October 4, 2013 – By Jacob Seelman for Speed77 Radio and Race Chaser Online – Gastonia, N.C. – For Justin Lineman, the second verse may have taken two years, but it was every bit as sweet as the first.
The talented part-time USCS Rockauto.com 600 Sprint Car Series competitor out of Linwood, N.C., stormed past 17-year-old K&N polesitter Trevor Baker in the early going and then held off a furious charge by two-time Carolina Speedway winner Rick Goss to claim his first USCS 600 Sprint Car win in two years. Lineman had to weather a couple of late-race restarts, but never blinked in holding off hometown favorite Goss for the victory, his second career in USCS 600 Sprint Car competition.
“It’s a lot of fun to come out here close to home and get back where we belong,” Lineman said following the 15-lap feature event. “It’s great to win in front of the Carolina crowd, and it’s big for us to be back here in Victory Lane. Big thanks to Adams Performance; we assemble a lot of the 600 power plants for these guys and don’t always get the chance to come out here and race, but it’s great to show that when we do come out here and run, that we’re gonna be a threat.”
Goss hounded the rear bumper bar of the #54 throughout the feature event, but had nothing for Lineman and came home second, with Trevor Baker completing the podium in third. For Baker, who traveled from Shreve, Ohio to compete in the weekend’s action, to finish on the podium in his first USCS 600 start was a huge accomplishment.
“It was great to come out here and race against this Carolina field tonight,” Baker said after the night’s action. “Learned a lot, and definitely ran better than we expected. It’s my first year running these 600 cars so it’s huge for us to come and run as well as we did tonight.”
Series points leader Sean Hosey encountered battery issues during the feature event and came home a distant 14th.
For Hosey, however, the night was not all lost, as he kicked off the evenings racing action by winning the five-lap Hoosier Race Tire Speed Dash. Mike Magic won the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat, and feature winner Justin Lineman gathered the win in the www.rockauto.com Second Heat. Pennsylvanian Jim Young advanced the most positions in the main event to collect the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hardcharger Award.
For more information on the USCS rockauto.com 600 Sprint Car Series, visit uscsracing.com for schedules, race recaps, and more.
Photo Credit: Chris Seelman Photography
RESULTS – Rockauto.com USCS 600 Sprint Car Series – Carolina Speedway – Friday, October 4, 2013:
Hoosier Race Tire Speed Dash: Sean Hosey, Mike Magic, Bob Trapino, Cassie Klenke, Tyler Price.
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: Mike Magic, Sean Hosey, Rick Goss, Trevor Baker, Cassie Klenke, Joshua Rummage, Kyle Amerson and Brandon Taylor.
Rockauto.com Second Heat: Justin Lineman, Coby Adams, Chuck Puckett, Tom Schearer, Dan Jones, Jim Young, Bob Trapino and Tyler Price.
Rockauto.com USCS 600 Sprint Car Series Main Event 20-laps
1. 54 Justin Lineman, Salisbury, NC
2. 5 Rick Goss, Charlotte, NC
3. 13 Trevor Baker, Shreve, OH
4. 28 Coby Adams, Mooresville, NC
5. 8Y Jim Young, Toweltown, PA
6. 8 Dan Jones, Concord, NC
7. 62 Tom Schearer, Mertztown, PA
8. 5m Mike Magic, Winder, GA
9. 6p Chuck Puckett, Mt. Airy, NC
10. 29 Kyle Amerson, Matthews, AL
11. 98R Joshua Rummage, Lexington, NC
12. 94 Cassie Klenke, Greer, SC
13. 98 Bob Trapino, Alpharetta, GA
14. 6 Sean Hosey, Clarksville, TN
15. 07 Brandon Taylor Cumming, GA – Rookie
16. 9 Tyler Price, Clarksville, TN
USCS 600 Sprint Race Awards:
K&N Filters Pole Award: 13 Trevor Baker
K&N Filters Podium (3rd place) Award: 13 Trevor Baker
Wilwood Disc Brakes Hardcharger Award: 8Y Jim Young
DMI/Bulldog rear Ends top Ten Award: 29 Kyle Amerson
Victory Lane Interview with 600 Feature Winner Justin Lineman:
Postrace interview with 600 National Points Leader Sean Hosey:
