Salem Takes Win At URSS/LA Raceway Challenge

The 2009 United Rebel Sprint Series racing season has officially started as the Rebels travelled to LA Raceway in La Monte, Missouri. Eleven diehard URSS racers made the long pull to the Show-Me state to race with the LA Raceway 305 series. The Speedway Staff, Racers and the Fans made the Rebels feel right at home as 32 305 Sprint Cars signed in the do battle on the 3/8’s mile track.

Pole-sitter Casey Baker and Zach Clark lead the field to the green as Clark jumped out to the early lead with C J Johnson, Chris Coleman and Daren Bowman in tow. Clark held the lead as Johnson and Bowman were close at hand as the laps wore on. Back in the pack several drivers jockeyed for position as Keefe Hemel, Cody Salem, Jesse Hockett and Austin Alumbaugh all worked their way through traffic making their way to the front. Several laps later, Hockett suddenly slowed and pulled off the track as Hemel and Salem continued their drive to the front. Clark and Johnson were locked in a heated battle as the pair encountered a lapped car going into three, Clark dove low as Johnson took the highside as the pair tried to split the lapped car. Johnson was forced up by the lapped car into the loose stuff and looped his mount to bring out the caution.

On the restart, Clark brought the field to the green with Bowman, Moore, Fairbank and Coleman in tow. Clark started to fade as Kenny Potter started his push to the front. Potter took the point as Bowman, Gavin Galbraith and Hemel battled for positions behind the leader. Bowman who had been solidly in the top five all race suddenly fell of the pace as he experienced fuel problems with his car and finally retired with less than three to go.

CJ Johnson was slicing his way through the field as he tried to comeback from his earlier misfortune and had worked his way up to the seventh place as the laps began to wind down. Johnson, Mitchell Moore, Tyler Utz and Smokey Fairbank all battled lap after lap as the race wore on.

After a late race caution, Potter led the field to the restart with Salem in second, Galbraith, Hemel and Clark in tow. As the checkers fell it was Potter taking the apparent win with Salem, Galbriath, Hemel and Coleman rounding out the top five. In Post race inspection, Potter, Clark and Galbriath  refused a tech inspection giving Cody Salem the victory.

The United Rebel Sprint Series would like to extend special thanks to Mike White and the entire staff of LA Raceway for their hospitality and the invitation to allow the URSS Rebels to race at their facility. URSS Founder, Rick Salem said “I want to commend Mike and his entire staff for taking the first step towards bringing unity between the URSS and LA Raceway. It was a great race and a great time and we look forward to a great future with LA Raceway and the URSS.”

The B-Main was won by Eric McMillin.

Heat Race winners were:

#1-Casey Baker, #2-Zach Clark, #3- CJ Johnson, #4-Chris Coleman

A-Main:

1- Cody Salem (22), 2-Keefe Hemel (11), 3-Chris Coleman (10), 4- CJ Johnson (45X), 5-Mitchell Moore (51), 6-Smokey Fairbank (2), 7-Tyler Utz (98), 8-Eric McMillin (4M), 9-Mike Shouten (27), 10-Scott Wendelstadt (7), 11-Casey Baker (9), 12-Reed Bernbeck (C3),  13-Darren Bowman (9B), 14-Willie Wynn (36W), 15-Austion Alumbaugh (82A), 16-Jesse Hockett (3), 17-Tom McGarry (63), Kenny Potter (55) DQ,  Zach Clark (29) DQ, Gavin Galbriath (03) DQ

Cody on his way to his first win of the 2009 Season.