BARBERVILLE, Fla. -- Jason Sides from Bartlett, Tennessee returned to the O'Reilly Auto Parts United Sprint Car Series winner's circle on Monday night at Volusia Speedway Park as the series kicked off one full week of winged sprint car action during the 35th annual VSP Winternationals.
Sides captured the 25 lap season opener for the 10th Anniversary O’Reilly USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour over a star-studded field from twelve states on the fast half mile clay oval in Barberville, Florida. Sides also made it two-in-a-row in the series after capping the previous O’Reilly USCS season with a win in the final event at North Alabama Speedway on November 12, 2005. This was Sides fourth career O’Reilly USCS feature win and second at Volusia Speedway Park. The win worth $2500 set Sides up for an opportunity to pick up an extra $5000 on Tuesday night if he can win again after drawing the number ten inversion spot.
Sides qualified seventh fastest then started the A-Main event sixth and hung out in the top five for the first twelve laps. He then passed previous Volusia O’Reilly USCS feature winner, Mike Brecht from Lipsic, Ohio for fourth on lap twelve. Then, on lap twenty-one Sides slipped past two time Sprints on Dirt Champion, Dustin Daggett from Portland, Michigan who led fifteen of the races first twenty laps into third and moved past a fading Greg Wilson from Benton Ridge, Ohio on lap twenty-two.
After a red flag for Ryan Myers first turn crash on lap twenty-three Sides restarted in second place behind the race-leader, defending O’Reilly USCS National Champion, Kenny Adams from Malabar, Florida. Adams had started outside Wilson on the front row and chased the once potent Daggett and Wilson as they swapped the lead until Adams blew by on lap twenty taking Sides with him into second place. Myers was uninjured in the contact with the wall and the crash.
After the final red flag, Adams looked to coast the last two laps home for the win, but instead coasted to a stop before the twenty-fourth lap was scored with a broken drive line. This brought out the caution flag again and placed Sides in control at the point. He then raced the final two laps home with eleventh starting four time O’Reilly USCS Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee in tow. Besides being from the same hometown as Sides, Gray is listed as Sides engine builder.
Wilson raced home in third behind the Tennessee two, followed by Wayne Johnson from Knoxville, Iowa in fourth and Daggett who’s car was damaged after almost being collected in the wreck that put Myers out of the event was fifth. Sam Hafertepe from Sunnyvale, Texas headed the second five followed by Brecht in seventh, Travis Rilat from Forney, Texas in eighth, 1999 O’Reilly USCS National Champion from West Memphis, Arkansas was ninth and Brian Maddox from Tampa, Florida rouded out the top ten.
Ron Blair of Troy, OH also was also uninjured in tumble that brought out a red flag when he flipped the Double Jay Construction Maxim/Blair in turn three on lap nine.
The six car/six lap Lucas Oil Power Dash was won by Mike Chadd from Lincoln, Nebraska who started sixth behind the other five fastest qualifiers and put on a show! Heat race winners were Wilson, Adams, Gray and Tom Wingardner, Jr. Young Gun, Tony Bruce from Liberal, Kansas captured the 10 lap B-Main. Wayne Johnson garnered the Huggins Cams Hardcharger award after passing ten cars in the main event.
The O'Reilly USCS round two will be Tuesday night back at Volusia Speedway Park. The series will be joined by the All star circuit of Champions and the U.M.P. Open Wheel Modifieds.
