BEAVER, Okla. — This time, Jason Martin didn't have things slip away. And when he got to the lead, he proved why he's one of the best sprint car drivers in the region. Martin came from his seventh-place starting spot to win the second United Rebel Sprint Series race of the year Sunday night at Beaver County Raceway in Beaver, Okla.
Martin finished second to Luke Cranston at the season-opener April 17 at the same track."The first night, I thought we had a chance to win it," the Liberal driver said. "Then we had a caution and rode around for about 10 to 15 laps, it seemed, and the tires sealed up. We wanted to make a point this time. We had our guns loaded and ready to go." Pole-sitter Keefe Hemel led until just near the halfway point while Martin worked his way through the field. Martin took the top spot from Hemel on lap 15 and steadily increased his lead the rest of the race.
Hemel, who finished 17th at the April 17 race, said he had a feeling he could have an opportunity to win the race. "You always hope you do," he said. "You just have to wait until the checkered flag comes out. I got in lap traffic, and it held me up a little bit." Hemel said Martin, who earned his 10th career URSS win, was on a mission. "He always runs good on a dry-slick track," Hemel said. "It sucks getting passed for first."It was the first time Martin won a URSS race since Aug. 1 at Liberal. "It was really good racing," Martin said about the entire field. "Twice down the backstretch there were lap cars four-wide down the straightaway, and it was that way for a lot of places. It was just good racing throughout."
Brian Herbert, the 2008 URSS national champ, battled Hemel for the runner-up spot but was third for the second race in a row at Beaver. Ty Williams, the 2010 national champ, edged by Ray Seemann, who was fourth at the April 17 race, at the finish line to take fourth.
Martin, Herbert and Josh Fairbank were heat-race winners.
Martin won the Keizer Aluminum Racing Wheels Hard-Charger award in the caution-free race.
The URSS returns to action Sunday, May 15 at the Great American Dirt Track at Jetmore Motorplex.
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For more information about the United Rebel Sprint Series, contact Rick Salem at (785) 475-7010 or email [email protected], or visit the URSS online at www.unitedrebelsprintseries.com.
May 8 feature results
1. Jason Martin; 2. Keefe Hemel; 3. Brian Herbert; 4. Ty Williams; 5. Ray Seemann; 6. Barry Crane; 7. Taylor Milton; 8. Josh Fairbank; 9. Mike Woodruff; 10. Zach Blurton; 11. Jeff Radcliffe; 12. Richie Dewell; 13. Lance Davis; 14. Jordan Randles; 15. Jerry Caldwell; 16. Kaden Taylor; 17. Kory Lira; 18. Cody Caldwell; 19. Mike Speer; 20. Kelly Perry; 21. Luke Cranston (DNS).
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