HOHENWALD, Tenn. – Story, audio and photo by Managing Editor Jacob Seelman for Speed77 Radio, Race Chaser Online and USCS Racing –
Over the last six months racing with the www.rockauto.com USCS 600 Sprint Car Series, Cumming, Ga. driver Brandon Taylor has had everything go wrong – from mechanical failures to blown motors to crashes not of his own making.
Saturday night at Tennessee National Raceway, however, the young gun finally had something go right for him.
With a fresh motor borrowed from fellow 600 driver/crew chief Curt Schumacher, Taylor blasted from the outside of the front row to take the lead on the opening lap of the 20-lap mini-sprint finale of the Tennessee 200 and never looked back, pulling out to a half track lead and wiring the field to claim his second career USCS mini-sprint triumph.
“It’s been a long road since our first one of these,” Taylor, whose previous series win came at Duck River Raceway last August, said at the end of the night. “It’s awesome though [to get a little redemption]. Huge thanks to Curt Schumacher and Bobby Zaiontz for helping us out with the motor tonight, if it weren’t for them we wouldn’t have been able to do this.”
“Coming through traffic was tough tonight – I got behind three [lapped cars] there late and didn’t know what to do. I just had to pick a hole and luckily, it worked out all right.”
Two-time series champion Zaiontz, from Columbus, Miss. crossed the line a distant second, but was gracious in defeat knowing his power plants swept the top two spots on the night.
“My crew chief Curt Schumacher got up at three o’clock this morning and drove up here from Columbus – got here at 8 o’ clock and we spent all day putting a motor in [to the 07] so Brandon could go out and race tonight. He started up front and led every lap and let me tell you – he deserved that. I was sitting back there in second just having fun watching him do what he did tonight.”
The race ran from green to checkered once the first lap was complete, however a scary crash on the initial start forced a complete restart to make that possible. Winder, Ga. veteran and defending USCS 600 Southern Lightning region champion Mike Magic went for a nasty tumble in turn one after starting sixth, flipping several times before coming to rest. Thankfully, Magic was able to walk away from the remains of his brand-new chassis uninjured.
After running out of fuel on Firday night, Paris, Tenn. pilot Jimmy McClain Jr. rebounded for a strong hird place result to complete the podium finishers. Ben Franks, from Mooreville, Miss., finished fourth and Bessemer, Alabama’s Chris Openshaw rounded out the top five.
Kyle Carpenter, out of Baldwyn, Miss. had a solid run to finish sixth, and Kentucky native Brian Nance shook off mechanical gremlins on the opening night to come up seventh at the checkered flag. Former USCS 600 Southern Lightning champion Bob Trapino was eighth after finishing third on Friday night, and rookie Romeno Loyal, from Snellville, Ga. finished ninth. Joiner, Arkansas’ Dennis Tucker Sr. capped off the top ten – just as he did on night one.
Eric Wright kicked off the evening’s racing action by winning the Hoosier Tire Speed Dash, however Wright would have mechanical trouble in his heat – forcing Friday night’s winner at Tennessee National to the pits and leaving him unable to start the main event.
Jimmy McClain Jr. scored the win in the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat, and Taylor rolled to the victory in the www.rockauto.com Second Heat.
Bobby Zaiontz was the provisional polesitter after scoring the most passing points in heat race action, but when a four came up in the K&N Inversion Draw, Ben Franks received the K&N Filters Pole Award. Michael Barton passed the most cars in the A-main (five) to grab the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award for the second consecutive night.
The www.rockauto.com USCS 600 Sprint Car Series continues their 2015 schedule on March 27 with the first of two nights at Toccoa Raceway in Georgia as part of the 3rd annual Toccoa Tangle.
For rules and updated schedule information about the www.rockauto.com USCS 600 Sprint Car Series, visit www.uscsracing.com or call the series office at 770-460-7223 or 770-865-6097.
Audio with race winner Brandon Taylor:
Audio with runner-up Bobby Zaiontz:
Audio with third-place Jimmy McClain Jr.:
RESULTS: www.rockauto.com USCS 600 Sprint Car Series @ Tennessee National Raceway; March 21, 2015
Hoosier Speed Dash: Eric Wright, Bobby Zaiontz, Bob Trapino, Kyle Carpenter, Mike Magic, Chris Openshaw.
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: Jimmy McClain Jr., Ben Franks, Bobby Zaiontz, Dennis Tucker Sr., Darl Parvin, Brian Carr, Jason McCoy, Eric Wright.
www.rockauto.com Second Heat: Brandon Taylor, Chris Openshaw, Mike Magic, Kyle Carpenter, Bob Trapino, Romeno Loyal, Brian Nance, Michael Barton.
www.rockauto.com USCS 600 Sprint A-Main 20 laps:
- #07 – Brandon Taylor, Cumming, GA
- #1 – Bobby Zaiontz, Columbus, MS
- #12 – Jimmy McClain Jr., Paris, TN
- #41 – Ben Franks, Mooreville, MS
- #17C – Chris Openshaw, Bessemer, AL
- #13 – Kyle Carpenter, Baldwyn, MS
- #39 – Brian Nance, Mayfield, KY
- #98 – Bob Trapino, Alpharetta, GA
- #2X – Romeno Loyal, Snellville, GA
- #9 – Dennis Tucker Sr., Joiner, AR
- #21B – Michael Barton, Castalian Springs, TN
- #C2 – Brian Carr, Saltillo, MS
- #D14 – Darl Parvin, Corinth, MS
- #5M – Mike Magic, Winder, GA
- #67 – Jason McCoy, Mt. Juliet, TN (DNS)
- #88 – Eric Wright, Gallatin, TN (DNS)
USCS 600 Sprint Race Awards:
Hoosier Speed Dash: #88 – Eric Wright
Engler Machine and Tool First Heat: #12 – Jimmy McClain Jr.
www.rockauto.com Second Heat: #07 – Brandon Taylor
K&N Filters Pole Award: #41 – Ben Franks
K&N Filters Podium (3rd place) Award: #12 – Jimmy McClain Jr.
Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger Award: #21B – Michael Barton
Bell Helmets Focus Award: #1 – Bobby Zaiontz
Brown and Miller Racing Solutions 4th Place Award: #41 – Ben Franks
Keizer Aluminum Wheels Top Five Award: #17C – Chris Openshaw
Saldana Racing Products Super Sixth Award: #13 – Kyle Carpenter
DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends Top Ten Award: #9 – Dennis Tucker Sr.
