The Spring Speed Xplosion at Bubba Raceway Park is promising to be a clash of age versus youth, local talent versus a visiting superstar, and a battle of the sexes this weekend in Ocala, Florida. 

The United Sprint Car Series heads to the semi-banked, three-eighths-mile, D-shaped oval for a two-night show on Friday, March 31, and Saturday, April 1. The card will be headlined by the 130-mile-per-hour winged Outlaw sprints. 
 
With two series races in the books, the storylines are already developing. 

Morgan Turpen holds an early lead in the points on the strength of a victory in the series' opening race at Mississippi's Hattiesburg Speedway on March 3 and a fourth-place finish the next night at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS.



Turpen's victory in Hattiesburg was particularly notable, because she held off former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart. On a late-race restart, his familiar No. 14 lined up behind her, but a great jump by Turpen put some distance between the two.
 
Stewart was also unable to get around 14-year-old rookie Danny Sams. The veteran finished third to Sams' second. 



Since making the decision not to race in the All Star Circuit of Champions--the sprint car series that he owns--Stewart has apparently chosen the USCS as one of his primary outlets. 

Stewart recently practiced at Bubba Raceway Park in preparation for the Speed Xplosion, so the battle between youth and experience will continue.


Beating Stewart has been status quo for the regulars through the first two races. Turpen holds the current points lead and is in search of her third straight title in this series. 

Stewart sits 10th in the standings, but he puts fans in the seats simply by being in attendance.