HOHENWALD, Tenn. – Story, audio and photo by Managing Editor Jacob Seelman for Speed77 Radio, Race Chaser Online and USCS Racing –

There was simply no stopping Matt Cooper on Friday night at Tennessee National Raceway.

Cooper, a former two-time race winner at the Tennessee 200, added a third race win to his credit during preliminary action for the 2015 edition of the event in dominating fashion – by setting the K&N Filters Fast Time (14.50 seconds), leading every lap of his heat race, starting on the K&N Filters Pole Position and then running off to wire the field during the 25-lap season opener for the K&N Filters USCS Outlaw Modified Series.

How did the Mackenzie, Tenn. driver do it?

“With a good race car,” Cooper smiled in Victory Lane. “A lot of people can drive a good car [and finish well], but this was a real good car tonight. It’s been good everywhere we’ve been. I’ve also gotta thank the track crew here at Hohenwald – if you’d have asked me at noon this afternoon if we’d have been racing tonight I’d have never believed you, but it was awesome tonight.”

Behind Cooper, however, the results were shuffled mightily on the final lap after the No. 29 of Keith Hammett and the No. 7W of J.C. Waller came together in turn one fighting for the runner-up spot. When the contact sent Waller around, seven cars piled in with nowhere to go, turning the far end of the race track into a parking lot and making for some surprise finishers in the top five.

Robert Powers, who was running sixth at the white flag, slid through the melee to finish second, with Centerville, Tennessee’s Justin Cross taking what he called a “35th place race car” all the way to the third spot at the checkered flag. Another local driver, Dave Jurist, from Monterey, Tenn., was the last car to make it through the crash in fourth. Waller, out of Arlington, Tenn., rounded out the top five.

Waller was disappointed about how the last lap played out, but chalked it up to hard racing for a podium position at the end of the event.

“We were running three-wide down the front straightaway and I knew it was going to be tight getting into turn one,” Waller said after the race. “I felt a couple of bumps — I don’t know who it was — but it’s a racing deal. Hate that it happened that way, but it is what it is. We’ll come back next time and give it another shot.”

Hayti, Missouri’s Josh Tomlin led the next five drivers by finishing sixth, and Eric Hickerson, from Linden, Tenn. was seventh. Brookland, Ark. native Keith Hammett slotted in eighth at the checkered flag, followed by two-time USCS Modified champion and Munford, Tenn. driver Ben Reed in ninth. 2013 champion Troy Dow, also out of Munford, rounded out the top ten.

In other preliminary action, Josh Tomlin grabbed the checkered flag in the Aero Race Wheels Second Heat. Justin Cross garnered the Comp Cams Hard Charger Award by virtue of passing the most cars in the main event (twelve).

The K&N Filters USCS Outlaw Modified Series will be back in action on Saturday night, March 21, for night two of the Tennessee 200. Pit gates open at 3 p.m., with hot laps rolling at 5:15 p.m. Ken Schrader is the defending winner of the finale night event.

For rules, schedules and more information on the K&N Filters USCS Outlaw Modified Series, please visit www.uscsracing.com or call 770-460-7223 or 770-865-6097.

Audio with race winner Matt Cooper:

Audio with fifth-place J.C. Waller:

RESULTS: K&N Filters USCS Outlaw Modified Series; Tennessee National Raceway; March 20, 2015: 

Wilwood Disc Brakes First Heat: Matt Cooper, Keith Hammett, Troy Dow, Eric Hickerson, Ben Reed, Robert Powers, Dustin Casselberry, Justin Cross, Shawn Knuckles (DNS).

Aero Race Wheels Second Heat: Josh Tomlin, Todd Bates, Bobby Allen, J.C. Waller, Jamie Williams, Dave Jurist, Greg Welch, Kelby Simmons (DNS), Cordie Buckman (DNS).

K&N Filters USCS Outlaw Modified Series at Tennessee National Raceway Main Event: 25-laps

1. #18 – Matt Cooper, Mackenzie, TN
2. #02 – Robert Powers, Campbell, MO
3. #X – Justin Cross, Centerville, TN
4. #47 – Dave Jurist, Monterey, TN
5. #7W – J.C. Waller, Arlington, TN
6. #29T – Josh Tomlin, Hayti, MO
7. #M33 – Eric Hickerson, Linden, TN
8. #29 – Keith Hammett, Brookland, AR
9. #R29 – Ben Reed, Munford, TN
10. #21 – Troy Dow, Munford, TN
11. #7JR – Bobby Allen, Mason, TN
12. #B25 – Todd Bates, Hurricane Molls, TN
13. #76 – Dustin Casselberry, Malden, MO
14. #3 – Greg Welch, Sardis, TN
15. #14 – Jamie Williams, Hohenwald, TN
16. #1S – Shawn Knuckles, Poplar Bluff, MO
17. #XG – Kelby Simmons, Steele, MO (DNS)
18. #76B – Cordie Buckman, Malden, MO (DNS)

K&N Filters USCS Outlaw Modified Series Race Awards:

Wilwood Disc Brakes First Heat Award: #18 – Matt Cooper
Aero Race Wheels Second Heat Award: #29T – Josh Tomlin
K&N Filters Pole Award: #18 – Matt Cooper
K&N Filters Podium (3rd place) Award: #X – Justin Cross
Comp Cams Hard Charger Award: #
Saldana Racing Products Top Five Award: #7W – J.C. Waller
Pyrotect Racing Cells Lucky Seven Award: #M33 – Eric Hickerson
DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends Top Ten Award: #21 – Troy Dow