HATTIESBURG, MS – FRIDAY, AUGUST 2ND, 2024 - Former USCS National Champion Jordan Mallett of Greenbrier, AR won Night 1 of the United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters Summer Sprint Car Shootout on Friday night at Hattiesburg Speedway. Mallett took the lead from his outside front row starting spot at the start of the race and led all 25 laps.
Two-time USCS National Champion Morgan Turpin Havener of Gallatin, TN took the second spot and Dale Howard of Byhalia, MS started 18th and finished third to earn the Wilwood Brakes Hard Charger Award. Michael Miller of Pascagoula, MS was fourth. The defending and 15-time USCS National Champion National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN drove to a fifth-place finish.
Brandon Blendon of Gulfport, MS finished sixth and Blake Mallette of Vancleve, MS took the seventh spot. Jake Brashier of Denham Springs, LA was eighth, with ninth going to Jeff Willingham of Ripley, MS. Hannah Merritt of Nesbit, MS rounded out the top ten.
In preliminary action, Blenden won the six-lap Hoosier Racing Tire Speed Dash to earn the Pole Position for the 25-lap Feature Race. The three eight-lap Heat Races were won by Gray in the Engler Machine & Tool First Heat Race, Blenden in the Butlerbuilt Racing Products Second Heat Race, and Mallett in the Racing Electronics Third Heat.
It took three tries to start the Feature Race, as Willingham spun in turn one on the first lap, and then Butch David of Geismar, LA flipped on the complete restart and landed on a light pole. The power had to be turned off to remove David from the car, but he was uninjured. Once the car was removed from the light pole, the power was turned back on the field tried again.
The third time was the charm, as Mallett took the lead followed by Blendon, Turpin Havener, Gray and Mallett. The red flag was once again displayed when Kevin Baham of Amite, LA flipped in turn one. He climbed out O.K. Howard made a big move on the restart, climbing into the fifth position. The caution was waved on lap five when Parker Davis of Mobile, AL spun in turn four.
The top five for the restart were Mallett, Blenden, Havener, Gray and Howard. When the field went back to green flag racing, Howard got by Gray to take the fourth spot. On lap six, Morgan Havener and Howard got by Blenden for second and third respectively, and Miller passed Gray for fifth.
Miller passed Blenden for fourth on lap seven, and Gray moved back into the top five on lap eight getting around Blenden. The last caution flag of the race came out on lap 12 when Dustin Burtron of Seminole, FL stalled on the backstretch. The top five for the restart was Mallett, Havener, Howard, Miller and Gray.
Mallett pulled away and by lap 19, the leader had put four lapped cars between himself and Havener. Howard passed Havener for second on lap 21, but the “Queen of the Wings” came right back on lap 22 to reclaim the second spot. When Mallett took the white flag, he had three lapped cars between himself and Turpin Havener to seal the deal to the checkered flag.
The United Sprint Car Series Presented by K&N Filters will return to Hattiesburg Speedway on Saturday Night for Round 2 of the Summer Sprint Car Shootout. 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 UNITED SPRINT CAR SERIES PRESENTED BY K&N FILTERS EVENT AT HATTIESBURG SPEEDWAY IN HATTIESBURG, MS ON 8/2/2024:
FEATURE RACE – 25 Laps: 1. 14 Jordan Mallett, Greenbrier, AR (2); 2. 10m Morgan (Turpen) Havener, Gallatin, TN (4); 3. 47 Dale Howard, Byhalia, MS (18); 4. 4m Michael Miller, Pascagoula, MS (13); 5. 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN (3); 6. 88 Brandon Blenden, Gulfport, MS (1); 7. 67 Blake Mallette, Vancleve, MS (10); 8. 13x Jake Brashier, Denham Springs, LA (6); 9. 28 Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS (7); 10. 16 Hannah Merritt, Nesbit, MS (20); 11. 51 Dustin Burtron, Seminole, FL (12); 12. 94 Parker Davis, Mobile, AL (21); 13. 61 Sean Wimpee, Mobile, AL (11); 14. 8 Kevin Baham, Amite, LA (16); 15. 83 Blake Carrier, Amite, LA (17); 16. 56 Stan Smith, Gulfport, MS (14); 17. L37 Scott Craft, Purvis, MS (5); 18. 17 Alex Lyles, Arlington, TN (8); 19. 21 Butch David, Geismar, LA (9); 20. 1d Prestin Dalton, Covington, TN DNS; 21. 8x Brad Bowden, Hernando, MS DNS.
HOOSIER RACING TIRE SPEED DASH – 6 Laps: 1. Blenden; 2. Mallett; 3. Gray; 4. Turpin-Havener; 5. Craft; 6. Brashier.
HEAT RACES – 8 Laps:
ENGLER MACHINE & TOOL HEAT 1: 1. Gray; 2. Turpin-Havener; 3. Lyles; 4. David; 5. Miller; 6. Baham; 7. Carrier.
BUTLERBUILT RACING PRODUCTS HEAT 2: 1. Blenden; 2. Craft; 3. Mallette; 4. Wimpee; 5. Merritt; 6. Smith; 7. Howard DNS.
RACING ELECTRONICS HEAT 3: 1. Mallett; 2. Brashier; 3. Willingham; 4. Davis; 5. Burtron; 6. Dalton; 7. Bowden DNS.
***Submitted by ROBY HELM – Helm Communications – 865-207-4157
United Sprint Car Series News Release: Contact: PETE WALTON – 770-865-6097 or email peteuscs@att.net
- administrator on Aug 12, 2024
- Article Date: 8/2/2024 by Pete Walton