USCS: I-20 Speedway summary 2004-04-03

Adams Makes It Two-In-A-Row in I-20 USCS Action

BATESBURG, SC - "The Malabar Missile" Kenny Adams of Malabar, FL picked up his second straight United Sprint Car Series win of the season at I-20 Speedway on Saturday night in a wild event cut short to 25 laps. Five caution flags with three red flags for three flips couldn't slow down Adams in the Goodson Farms Shaw/Ott. No drivers were injured in any of the incidents.

Adams took the lead on lap six when early race leader Chad Allum of Kannapolis, NC had a mechanical failure on a restart, and hit the first turn wall. From that point to the checkered flag, Adams never looked back, and was never challenged.

Sean Michael of Coplay, PA finished second in the BK Trucking/CB Mushroom J&J/Ott, and the defending and three time USCS National Champion Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN was third in the Goodson Farms/Wendy's Maxim/Wesmar. Curt Michael of Ocean View, DE took the fourth spot in the Phillips Garage J&J/H&G, and Josh Weller of Mertztown, PA rounded out the top five in the Wave Tech/State Farm Insurance J&J/HG & Associates.

Scott Young of Mooresville, NC finished sixth in the Andy Stapp Racing Services J&J/Chrisco, and Bryce Wrenn of Lexington, SC started 21st and finished seventh in the Stainless Fabricators Hench/Gaerte to earn the Huggins Cams Hard Charger of the Race Award. Phil Mott of Hinsdale, NY was eighth in the Ron's Smoke Shop J&J/Campell.

Brian Thomas of Auburn, GA brought the Main Auto Parts/Saligo Metal Works Avenger/Broome Performance home in the ninth spot, and Randy Helton of Palmetto, GA rounded out the top ten in the Helton Transmission Maxim/ERI.

Allum put his home-built Heintz Performance machine on the point at the start of the race from the outside front row, followed by Adams, who came from the fourth starting hole, Sean Michael, and polesitter Bobby Courtwright of Evans, GA in the K&N Filters Clincher/Victory. Allum kept Adams behind him for the first five laps, but everything about the race came undone on lap six.

A multi-car tangle in turn one sent Red Stauffer of Winter Park, FL sailing through the air with his CB Mushroom Shaw/Ott flipping wildly. When the smoke cleared, Stauffer was tangled up with Bill Moore of Denver, NC, R.J. Johnson of Wesley Chappell, FL, Thomas, Helton, and Jimmy Mabe of Hopefield, NC. All but Stauffer and Mabe in the 4m Racing Gambler/Jerico were able to continue.

Allum led the field down for the restart, but something broke on his race car going into turn one. That sent him bouncing off the wall to bring out the caution flag again. Adams took over the lead for the next restart followed by Sean Michael, Gray, Danny Martin Jr. of Sarasota, FL, and Mott.

The next restart saw Martin and Mott get together on the front straightaway, and Martin stopped with a cut tire. That led to another restart, and another wild crash in turn one.

Johnson barrel-rolled the Race Wear/Pin Rings J&J/CRE machine in turn one after tangling with Courtwright. Once the track was cleared, it was Adams leading Sean Michael, Gray, Curt Michael, Young, Weller, Wrenn, and Josh Harris of New London, NC, who was making his first-ever start in a sprint car aboard the Furr Transport Lightning/High Tech machine.

The field stayed green until lap 11 when turn one claimed its next victim. Tom Winegardner Jr. of Pierson, FL flipped in turn one after tangling with Pendergrass in the Pro Life Maxim/Harp. Winegardner's Snap On Tools J&J/WRP flew over the wall and out of the ballpark.

After the restart, the field went green the rest of the way, and Adams sailed to his second straight "Clean Sweep" of the 2004 USCS season. In addition to the feature race win, Adams also won the six-lap Air Flow Research Power Dash, and the third eight-lap heat race. Mott and Gray won the first two heats respectively, and Helton won the six-lap consolation race.

Gray still leads the USCS National point standings by 12 points over Adams, but it's Adams leading the USCS Outlaw Thunder Dirt Series point standings by 14 points over Curt Michael.

The next events for the USCS Outlaw Thunder Dirt Tour will be on April 23 at Swainsboro Speedway in Swainsboro, GA and on April 24 at Oglethorpe Speedway Park in Savannah, GA. For more information about the USCS, visit the series web site at www.uscsracing.com.

<pre> 30-LAP FEATURE FINISH

POS #   DRIVER                  HOMETOWN                CHASSIS         ENGINE          LAPS
1   4a  Kenny Adams             Malabar, FL             Shaw            Ott             25
2   99  Sean Michael            Coplay, PA              J&J             Ott             25
3   10  Terry Gray              Bartlett, TN            Maxim           Wesmar          25
4   2m  Curt Michael            Ocean View, DE          J&J             H&G             25
5   63  Josh Weller             Mertztown, PA           J&J             HG Assoc.       25
6   47  Scott Young             Mooresville, NC         J&J             Chrisco         25
7   1w  Bryce Wrenn             Lexington, SC           Hench           Gaerte          25
8   5m  Phil Mott               Hinsdale, NY            J&J             Campell         25
9   67  Brian Thomas            Auburn, GA              Avenger         Broome          25
10  27  Randy Helton            Palmetto, GA            Maxim           ERI             25
11  00  Danny Martin Jr.        Sarasota, FL            Schnee          ZRE             25
12  44  Josh Harris             New London, NC          Lightning       High Tech       16
13  11  Butch Pendergrass       Winston-Salem, NC       Maxim           Harp            10
14  11t Tom Winegardner Jr.     Pierson, FL             J&J             WRP             10
15  87  Chad Allum              Kannapolis, NC          Allum           Allum            6
16  48  Bobby Courtwright       Evans, GA               Clincher        Victory          6
17  2s  Red Stauffer            Winter Park, FL         Shaw            Ott              6
18  71  R.J. Johnson            Wesley Chappell, FL     J&J             CRE              6
19  4m  Jimmy Mabe              Hopefield, NC           Gambler         Jerico           6
20  06  Bill Moore              Denver, NC              J&J             Collins          6
21  69  Bronzie Lawson          Southern Pines, NC      J&J             Lawson           4
22  19  Jerry Jones             Clermont, FL            Shaw            CFM              4

LEAD CHANGES:  1
LAP LEADERS:  Allum, 1-5; Adams, 6-25
LAPS LED:  Adams, 20; Allum, 5
CAUTIONS:  5 (3 Red Flags)

HUGGINS CAMS HARD CHARGER: Wrenn (started 21st and finished 7th)

USCS NATIONAL POINTS THROUGH 4/3/04: 1. Terry Gray 678 2. Kenny Adams 666 3. Curt Michael 542 4. Bryce Wrenn 520 5. Danny Martin Jr. 512 6. Tom Winegardner Jr. 490 7. Red Stauffer 472 8. R.J. Johnson 432 9. Butch Pendergrass 390 10. Chad Allum 382 11. Jim Raptis 356 12. Phil Mott 328 13. Chad Kemenah 294 14. Joey Saldana 290 15. Scott Young 286 16. Josh Weller 278 17. Sport Allen 276 18. Shane Stewart 276 19. Tony Stewart 266 20. Randy Helton 266

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