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Hagar charges to 8th 2014 USCS win at Dixie Speedway

WOODSTOCK, GA – August 23, 2014 - It doesn’t matter what he climbs into in 2014, Derek Hagar just keeps on rolling. Hagar, the defending United Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters National champion from Marion, Arkansas, slipped by 2008 series Rookie of the Year Anthony Nicholson with six laps to go during Saturday night’s Dixie Sprint Car Nationals 25-lap A-main and pulled away over the final stretch to claim his eighth USCS feature victory of the 2014 season. The win was Hagar’s 29th career trip to www.rockauto.com USCS Victory Lane and his second consecutive series triumph after also winning last weekend at Clayhill Motorsports in Atwood, Tennessee.

“We got close to (Anthony) there early with lapped traffic, just couldn’t make anything happen at that point – the track was pretty much around the bottom, but after the restart, he slipped up and I saw my window of opportunity and just took it,” Hagar said following the event. “We’ve been pretty dominant on this tour in 2014, even though we’re not chasing the championship again, but there’s more opportunities coming for us and I’m just thankful for everyone who’s helped me get to this point. I’m having a lot of fun.”

Nicholson, from Bartlett, Tennessee, slipped high off of turn 4 coming to complete lap 18, which allowed Hagar to close in and make the pass for the win. Nicholson said the caution coming out at lap 14 for Jeff Willingham’s spin in turn 2 ultimately hurt his shot at the win.

“I don’t know if the difference was in our cars – I know I made one mistake in turn 2 and allowed Derek to get underneath me,” a disappointed Nicholson said. “I don’t know if he’d have caught us had the caution not come out because I had put a lapped car between us and bought myself a gap, but the caution killed me tonight.”

Fellow Bartlett native and ten-time series champion Terry Gray rounded out the podium in third place, with Charlotte, North Carolina young gun Eric Riggins Jr. close behind in fourth. Cordova, Tennessee female sprint car pilot Morgan Turpen rounded off the top five.

Jacksonville, Florida’s Matt Kurtz finished a solid sixth and leading Rookie of the Year contender Brandon McLain came home seventh at the finish. Local favorite Brian Thomas, from Pendergrass, Georgia, crossed the line in eighth position. Montgomery, Alabama’s Kyle Amerson was scored ninth at the checkered flag and Lookout Mountain, Georgia veteran Aubrey Black completed the top ten.

Terry Gray kicked off the evening’s racing action by winning the Hoosier Tire Speed Dash, and Eric Riggins Jr. scored the win in the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat. Hagar rolled to the victory in the Butlerbuilt Second Heat. Hagar was the provisional pole-sitter after scoring the most passing points in heat race action, and after a zero came up in the K&N Inversion Draw, he received the K&N Filters Pole Award. Kyle Amerson passed the most cars in the A-main (four) to grab the Willwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award.

The United Sprint Car Series presented ed by K&N Filters continues their 2014 schedule on Friday, August 29th with the running of the 2nd annual Wind Creek Casino/Hotel Wetumpka Sprint Car Shootout on the quarter mile paved “Thunder Ring” at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The series will contest a 50-lap main event after the NASCAR Sprint Cup cars qualify.

On the balance of the Labor Day weekend the series will contest three events on dirt ovals in North Carolina and Georgia. The USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour visits Harris Speedway near Rutherfordton, North Carolina on Saturday, August 30th. On the following night (Sunday, August 31st) the series travels two hours South to historic Toccoa Speedway in Toccoa, Georgia. On Labor Day, Monday, September, 1st the USCS winged sprint cars wind up the whirlwind weekend at Tri County Racetrack in Brasstown, North Carolina.

For latest news, rules and schedule updates please visit www.uscsracing.com or call 770-865-6097.

RESULTS: USCS Sprint Car Series “Dixie Sprint Car Nationals”; Dixie Speedway; August 23rd, 2014

Hoosier Tire Speed Dash: Terry Gray, Morgan Turpen, Eric Riggins Jr., Matt Kurtz, Jay Dunham, Brian Thomas.

Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: Eric Riggins Jr., Brandon McLain, Terry Gray, Morgan Turpen, Bob Auld, Jeff Willingham, Shawn Dancer, Terry Witherspoon, Jay Dunham.

Butlerbuilt Second Heat: Derek Hagar, Anthony Nicholson, Brian Thomas, Matt Kurtz, Johnny Petrozelle, Aubrey Black, Kyle Amerson, Shawn Murray.

USCS Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Dixie Sprint Car Nationals A-main: 25-laps
1. #9JR – Derek Hagar, Marion, AR
2. #16 – Anthony Nicholson, Bartlett, TN
3. #10 – Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN
4. #47 – Eric Riggins Jr., Charlotte, NC
5. #10M – Morgan Turpen, Cordova, TN
6. #92 – Matt Kurtz, Jacksonville, FL
7. #21B – Brandon McLain, Indian Trail, NC
8. #67 – Brian Thomas, Pendergrass, GA
9. #29 – Kyle Amerson, Montgomery, AL
10. #21 – Aubrey Black, Lookout Mountain, GA
11. #59III – Johnny Petrozelle, Denton, NC
12. #83 – Bob Auld, Largo, FL
13. #22 – Shawn Murray, Jacksonville, FL
14. #28 – Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS
15. #43 – Terry Witherspoon, Jacksonville, FL
16. #51 – Jay Dunham, Grovetown, GA
17. #49 – Shawn Dancer, Lima, OH

USCS Sprint Car Series Race Awards:
Hoosier Tire Speed Dash: #10 – Terry Gray
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: #47 – Eric Riggins Jr.
Butlerbuilt Second Heat: #9JR – Derek Hagar
K&N Filters Pole Award: #9JR – Derek Hagar
JE Pistons Top Guns Award: #9JR – Derek Hagar (1st place)
K&N Filters Podium (3rd place) Award: #10 – Terry Gray
Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award: #29 – Kyle Amerson
Keizer Aluminum Wheels Top Five Award: #10M – Morgan Turpen
Saldana Racing Products Super Sixth Award: #92 – Matt Kurtz
Pyrotect Racing Cells Lucky Seven Award: #21B – Brandon McLain
DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends Top Ten Award: #21 – Aubrey Black

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


Shawn Nelson streaks to career-first www.rockauto.com USCS 600 win at Dixie

WOODSTOCK, GA - August 23, 2014 - Dixie Speedway is billed as the “Home of the Champions”. After Saturday night’s USCS www.rockauto.com 600 Sprint Series feature, Shawn Nelson would agree. Nelson, from Ooltewah, Tennessee, certainly felt like a champion after he blasted away from the K&N Filters Pole Position and turned back repeated challenges from Florida Mini Sprint Association veteran David Hall to score his first-career USCS-sanctioned micro sprint victory during the 600 Sprint Series portion of the Dixie Sprint Car Nationals.

Nelson had to endure four caution flags en route to the victory, including two on lap 3 when Chris Openshaw first climbed the wall in turn 2 and slowed down the backstretch, and then national points leader Sean Hosey spun in turn 2 on the ensuing restart after hitting the restart cone.

The third caution flew on lap 8 when Mike Magic stopped in turn 2, but the race’s most serious accident took place on lap 11 when Concord, North Carolina driver Terry Peters slammed the wall and flipped several times in  turn 2, drawing a lengthy red flag. Peters was awake and alert after the incident, but was transported to a local hospital as a precautionary measure.

The incident ultimately shortened the race from its scheduled 20-lap distance to 13 laps, forcing a green-white-checkered restart after cleanup efforts were complete. Hall tried to use the high lane of the race track to make a run at Nelson on the final lap but ran out of time, forcing the Casselberry, Florida native to settle for second.

