GAFFNEY, S.C. – Audio and recap by Managing Editor Jacob Seelman for Speed77 Radio, Race Chaser Online and USCS Racing – Zack Kloosterman photos – Morgan Turpen was not going to be denied during Saturday night’s United Sprint Car Series filtercharged by K&N and URC Rislone Sprint Series North/South Shootout at Cherokee Speedway.

Turpen, from Cordova, Tennessee, took the lead from 2012 URC champion Robbie Stillwaggon for the final time on lap 20 of the 30-lap North/South Shootout finale A-main Saturday and weathered four late-race cautions and subsequent restarts to bolt away to the biggest victory of her career in a race that was ultimately a war of attrition at Cherokee.

The win was Turpen’s sixth career USCS feature triumph and her second of the season, as well as her first-career URC victory.

“Wow,” a shocked Turpen said with a smile in www.rockauto.com USCS Victory Lane. “I didn’t expect to be standing here tonight. I honestly hadn’t planned on racing, but about five o’ clock this afternoon I decided I needed to get my game face on and go out here and compete, and as that race wore on, we just kept getting better while he kept getting worse. We needed this bad, the team did, and I did too. I’m so proud and so thankful for this effort tonight.”

Turpen and Stillwaggon exchanged the lead five times between each other, at lap one (Turpen), two (Stillwaggon), seventeen (Turpen), nineteen (Stillwaggon) and twenty (Turpen).

The race was slowed by caution a total of six times; at lap 8 when defending event champion Eric Riggins Jr. caught fire coming off of turn four, at lap 9 when Bill Moore flipped going into turn two, at lap 20 when Brian Smith spun in turn 2, at lap 22 for a melee in turn four involving Jonathan Swanson, Brandon McLain and Terry Witherspoon, at lap 25 when Swanson slowed down the backstretch and at lap 26 when both Stillwaggon and Brian Thomas slowed to a stop on the frontstretch with suspected fuel issues after the rash of cautions throughout the event.

Behind Turpen, K&N Filters polesitter Lance Moss, from Cherryville, North Carolina rallied late to post a second-place result and Wontage, New Jersey driver Davie “No Panic” Franek completed the podium in third, officially clinching the 2014 URC championship in the process. Mertztown, Pennsylvania’s Josh Weller finished behind Franek in fourth and ten-time USCS champion Terry Gray, from Bartlett, Tennessee rounded out the top five.

Boyertown, Pennsylvania’s Randy West led the next group of drivers home in sixth and 15-year-old Nick Snyder, from Marco Island, Florida finished seventh. Yardville, New Jersey pilot Jonathan Swanson was the final car running in eighth, and Pendergrass, Georgia’s Brian Thomas was scored ninth after his late-race issues. Stillwaggon, from Burlington, New Jersey completed the top ten at the finish.

Brandon McLain kicked off the evening’s racing action by winning his first career Hoosier Tire Speed Dash, and Morgan Turpen scored the win in the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat. Robbie Stillwaggon rolled to the victory in the Butlerbuilt Second Heat.

Lance Moss was the provisional polesitter after scoring the most passing points in heat race action, and after a zero came up in the K&N Inversion Draw, he also received the K&N Filters Pole Award.  Brian Thomas passed the most cars in the A-main (seven) to grab the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award.

The United Sprint Car Series filtercharged by K&N continues their 2014 schedule on Saturday, October 11 with the Cotton Boll Cup at Poplar Bluff Speedway in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

For rules and updated schedule information about the United Sprint Car Series Outlaw Thunder Tour, please visit www.uscsracing.com or call the series office at 770-460-7223 or 770-865-6097.

Audio with race winner Morgan Turpen:

Audio with 3rd-place and 2014 URC Champion Davie Franek:

Audio with 7th-place Nick Snyder:

Audio with Hoosier Speed Dash winner Brandon McLain:

RESULTS: USCS vs. URC “North/South Sprint Car Shootout”; Cherokee Speedway; October 4, 2014

Hoosier Tire Speed Dash: Brandon McLain, Terry Gray, Eric Riggins Jr., Nick Snyder, Terry Witherspoon, Morgan Turpen (DNS).

Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: Morgan Turpen, Brandon McLain, Lance Moss, Brian Smith, Jonathan Swanson, Nick Snyder, Brad Wickham, Joe Larkin, Troy Betts.

Butlerbuilt Second Heat: Robbie Stillwaggon, Eric Riggins Jr., Davie Franek, Randy West, Josh Weller, Terry Gray, Terry Witherspoon, Brian Thomas.

USCS Sprint Car Series vs. URC Rislone Sprint Series North/South Shootout A-main: 30-laps

1. #10M – Morgan Turpen, Cordova, TN
2. #23 – Lance Moss, Cherryville, NC
3. #28F – Davie Franek, Wontage, NJ
4. #25 – Josh Weller, Mertztown, PA
5. #10 – Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN
6. #56 – Randy West, Boyertown, PA
7. #116 – Nick Snyder, Marco Island, FL
8. #17J – Jonathan Swanson, Yardville, NJ
9. #67 – Brian Thomas, Pendergrass, GA
10. #89 – Robbie Stillwaggon, Burlington, NJ
11. #43 – Terry Witherspoon, Jacksonville, FL
12. #21B – Brandon McLain, Indian Trail, NC
13. #11 – Brian Smith, Mooresville, NC
14. #87 – Greg Smyre, Hickory, NC
15. #47 – Eric Riggins Jr., Charlotte, NC
16. #06 – Bill Moore, Mt. Ulla, NC
17. #33 – Joe Larkin, Suwanee, GA
18. #22 – Troy Betts, Newark, DE
19. #6W – Brad Wickham, Rutherfordton, NC (DNS)

USCS Sprint Car Series Race Awards:

Hoosier Tire Speed Dash:  #21B – Brandon McLain
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat:  #10M – Morgan Turpen
Butlerbuilt Second Heat:  #89 – Robbie Stillwaggon
K&N Filters Pole Award:  #23 – Lance Moss
JE Pistons Top Guns Award:  #25 – Josh Weller (4^th place)
K&N Filters Podium (3rd place) Award:  #28F – Davie Franek
Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award:   #67 – Brian Thomas
Keizer Aluminum Wheels Top Five Award:  #10 – Terry Gray
Saldana Racing Products Super Sixth Award:  #56 – Randy West
Pyrotect Racing Cells Lucky Seven Award:  #116 – Nick Snyder
DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends Top Ten Award:  #89 – Robbie Stillwaggon