FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Linder captures 3rd annual Randy Helton Memorial at New Senoia Raceway

Senoia, Georgia - August 28, 2010 - Second-generation sprint car racer, Matt Linder from Hoschton, Georgia captured the win in the 30-lap United Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear 3rd Annual Randy Helton Memorial Race at New Senoia Raceway on Saturday night. The victory was Linder’s second USCS win of the year. The race contested before a near capacity crowd around the 3/8 mile clay oval honored former United Sprint Car Series driver Randy Helton from Palmetto, Georgia who passed away from a heart attack in 2008. Linder’s crew chief and father is former sprint car racer and National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductee Fred Linder.

The race will possibly be more remembered for the first lap crash that halted all but five of the nineteen starters when defending series Champion Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee who started from the K&N Filters Pole Position broke the left side rear axle on his #10 J&J Auto Racing car while charging down the back stretch on lap one. Gray then spun around and started flipping before being struck in the top wing and roll cage by both Johnny Bridges from Cherryville, North Carolina and David Thorman from Greenville, South Carolina.

With many of the fourteen involved cars damaged and needing repair or needing assessment before the race was re-started the decision was made to remove the field from the racing surface to allow the other divisions to continue racing while the sprint car field was re-assembled. After about an hour, fifteen of the original starters were pushed off for the re-start with the five cars that did not stop on the racing surface or get involved in the wreck in the front of the field. All of the other cars involved in the caution incident re-aligned behind them according to their original starting position.

The second attempt at a start had Linder on the K&N Filters Pole with 18 year-old young gun Nick Bashford from China Grove, North Carolina outside the front row in his Roush-Yates Ford powered #X car. On the re-start of the delayed feature race, Bashford beat Linder into turn one and appeared to be racing away to a career first USCS feature win. Bashford led the first twelve circuits before looping his ride in turn two ending his victory lane chances.  Linder inherited the lead at that time with 15 year-old rookie driver Eric Riggins, Jr. from Charlotte, North Carolina in the runner-up position followed by Terry Gray who repaired his mount after the lap-one initial start incident and charged back through the field. Seventeen year-old female hot-shoe Morgan Turpen from Bartlett, Tennessee was in fourth place and Mike Hampton from Milan, Tennessee rounded out the top five near the races mid-point.

When the green flag flew for the final time Linder raced out front with Riggins, Jr. and Gray battling for the runner-up spot. The rookie prevailed over the final seventeen laps and followed Linder to victory lane for his second runner-up finish in as many nights. Gray followed in the third position followed by Morgan Turpen in fourth place and ageless Ray Bugg from Iuka, Mississippi rounded out the top five.

Clint Weiss from Elizabethton, Kentucky led the next group of finishers in sixth place accomplishing his second top ten score over the weekend. Mike Hampton finished in seventh position. Veteran Sport Allen, from Seffner, Florida collected eighth place money. Nick Bashford and Michael Miller from Ocean Springs, Mississippi finished ninth and tenth respectively.

2000 USCS Rookie of the Year, Michael Miller won the 10-lap Engler Machine and Tool First Heat Race. Rookie of the Year candidate, Eric Riggins, Jr. garnered the victory in the Butlerbuilt Second Heat Race. Veteran sprint car driver Ray Bugg from Iuka, Mississippi who advanced twelve positions in the A-main event garnered the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger. Eric Riggins, Jr. garnered the Goodyear, Rookie of Race honors for the second night in-a-row via two runner-up finishes.

The next United Sprint Car Series racing event is next Friday, September 3rd at Boyd Speedway in Ringgold, Georgia. For more information on that event please visit www.boydsspeedway.com . That event is part of a three day Labor Day weekend swing at three Georgia dirt tracks. The series races at Lavonia Speedway www.lavoniadirtrack.com  in Lavonia, Georgia on Saturday, September 4th before wrapping up the five-track “Red Dirt Rumble” on Sunday, September 5th at Rome Speedway www.raceromespeedway.com .


For rules and 2010 schedule info on the USCS please visit www.uscsracing.com or call 770-460-7223 or 770-865-6097.
USCS results for USCS Summer Nationals Round Two at  New Senoia Raceway 8/28/10:

Goodyear Speed Dash: Terry Gray, Eric Riggins, Jr., Michael Miller, Nick Bashford, Johnny Bridges and Matt Linder.

Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: Michael Miller, Terry Gray, Mike Hampton, Matt Linder, Morgan Turpen, Jerry Jones, Brandon Rekow, A.J. Maddox, Ray Bugg and Brandon McLain – DNS.

Butlerbuilt Second Heat: Eric Riggins, Jr., Nick Bashford, Sport Allen, Johnny Bridges, Jake McLain, Clint Weiss, David Thorman, Joe Larkin and Lee Moore.

USCS presented by Goodyear Feature Race results (30 laps) New Senoia Raceway – August 28, 2010.

1 - 1X Matt Linder, Hoschton, GA
2 - 47 Eric Riggins, Jr., Charlotte, NC - Rookie TN
3 - 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN
4 - 80 Morgan Turpen, Bartlett, TN
5 - 25 Ray Bugg, Iuka, MS
6 - 0x Clint Weiss, Elizabethton, KY,
7 - 10w Mike Hampton, Milan, TN
8 - 82 Sport Allen, Seffner, FL
9 - X Nick Bashford, China Grove, NC
10 - 4m  Michael Miller, Ocean Springs, MS
11 - 67 Jake McLain, Indian Trail, NC
12 - 07 Johnny Bridges, Cherryville, NC
13 - 1A Lee Moore, Tuscaloosa, AL
14 - 69 Brandon Rekow, Mooresville, NC
15- 81 A.J. Maddox, Brandon, FL
16 - 21B Brandon McLain, Indian Trail, NC
17 - 19 Jerry Jones, Clermont, FL
18 - 33 Joe Larkin, Suwannee, GA
19 - 5 David Thorman, Greenville, SC
 
GOODYEAR SPEED DASH WINNER: Terry Gray
K & N FILTERS POLE AWARD: Terry Gray
KSE Hard Charger AWARD:  (passed ___ cars).
GOODYEAR RACING TIRE YOUNG GUN OF THE RACE: Eric Riggins, Jr.
ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Eric Riggins, Jr.
JE PISTONS TOP GUNS AWARD: Morgan Turpen (fourth place)
K&N FILTERS 3RD-PLACE AWARD: Terry Gray
BUTLERBUILT 4TH-PLACE AWARD: Morgan Turpen
DYNOTECH TOP FIVE AWARD: Ray Bugg


ENTRIES: 19
PROVISIONALS: None
LAP LEADERS = Two: Nick Bashford Laps 1-12; Matt Linder Laps 13-30.