Aguilar streaks to USCS asphalt victory at Anderson

By Jacob Seelman

Posted 1:14PM on Monday, July 28, 2014

WILLIAMSTON, SC - Joey "The Ace" Aguilar arrived at Anderson Motor Speedway in Williamston, SC Friday afternoon ready to compete with the United Sprint Car and he ended up being dealt the winning cards. Aguilar, a three-time TBARA Sprint Series winner in 2014 and pavement sprint car veteran from Tampa, FL, powered around pole sitter Johnny Bridges on lap 4 of Friday night's 25-lap Anderson Summer Nationals preliminary A-main and drove away to win by a full straightaway despite two caution periods in the first half of the event that slowed the pace. The victory was Aguilar's sixth straight sprint car feature victory across multiple sanctions in 2014 and second career USCS feature win, following a win at Lanier National Speedway in Braselton, GA in 2010. "This is sweet, just like it says on the side of my car," a jubilant Aguilar said in victory lane, referring to his sponsor, Sweet Manufacturing. "I really can't believe this, it's awesome to race here and you guys have seriously got me thinking about moving up here, getting out of Florida. To beat a veteran like Terry Gray, who's a class act and is so good in this series and anywhere he races, that's really special tonight. Now we want to try and double it up tomorrow." Pole sitter and defending USCS Anderson Motor Speedway winner Bridges blasted out in front of the field to lead on the initial start, but was quickly reeled in by Aguilar, who caught the veteran in traffic early in the going. Aguilar made what turned out to be the winning pass by going almost-three wide through the middle of the race track in turns one and two. When the caution came out a lap later for the stopped car of Dave Thorman in turn four, Bridges was afforded an opportunity to return the favor. However, the Cherryville, NC native had no answer on the restart, and Aguilar again disappeared from the rest of the field's reach. As Bridges tried to give chase, he tangled with the lapped car of Tim Perry on lap 13 and came to rest on the outside of turn one with significant suspension damage, bringing out the race's final caution. "It's just a shame, we had a good car tonight," Bridges said after the race. "I hate it because we were leading the USCS pavement points coming into tonight, but what can you do? Sometimes it's just not your night." Following the restart, new second-place driver and ten-time series champion Terry Gray had no answer for Aguilar, who raced his way into victory lane unchallenged. Gray had to settle for the runner-up position while his teammate, Morgan Turpen, finished her night in the third position. Jake McLain rode home in the fourth position and Jake's brother Brandon McLain rounded out the top five finishers. Grovetown, GA driver Jay Dunham tied his career-best USCS feature finish with a sixth place result, matching his effort from Lavonia Speedway in Lavonia, GA last Thursday. Pavement sprint car veteran Tom Paterson crossed the line in seventh and rookie Greg Smyre finished eighth in just his sixth-ever sprint car race. Tim Perry came home ninth and Bridges was scored in tenth after his crash at the midway point of the race. Johnny Bridges set the K&N Filters Fast Time during two-lap time trials on Friday afternoon with a lap of 13.26 seconds (101.810 mph), breaking Morgan Turpen's all-time track record of 13.314 seconds set in the fall of 2010. Gray scored the win in the first heat and Jake McLain grabbed the victory in the second heat. Bridges was the provisional pole sitter after receiving his time back following heat race action, and after a zero came up in the K&N Filters inversion draw, he also received the K&N Filters Pole Award. For rules, schedules and more information on the United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour, visit <a href="http://www.uscsracing.com" target="_blank">uscsracing.com</a>. USCS Sprint Car Series Anderson Motor Speedway - Williamston, SC K&N Summer Nationals - July 25, 2014 1. #11