8/3/2024
USCS United Sprint Car Series
MORGAN (TURPEN) HAVENER GOES WIRE-TO-WIRE FOR USCS HATTIESBURG WIN
HATTIESBURG, MS – Saturday, August 3, 2024 - Two-time USCS National Champion Morgan Turpen Havener of Cordova, TN won night two of the Summer Sprint Car Shootout for the United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters on Saturday night in the 30-lap Feature Race at Hattiesburg Speedway. Havener went wire-to-wire to lead all 30 laps.
The “Queen of the Wings” outran Friday night’s winner former USCS National Champion Jordan Mallett of Greenbrier, AR, who finished second. The defending and 15-time USCS National Champion National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN took the third spot.
Alex Lyles of Arlington, TN started 14th and finished fourth to earn the Wilwood Brakes Hard Charger Award. Jake Brashier of Denham Springs, LA turned in his best finish of the season with a fifth-place effort.
Dustin Burtron of Seminole, FL was sixth, and Jeff Willingham of Ripley, MS drove to a seventh-place finish. Brandon Blenden of Gulfport, MS was eighth, and Blake Mallette of Vancleve, MS finished ninth. Jason Smith of Gulfport, MS rounded out the top ten.
In preliminary action, Mallett won the six-lap Hoosier Racing Tire Speed Dash to earn the Pole Position for the 30-lap Feature Race. The three eight-lap Heat Races were won by Michael Miller of Pascagoula, MS in the Engler Machine & Tool First Heat Race, Gray in the Butlerbuilt Racing Products Second Heat Race, and Morgan Havener in the Racing Electronics Third Heat.
Havener took the lead from her outside front row starting spot at the start of the race followed by Mallett, Gray, Dale Howard of Byhalia, MS, and Michael Miller. The first of five caution flags came out on lap three when Scott Craft of Purvis, MS stopped in turn two. Howard passed Gray for the third spot on the restart.
The leaders began lapping the cars on the tail end of the lead lap by eighth tour, and the lapped cars began blending in with the front runners. The second caution of the race came out on lap 13 when Chase Wood Jr, of Gilroy, CA spun in turn four. The top five for the restart was Havener, Mallett, Howard, Gray, and Miller.
Lapped traffic once again came into play by lap 16, and a lapped car tangled up with Miller to bring out the caution flag on lap 18. That moved Lyles up to the fifth spot for the restart. Wood brought out the caution flag for a second time on lap 23 with a turn four spin. Just after the restart, Howard executed a flip to bring out the red flag.
The top five for the restart was Havener, Mallett, Gray, Lyles, and Blenden moved into the top five. Blenden brought out the last caution flag of the race when he spun out of the fifth spot on lap 26 in turn one. That moved Brashier into the fifth spot for the restart. Havener led the final four laps of the race to lead all 30.
The next two United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters events will be on Friday night, August 9 at Lavonia Speedway in Lavonia, GA and on Saturday night, August 10 at Senoia Raceway in Senoia, GA. 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 8/3/2024:
FEATURE RACE – 30 Laps: 1. 10m Morgan Havener, Cordova, TN (2); 2. 14 Jordan Mallett, Greenbrier, AR (1); 3. 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN (3); 4. 17 Alex Lyles, Arlington, TN (14); 5. 13x Jake Brashier, Denham Springs, LA (13); 6. 51 Dustin Burtron, Seminole, FL (4); 7. 28 Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS (11); 8. 88 Brandon Blenden, Gulfport, MS (12); 9. 67 Blake Mallette, Vancleve, MS (7); 10. 56 Jason Smith, Gulfport, MS (10); 11. 16 Hannah Merritt, Nesbit, MS (16); 12. 47 Dale Howard, Byhalia, MS (5); 13. 27 Chase Wood Jr., Gilroy CA (9); 14. 4m Michael Miller, Pascagoula, MS (6); 15. 94 Parker Davis, Mobile, AL (15); 16. L37 Scott Craft, Purvis, MS (8); 17. 83 Blake Carrier, Amite, LA (18); 18. 61 Sean Wimpee, Mobile, AL (17).
HOOSIER RACING TIRE SPEED DASH – 6 Laps: 1. Mallett; 2. Havener; 3. Gray; 4. Burtron; 5. Howard; 6. Miller.
HEAT RACES – 8 Laps:
ENGLER MACHINE & TOOL HEAT 1: 1. Miller; 2. Howard; 3. Burtron; 4. Wood; 5. Blenden; 6. Lyles.
BUTLERBUILT RACING PRODUCTS HEAT 2: 1. Gray; 2. Mallett; 3. Craft; 4. Willingham; 5. Brashier; 6. Davis.
RACING ELECTRONICS HEAT 3: 1. Havener; 2. Mallette; 3. Merritt; 4. Smith; 5. Wimpee DNS; 6. Carrier DNS.
***Submitted by ROBY HELM – Helm Communications – 865-207-4157.
United Sprint Car Series News Release: Contact: PETE WALTON – 770-865-6097.
Article Credit: Pete Walton