Crawley celebrates Independence Day with 2014 USCS victory #3 at Diamond Park

NASHVILLE, AR – July 4, 2014 – The 2012 United Sprint Car Series Outlsw Thunder Tour presented by K&N Filters National Champion Tim Crawley from Benton, Arkansas and the Mike Ward Racing #88 crew celebrated their Independence Day 2014 with their third visit to the www.rockauto.com USCS Victory Lane in less than a week. This on didn’t come easy though as Crawley, who started from the K&N Filters Pole Position, had to hold off numerous challenges in traffic by ten-time series champion Terry Gray to notch the wire-to-wire victory in the caution-free 30-lap “Stars and Stripes Duel at the Diamond” A-main at Diamond Park Speedway on Friday night. The win was his 68th career series triumph.

“We were just riding around the bottom tonight, and I wasn’t gonna give the bottom up,” Crawley said after the win. “Lap traffic was fixing to be pretty difficult there if we had had a few more laps, but the starting position and drawing a zero (in the inversion by first heat winner Cody Gardner) meant a lot tonight. It’s three in a row, and you take ‘em any way you can get ‘em.”

Crawley’s long-time rival Gray, from Bartlett, Tennessee came home in the runner-up position and said he just didn’t have the breaks to make a true challenge for the win. “We just didn’t catch traffic in quite the right spots to get underneath Tim,” the ten-time series champ explained. “He had a really good race car, and we did too, but congrats to him on the victory. He earned it tonight.”

Behind the two series veterans another veteran, 1999 series champion Marshall Skinner, from Marion, Arkansas completed the podium in third place at the checkered flag. Two-time Flip Flop 50 winner and Benton native Cody Gardner ended the night in fourth and 2011 series Rookie of the Year Jordon Mallett from Greenbrier, Arkansas completed the top five finishers.

Sixth place went to Bartlett, Tennessee driver and 2008 Rookie of the Year Anthony Nicholson, with Bryant, Arkansas native Zach Pringle coming home in seventh. Cordova, Tennessee’s Morgan Turpen, the only female racer in the field, came home in eighth place, leaving Brandon Hahn ( from Tulsa, Oklahoma) and Robert Richardson (from Searcy, Arkansas) to round out the top ten at race’s end.

Crawley started off the night’s racing action with a win in the six-lap Hoosier Tire Speed Dash. Cody Gardner held off Crawley to notch the win in the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat, and Terry Gray grabbed the Butlerbuilt Second Heat win. After first heat winner Gardner pulled a zero in the K&N Filters Inversion Draw, Tim Crawley garnered the K&N Pole Award. Chris Williams advanced the most positions in the A-main (three) to score the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award.

The United Sprint Car Series filtercharged by K&N concludes their three-race Arkansas weekend with the “Hammerdown at Hammer Hill” at I-30 Speedway in Benton, Arkansas on Saturday night. Grandstand gates open at 5 PM local time, with racing to start just after 7 PM.


RESULTS: United Sprint Car Series filtercharged by K&N at Diamond Park Speedway; July 4th, 2014

Hoosier Tire Speed Dash: Tim Crawley, Anthony Nicholson, Morgan Turpen, Zach Pringle, A.G. Rains, Marshall Skinner.

Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: Cody Gardner, Tim Crawley, Brandon Hahn, Morgan Turpen, Zach Pringle, Robert Richardson, Mark Huddleston, Jeff Willingham, Joe Young (DNS)

Butlerbuilt Second Heat: Terry Gray, Marshall Skinner, Jordon Mallett, Anthony Nicholson, A.G. Rains, Todd Fayard, Tommy Snellgrove, Jim Perricone, Chris Williams (DNS)
\
USCS Sprint Car Series filtercharged by K&N “Stars and Stripes Duel at the Diamond” Main Event: 30-laps

1.     #88 – Tim Crawley, Benton, AR
2.     #10 – Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN
3.     #26 – Marshall Skinner, Marion, AR
4.     #17G – Cody Gardner, Benton, AR
5.     #14 – Jordon Mallett, Greenbrier, AR
6.     #16 – Anthony Nicholson, Bartlett, TN
7.     #2J – Zach Pringle, Bryant, AR
8.     #10M – Morgan Turpen, Cordova, TN
9.     #29 – Brandon Hahn, Tulsa, OK
10.   #32X – Robert Richardson, Searcy, AR
11.   #13 – Todd Fayard, Biloxi, MS
12.   #3 – A.G. Rains, West Memphis, AR
13.   #28 – Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS
14.   #33 – Mark Huddleston, Mesquite, TX
15.   #8X – Chris Williams, Memphis, TN
16.   #10P – Jim Perricone, San Antonio, TX
17.   #4 – Tommy Snellgrove, Little Rock, AR
18.   #12T – Joe Young, Benton, AR (DNS)
 
