6/2/2007
Sprint Source
Tim Crawley from Benton, Arkansas won the O'Reilly USCS Speedweek Round #7 at Camden Speedway
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June 2, 2007 - Columbus, Mississippi - Tim Crawley from Benton, Arkansas used his veteran skills and the high side of the race track to make a lap-twenty pass for the lead around young gun Danny Martin, Jr. from Sarasota, Florida Crawley then drove the final ten laps to victory lane in the thirty-lap 9th Annual O'Reilly United Sprint Car Series www.uscsracing.com "Columbus Clash" at Columbus Speedway in Columbus, Mississippi on Saturday night. Crawley won on the previous night at Camden Speedway in Camden, Tennessee, closing out the O'Reilly USCS Speedweek 2007 competition with two wins in a row. Defending series Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee who won twice during the week and finished in the runner-up spot on both of the final two nights, captured the seven-race mini series O'Reilly USCS Speedweek 2007 crown.
Tim Crawley from Benton, Arkansas won the O'Reilly USCS Speedweek Round #7 at Camden Speedway in Columbus, Mississippi in Mike Ward's #88 (Photo by Pete Walton)
Martin who won the evening's Engler Machine and Tool First Heat started on the pole in the main event and led the first twenty laps stretching his lead to half a straight a way over Butlerbuilt Second Heat winner Marshall Skinner from West Memphis, Arkansas and eighteen year-old Don Young from Bartlett, Tennessee in the early stages of the race while Terry Gray and Crawley comprised the balance of the top five on lap five. On lap six Young passed Skinner for the runner-up position. On lap nine Crawley got past Gray for the fourth position. On lap eleven Crawley who was the 2002 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame 360 winged sprint car "Driver of the Year" moved past Skinner into third place. Gray past Skinner on lap thirteen to move into fourth place.
On lap fourteen Crawley sped past Don Young into the runner-up spot and took up his chase for the leader, Danny Martin, Jr. Crawley was gaining on Martin on each and every lap. Martin was running the low line around the track and Crawley's advantage seemed to come from following Martin's line low through turns one and two and then employing his own determined use of the cushion in turns three and four and. Crawley was racing right up against the outside retaining wall that was installed in those turns just before this season began and then rocketing down the front stretch with the momentum gained from this. On lap twenty he caught and passed Danny Martin, Jr. down the front straight a way using this daring maneuver.
The caution flag appeared on lap twenty-one for a tangle between the cars of Tim Sites from Memphis, Tennessee and Ryan Myers from Eaton, Ohio. This incident sent both cars to the pit area for the balance of the race. This also bunched all challengers behind Tim Crawley in the lead with Danny Martin, Jr. in the runner-up spot and the Speedweek 2007 point's leader, Terry Gray in third place. Don Young was in the fourth spot and Raymond Stull from Coldwater, Mississippi in fifth place. Marshall Skinner, who started outside the front row, appeared to be fading due to what was later discovered to be a tire loosing air pressure.
The second caution of the race waved on lap twenty-six when the cars of Don Young and Raymond Stull tangled while battling for the fourth position. Both cars were re-started and continued from the rear of the field. The running order was now Crawley the leader with, Danny Martin and Terry Gray just behind him and un, another young gun Brian Bell from Memphis, Tennessee now in fourth place. The 2006 O'Reilly USCS Rookie of the Year Derek Hagar was in fifth place at this point in the race.
The final four laps went caution-free and Crawley led by seven to eight car lengths at the finish line. Gray slipped past Martin on the final circuit and clinched the Speedweek 2007 title. Martin came home in third place and bagged a second place finish (after seven nights of action) in the nine day Speedweek 2007 mini-series final point standings. Brian Bell rounded out a solid performance on the evening finishing in the fourth position after finishing in second place in his heat race. Derek Hagar rounded out the top five on the evening and secured a third place finish in the Speedweek 2007 standings
DeWayne Prince lead the next group of chargers home in sixth place followed by Raymond Stull who recovered from the lap twenty-six incident to finish in seventh place. Skinner replaced a right rear tire during the lap twenty-six caution and charged back to eighth place. Hometown hero, Buster Dickerson from Columbus, Mississippi was ninthin the final run-down while Don Young who ran as high as second place in the race before the lap twenty-six tangle with Raymond Stull rounded out the top ten.
Danny Martin, Jr. won the evening's six cars, six laps Lucas Oil power Dash. Danny Martin, Jr. also won the 10-laps Engler Machine and Tool First Heat Race. Past series Champion Marshall Skinner and Brian Bell staged a thrilling ten-laps side-by-side battle before Skinner grabbed the victory in the Butlerbuilt Second Heat Race. Tim Crawley garnered the events Huggins Cams Hard Charger award for his charge from 8th place into victory lane.
Lee Moore was recognized as the Robison Racing Products Rookie of the Race. Danny Martin, Jr. was recognized as the Hoosier Tire Young Gun of the Race, which is awarded to the top-finishing driver under twenty-five years old at each event. Martin also snagged the K&N Filters Pole Award with his draw of a zero inversion after winning the first heat race. The JE Pistons Top Gun Award that rotates from first place to second place and then to third place went to the third place driver Danny Martin, Jr.
The next O'Reilly USCS National point's event that also wards O'Reilly USCS Mid-South Thunder and O'Reilly USCS Southern Thunder point's event is the two-day Alabama Outlaw Assault. This two-night event is scheduled for Friday June 15th at Penton Raceways near Penton, Alabama and then on Saturday night June 16th at East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, Alabama.
The two-night event is a dream for fans and racers alike as the two tracks are only about one hour apart. For more info on the tracks and events visit the official Penton Raceways website www.pentonraceways.com and www.eamsdirt.com for rules and specific info on the O'Reilly Auto Parts United Sprint Car Series please visit the series official website at www.uscsracing.com or call 404-886-5913
Submitted By: Adam Ulrey