June 27, 2008 - Gastonia, NC - After setting fast time and a new track record of 13.49 seconds around the 4/10 mile clay oval, local racing hero, Johnny Bridges from Cherryville, North Carolina won the 30-lap O’Reilly United Sprint Car Series presented by Lucas Oil main event at Carolina Speedway on Friday night. Bridges took the lead on lap three and led the final twenty-seven laps of the race. It was Bridges third O’Reilly USCS Southern Thunder Tour and “Thunder in the Carolinas” regional sprint car feature win of the season. The win came in front of the largest Carolina Speedway crowd of the season.
Bridges started outside of the second row after Engler Machine and Tool First Heat winner, Danny Martin, Jr. from Sarasota, Florida drew a four inversion in the K&N Filters Pole Award and placed the top qualifier fourth for the start of the main event. Matt Linder from Hoschton, Georgia led the first two circuits before the hard-charging Bridges came racing past into the lead on lap three. Bridges led the final twenty-seven laps to arrive in victory lane to a screaming hometown crowd.
The six-time and defending, O'Reilly United Sprint Car Series National Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee finished in the runner-up spot. Matt Linder matched his career-best O’Reilly USCS finish by crossing the finish-line in third place. Australian young gun Steven Lines from Melbourne, Australia raced from outside row four to finish in the fourth position. Danny Martin won the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat then finished in the fifth position in the main event after racing in the top three most of the race, but slowed with mechanical Gremlins near the race’s mid way point only to recover at the end.
Trevor Lewis from Upper Eddy, Pennsylvania led the next group in sixth place followed by Coby Adams from Mooresville, North Carolina in the seventh position. John Karklin who now hails from Waxhaw, North Carolina finished in the eighth position. Seventeen year old, Nick Bashford from China Grove, North Carolina finished ninth and Rookie Jake McLain from Indian Trail, North Carolina rounded out the top ten drivers.
Coby Adams’ team-mate Scott Young also from Mooresville, North Carolina took a nasty flip out of the park in turn on lap two. The incident was caused when Young struck the rear of the Butlerbuilt Second Heat Race winner Josh Weller from Mertztown, Pennsylvania in the rear. Weller slowed suddenly after breaking a drive line and Young launched hos mount over the right rear of Weller and over the wall. Young was deemed to be okay by the speedway’s medical attendants, but his car was destroyed.
The Huggins Cams Hard-charger for the evening was Aussie Steven. Lines also captured the Hoosier tire Young Gun of the race honors while Jake McLain garnered the Rookie of the Race honors.
The next O’Reilly USCS event is at Travelers Rest Speedway in Travelers Rest, South Carolina on Saturday night. For more info on the O’Reilly USCS Speedweek 2008 schedule please visit the series official website at www.uscsracing.com
- Adam Ulrey on Mar 15, 2020
- Article Date: 6/27/2008