USCS: Volusia results, championship decided

Adams Wins Volusia USCS Race And Gray Wins Championship

BARBERVILLE, FL - Kenny Adams of Malabar, FL won the 5th Annual Florida State Championship Race for the United Sprint Car Series Saturday night at Volusia Speedway Park driving the Goodson Farms Shaw/Ott. Adams took the lead on lap 11, and led the rest of the way in the 25-lap main event.

With the A-Main victory, Adams made it a "clean sweep" for the evening. The "Malabar Missile" was the fast qualifier among the 31 entrants with a lap around the ½-mile clay oval in 14.360 seconds for an average speed of 125.348 miles per hour. Adams then won the six-lap Air Flow Research Power Dash, and the eight-lap Koolbeans Trophies first heat race.

Danny Martin Jr. of Sarasota, FL took the second spot in the Martin Structures, Inc. Schnee/ZRE, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. of Olive Branch, MS was third in the Country Ford/South Tire J&J/Dynotech.

Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN finished fourth in the Goodson Farms/Wendy's Maxim/Wesmar, and clinched his fourth straight USCS National Championship. Gray also won the third eight-lap heat race.

Brice Wrenn of Lexington, SC won the 12-lap B-Main, started 16th in the A-Main, and finished fifth in the Stainless Fabricators Hench/Gaerte. Wrenn won the Huggins Race Cams Hard Charger of the Race Award.

Mike Brecht of Deshler, OH finished sixth in the Tim Hogan's Carpets Maxim/Hampshire. The top six finishers are locked into the Sunday night 25-lap A-Main for USCS at Volusia Speedway Park.

Second eight-lap heat race winner Tom Winegardner Jr. of Pierson, FL was seventh in the Snap On Tools J&J/WRP, and Brian Thomas of Auburn, GA took the eighth spot in the Main Auto Parts Avenger/Broome Performance.

Tommy Denton of Jacksonville, FL drove the McQuaig Motorsports Eagle/Witherspoon to a ninth-place finish, and Tighe Schloss of Jacksonville, FL rounded out the top ten in the Kerns Heating and Air Maxim/Scott.

Greg Leonard of Tampa, FL grabbed the lead at the drop of the green flag from the outside front row starting hole in the Snap On Tools J&J/Hampshire followed by polesitter Stenhouse, Martin, Adams and Gray. Doug Day of Winder, GA spun the Gotta Race Eagle/Dingler in turn two on lap three to bring out the first of five caution flags.

Leonard held on to the lead on the restart, while Martin got around Stenhouse to take over the second spot. Adams passed Stenhouse for third on lap five, and then shot past Martin for the second position on lap six. Adams then chased down Leonard to battle for the lead on lap nine, and made the winning pass on lap 11.

At the halfway point, it was Adams slicing through lapped traffic on the point followed by Leonard, Martin, Stenhouse, and Gray. Neil LaRose of Safety Harbor, FL spun his Pro-X Schnee/LP on lap 13 to bring out the second caution flag. After the restart, Adams set sail, while Leonard, Martin, and Stenhouse battled for the second spot.

Daryl Smith of Riverview, FL stalled the Buddy's Home Furnishings Beaberbuilt/Gaerte in turn four to light up the caution bulb for the third time on lap 16. Adams pulled away once again on the restart, but Wrenn was charging through the top ten from his 16th starting position. Wrenn restarted in tenth, and was up to seventh by lap 20.

LaRose stalled in turn four on lap 21 for the fourth caution flag. Adams brought the field down for the restart followed by Leonard, Martin, Stenhouse, Gray, Brecht, Wrenn, Winegardner, Denton, and Thomas. Martin got by Leonard for second on lap 22, and Stenhouse moved up to battle Leonard for the third spot.

Going into the first turn on lap 23, Leonard and Stenhouse got together, and Leonard spun to bring out the final caution flag of the race. Adams had no problems in the final two tours to the checkered flag, while Martin, Stenhouse and Gray followed. Wrenn passed Brecht for sixth on lap 22, and moved up to fifth when Leonard spun.

Racing action for the USCS Outlaw Thunder Dirt Tour starts at 6 p.m. on Sunday at VSP with the 10-lap $5,000-to-win Air Flow Research Super Dash. Adams, Gray, Martin, Wrenn, R.J. Johnson of Decatur, TN, Winegardner, Chad Allum of Kannapolis, NC, and Red Stauffer of Winter Park, FL will line up by AFR Power Dash points, along with Stenhouse and Brecht, who were the top two from Saturday night's points to qualify for the ninth and tenth spots in the dash.

USCS will also compete in heat race action, along with a B-Main and a 25-lap A-Main. The Florida Mini Sprints will also be in action along with local divisions. Volusia Speedway Park is located just one 15 miles West of Daytona on Florida SR 40. The track information and race day phone number is 386-985-4402.

<pre> OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 33 AT VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK IN BARBERVILLE, FL ON 10/23/04:

POS   STRT    CAR#      DRIVER                  LAPS
1.    3        4a       Kenny Adams             25
2.    4        00       Danny Martin Jr.        25
3.    1        40       Ricky Stenhouse Jr.     25
4.    6        10       Terry Gray              25
5.    16       1w       Brice Wrenn             25
6.    8        20       Mike Brecht             25
7.    5       11t       Tom Winegardner Jr.     25
8.    9        67       Brian Thomas            25
9.    11        X       Tommy Denton            25
10.   13        8       Tighe Schloss           25
11.   11       4b       Bryn Gohn               25
12.   10       71       R.J. Johnson (R)        25
13.   2        11       Greg Leonard            25
14.   23       19       Jerry Jones             24
15.   14       87       Chad Allum              24
16.   22       32       Stephen Darvalics       24
17.   17        2       Red Stauffer            24
18.   18       c1       Bruce Cline             24
19.   15        4       Michael Miller          24
20.   19        6       Mike Schroeder          23
21.   21        3       Daryl Smith             23
22.   20       33       Neil LaRose             18
23.   12       2d       Doug Day                 8

R - Denotes Rookie of the Year Candidate

LEAD CHANGES:  1
LAP LEADERS:  Leonard, 1-10; Adams, 11-25
LAPS LED:  Adams, 15; Leonard, 10
CAUTIONS:  5

C&B MUSHROOMS FAST QUALIFIER:  Adams, 14.360 Seconds, 125.348 Miles Per Hour
HUGGINS CAMS HARD CHARGER:  Wrenn (started 16th and finished 5th)
FSR PERFORMANCE AWARD:  Leonard
WELD RACING HARD LUCK AWARD:  Terry Witherspoon
ROOKIE OF THE RACE:  R.J. Johnson

<pre> USCS NATIONAL POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 10/23/04:

  1.  Terry Gray                4762*
  2.  Danny Martin Jr.          4438
  3.  Kenny Adams               4336
  4.  R.J. Johnson              4008
  5.  Brice Wrenn               3128
  6.  Chad Allum                2834
  7.  Tom Winegardner Jr.       2770
  8.  Red Stauffer              1976
  9.  Jim Raptis                1754
  10. Butch Pendergrass         1742
  11. Doug Gold                 1648
  12. Bryn Gohn                 1608
  13. Dave Thorman              1594
  14. Randy Helton              1562
  15. Bronzie Lawson            1504
  16. Bruce Cline               1454
  17. Will Ragsdale             1380
  18. Brian Thomas              1282
  19. Jeremy Scott              1206
  20. Scott Christian           1166

* Terry Gray Clinches USCS National Championship

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