On Friday night at North Alabama Speedway, while under caution Hagar suffered minor burn injuries when his #9jr mount caught fire after the fuel cap came off and he was splashed with Methanol. But, on this night Hagar burned up the Columbus, Mississippi speed plant while racing dangerously close to the wall around Johnny Stokes well groomed racing surface. Hagar event hit the wall hard exiting turn four on lap fifteen, almost allowing defending O’Reilly USCS National Champion Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee who was running in the second position at the time to pass him. But, the fearless young gun

Another talented young gun, Danny Martin, Jr. from Sarasota, Florida raced across the finish line in the runner-up spot for his best finish of the Speedweek mini-series. Past O’Reilly USCS Champion, Marshall Skinner from West Memphis, Arkansas followed in the third position after starting 12th. Round One (Riverside 5/24) winner Lee Sowell from Nesbit, Mississippi continued the Young Guns assault on the veterans with a fourth place finish and 20 year-old Don Young from Bartlett, Tennessee rounded out the top five.

Two-time O’Reilly USCS Champion, Kenny Adams from Malabar, Florida went to the work area on lap 12 for a tire and returned to the track at the rear of the field to charge back to sixth place. Three-time Speedweek 2008 feature winner, Tim Crawley joined Adams at the rear of the field on lap 12. Crawley was relegated to the rear after his motor died under caution requiring a second push off. He followed Adams across the finish line in seventh place. Rookie driver Justin Carver from Memphis, Tennessee, who has looked impressive all week, finished in the eighth position. Local favorite, Buster Dickerson from Caledonia, Mississippi finished ninth in his first O’Reilly USCS start off the season and O’Reilly USCS Mid South Rookie point’s leader, Anthony Nicholson clinched the Speedweek 2008 “Rookie of the Week” honors after rounding out the top ten and finishing eighth in the standings among the 40 plus drivers that competed.

The race had three caution flags. On the first one on lap twelve while circling the track under caution the motor died on Tim Crawley’s #88 mount. Crawley, who had been running in second place at the time, had to re-start from the rear and rallied back to seventh position to secure a tie for the Speedweek 2008 Championship. A final caution came out when Speedweek 2008 points leader, Terry Gray slowed in turn one when the Winters aluminum u-joint in his car exploded and ripped the every component from the engine plate. Fortunately, Gray was not seriously harmed.

Kenny Adams collected the win in the evening’s Lucas Oil Power Dash. In a Young Guns sweep of the qualifying heat races, Derek Hagar also won the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat. Then, 20 year-old Don Young won the Butlerbuilt Second Heat Race and 22 year-old Danny Martin, Jr. closed out the qualifying races with a win in the Bar’s Leaks Third Heat Race. Marshall Skinner garnered the Huggins Cams Hard Charger Award for his charge from his 12th starting position past nine cars to finish third. The 2005 O’Reilly USCS pavement series Champion Wayne Reutimann, Jr. from Zephyrhills, Florida passed an equal number of competitors to finish 11th. Derek Hagar earned the Hoosier Tire Young Guns award for the best finish by a driver under 25 years-old after his feature win. Justin Carver picked up his second Speedweek Rookie of the Race award.

Three time O’Reilly Speedweek 2008 feature winner, Tim Crawley from Benton, Arkansas and 1999 O’Reilly USCS Champion, Marshall Skinner from West Memphis, Arkansas who finished all six A-Main events with no finish worst than seventh position tied in the final tabulation for the Speedweek title and we’re declared Co-Champions. The 2007 O’Reilly USCS Speedweek Champion, Terry Gray had the points lead slip from his grasp when the Winters U-Joint in his #10 mount let go while in the runner-up position with 3-laps to go and settled for third in the standings.

Lee Sowell who grabbed the win in the opening round at Riverside Speedway on May 24th finished fourth in the mini-series standings and Raymond Stull from Independence, Mississippi rounded out the top five in the Speedweek points. Young Guns Danny Martin, Jr. from Sarasota, Florida and 2007 O’Reilly USCS Rookie of the Year, Don Young from Bartlett, Tennessee tied for the sixth position. 2008 Rookie point’s leader, Anthony Nicholson also from Bartlett, Tennessee finished eighth in the standings after a series of strong performances in a talented field. Veteran USCS regular Ronny Howard from Southaven, Mississippi followed in ninth place in the standings. The O’Reilly USCS Speedweek finale winner Derek Hagar from Marion, Arkansas clinched the final pay-off position in the standings for the busy and competitive week of racing action.

The next O’Reilly USCS event is scheduled for June 14th at Central Mississippi Speedway in Winona, Mississippi. That event is an O’Reilly USCS Mid-South Thunder regional series event. For more information, please call (404) 886-5913 or visit www.uscsracing.com 

Lucas Oil Power Dash (6 laps): Kenny Adams, Tim Crawley, Wade Oliver, Terry Gray, Marshall Skinner, Matt Linder.

Engler Machine and Tool Heat 1): Derek Hagar, Terry Gray, Kenny Adams, Ronny Howard, Anthony Nicholson, Bryn Gohn, Wayne Reutimann Jr.

Butlerbuilt Heat 2): Don Young, Tim Crawley, Buster Dickerson, Lee Sowell, Raymond Stull, Matt Linder, Clint Weiss.

Bars Leaks Heat 3): Danny Martin Jr, Justin Carver, Wade Oliver, Marshall Skinner, Bryce Vowan, Ray Bugg.

O’Reilly USCS A-main 30 laps (finish/driver/car#/start):
1-Derek Hagar 9jr (1), 2-Danny Martin Jr 00 (3), 3-Marshall Skinner 26 (12), 4-Lee Sowell 51(11), 5-Don Young 75 (2) 6-Kenny Adams 4a (7) 7-Tim Crawley 88 (5), 8-Justin Carver 24 (6) 9-Buster Dickerson 86 ( 10-Anthony Nicholson 16n (13), 11-Wayne Reutimann Jr. 00R (19), 12-Bryn Gohn 4b (16), 13-Raymond Stull 21 (14), 14-Bryce Vowan 2m (15), 15-Clint Weiss 0x (20), 16-Ronny Howard 44 (10), 17-Wade Oliver 58 (9), 18-Terry Gray 10 (4),19-Matt Linder 1x (17), 20-Ray Bugg 25 (1.

Lap Leader: 1-30 Derek Hagar.

O’Reilly USCS Speedweek 2008 presented by Lucas Oil Final Point Standings Top Ten:

1 - Tim Crawley 852
Tie - Marshall Skinner 852
3 - Terry Gray 844
4 - Lee Sowell 822
5 - Raymond Stull 794
6 - Danny Martin, Jr. 784
Tie - Don Young 784
8 - Anthony Nicholson 776
9 - Ronny Howard 732
10 - Derek Hagar 652