Friday, August 8, 2003
Friday, August 8, 2003 |
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'Outlaw Thunder' at Senoia this weekend Wild and exciting winged outlaw sprint car racing returns to Senoia Speedway Saturday night for the second round of the United Sprint Car Series "August Asphalt Assault" doubleheader event. The "Asphalt Thunder" tour roars into the historic and challenging 3/8-mile oval for a return visit after scorching the oval during its first trip earlier in the season. This will be the 22nd event on the 40-race 2003 national tour. The event is expected to bring top winged outlaw sprint car drivers from at least six states to the speedway. Their exotic fire-breathing, alcohol-burning 700-horsepower open wheel cars weigh approximately 1,300 pounds, and will literally fly around the track surface at speeds well in excess of 140 miles per hour. It is not uncommon to see them popping wheelies or doing wheel stands because of the brute force of their engines and their huge 18-inch-wide rear tires. Saturday night's sprint car action will feature a program that includes time trial qualifying, heat races and a 40-lap main event. In addition, the evening's first sprint car race will be the Airflow Research Power Dash that showcases the top cars from the previous main event in an edge-of-your-seat six-car shootout that accrues points toward an Airflow Research Super Power Dash at season's end worth $5,000 to the winner. Heavy hitter entries include two of the nation's hottest sprint car drivers. Number one is America's winningest sprint car driver over the past three seasons, USCS 2000 series champion Kenny Adams from Malabar, Fla., who leads the point standings in the "Asphalt Thunder" paved track portion of the schedule. Adams holds the Senoia Speedway track record but finished behind Dude Teate in the spring event. Adams has won 11 USCS events this year and has 80 wins in all competitions since the beginning of the 2000 season. He has 18 feature wins in all so far this season. Adams, who was named 2000's Sprint Car Driver of the Year by the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame pollsters, will have his hands full with a host of challengers from across the nation. Hot shoe number two is current USCS national points leader Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tenn. Gray is the two-time defending USCS national champion and has nine national championships to his credit with three different series. He has over 300 feature wins. Gray finished in the runner-up spot in the Sprint Car Hall of Fame poll in 2001 and had 14 wins on the season. Gray won six USCS paved track events in 2002 and he had 10 wins in series competition last season and 16 overall wins, ranking him among the top in the nation in 2002. He has five USCS wins so far this season and 10 wins overall. Also entered is "Georgia Gang" leader Jim Raptis of Marietta. Raptis trails Gray by just 98 points in the National title chase. He is a fifth-year sprint car driver after a long stint in stock cars in the Southern All Star, All-Pro, Busch and Winston Cup circuits. Several of Raptis' wins came at Senoia Speedway. The likeable but, race ready "I'm coming to Senoia ready for another visit to victory lane, this time in a sprint car," said Raptis. "This has been our best year in USCS and we are looking to make it better at Senoia as it's one of my favorite tracks." Other entries include: Aubrey Black from Lookout Mountain, Ga., who is fourth in the national point standings; 2002 USCS top rookie driving sensation Randy Weaver from Powder Springs, who is fifth in the National standings; and the traveling series' 1999 USCS top rookie, 20-year-old Chris Rogers from Winston, Ga., who has been tough lately with several top three finishes in the last five events will also be ready for action. Other Georgia entries include Ted Williams from Atlanta, who ranks fourth in the USCS "Asphalt Thunder" points, and USCS sprint car veteran Jim Mackenzie from Buford. For Alabama favorites, Skip Andrews from Huntsville, who will be making debut weekend on asphalt, is entered. Doug Fitzwater from Birmingham is another expected entry. Several rookies vying for USCS 2003 top rookie honors are entered including Chase Taylor from Montgomery, Tex., and two South Carolina rookie standouts: Jimmy Taylor from Greenville and Will Ragsdale from Easley. David Thorman from Berea, S.C., and Brad Davis from Mooresville, N.C., are entered as are several others. The sprint cars will join a program that includes several Senoia Speedway stock car divisions for a full night of family entertainment. Senoia Speedway gates open Friday at 5 p.m. and racing action starts at 8 p.m. The track phone number is 770-599-6161.
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