4.18.15 URSS Sprints Results
The United Rebel Sprint Series kicked off its 10th Anniversary Season at the Liberal Fairgrounds Speedway with twenty four teams making the trip to the 3/8’s mile ‘D’ shaped oval. The track has hosted the Rebels several times and the unique shape of the track has always produced some great racing action for the fans.
Since this was the first race of the season for the Rebels, a “Revenge Draw” was used to determine the top ten qualifiers out of the heat races. Each of the heat race qualifiers drew a number 1 – 10, but they had to give that number to another driver. 2013 and 14 National Champion Jake Bubak drew the 1 pill and gave it to 2014 Kansas Region Rookie of the Year, Jed Werner, putting the second year driver on the pole for the A-Main. He would make the most of that opportunity by leading every lap and taking his very first URSS feature victory .
At the drop of green pole sitter Jed Werner took off with the lead as Kaden Taylor, Koby Walters, Zac Taylor and Jake Bubak rounded out the top five. By lap six C. J. Johnson had begun his push towards the front from his tenth place starting position, on lap eight took over the fifth spot. Werner stretched out his lead and was pulling away from the rest of the field with Zach Taylor and Kaden Taylor holding the second and third spots.
By lap eleven Luke Cranston had moved up to challenge Johnson for the fifth spot as the pair had their sights on the 9X of defending Series Champion of Jake Bubak. Lap fourteen saw Johnson make his way up to the third position as he and Bubak made their past Kaden Taylor. Cranston took over the fifth position on lap seventeen with Zach Blurton putting pressure on Kaden Taylor for the sixth spot.
Caution flew on lap twenty to bunch up the field once again but on the restart Werner jumped back out to the lead with Zac Taylor giving chase followed by Johnson. Bubak and Cranston battled for the fourth spot with Cranston taking the spot on lap twenty one. B-Main winner Zach Blurton had steadily worked his way up to the sixth spot with Brain Herbert in his tire tracks by lap twenty two.
With the laps winding down Zac Taylor started to reel in Werner as Johnson and Cranston were battling for the third spot. As the white flag was shown Taylor had caught Werner going into turn three, Taylor tried to go low under Werner but got a little sideways bunching up himself, Johnson and Cranston as they came off of turn four. Taylor held on to claim the runner up spot with Johnson third, Cranston fourth and Bubak claiming fifth.
The B-Main was won by Zach Blurton with Zac Taylor, Lance Davis and Koby Walters picking up Heat Race wins.
The Keizer Aluminum Wheels Hard Charger award went to C.J. Johnson who went from his 10th starting spot to 3rd.
The next action for the URSS Rebels will be at Dodge City Raceway Park on May 9th.
A-Main Results
1 Jed Werner- 50
2 Zac Taylor – 86
3 CJ Johnson- 45x
4 Luke Cranston- 20
5 Jake Bubak – 9x
6 Zach Blurton – 2j
7 Brian Herbert – 97
8 Kaden Taylor – 6
9 Barry Crane – 30c
10 Jeremy Huish- 88j
11 Lance Davis – 9d
12 Jordan Randles- 007
13 Darren Bowman- 9b
14 Stephen Richardson – 0
15 Connor Atkinson – 17
16 Coby Pearce – 92
17 Tracey Hill – 28
18 Ross Essenberg – 51r – DNF
19 Koby Walters – 33 – DNF
20 Cody Lampe – 1x – DNF
B Feature:
1 Zach Blurton 2j
2 Barry Crane 30c
3 Brian Herbert 97
4 Coby Pearce 92
5 Stephen Richardson 0
6 Tracey Hill 28
7 Connor Atkinson 17
8 Jordan Randles 007
9 Ross Essenberg 51r
10 Cody Lampe 1x
11 Austin Mclean83
12 Josh Gilcrease|19g
13 Ryan Walters 3
14 Taylor Velasquez 21 DNF