| Gray turns USCS Huntsville event into "Birthday Bash" | Huntsville, Alabama - Defending USCS Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee, turned Friday night's United Sprint Car Series event at Huntsville Speedway into his own personal "birthday party" by scoring a win in the 40 lap USCS "August Asphalt Assault" main event. Gray started the evening by setting a new all time Huntsville Speedway track record of 11.294 seconds at the legendary 1/4 mile paved oval, eclipsing Kenny Adams mark of 11.359 set one the first USCS visit to Huntsville in 2001.
Gray who started on the pole led the first ten laps of the main event before having to deal with fellow front row starter Kenny Adams, from Malabar, Florida. The two changed the lead several times in the first five laps and Adams took back over on laps ten thru seventeen before Gray passed him for the final time on lap eighteen. He led the balance of the circuits in his trip to victory lane. Adams appeared to be having a low right rear tire at that point, and lost ground for several laps but kept Gray in sight.
On lap thirty three a caution brought out when third running Jim Raptis of Marietta, Georgia, the 2001 winner at the track, collided with a lapped car bunched the field with Adams only two cars back in the running order from Gray. when the green flag dropped again Gray raced hard to maintain a comfortable margin and preserve the win on his birthday. This is Gray's second USCS win in a row and sixth USCS main event win in 2003 after capturing the USCS "Dixie Outlaw Nationals at Dixie Speedway on August 2nd.
Willie Stauffer of Winter Park, Florida came out of a youthful retirement to drive Johnny Ardis' #31 home in third position . USCS veteran racer, Ted Williams from Atlanta recovered from a heat race crash to finish fourth. Doug Day from Winder, Georgia rounded out the top five. Current USCS Rookie points leader, Chase Taylor from Montgomery Texas finished sixth, Doug Fitzwater from Birmingham, Alabama was seventh, Dave Thorman from Greenville, South Carolina followed in eighth, Huntsville, Alabama native Skip Andrews finished in ninth in his pavement debut and Raptis rounded out the top ten.
Heat races went to Gray and Adams who also won the Airflow Research Power Dash. Local favorite, Skip Andrews garnered the Huggins Cams "Hardcharger' award. The KSE "Outstanding Driving Performance" for the event went to an exuberant Stauffer.
USCS Huntsville Speedway 40 lap main event finish - Terry Gray, Kenny Adams, Willie Stauffer, Ted Williams, Doug Day, Chase Taylor, Doug Fitzwater, David Thorman, Skip Andrews, Jim Raptis, Aubrey Black, Doug Wimpee, Brad Davis, Michael Craddock. Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on the Message Board! or send a letter to the editor!
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