9.1.12 URSS Sprints Results
Mike Wilson – Norton, Kansas (September 1, 2012) Rick Salem’s Rebels rolled into Norton Saturday night for night number two of a three day swing through Northwestern Kansas over the Labor Day weekend. When the dust settled, it would be Hill City, Kansas’ Jeff Radcliffe blasting through the field to notch his third triumph of the season.
Oberlin, Kansas driver Chad Salem would set the pace for the 25 lap main event from Elmwood Park Speedway with Greeley, Colorado shoe Monte Hein alongside on row one. As the green flag dropped the field would tip toe into turn one and hammer down the back stretch of the lightning fast half mile oval but before the circuit could be scored the field would be halted by a red flag. Several cars would be involved as Hein laid his car over. Darren Berry would slap the guard rail and Koby Walters would ride the hook to the infield. Berry would continue with Lance Davis requiring a second start.
With the garage sale cleaned up between turns three and four, the field would be re-racked and Salem would roll the field back to green. With Hein in the infield, Reiners would take advantage of his now row two starting position to take the lead. Radcliffe wasted little time running the 21R to fourth on lap two from his fifteenth starting spot. Brian Herbert would fly through the field locking second down after starting tenth.
Reiners would continue to set a wicked pace on the speedway with Herbert applying constant pressure. Mike Spear would settle into third with Radcliffe fourth and Jake Bubak checking the top five.
Darren Bowman would jump into the top five on the fifth circuit and the field would be content to ride until caution flew for Davis on lap fourteen. After starting shotgun on the grid, Davis had surged to seventh. A three way battle for position saw Berry, Davis, and Spear jockey back and forth with Davis finally tearing down the wall in turn four ending his night.
Reiners would lead the field back to green with eleven laps remaining. Herbert would jump to the bottom side and show Reiners the nose but the McCook, Nebraska driver would not go away out gunning Herbert on the back stretch reclaiming the lead in three and four. As the top two battled, Radcliffe saw his window of opportunity open and took advantage of the dueling leaders. Radcliffe would run the 21R along the outside of Herbert taking over second. With four laps remaining Radlciffe had seen enough of Reiners tailtank and with a head of steam built up, he would pull a wicked slide job in turn three, slide through the slick and bang the 21R off the guardrails in turn four to take control.
“I went in there expecting to have brakes and they went out so I didn’t have an option. I continued the slide up and we were lucky we didn’t hit the fence or anybody.” Radcliffe said about the race winning pass. “It feels great to win this in front of you guys only 32 miles away from home.”
Radcliffe would roar to victory lane for the third time in 2012 and the fourth time for his Rebel Career with Reiners, Berry, Herbert, and Bubak checking the top five from Elmwood Park Speedway.
Car Count: 17
Lap Leaders: Greg Reiners (1-20), Jeff Radcliffe (21-25)
Keizer Aluminum Hard Charger Award: Jeff Radcliffe + 14
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1.Mike Spear 2. Monte Hein 3. Darren Berry 4. Tom Belsky 5. Howard VanDyke 6. Ron Hadley
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. Brian Herbert 2. Jake Bubak 3. Randy Bantom 4. Chad Salem 5. Shawn Radcliffe 6. DNS Lance Davis
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. Darren Bowman 2. Greg Reiners 3. Judd Shaeffer 4. Koby Walters 5. DNF Jeff Radcliffe
A Feature (25 Laps): 1. Jeff Radcliffe 2. Greg Reiners 3. Darren Berry 4. Brian Herbert 5. Jake Bubak 6. Mike Spear 7. Judd Shaeffer 8. Darren Bowman 9. Howard VanDyke 10. Randy Bantom 11. Ron Hadley 12. Tom Belsky 13. Shawn Radcliffe 14. DNF Lance Davis 15. DNF Chad Salem 16. DNF Monte Hein 17. DNF Koby Walters
2012 Feature Winners: Luke Cranston-5: Pat Bourke-4: Jason Martin-3: Ty Williams-3: Jake Bubak-3: Brian Hardman-3: Brian Herbert-2: Jeff Radcliffe-3: Zach Blurton-1: Bob Schaeffer-1: Mike Peters-1, Darren Bowman-1