C J Johnson Claims Third URSS Win in a Row at Wakeeney

The 2008 Trego County Fair was the venue as the United Rebel Sprint Series made its appearance on a beautiful Monday night made for racing. Twenty-Nine teams made the trip to the 3/8’s oval with each Driver hoping to walk away with the win. The fans saw an classic battle between two area favorites but when the checkered flag waved, C J Johnson took his third win in a s many races much to the delight of the gathered crowd on hand.

Fowler Kansas’s Ritchie Dewell led the field to the green flag, but Lacrosse Kansas’s Kirby Hagans jumped to the lead with Dewell, Wakeeney Kansas’s Willie Wynn, Justin Schwien and Mike Woodruff rounding out the top five at the end of lap one. Lap three saw C J Johnson take the fourth spot form Schwien as he set his sights on Wynn. Lap five saw Johnson take over the runner up position as he passed Dewell for the spot. Johnson set his sights on Hagans as the duo charged around the track.

A hard charging Jeff Radcliffe joined the top five on lap seven as the Hill City young gun took over the fourth spot from Dewell. Radcliffe then started to pressure Schwien for the third spot as the pair diced back and forth for several laps. Lap twelve saw Johnson take the lead as he slingshot his way past Hagans. As the leaders started to encounter lapped traffic, the battle for the third spot heated up as Radcliffe turned up the heat on Schwien. Radcliffe closed the gap several times but could never get the run he needed off the corners to make the pass.

Back in the pack, Dodge City’s Brian Herbert methodically worked his way up to the fifth position to join the battle with Schwien and Radcliffe. But the run of the evening belonged to Taylor Velasquez as he battled ignition problems earlier the caused him start dead last in the B-Main to finish tenth. That gave him the twentieth starting spot in the A-Main and he steadily worked his way through traffic to the eleventh position by lap nineteen. Velasquez, Dewell and Taylor Milton were locked in a battle ninth, tenth and eleventh spots for several laps. Velasquez made the pass on Dewell for the tenth spot on lap twenty-two and locked on to Milton rear bumper. The pair diced through lapped traffic and on lap twenty-four Velasquez made the pass for the ninth position.

As the checkered flag flew Johnson took his third URSS Victory in as many races with Hagans, Schwien, Jeff Radcliffe and Herbert rounding out the top five. Following the race, Radcliffe did not pass the post race inspection.

The Weld Racing Wheels “Hard Charger Award” went to Taylor Velasquez who came from his twentieth starting spot to finish in the eight position.

 The Keizer Aluminum Wheels B-Main winner was Jon Johnson.

Heat Race Winners were, Brian Herbert, Mike Woodruff, Willie Wynn and Kirby Hagans.

A-Main: 1-C J Johnson (45X), 2-Kirby Hagans (4), 3- Justin Schwien (76J), 4-Brian Herbert (97), 5-Ray Seemann, (72), 6-Willie Wynn (36W), 7-Bill Hays (2H), 8-Taylor Velasquez (21), 9-Taylor Milton (91X), 10-Mike Woodruff (83X), 11-Jon Johnson (86), 12-Ritchie Dewell (112), 13-Ken Lutters (79), 14-Darrren Berry (12), 15-Smokey Fairbank (2), 16-Keefe Hemel (11), 17-Shawn Radcliffe (3R), 18-Reed Bernbeck (C3), 19-Kevin Smith (62K), Jeff Radcliffe DQ

B-Main: 1- Jon Johnson, 2-Jeff Radcliffe, 3-Ken Lutters, 4-Bill Hays. 5-Smokey Fairbank, 6-Kevin Smith, 7-Keefe Hemel, 8-Shawn Radcliffe, 9-Reed Bernbeck, 10-Taylor Velasquez, 11-Craig Jecha, 12-Micheal Williams, 13-Lance Davis, 14-Jason Stephens, 15-Corey Koberstien, 16-Van Kuhn, 17-Chuck Lutters, Randy Bantam DNS, Randy Washburn DNS