Home state driver Brandon Taylor, from Cumming, finished in the third position after his maiden USCS victory two weeks ago at Duck River Raceway Park and Clarksville, Tennessee pilot Hosey rebounded from his lap 3 spin as well as missing practice and the dash due to metal in his oil pan to finish fourth. Defending USCS Southern Lightning region champion Bob Trapino, from Alpharetta, Georgia rounded out the top five.

Atlanta native Matt McCullough crossed the checkered flag in sixth, with Sanford, Florida’s Dirk Miller finishing seventh. A trio of Georgia drivers completed the top ten, McDonough’s Shane Werner in eighth, Atlanta’s Sam McCullough finishing ninth and Winder’s Mike Magic tenth at the finish.
Matt McCullough kicked off the night by grabbing the win in the Hoosier Tire Speed Dash, and Shawn Nelson took the win in the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat. David Hall notched the win in the www.rockauto.com Second Heat.

Nelson was the provisional pole-starter after scoring the most passing points in heat race action, and when a zero was pulled in the K&N Inversion Draw, he was awarded the K&N Filters Pole Position. Sean Hosey passed the most cars in the main event (eleven) to garner the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award

The www.rockauto.com USCS 600 Sprint Car Series season continues next Saturday night, August 30th with an event at Harris Speedway in Rutherfordton, North Carolina as part of their inaugural “Sprint Car Wars” event. On the following night the series races during the 3rd annual “Sunday of Speed” at Toccoa Speedway in Toccoa, Georgia.  For rules and updated schedule information about the www.rockauto.com USCS 600 Sprint Car series please visit www.uscsracing.com or call the series office at 770-460-7223.
RESULTS: www.rockauto.com USCS 600 Sprint Car Series @ Dixie Speedway; August 23rd, 2014 
Hoosier Tire Speed Dash: Matt McCullough, Mike Magic, Shawn Nelson, Chris Openshaw, Sean Hosey, Bo Barber. 

Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: Shawn Nelson, Frankie Peters, Terry Peters, Bob Trapino, Sam McCullough, Bo Barber, Shaun Fitzgerald, Kyle Amerson (DNS). 

www.rockauto.com Second Heat: David Hall, Matt McCullough, Mike Magic, Shane Werner, Brandon Taylor, Chris Openshaw, Dirk Miller, Sean Hosey (DNS).

www.rockauto.com USCS 600 Sprint A-Main 20 laps:  
1.        #88A – Shawn Nelson, Ooltewah, TN
2.     #67 – David Hall, Casselberry, FL
3.     #07 – Brandon Taylor, Cumming, GA
4.     #6 – Sean Hosey, Clarksville, TN
5.     #98 – Bob Trapino, Alpharetta, GA
6.     #14M – Matt McCullough, Atlanta, GA
7.     #68 – Dirk Miller, Sanford, FL
8.     #48 – Shane Werner, McDonough, GA
9.     #14S – Sam McCullough, Powder Springs, GA
10.   #5M – Mike Magic, Winder, GA
11.   #14 – Bo Barber, Clarksville, TN
12.   #171 – Terry Peters, Concord, NC
13.   #191 – Frankie Peters, Concord, NC
14.   #17C – Chris Openshaw, Bessemer, AL
15.   #14B – Kyle Amerson, Montgomery, AL
16.   #28 – Shaun Fitzgerald, Powder Springs, GA

 USCS 600 Sprint Race Awards: 
Hoosier Tire Speed Dash:  #14M – Matt McCullough
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: #88A – Shawn Nelson 
www.rockauto.com Second Heat:  #67 – David Hall
K&N Filters Pole Award:  #88A – Shawn Nelson
K&N Filters Podium (3rd place) Award:  #07 – Brandon Taylor
Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award:  #6 – Sean Hosey
Keizer Aluminum Wheels Top Five Award:  #98 – Bob Trapino
Saldana Racing Products Super Sixth Award:  #14M – Matt McCullough
DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends Top Ten Award: #5M – Mike Magic

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