BALDWYN, MS – May 27, 2024 -
Two-time USCS National Champion, Jordan Mallett of Greenbrier, AR drove to victory on Monday night in the United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters Speedweek Round 2 25-lap Feature Race. Mallett came from the second starting position to take the lead from Brad Bowden of Hernando, MS on lap 15, and then went unchallenged for the victory.
Bowden finished second and third went to Dale Howard of Byhalia, MS. The 15-time and defending USCS National Champion, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN was fourth, and Howard Moore of Memphis, TN took the fifth spot.
Hayden Martin of Olive Branch, MS drove to a sixth-place finish, and B.J. Simmerman of Batesville, MS was seventh, Connor Wray of Olive Branch, MS started 19th and finished eighth to earn the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award. Marshall Skinner of Marion, AR took the ninth spot and Keith Ainsworth of Munford, TN rounded out the top ten.
In preliminary action, Bowden won the six-lap Hoosier Racing Tire Speed Dash to earn the pole position for the 25-lap Main Event. The three eight-lap Heat Races were won by Bowden in the Engler Machine & Tool Heat 1, Dale Howard in the Butlerbuilt Racing Product Heat 2, and Martin in the Wilbanks Heating & Air Heat 3.
The initial start of the saw Bowden take the lead from the pole position followed by Mallett, Howard, Skinner, and Simmerman, but the red flag was displayed on the opening tour when Ronny Howard of Nesbit, MS flipped down the backstretch. That necessitated a complete restart that saw Bowden take the lead followed by Mallett, Howard, Zach Pringle of Benton, AR, and Simmerman.
Skinner worked his way back up to the fifth spot on lap 2, and the caution flag came out on lap six when Spencer Meredith stalled in turn four. Bowden gave up a 1.5 second lead over Mallett, but before the field could get going after the restart, the race was slowed for a third time when Evan McElheney of Hernando, MS stalled in turn one.
Bowden continued to lead on the next restart, but Mallett stayed within striking distance and took the lead on lap 15. The caution flag came out on lap 18 when the defending USCS Speedweek Champion and Saturday night’s winner Derek Hagar brought out the caution flag while running fifth. That ended Hagar’s quest of an eighth straight USCS Speedweek win dating back to last year.
Two more caution flags on lap 19 and 21 set up a four-lap dash to the finish with Mallett leading Bowden, Dale Howard, Skinner and Gray. Skinner slowed on the last lap moving Gray and Moore up to fourth and fifth, respectively. Mallett took the checkered flag with a .884 second margin of victory over Bowden. The race took 31 minutes and 4.432 seconds to complete.
After the first two rounds of the 2024 USCS Speedweek, there is a four-way tie for the point lead among Moore, Gray, Dale Howard and Martin, each with 286 points. Mallett and Bowden are tied for fifth with 274 points.
The USCS Mid-South point standings shows Gray as the point leader with 720 points followed by Dale Howard at 708, Bowden is third with 678, Jeff Willingham of Ripley, MS is fourth with 644, and National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Sammy Swindell of Germantown, TN is fifth with 628.
The United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters Speedweek will take a couple of days off and return to action for Round 3 on Thursday night at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL. For more information about USCS, visit their website at uscsracing.com and the series Facebook page, or call the series office at 770-865-6097.
United Sprint Car Series Marketing Partners are K&N Filters, Engler Machine & Tool, Hoosier Racing Tire, Huggins Cams, Hero Graphics, DMI/Bulldog, J&J Supply of NC, Racing Electronics, JE Pistons, DHR Suspension, Wilwood Disc Brakes, KSE Racing Products, PRO Shocks, Schoenfeld Headers, and Arizona Sport Shirts.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF UNTIED SPRINT CAR SERIES PRESENTED BY K&N FILTERS SPEEDWEEK ROUND 2 AT PINE RIDGE SPEEDWAY IN BALDWYN, MS ON 5/27/24:
HOOSIER RACING TIRE SPEED DASH – 6 Laps:
- Bowden; 2. Mallett; 3. D. Howard; 4. Pringle; 5. Simmerman; 6. Martin.
HEAT RACES – 8 Laps:
ENGLER MACHINE & TOOL HEAT 1:
- Bowden; 2. Pringle; 3. Simmerman; 4. Looney; 5. Howell; 6. Merritt; 7. Jones; 8. R. Howard; 9. Swindell.
BUTLERBUILT RACING PRODUCTS HEAT 2:
- D. Howard; 2. Mallett; 3. Hagar; 4. Skinner; 5. E. Ainsworth; 6. Bradford; 7. Meredith; 8. Manley.
WILBANKS HEATING & AIR HEAT 3:
- Martin; 2. Gray; 3. White; 4. Moore; 5. Willingham; 6. K. Ainsworth; 7. Wray; 8. McElhaney.
FEATURE RACE – 25 Laps:
- 14 Jordan Mallett, Greenbrier, AR (2);
- 4x Brad Bowden, Hernando, MS (1);
- 47 Dale Howard, Byhalia, MS (3);
- 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, MS (9);
5 3 Howard Moore, Memphis, TN (11);
- 67 Hayden Martin, Olive Branch, MS (6);
- 8b B.J. Simmerman, Batesville, MS (5);
- 23w Conner Wray, Olive Branch, MS (19);
- 26 Marshall Skinner, Marion, AR (7);
- 28a Keith Ainsworth, Munford, TN (17);
- 10k Dewayne White, Byhalia, MS (10);
- 16s Steven Howell, Byhalia, MS (14);
- 4c Cooper Looney, Jonesboro, AR (13);
- 28 Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS (16);
- 9jr Derek Hagar, Marion, AR (8);
- 16e Evan McElhaney, Hernando, MS (21);
- 21 Spencer Meredith, Hernando, MS (20);
- 20t Todd Bradford, Arlington, TN (18);
- 16 Hannah Merritt, Nesbit, MS (12);
- 91 Ernie Ainsworth, Bartlett, TN (15);
- 1jr Jamie Manley, Memphis, TN (23);
- 47s Sammy Swindell, Germantown, TN (25);
- 23 Ethan Jones, Sarah, MS (22);
- 55 Zach Pringle, Benton, AR (4);
- 44 Ronny Howard, Nesbit, MS (24).
- administrator on May 30, 2024
- Article Date: 5/27/2024