Martin battles to eighth O'Reilly USCS win in Florida State Championship at Volusia
September 30, 2006
Barberville, FL - O'Reilly Auto Parts United Sprint Car Series Hoosier Tire Young Guns points leader Danny Martin, Jr. from Sarasota, Florida collected his eighth O'Reilly USCS www.uscsracing.com feature win of the 2006 season and his fifth series win in a row in-route to winning the 7th annual Florida State Championship Race Saturday night at Volusia Speedway Park. Martin who started in the fourth place, again had to battle 1999 O'Reilly USCS Champion Marshall Skinner from West Memphis, Arkansas for the hard fought victory. Martin assumed the lead by charging past Skinner on lap twenty-seven when Skinner, who had lead every other lap, was trapped behind a lapped car. Martin charged past on the low side of the racetrack to lead the final three laps to victory lane for the second night in a row at the high-speed half-mile clay oval.
PHOTO / CAPTION: The Hammer, Danny Martin, Jr. from Sarasota, Florida captured the O'Reilly Auto Parts United Sprint Car Series Florida State Championship race at Volusia Speedway Park Saturday night after passing race long leader Marshall Skinner from West Memphis, Arkansas on lap twenty-seven of the thirty lap event. It was the 20-year old Martin's eighth O'Reilly USCS win in the 2006 season and his fifth series win in a row. Martin is pictured with an adoring group of young VSP fans in victory lane after his win. ( photo by Pete Walton)
Media contact: Pete Walton 404-886-5913
Martin who was the highest point collector in Friday night's preliminary action, saw veteran and four-time O'Reilly USCS National champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee receive the pole position in the K&N Pole Award draw after Engler Tool and Machine First Heat winner, Brian Thomas from Auburn, Georgia drew a four in the inversion drawing placing Gray and Skinner on the front row and teenage hot-shoe Matt Tiffany from Daytona Beach, Florida and Martin in the second row.
When the green flag flew, Skinner raced past pole starter Gray into the lead coming off turn two on lap one of the 30-lap race. Skinner lead the field around the high speed oval pulling away to a comfortable lead over Gray and Martin for the first seven-laps. Martin then passed Gray for the runner-up spot on lap eight and chased Skinner for two more laps before the red flag came out for John Koller's contact with the blunt end of the front stretch wall at the fourth turn gate opening. Koller finally exited the car under his own power somewhat shaken but deemed okay.
When racing resumed, Skinner again raced away to a comfortable lead until lap sixteen when the race was slowed again for Mike Schroeder's blown engine causing him to coast to a stop on the front-stretch. On the ensuing re-start Skinner lead over Martin, Gray and former Florida State Champion Sport Allen from Pinellas Park, Florida in fourth. Tom 'TJ" Winegardner, Jr. from Pierson, Florida was in fifth place at this stage and the seventeen year-old Tiffany followed him in sixth.
With an open track and clear sailing ahead Skinner got a good jump again and held onto his margin for several laps. On lap twenty-five Skinner approached the ninth place running car of Brian Thomas and was having difficulty putting him a lap down allowing Martin to close the four to five car length advantage Skinner had held. Martin caught him and then charged hard to the bottom of the track and raced past Skinner and Thomas on lap twenty-seven into the lead and held off Skinner the final three circuits to victory lane . Skinner followed Martin across the finish line with the veteran Terry Gray coming home third. Gray was followed by Sport Allen and Tiffany who had wrestled back into the top five on the final laps.
Tom Winegardner, Jr. who follows Gray and Martin in third place in the O'Reilly USCS National point standings was sixth. The twelfth place starting Brian Maddox from Brandon, Florida was seventh. On the final circuit R.J. Johnson who had worked his way from a tenth place starting position into seventh place made contact with a lapped car and stopped between turn four and the flag stand but the leaders had just passed under the checkered flag. Johnson from Decatur, Tennessee who was the top car not on the lead lap then finished in eighth place followed by Brian Thomas in ninth and nineteen year-old Stephen Darvalics from Venice, Florida rounded out the top ten.
Brian Maddox again garnered the events Huggins Cams Hard Charger award for his charge from twelfth to seventh place. Marshall Skinner received the evenings JE Pistons Top Guns Award for his runner-up finish. Bryan Eckley from Brandon, Florida was declared the Robison Racing Products Rookie of the Race for the second night in a row. Terry Gray collected the K&N Filters Pole Award and the K&N Filters 3rd place feature finisher award. Danny Martin again won the 6-lap Lucas Oil Power Dash. Martin was again also 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 R.J. Johnson.
