USCS: Montgomery results 2004-06-26

Adams Sweeps USCS Montgomery, AL Event

MONTGOMERY, AL - Kenny Adams of Malabar, FL capped off a clean sweep with his seventh United Sprint Car Series win of the season Saturday night at Montgomery Motor Speedway. Adams set a new track record on his way to fast time honors, won the Air Flow Research six-lap Power Dash, and won the first eight-lap heat race in the Goodson Farms Shaw/Ott.

The "Malabar Missile" took seven laps from his sixth starting spot to grab the lead from Will Ragsdale of Easley, SC. Adams then pulled away to lead the remaining 23 laps. Adams set a new all time track record at Montgomery Motor Speedway during qualifications with a lap around the ½-mile paved oval in 16.677 seconds for an average speed of 107.933 miles per hour.

Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN finished second in the Goodson Farms/Wendy's Maxim/Wesmar, and also won the second eight-lap heat race. Red Stauffer of Winter Park, FL took the third spot in the C&B Mushrooms Shaw/Ott. Ragsdale was fourth in the Chick-Fil-A Clincher/ERI, and Willie Stauffer of Orlando, FL rounded out the top five in the Ardis Automotive J&J/Ardis.

Danny Martin Jr. of Sarasota, FL finished sixth in the Martin Structures Hurricane/ZRE, and Tom Winegardner Jr. of Pierson, FL took the seventh spot in the Snap-On Tools J&J/WRP. Winegardner started 13th in his USCS Asphalt Thunder Tour debut, and was the Huggins Racing Cams Hard Charger of the Race.

R.J. Johnson of Wesley Chapel, FL was the Rookie of the Race with an eighth-place finish driving the Race Wear/Pin Rings J&J/ZRE. Bryn Gohn of Malabar, FL drove the Goodson Farms Shaw/Ott to a ninth-place finish in his first-ever USCS start, and only his second-ever sprint car race. Gohn is the stepson and crew chief for race winner Adams. Randy Helton of Palmetto, GA rounded out the top ten in the Helton Transmission Maxim/ERI.

Ragsdale drove around the outside of polesitter Martin and outside front row starter Doug Wimpee of Fairhope, AL to take the lead coming off the second turn of the opening lap. Adams followed Ragsdale down the backstretch to go from his sixth starting spot to second at the completion of the first lap.

Gray came from the fifth starting hole to pass Wimpee for the third spot on lap two, and Red Stauffer settled into the fourth position on the third lap. Ragsdale was able to keep Adams five car-lengths behind him in the opening laps, but Adams closed fast when the leaders approached the car on the tail end of the lead lap on the sixth lap.

Going down the front stretch, Ragsdale and Adams split a lapped car with Ragsdale choosing the high line, and Adams taking the low road. Adams took the lead going into the first turn on lap eight. Two laps later, the only caution flag of the race came out when Michael Ardis of Mobile, AL spun the Ardis Automotive J&J/Ardis in turn four.

Adams led Ragsdale, Gray, Red Stauffer, and Willie Stauffer down for the restart. Gray put pressure on Ragsdale to challenge for the second spot while Adams checked out. Gray was able to take over second on lap 13. Wimpee dropped out on lap 16 with a mechanical problem on his Ed's Seafood Shack Hurricane/Wimpee while running sixth.

The Stauffers, father and son, battled each other for the fourth spot at the 20 lap mark. Papa Red and son Willie banged wheels coming off the fourth turn on lap 20, and Red kept the fourth position. Red Stauffer got around Ragsdale on lap 29, and held on to finish third.

USCS returns to the dirt during the holiday weekend with an Outlaw Thunder Dirt Tour show at Crossville's Raceway USA in Crossville, TN this Friday night, and then move to Cherokee Super Speedway in Gaffney, SC on July 3. For more information visit the USCS web site at www.uscsracing.com.

<pre> OFFICIAL FINISH OF ROUND 17 AT MONTGOMERY MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN MONTGOMERY, AL ON 6/26/04:

POS  STRT   CAR#    DRIVER              LAPS
1.   6      4a      Kenny Adams         30
2.   5      10      Terry Gray          30
3.   3       2      Red Stauffer        30
4.   4      29      Will Ragsdale       30
5.   7      31      Willie Stauffer     30
6.   1      00      Danny Martin Jr.    29
7.   13     11      Tom Winegardner Jr. 27
8.   8      71      R.J. Johnson (R)    27
9    13     4b      Bryn Gohn           24
10.  9      27      Randy Helton        18
11.  10     14      Doug Fitzwater      17
12.  2      60      Doug Wimpee         16
13.  11     30      Michael Ardis        9
14.  14      8      Doug Gold            1

LEAD CHANGES:  1
LAP LEADERS:  Ragsdale, 1-7; Adams, 8-30
LAPS LED:  Adams, 23; Ragsdale, 7
CAUTIONS:  1

HUGGINS RACING CAMS HARD CHARGER:  Winegardner (started 13th and finished 7th)
ROOKIE OF THE RACE:  Johnson
WELD RACING HARD LUCK AWARD:  Gold

USCS NATIONAL POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 6/26/04: 1. Terry Gray 2448 2. Danny Martin Jr. 2210 3. Kenny Adams 1998 4. R.J. Johnson (R) 1932 5. Brice Wrenn 1604 6. Tom Winegardner Jr. 1542 7. Chad Allum 1020 8. Brian Thomas 932 9. Jim Raptis 930 10. Bill Moore 898 11. Red Stauffer 896 12. Butch Pendergrass 894 13. Doug Gold 704 14. Marshall Skinner 694 15. Randy Helton 678 16. Will Ragsdale 670 17. Jeremy Scott 660 18. Ben Basinger 624 19. Johnny Bridges 624 20. Jimmy Taylor 620

R Denotes Rookie of the Year Candidate

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