RESULTS
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND #1 AT VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK BARBERVILLE, FL ON 2/6/06:
POS STRT CAR# DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS
1. 6 7s Jason Sides Bartlett, TN 25 2. 9 10 Terry Gray Bartlett, TN 25 3. 1 w20 Greg Wilson Benton Ridge, OH 25 4. 8 94s Wayne Johnson Knoxville, Iowa 25 5. 4 0 Dustin Daggett Portland, MI 25 6. 3 15 Sam Hafertepe Sunnyvale, TX 25 7. 10 20m Mike Brecht Lipsec, OH 25 8. 7 29 Travis Rilat Forney, TX 25 9. 12 26 Marshall Skinner West Memphis, AR 25 10. 3x Brian Maddox Tampa, FL 25 11. 5 4m Mike Chadd Lincoln, NE 25 12. 18 00 Danny Martin Jr. Sarasota, FL 25 13. 17 218 Tony Bruce Liberal, KS 25 14. 15 7b Brock Mayes Bucyrus, OH 25 15. 8 19t Matt Tiffany Daytona Beach, FL 25 16. 13 11T Tom Winegardner, Jr. Pierson, FL 25 17. 21 71 R.J. Johnson Decatur, TN 25 18. 16 4b Bryn Gohn Malabar, FL 24 19. 22 32 Stephen Darvalics Venice, FL 24 20. 2 4a Kenny Adams Malabar, FL 23 21. 19 56r Ryan Myers Eldorado, OH 23 22. 20 35 Ron Blair Troy, OH 9
FAILED TO TRANSFER TO A-MAIN:
12b Brian Eckley - Tampa, FL 43 Terry Witherspoon - Jacksonville, FL 12m James Mosher - Las Cruces, N.M. 20 Frank Carlsson - Oxford, FL 56 Alan Kaluzniak - Jacksonville, FL 12 Mike Schroeder - Southwest Ranches, FL 17n Jamie Neaves - Daytona Beach, Fl 11 Tom Winegardner - Sr., Pierson, FL 44j Abe Sherwood - Drumwright, Oklahoma
Entries: 31 Provisionals: Stephen Darvalics K&N Pole Award: Greg Wilson Lead Changes: 7 Lap Leaders: Wilson, 1, 10, 17, 19-21; Daggett 2-9, 11-16 And 18; Adams 22-23;
Sides, 24-25 Laps Led: Wilson, 6; Daggett 14, Adams 3 ; Sides, 2 Cautions: 5 (2 - Red Flags)
Cnb Mushrooms Fast Time Award: Greg Wilson 20W - 16.087 Seconds Longest Tow Award: James Mosher
Speedmart Young Gun Of The Race: Dustin Daggett Robison Racing Products Rookie Of The Race: Bryan Eckley/Jamie Neaves Huggins Cams Hard Charger: Wayne Johnson Started 14Th And Passed 10 Cars Je Pistons Top Gun Award - Jason Sides
K&N Filters 3Rd-Place Award: Greg Wilson Butlerbuilt 4Th-Place Award: Wayne Johnson Outlaw Disc Brakes Top Five Award: Dustin Daggett Simpson Safety Products 6Th-Place Award: Sam Hapertepe
FSR Racing Products-7 Th-Place Award: Mike Brecht Air Flow Research 9Th-Place Award: Marshall Skinner
FSR Top Ten Award: Brian Maddox
Weld Racing Hard Luck Award: Adams
Engler Machine And Tool 1St Qualifying Race: 1. Wilson; 2. Brecht; 3. W. Johnson; 4. Daggett; 5. R.J. Johnson..6. Carlson ; 7. Witherspoon; 8. Schroeder
Lucas Oil Power Dash - 6 Laps: 1. Chadd; 2. Martin.3. Wilson; 4. Hapertepe; 5. Adams 6. Daggett.
B-Main - 10 LAPS (Top 6 Finishers Transfer To A-Main): 1. Bruce; 2. Danny Martin, Jr.; 3. Ryan Myers; 4. Ron Blair; 5. R.J. Johnson 6. Brian Eckley 7. Terry Witherspoon; 8. James Mosher; 9. Frank Carlsson; 10. Stephen Darvalics; 11. Alan Kaluzniak; 12. Mike Schroeder; 13. Jamie Neaves; 14. Tom Winegardner; 15. Abe Sherwood DNS.
O'Reilly USCS Final 2005 National Point Standings:
Pos Driver Name Points
1. Jason Sides 150 2. Terry Gray 148 3. Greg Wilson 146 4. Wayne Johnson 144 5. Dustin Daggett 142 6. Sam Hafertepe 140 7. Mike Brecht 138 8. Travis Rilat 136 9. Marshall Skinner 134 10. Brian Maddox 132
