By DAVID MILLER
Special to The Dispatch
Morgan Turpen is usually still searching for her first feature win by the midway point of the season.
This year, though, has seen the former United Sprint Car Series Rookie of the Year and two-time defending points champion win eight of the series’ 29 races before the start of July.
Strangely, the key to her early-season form has been worrying less about competing for a points championship.
“I said at the beginning of the year that I wouldn’t run for points, but for wins,” Turpen said. “It changes my mindset more than anything. You’re thinking, ‘I have to make it to this position,’ and you’re worrying about other people and how they’re finishing. It took all that away and let me drive the race car. Now I can go to the racetrack and not have to worry about anything but what I need to do to win that race.”
Turpen looks for win no. 9 tonight at Columbus Speedway, which will host its first USCS race since 2012. Racing begins at 7:30 p.m. Pete Walton, series promoter, said he expects Terry Gray, points leader and Turpen’s car owner, and Derek Hagar, who won at Magnolia Motor Speedway earlier this year, to race tonight.
Turpen led the national points for most of the season and is currently third. She looks to bounce back from a blown motor Sunday at Lexington 104 Speedway in Tennessee.
“We usually get our first by labor day weekend,” Turpen said. “We’ve had lots of top 5s, eight feature wins. It’s just been phenomenal. I can’t complain.”
Turpen would still be leading the points if it weren’t for missing a pair of races. For the last two years, Turpen has been balancing a career as an educator, graduate student and championship racer. Turpen, 24, teaches eighth grade science and English in Bartlett, Tennessee and is four courses shy of completing a master’s degree in education at the University of Memphis.
“There are lots of late nights, but I make it work,” Turpen said. “I’ve really learned to push myself in succeed in these specific areas of my life.”
Turpen said she started teaching full-time to “put my degree to work” and make her overall situation better. She eventually wants to be an administrator, but committing to racing full-time will always be an option — should the circumstances allow for it — Turpen said.
“I have a really good job in Bartlett for this coming school year, so that’s the plan right now,” Turpen said. “I wish we could race full time, but teaching pays my bills and racing allows me to do something else I love. But without a sponsor, you can’t make racing work with just a racing salary.”
Turpen made history when she became the first woman to ever be crowned champion of a major national touring sprint car series by capturing the USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour 2015 National Championship. Still, she maintains a surprisingly low profile with her students.
“There are a couple that follow it and keep up with me, but I think kids are into other things,” Turpen said. “It’s totally different than what we were used to. The kids today are just so different. ”
Nesmith Late Models, Nesmith Sportsman, Nesmith Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, Late Model Stock and Factory Stock divisions will also run for track and NeSmith points tonight.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.