FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

THE CAROLINA KID ERIC RIGGINS WINS A USCS THRILLER AT LANCASTER SPEEDWAY

 

               LANCASTER, SC – July 23, 2016 - The Carolina Kid, Eric Riggins Jr. of Charlotte, NC made the short tow down I-77 worthwhile as he won the exciting 25-lap United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour Presented by K&N Filters main event on Saturday night at Lancaster Speedway.  The race entitled the Joe and Jim (McLain) Summer Sprint Classic Round #2 featured three lead changes among three drivers and an exciting side-by-side duel at the finish before Riggins parked his #47 Alpha Canvas and Awning J&J Auto Racing sprint car in the www.rockauto.com USCS Victory Lane. 

               Riggins took the lead from the defending USCS National Champion and current point leader Morgan Turpen of Cordova, TN on lap 18, and in the last five laps of the race, he held off the strong challenge of Lance Moss of Cherryville, NC that brought the crowd to their feet.

               “This was tough because my car was tight early, but the track came to us,” Riggins said.  “It’s been a tough year, so it’s good to finally get a win and put on a show in front of the hometown fans.  I love Lancaster Speedway and I love the fans here.”

Moss could get alongside Riggins on both the inside and outside going into the corners, but Riggins had what he needed to stay in front coming off the turns.  Moss finished a close second with Turpen, who was looking for her third straight USCS win, finishing in the K&N Filters Podium Award third place after leading early in the race,

Turpen’s team-mate and 11-time USCS National Champion Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN took the fourth spot. The 2014 USCS Rookie of the Year, Brandon McLain from Indian Trail, NC rounded out the top five.

Turpen came into the race with a seven-point lead over her teammate Gray in the 2016 USCS National Championship battle, she was able to gain a few more precious points in her quest for a second straight USCS National Championship.

Jake McLain of Indian Trail, NC led the next group in the sixth spot.  Danny Sams III of Englewood, FL drove to a seven-place finish and 78-year-old Ray Bugg of Iuka, MS was eighth.  Nick Snyder of Marco Island, FL led early and finished ninth, and 16-year-old Brandon Taylor of Cumming, GA rounded out the top ten. 

               In preliminary action, Gray won the six-lap Hoosier Speed Dash, and in the eight-lap Heat Races, Riggins won the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat and Moss captured the Brown and Miller Racing Solutions Second Heat.  Riggins was also the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger of the race after starting the main event in the sixth spot.

               Gray earned the K&N Filters Pole Award with teammate Turpen on the outside of the front row to start the main event after Riggins earned the most passing points in the heat race qualifying. Riggins then rolled a six in the K&N Filters Pole Award drawing to place the team-mates on the front row. Turpen won the war into the first turn to take the lead followed by Snyder, Gray, Moss and Riggins.  Gray dropped back to fifth after being overhauled by Moss and Riggins on lap two, who took over third and fourth respectively.

               Moss and Riggins appeared to be attracted like a magnet and steel, as they were never apart by more than a few inches for the entire 25 laps.  Riggins made what would turn out to be a big pass for position on lap 12 when he got around Moss for the third spot.

               Snyder, who was the USCS 2015 Rookie of the Year, began to chip away at Turpen’s half straightaway lead before moving in to challenge for the point at the halfway point.  Snyder dove to the inside in turn three on lap 15 and took over the lead coming off the fourth turn.  Snyder’s appearance in front of the pack was short-lived, as he clipped Taylor’s car trying to lap him in turn three on lap 16.

               Both cars spun with Snyder’s machine getting up on its side.  Both drivers were O.K., but Snyder had given the lead back to Turpen for the restart.  Following the “Queen of the Wings” back to the green flag were Riggins, Moss, Gray, Brandon McLain, Jake McLain and Danny Sams.

               Riggins dove underneath Turpen in turn four to take the lead on lap 18.  Moss refused to lose contact with his 140 mile per hour dancing partner and followed Riggins under Turpen and into the second spot.  Moss kept trying to get an outside run on Riggins to challenge for the lead in the closing laps of the race.

By changing his racing groove to just a little bit higher, Riggins was doing everything he could to make his race car a little wider than it was when it came off the jig at J&J Race Cars.  Moss tried the inside in the last two laps of the race.  Moss could get alongside the leader, but Riggins would not be denied his first USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour win of the 2016 season.

               The next event for the 20th Anniversary United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour Presented by K&N Filters will be Saturday night, July 30 on the black gumbo clay surface at Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS for some Gumbo Thunder in the Mississippi Delta.

               For rules and updated schedule information about the United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour, please visit www.uscsracing.com or call the series office at 770-460-7223 or 770-865-6097. You can also like the United Sprint Car Series Facebook page at USCS Racing.

FEATURE RACE – 25 LAPS:

POS        STRT     CAR #   DRIVER                              HOMETOWN    
1.            6             47           Eric Riggins Jr.                   Charlotte, NC
2.            5             23           Lance Moss                        Cherryville, NC
3.            2             10m       Morgan Turpen                  Cordova, TN
4.            1             10           Terry Gray                          Bartlett, TN
5.            3             21           Brandon McLain Indian Trail, NC
6.            8             67           Jake McLain                       Indian Trail, NC
7.            7             24d        Danny Sams III                   Englewood, FL
8.            11           25           Ray Bugg                            Iuka, MS
9.            4             116        Nick Snyder                       Marco Island, FL
10.          9             07t         Brandon Taylor                  Cumming, GA
11.          12           33           Joe Larkin                           Suwanee, GA
12.          10           83           Bob Auld                            Largo, FL
13.          13           07           Johnny Bridges                  Cherryville, NC

USCS SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE AWARDS: 
Hoosier Race Tire Speed Dash:  Gray
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat:   Riggins
Brown and Miller Racing Solutions Second Heat:  Moss
K&N Filters Pole Award:   Gray
JE Pistons Top Guns Award:  (3rd place) Turpen
K&N Filters Podium (3rd place) Award:   Turpen
Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award:   Riggins (started 6th and finished 1st) and Bugg (started 11th and finished 6th)
Keizer Aluminum Wheels Top Five Award:  B. McLain
Saldana Racing Products Super Sixth Award:   J. McLain
Pyrotect Racing Cells Lucky Seven Award:   Sams
DHR Suspension 8th-Place Award:  Bugg
DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends Top Ten Award:  Taylor

USCS SPRINT CAR SERIES PRESENTED BY K&N FILTERS PRELIMINARY RACE RESULTS:

Hoosier Speed Dash - (6 Laps): 1. Gray; 2. Turpen; 3. Moss; 4. Riggins; 5. Snyder; 6. J. McLain.

Engler Machine & Tool Heat 1 - (8 Laps): 1. Riggins; 2. B. McLain; 3. Turpen; 4. Gray; 5. Taylor; 6. Bugg; 7. Larkin.

Brown and Miller Racing Solutions Heat 2- (8 Laps):  1. Moss; 2. Snyder; 3. J. McLain; 4. Sams; 5. Auld; 6. Bridges DNS.

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