9.20.15 URSS Sprints Results
The final night of the Bob Salem Memorial Sprint Car Nationals at Oberlin Speedway in Oberlin, KS saw thirty one teams check in at the gate to earn points in the second to last “2015 Myers Engine URSS National Points” race of the 2015 season. When it was all said and done, 2013 URSS National Rookie of the Year Zac Taylor picked up the feature win from his fifth starting spot.
At the drop of the green flag 14 year old Tracey Hill led the field with Scott Cochran, Jeremy Huish, Zac Taylor and Keefe Hemel rounding out the top five at the end of lap one. Taylor and Huish would swap places several times in the next two laps battling for the third spot. Saturday’s preliminary feature winner, Brian Herbert made his to the fifth spot by lap five pushing Hemel back to sixth. CJ Johnson was making his way up to sixth by lap seven and set his sights on Herbert.
JD Johnson had made his way past Hemel on lap nine grab seventh place. Up front, Hill continued to pace the field when Cochran running in the second spot got caught behind a lapped car and lost the position on lap eleven to Huish. Huish began his drive up to try and challenge Hill for the top spot as the leader began to encounter more lapped traffic. Zac Taylor caught Cochran and dove under him in turn three to take away the third spot on lap fourteen. Meanwhile CJ Johnson had caught Herbert and the battle between the pair heated up. Further back in the pack, eleventh starter Jason Martin had been steadily picking off cars as he drove to the front. Martin made his way up to the eight spot by lap sixteen.
Up front Huish caught Hill and grabbed the lead on lap seventeen with Taylor following Huish into the runner spot away from Hill. The rookie soon found himself being pressured by Herbert with seven laps to go. Huish and Taylor came together coming off of turn as a lapped car got into Huish’s way. The pair banged wheels with Huish’s mount suffering right rear suspension damage to bring out the caution flag.
On the restart, Taylor jumped out to the lead with Herbert in second. Behind them several cars got bunched up and fifth place Jason Martin shot around Hill and Cochran to take over the third spot with Jake Bubak and CJ Johnson rounding out the top five. Behind them Luke Cranston and a hard charging Zach Blurton were battling for the sixth position. Blurton had made his way up to challenge for the spot from his seventeenth starting spot. Lap twenty eight saw the red flag fly for Scott Cochran as he took a wild ride into the turn two guardrail. Cochran walked to the ambulance under his own power and was okay.
On the final restart Taylor once again took the point with Herbert hot on his heels. Martin, Bubak and CJ Johnson all were fighting for position behind the leaders. Johnson used the high side to motor past Bubak to take the fourth spot with one lap to go. Up front Taylor was not to be unchallenged as Herbert closed within a car length at the finish. Taylor picked up the win with Herbert, Martin, CJ Johnson and Bubak rounding out the top five. The victory was Zac Taylor’s first URSS National Point feature win.
Heat race winners were Tracy Hill, CJ Johnson and Jeremy Huish.
The Keizer Aluminum Wheels Hard Charger Award goes to Zach Blurton, starting 17th and moving up 11 spots to 6th place.
A Feature Results
1-Zac Taylor
2-Brian Herbert
3-Jason Martin
4-CJ Johnson
5-Jake Bubak
6-Zach Blurton
7-Keefe Hemel
8-Luke Cranston
9-Jed Werner
10-JD Johnson
11-Darren Berry
12-Tracey Hill
13-Lance Davis
14-Austin McLean
15-Craig Jecha
16-Bill Hays
17-Howard Van Dyke
18Scott Cochran DNF
19-Jeremy Huish DNF
20-Mark Walinder DNF
B Feature 1
1-Jason Martin
2-Austin McLean
3-Lance Davis
4-Zach Blurton
5-Craig Jecha
6-Ken Lutters
7-Jeff Radcliffe
8-Jordan Randles
9-Kayden Taylor
10-Koby Walters
B Feature 2
1-Luke Cranston
2-Darren Berry
3-Mark Walinder
4-Bill Hays
5-Howard Van Dyke
6-Greg Reiners
7-Luke Lucero
8-Mike Madden
9-Aaron Ploussard
10-Ryan Walters