FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Riggins sweeps USCS North vs. South Round #1 at CAROLINA SPEEDWAY

GASTONIA, NC – September 22, 2017 - Eric Riggins Jr. of Charlotte, NC swept the United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour 30-lap Main Event Presented By K&N Filters on Friday night at Carolina Speedway.  Riggins not only won the main event, but also the Brown and Miller Racing Solutions second eight-lap heat race, and the Hoosier Racing Tire six-lap Speed Dash.

After taking the lead from early race pacesetter Lance Moss of Cherryville, NC on lap seven, Riggins packed his bags, turned in the key and checked out on the field leaving only the top four drivers on the lead lap when the checkered flag fell.  Riggins showed that when a man needs the money, he races hard.

“During the off weekend, we went on vacation to the Bahamas, and we got robbed twice while we were there, so we came home low on cash,” Riggins said.  “This win really helps making up what we lost.  I love racing here at my home track Carolina Speedway, and I want say to thanks the fans for their support.”

Riggins scored his second straight USCS win of the season after posting the victory on September 9th at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, GA.  The Carolina Speedway race was the first of two nights for the USCS North vs. South Shootout, with night two on Saturday night at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, SC.  Riggins swept the North-South event in 2013, and will try to become the first driver to sweep it twice in USCS history.

“Our team has struggled the first part of the season, but we’ve really worked hard in the shop to turn things around, and it’s paying off,” Riggins said.  “I’ve got a dedicated family and crew that have sacrificed a lot.  I couldn’t do this without them.”

Riggins went under the checkered flag with a full straightaway lead over Robbie Stillwagon of Burlington, NJ, and Moss ended up taking the third spot.  The 11-time USCS National Champion Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN finished fourth and was the last car on the lead lap.  Scott Hunter of Concord, NC was fifth and sixth went to USCS Southern Thunder Tour former Rookie of the Year, Jake McLain of Matthews, NC.

USCS veteran racer Joe Larkin of Suwanee, GA started 17th and finished seventh to earn the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger of the Race Award.   Another USCS veteran racer, Bob Auld of Largo, FL took the eighth spot and 2017 series newcomer Garrett Green of Valrico, FL was ninth and Dan Jones of Concord, NC rounded out the top ten.

In other preliminary action, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Danny Smith of Chillicothe, OH won the eight-lap Engler Machine and Tool first heat race.  Moss earned the K&N Filters Pole Award to lead the field down for the green flag of the main event.  Moss took the lead followed by Jones, who started on the outside of the front row.

The caution flag came out on lap one when Smith slowed in turn four with a mechanical issue and Hunter spun to avoid making contact with Smith.  That necessitated a complete restart.  On the next green flag, Jones got sideways on the inside of turn one and that caused a chain reaction back through the pack that collected Auld and Bronzie Lawson IV of Southern Pines, NC.

The second complete restart was a good one with Moss taking the lead with Jones in second, and Riggins hustling up from his sixth starting spot into third.  Riggins made quick work of Jones on lap two to move up the second spot, and Stillwagon dropped Jones to fourth on lap three.

Riggins was all over Moss to challenge for the lead on lap five, and on lap six tried to get a run on the outside coming off the second turn.  Moss moved up and Riggins had to get out of the throttle, as he ran out real estate.  The Carolina Kid reloaded the guns on his #47 machine to take another shot at Moss on lap seven.

Riggins threw a textbook slide job maneuver through turns one and two on lap seven to take the lead.  Riggins entered the first turn of Carolina Speedway on the high following Moss’ tire tracks, but then dove for the bottom of the track, got under Moss, and then slid up in front of him to grab the point.  Once in the lead, Riggins then pulled away from the field.

Riggins stay up on the cushion of clay on the high side of the race track, and he could power around lapped cars with ease.  The only thing that slowed him down was a lap 16 caution flag for a four-car tangle on the front straightaway. 

Brandon Taylor of Cumming, GA, Danny Sams III of Englewood, FL, and Jones tangled with the lapped car of Jeff Willingham of Ripley, MS while battling for the fifth position.  All drivers were O.K.  Riggins led Moss, Stillwagon, and Gray back to the green flag on the lead lap, with Hunter, Green, McLain, Larkin, Jones and Auld a lap down in fifth through tenth respectively.

Once the field went back to green flag action, Stillwagon got to the inside of Moss and passed him for the second spot coming off the fourth turn on lap 17.  By lap 20, Riggins had a full straightaway lead on Stillwagon, and maintained that advantage for the last ten laps of the race.

The USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour Presented By K&N Filters travels South down I-85 to Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, SC on Saturday night for night two of the USCS North vs. South Shootout.

For rules and updated schedule information about the United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour, please visit www.uscsracing.com or call the series office at 770-460-7223 or 770-865-6097. You can also like the United Sprint Car Series Facebook page at USCS Racing.

OFFICIAL FINISH AT CAROLINA SPEEDWAY IN GASTONIA, NC ON 9/22/17:

30-LAP A-MAIN:

POS     STRT   CAR #  DRIVER                       HOMETOWN                           
1.         6          47        Eric Riggins Jr.             Charlotte, NC
2.         5          89        Robbie Stillwagon         Burlington, NJ
3.         1          23        Lance Moss                  Cherryville, NC
4.         3          10        Terry Gray                    Bartlett, TN
5.         12        1x        Scott Hunter                 Concord, NC
6.         8          67m      Jake McLain                 Matthews, NC
7.         17        33        Joe Larkin                    Suwanee, GA
8.         13        83        Bob Auld                       Largo, FL
9.         15        3g        Garrett Green               Valrico, FL
10.       2          8          Dan Jones                    Concord, NC
11.       7          07        Brandon Taylor             Cumming, GA
12.       10        24d       Danny Sams III             Englewood, FL
13.       15        28        Jeff Willingham             Ripley, MS
14.       9          67        Brian Thomas               Pendergrass, GA
15.       18        14        Jordon Mallett               Greenbrier, AR
16.       14        4IV       Bronzie Lawson IV        Southern Pines, NC
17.       4          4          Danny Smith                 Chillicothe, OH
18.       16        X          Bill Moore                     Charlotte, NC

USCS Sprint Car Series Race Awards: