TOCCOA, Ga. - The era where Sarasota, Fla. hot shoe Danny Martin, Jr. could win five or more United Sprint Car Series (USCS) feature races in a row has long since passed, but the talented driver proved on Friday night at Toccoa Raceway in Toccoa, Ga. that he still knows how to win with the best.
Martin, Jr. seized the lead from K&N Filters polesitter Greg Smyre on the opening lap of Friday’s 20-lap Toccoa Tangle preliminary A-main and went on to wire the field for his 21st career trip to USCS victory lane – despite being involved in a field-altering melee on lap 12 that took out nearly half the starting grid in turn three. The incident began when Danny Smith spun racing for second with Robbie Stillwaggon, and the track bottlenecked so quickly that drivers did not have time to react and ultimately were swept up in the aftermath.
The victory was Martin, Jr.’s first in USCS action since September of 2010.
When asked how he managed to survive the crash, Martin, Jr. was very upfront with his response.
“I didn’t (make it through), he said. “I ran over two cars and someone else hit me. I got out and checked everything and it all appeared to be okay. Then my car owner said, ‘Drive it like you stole it,’ so we went with it and here we are.
“I was beginning to think Doug might lose faith in me – we bought four of these 360s and we hadn’t been able to win in one of them. We’ve been killing them in the limited series but we just couldn’t pull off a 360 win – at least until tonight.”
Former URC Sprint Series champion Stillwaggon, out of Burlington, N.J., chased Martin the entire distance but ultimately had to settle for second at the twin checkers, with Bartlett, Tenn. native and defending series champion Terry Gray rounding out the podium in third. Eric Riggins, Jr., finished fourth and Johnny Petrozellle completed the top five.
Jake McLain, Terry Witherspoon, Smyre, Johnny Bridges and Jeff Willingham rounded out the top ten.
Morgan Turpen kicked off the evening’s racing action by winning the first Hoosier Tire Speed Dash of the season, with the six-car field set by last year’s USCS Southern Thunder points standings. Riggins, Jr. scored the win in the first heat and Gray rolled to the victory in the second heat.
Gray was the provisional pole starter after scoring the most passing points in heat race action, but after a six came up in the K&N Inversion Draw, Martin, Jr. received the K&N Filters Pole Award.
In other action, after being noncommittal about returning south for any USCS 600 Sprint Car Series events in 2015 after winning last year’s season finale, Johnstown, Pa. veteran Jim Young made a resounding statement on Friday night at Toccoa Raceway.
Young took the lead on lap three of the 20-lap Toccoa Tangle preliminary A-main and then held off a spirited charge from Robby Hoffmann to notch his fourth-career and second-straight USCS Mini Sprint victory in dominant fashion.
“I just (had to keep) hitting my marks,” Young said in USCS victory lane. “I was counting the laps down – I kept thinking, ‘It’s better than being at home. It’s snowing at home.’ It might be a little cold here, but it’s good.”
Series rookie Hoffmann, making his first-career USCS Mini Sprint start, hung on for second but rued the final caution that took the element of slower traffic out of the picture and kept him from challenging in the closing stages.
“I think (that was the difference),” Hoffman said following the race. “We had a really good run – it didn’t start out good – but we (made) our way up through the field and gave Jim a little bit of a run (for his money). Just didn’t have enough there after that caution.
Fellow rookie Robbie Smith rounded out the podium in third in his USCS debut. Six-time series winner Rick Goss started on the K&N Filters Pole Position but dropped back to fourth at the checkered flag and Dirk Miller finished fifth.
Raelynn Moss, David Hall, Snellville, Ga. rookie Remeno Loyal, Alpharetta, Ga.’s Bob Trapino and Michael Barton rounded out the top ten.
The event featured three caution periods – one on lap five when former Georgia Mini Sprint Association champion Shane Werner slowed to a stop in turn one, and the second on lap seven when Matt McCullough flipped in turn two, drawing a red flag. The final yellow came with four laps to go and set up a dash to the finish after the No. 30 of John Crowder stopped on the turn three end of the race track.
Winder, Ga.’s Mike Magic kicked off the night by grabbing the win in the Hoosier Tire Speed Dash. Werner took the win in first heat. Dirk Miller notched the win in the second heat.
McCullough was the provisional polesitter after scoring the most passing points in heat race action, but following a four being pulled in the K&N Inversion Draw, Goss grabbed the K&N Filters Pole Position.
For rules and updated schedule information about the United Sprint Car Series, visit USCSRacing.com.
USCS Sprint Car Series
Toccoa Raceway – Toccoa, GA
Toccoa Tangle – March 27, 2015
1. #24 – Danny Martin, Jr. – Sarasota, FL
2. #89 – Robbie Stillwaggon – Burlington, NJ
3. #10 – Terry Gray – Bartlett, TN
4. #47 – Eric Riggins, Jr. – Charlotte, NC
5. #59III – Johnny Petrozelle – Denton, NC
6. #67 – Jake McLain – Indian Trail, NC
7. #43 – Terry Witherspoon – Jacksonville, FL
8. #21K – Greg Smyre – Hickory, NC
9. #07 – Johnny Bridges – Cherryville, NC
10. #28 – Jeff Willingham – Ripley, MS
11. #33 – Joe Larkin – Suwanee, GA
12. #4 – Danny Smith – Chilicothe, OH
13. #21B – Brandon McLain – Indian Trail, NC
14. #116 – Nick Snyder – Marco Island, FL
15. #51 – Jay Dunham – Grovetown, GA
16. #83 – Bob Auld – Largo, FL
17. #10M – Morgan Turpen – Cordova, TN
18. #9 – C.J. Miller – Mooresville, NC
DNS: #23 – Derek Hagar – Marion, AR
USCS 600 Mini Sprints
1. #8Y – Jim Young – Johnstown, PA
2. #66 – Robby Hoffmann – Lithia, FL
3. #95 – Robbie Smith – Ocala, FL
4. #9R – Rick Goss – Charlotte, NC
5. #68 – Dirk Miller – Sanford, FL
6. #23 – Raelynn Moss – Deland, FL +8
7. #67 – David Hall – Casselberry, FL
8. #2X – Remeno Loyal – Snellville, GA
9. #98 – Bob Trapino – Alpharetta, GA
10. #21B – Michael Barton – Castalian Springs, TN
11. #9W – Jackson Wellman – Belmont, NC
12. #41 – Chris Huffman – Harlem, GA
13. #33 – Carlie Yent – Tampa, FL
14. #30 – John Crowder – Summerfield, FL
15. #14 – Matt McCullough – Atlanta, GA
16. #48 – Shane Werner – McDonough, GA
17. #8 – Eddie Moss, Jr. – Deland, FL
DNS: #5M – Mike Magic – Winder, GA
DNS: #07 – Brandon Taylor – Cumming, GA
