9.29.12 URSS Sprints Results
The United Rebel Sprint Series rolled into Dodge City Raceway Park for their season finale and saw 27 teams check into the “Wild West” for one more shootout in 2012. With the season winding down, drivers were looking to make the most of the 30 lap A feature scheduled for the final night of competition. When the checkered flag waved, it would be Mike Peters standing atop the podium for his second URSS win of the year.
Dodge City driver Kris Moore would lead a star studded field to the green flag for the final rebel feature of 2012 with Shawn Radcliffe on the outside of the first row. Moore would take the first lap but action would be halted immediately before the rebels could get any momentum built up. Third place running Radcliffe would spin in turn two collecting the 9D of Lance Davis. The two would summersault up the dirt oval, eventually coming to a rest on the unforgiving concrete barrier surrounding DCRP. Both drivers would be alright but their mounts would be unable to continue.
Kris Moore would bring the field back to the green flag with 29 laps remaining. Luke Crantson, Zach Blurton, Ray Seemann, and Mike Peters would race into the top five in the early going of the feature. Not wasting any time, Cranston would continue to pressure for the lead and on lap five he would secure the position. Moore would slip back to third on lap six as Seemann would find his way to second. JD Johnson and Mike Peters would dice it up for third and fourth.
With Cranston in control, Brian Herbert, national point leader for the Rebels was literally putting together a championship run. After getting bogged down in his heat race, Herbert would find himself running the B feature on championship night at DCRP. Finishing fourth the 97 would start fourteenth on the feature grid. Fighting adversity, Herbert would surge toward the front moving to seventh by lap eight.
Meanwhile, back at the front the leaders would encounter the lapped traffic and Cranston would get heavy pressure from Seemann. The pressure would not last as Seemann’s 72 would falter. Heading out of the top five, Peters would take over second on lap nineteen with JD Johnson climbing to third. Herbert would blast into fourth with Taylor Velasquez checking the top five.
The top two would tangled lap after lap and as Cranston moved to the bottom with two laps to go, he would be checked by a lapped car allowing Peters to blow by for the lead. Peters would steal the $1500 purse out from under Cranston’s nose claiming the checkered flag for his second URSS win of 2012. Cranston would settle for second with JD Johnson third. Herbert would secure fourth clinching his second URSS National championship. Turpin, Oklahoma’s Velasquez would round out the top five.
Car Count: 27
Lap Leaders: Kris Moore (1-4), Luke Cranston (5-28), Mike Peters (29-30)
Kaizer Aluminum Wheels Hard Charger Award: Brian Herbert: +10
2012 Feature Winners: Luke Cranston-5, Pat Bourke-4, Jeff Radcliffe-4, Jake Bubak-4, Brian Hardman-4, Jason Martin-3, Ty Williams-3, Brian Herbert-2, Mike Peters-2, Zach Blurton-1, Bob Schaeffer-1, Darren Bowman-1, Ray Seemann-1
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. JD Johnson, 2. Shawn Radcliffe, 3. Zach Blurton, 4. Mike Woodruff, 5. Tom Belsky, 6. Ray Blackburn, 7. Jerad Kern
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. Jake Bubak, 2. Lance Davis, 3. Ray Seemann, 4. Brian Hardman, 5. Ty Williams, 6. Cody Caldwell, 7. DNF Steve Blackburn
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. Luke Cranston, 2. Taylor Velasquez, 3. Mike Peters, 4. Brian Herbert, 5. Tyler Knight, 6. Jeff Radcliffe, 7. Jerry Caldwell
Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. Kris Moore, 2. Kris Miller, 3. Keefe Hemel, 4. Steve Dalton, 5. DNF Kobey Walters, 6. DNF Butch Hardman
B Feature (12 Laps): 1. Taylor Velasquez, 2. Mike Woodruff, 3. Ty Williams, 4. Brian Herbert, 5. Keefe Hemel, 6. Tyler Knight, 7. Brian Herbert, 8. Jeff Radcliffe, 9. Tom Belsky, 10. Jerry Caldwell, 11. Butch Hardman, 12. Jerad Kern, 13. Cody Caldwell, 14. Kobey Walters, 15. DNF Steve Dalton, 16. DNF Ray Blackburn, 17. DNF Steve Blackburn
A Feature (30 Laps): 1. Mike Peters, 2. Luke Cranston, 3. JD Johnson, 4.Brian Herbert, 5. Taylor Velasquez, 6. Ray Seemann, 7. Zach Blurton, 8. Jake Bubak, 9. Mike Woodruff, 10. Tyler Knight, 11. Keefe Hemel, 12. Ty Williams, 13. Brian Hardman, 14. Kris Miller, 15. Tom Belsky, 16. Jerry Caldwell, 17. Kris Moore, 18. Jeff Radcliffe, 19. Shawn Radcliffe, 20. Lance Davis