USCS Sprint Car Series Race Awards:

Hoosier Tire Speed Dash: #88 – Tim Crawley
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: #17G – Cody Gardner
Butlerbuilt Second Heat: #10 – Terry Gray
K&N Filters Pole Award: #88 – Tim Crawley
JE Pistons Top Guns Award: #16 – Tim Crawley (1st place)
K&N Filters Podium (3rd place) Award: #26 – Marshall Skinner
Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award: #8X – Chris Williams
Keizer Aluminum Wheels Top Five Award: #14 – Jordon Mallett
Saldana Racing Products Super Sixth Award: #16 – Anthony Nicholson
Pyrotect Racing Cells Lucky Seven Award: #2J  - Zach Pringle
DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends Top Ten Award: #32X – Robert Richardson

The United Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters would like to gratefully thank its sponsoring partners for their involvement in the 2014 and 18th anniversary USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour: K&N Filters,www.rockauto.com, Engler Machine and Tool, Butlerbuilt, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Saldana Racing Products, Pyrotect Racing Cells, DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends. KSE Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, DSR Fuel Systems, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions and Safety-Kleen.

Story by:
Jacob Seelman
Speed77 Motorsports Radio, Founder/Producer
RaceChaserOnline.com, Managing Editor
United Sprint Car Series, Series Announcer

---

Crawley gets second USCS win of the week in the “Glen Francis Memorial Cup at Crowley’s Ridge

PARAGOULD, AR - July 3, 2014 - Two weeks ago, Tim Crawley was 0-for-the 2014 season in USCS wins. Since then, he’s two-for-two. Crawley, the Benton, Arkansas native driving for renowned team owner Mike Ward, started on the K&N Filters Pole Position and sprinted away from Marshall Skinner following a restart at the halfway point of Thursday night’s United Sprint Car Series filtercharged by K&N Glen Francis Memorial Cup 30-lap A-main, never looking back en route to a wire-to-wire win and trip to www.rockauto.com USCS Victory Lane ahead of fellow Arkansas native Zach Pringle. The triumph was Crawley’s second straight USCS sprint car victory, and 67th career series win.

“I’ll tell you, this is redemption after how the first half of our season went,” said Crawley, who also won the Glen Francis Memorial Cup during its inaugural running in 2012. “We’ve got a lot of great people behind us; Mike Ward, all these guys on the crew; it feels really good to get them a win tonight.”

“The track took a lot of rubber in the second half of the race; it could almost pass for asphalt now, and everyone knows I hate running asphalt,” Crawley quipped, “but this was a good track tonight and I’m grateful to have our season back on track.”

The event was slowed by caution five times over the course of the 30 laps, with the first yellow flying at Lap 7 when Cody Gardner jumped the cushion in turn four and ended up coming to a stop on top of the hill overlooking the race track. He was able to continue. The second caution flew three laps later when Terry Gray came to a stop in turn four along with the No. 22 of Cody Howard, whose night was ended by a bent right-front axle.

The race’s final three cautions all occurred in a two-lap span just before halfway, with a two car spin on the backstretch and a subsequent spin in turn four by Joe B. Miller drawing consecutive yellows on lap 13, and then a spin by the No. 99 of Blake Jenkins slowing the pace for the final time on Lap 14, setting up the second half sprint to the finish.

Behind Crawley and Pringle, Marion, Arkansas native and 1999 USCS champion Marshall Skinner completed the podium in third after running second to Crawley most of the night. Hernando, Mississippi driver Brad Bowden finished fourth, and 2008 series Rookie of the Year Anthony Nicholson, from Bartlett, Tennessee rounded out the top five.

Howard Moore sailed home in the sixth position, with female hotshoe Morgan Turpen, out of Cordova, Tennessee finishing seventh. A.G. Rains held down the eighth spot at the checkered flag, Justin Webb ended the night in ninth, and defending Rookie of the Year and Bartlett native Curt Terrell completed the top ten.

Crawley kicked off the evening’s racing action by winning the Hoosier Tire Speed Dash, and followed that up with a win in the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat. Marshall Skinner rolled to the victory in the Butlerbuilt Second Heat, and Zach Pringle netted the Schoenfeld Headers Third Heat win. Brad Bowden grabbed the checkered flag in the www.rockauto.com Fourth Heat. After the inversion draw, Crawley received the K&N Filters Pole Award, with Arkansas young gun Jordon Mallett taking the win in the 12-lap Saldana Race Products B-main. Howard Moore passed the most cars in the A-main (ten) to grab the Willwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award.

