING PRODUCTS-7 TH-PLACE AWARD:
Tom Winegardner
AIR FLOW RESEARCH 9TH-PLACE AWARD:
Will Ragsdale
FSR TOP 10 AWARD : Skeeter Faulconer
WELD RACING HARD LUCK AWARD: Bridges
ENTRIES: 17
PROVISIONAL: none
LEAD CHANGES: one
LAP LEADERS: Ryan Myers 1-21, Danny Martin, Jr.
Laps # 22-33,
CAUTIONS: Two
****Attached photo and caption:
Media Contact: Pete Walton 404-886-5913 petewalton@bellsouth.net