The next O'Reilly USCS 10th Anniversary O'Reilly USCS Outlaw Thunder National points event and O'Reilly USCS Southern Thunder points event will be the O'Reilly USCS / CnB Mushroom Farms sponsored 5th annual Fall Brawl at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, Florida on Friday and Saturday November 3rd and 4th. For more info call 813-677-7223 or visit www.eastbayracewaypark.com or www.uscsracing.com.
RESULTS - ROUND FOURTY-THREE O'REILLY USCS
OUTLAW THUNDER TOUR AT VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY
PARK IN BARBERVILLE, FL ON 9/30/06:
PS ST CR# DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS
1 4 00 Danny Martin, Jr. Sarasota, FL 30
2 2 26 Marshall Skinner W. Memphis, AR 30
3 1 10 Terry Gray Bartlett, TN 30
4 6 42x Sport Allen Pinellas Park, FL 30
5 3 19T Matt Tiffany Daytona Beach, FL 30
6 7 11 Tom Winegardner,Jr Pierson, FL 30
7 12 1b Brian Maddox Brandon, FL 30
8 10 71 R.J. Johnson Decatur, TN 29
9 5 67 Brian Thomas Auburn, GA 29
10 13 32 Stephen Darvalics Venice, FL 29
11 14 43 Terry Witherspoon Jacksonville, FL 29
12 8 12B Bryan Eckley - R Tampa, FL 28
13 16 34 Darren Orth Jacksonville, FL 27
14 20 59 Dan Statter Deltona, FL 26
15 18 46 Adam Jackson Florence, SC 16
16 9 6 Mike Schroeder SW Ranches, FL 16
17 17 1x John Koller Eustis, FL 10
18 15 19 Jerry Jones Clermont, FL 3
19 DNS 11T David Martin Pierson, FL DNS
20 DNS 4 Mike Senecal Sarasota, FL DNS
LUCAS OIL POWER DASH WINNER: Danny Martin
K & N FILTERS POLE AWARD: Terry Gray
HUGGINS CAMS HARD CHARGER: Brian Maddox
HOOSIER TIRE YOUNG GUN OF THE RACE: Danny Martin, Jr..
ROBISON RACING PRODUCTS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Bryan Eckley
JE PISTONS TOP GUNS AWARD: Marshall Skinner (2nd place)
K&N FILTERS 3RD-PLACE AWARD: Terry Gray
BUTLERBUILT 4TH-PLACE AWARD: Sport Allen
OUTLAW DISC BRAKES TOP FIVE AWARD: Matt Tiffany
SIMPSON SAFETY PRODUCTS 6TH-PLACE AWARD: TJ Winegardner
FSR RACING PRODUCTS-7 TH-PLACE AWARD: Brian Maddox
AIR FLOW RESEARCH 9TH-PLACE AWARD: Brian Thomas
FSR TOP 10 AWARD : Stephen Darvalics
WELD RACING HARD LUCK AWARD: Mike Senecal
ENTRIES: 20
PROVISIONAL: None
LEAD CHANGES: One
LAP LEADERS: Skinner 1-27; Martin 28-30
CAUTIONS: three
LUCAS OIL POWER DASH - 6 Laps: 1. Danny Martin; 2. Marshall Skinner; 3. Terry Gray; 4. Matt Tiffany ; 5. Stephen Darvalics; 6. Brian Thomas
HEAT RACES:
ENGLER TOOL AND MACHINE 1ST HEAT - 8 laps- 1 Brian Thomas; 2. Tom Winegarner, Jr.; 3. Mike Schroeder; 4. Mike Senecal; 5. Stephen Darvalics; 6. Jerry Jones; 7. John Koller; 8. David Martin;
BUTLERBUILT 2ND HEAT - 8 laps - 1. Sport Allen; 2. Bryan Eckley; 3. R.J. Johnson; 4. Brain Maddox; 5. Terry Witherspoon; 6. Darren Orth; 7. Adam Jackson; 8. Dan Statter.
Did not compete in the heat races that were locked in from Friday night: 1. Danny Martin, Jr. 2. Marshall Skinner; 3. Terry Gray; 4. Matt Tiffany;
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