The United Sprint Car Series filtercharged by K&N continues their 2014 schedule Friday night with their second event of a three-race Arkansas swing, the Duel at the Diamond at Diamond Park Speedway in Nashville, Arkansas.

RESULTS: USCS Sprint Car Series “Glen Francis Memorial Cup”; Crowley’s Ridge Raceway; July 3rd, 2014
Hoosier Tire Speed Dash: Tim Crawley, Terry Gray, Morgan Turpen, Anthony Nicholson, Curt Terrell, Andy McElhannon.

Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: Tim Crawley, Morgan Turpen, Anthony Nicholson, Curt Terrell, Todd Fayard, Ronny Howard, 14R, Blake Jenkins.

Butlerbuilt Second Heat: Marshall Skinner, A.G. Rains, Terry Gray, Cody Gardner, Howard Moore, Eddie Gallagher, Tim Sites, Cody Howard.

Schoenfeld Headers Third Heat: Zach Pringle, Joe B. Miller, Jordon Mallett, Greg Merritt, Jeff Willingham, Kevin Hinkle, Taylor Tidmore (DNS).

www.rockauto.com Fourth Heat: Brad Bowden, Justin Webb, Johnny Gardner, Jan Howard, Andy McElhannon, Robert Richardson, Samantha Gargus-Sites.

USCS Sprint Car Series filtercharged by K&N Glen Francis Memorial Cup A-main: 30-laps

1.       #88 – Tim Crawley, Benton, AR
2.       #2J – Zach Pringle, Bryant, AR
3.       #26 – Marshall Skinner, Marion, AR
4.       #39 – Brad Bowden, Hernando, MS
5.       #16 – Anthony Nicholson, Bartlett, TN
6.       #40 – Howard Moore, Memphis, TN
7.       #10M – Morgan Turpen, Cordova, TN
8.       #3 – A.G. Rains, West Memphis, AR
9.       #31 – Justin Webb, Drummonds, TN
10.   #27 – Curt Terrell, Bartlett, TN
11.   #17G – Cody Gardner, Benton, AR
12.   #44 – Ronny Howard, Nesbit, MS
13.   #46 – Jan Howard, Marion, AR
14.   #51B – Joe B. Miller, Millersville, MO
15.   #14 – Jordon Mallett, Greenbrier, AR
16.   #42 – Andy McElhannon, Nesbit, MS
17.   #99 – Blake Jenkins, Benton, AR
18.   #12M – Greg Merritt, Nesbit, MS
19.   #21 – Kevin Hinkle, Cabot, AR
20.   #28 – Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS
21.   #1 – Eddie Gallagher, Olive Branch, MS
22.   #10 – Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN
23.   #22 – Cody Howard, Byhalia, MS
24.   #13 – Todd Fayard, Biloxi, MS (DNS)

Did Not Start A-main:
#96S – Samantha Gargus-Sites, Memphis, TN
#14R – Ryan Roy, Dyersburg, TN
#31G – Johnny Gardner, Benton, AR
#88S – Tim Sites, Memphis, TM
#32X – Robert Richardson, Searcy, AR
#13T – Taylor Tidmore, Hernando, MS

 

USCS Sprint Car Series Race Awards:

Hoosier Tire Speed Dash: #88 – Tim Crawley
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: #88 – Tim Crawley
Butlerbuilt Second Heat: #26 – Marshall Skinner
Schoenfeld Headers Third Heat: #2J – Zach Pringle
www.rockauto.com Fourth Heat: #39 – Brad Bowden
K&N Filters Pole Award: #88 – Tim Crawley
JE Pistons Top Guns Award: #16 – Anthony Nicholson (5th place)
K&N Filters Podium (3rd place) Award: #26 – Marshall Skinner
Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award: #40 – Howard Moore  
Keizer Aluminum Wheels Top Five Award: #16 – Anthony Nicholson
Saldana Racing Products Super Sixth Award: #40 – Howard Moore
Pyrotect Racing Cells Lucky Seven Award: #10M – Morgan Turpen
DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends Top Ten Award: #27 – Curt Terrell

The United Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters would like to gratefully thank its sponsoring partners for their involvement in the 2014 and 18th anniversary USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour: K&N Filters, www.rockauto.com,Engler Machine and Tool, Butlerbuilt, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Saldana Racing Products, Pyrotect Racing Cells, DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends. KSE Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, DSR Fuel Systems, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions and Safety-Kleen.