BLURTON WINS FIRST CAREER URSS FEATURE IN HOME TOWN

JETMORE — For Zach Blurton, it seemed like the longest race of his young career.

In the end, it was well worth the wait.

Blurton won his first United Rebel Sprint Series feature Saturday night at the Great American Dirt Track at Jetmore Motorplex.

“I didn't know how many laps were left until they finally said it,” Blurton said. “Man, it seemed like that race took forever.”

Blurton, still a student at Jetmore High School, thrilled the hometown crowd with his strong performance en route to the win.

He started outside the second row and settled into second place behind pole-sitter Kaden Taylor once the green flag dropped.

But on lap three, Blurton got by Taylor and began to steadily increase his lead.

“Once I went out there and felt how good the car was when I ran it around, I knew we had a good chance,” Blurton said.

Taylor would hold down the second spot, followed by Gavin Stout, Mike Woodruff and Ray Seemann.

Seemann would get by Woodruff for fourth on lap seven, and the top five would remain Blurton, Taylor, Stout, Seeman and Woodruff until lap 20, when the caution flag waved for Taylor, who spun in turn two.

“The first caution, I didn't know who was behind me or what to do our where to go,” Blurton said.

That sent Taylor to the back and moved Stout into second and Seemann into third.

Another caution on lap 22 gave Seemann a chance to get on the tail of Stout, and he made the pass on the next lap before Patrick Bourke spun in turn two to bring out the final caution.

“At first, the car was working real good on the bottom,” said Seemann, also from Jetmore. “I was getting by people on the bottom. … Then on the caution, I looked at the top and seen there was still some moisture there. That's how I got around the Stout kid.”

The restart gave Seemann a chance at Blurton, but the teenager and his car proved to be too strong, propelling Blurton to his first URSS win.

Seemann finished second, and Stout finished third but later was disqualified for being light at the scales.

That moved Brian Herbert into third, followed by Woodruff and Keefe Hemel.

“Zach was hooked up pretty good on the bottom,” Seemann said. “I don't think we were going to catch him.”

“This is amazing,” Blurton said. “It's my home track. Everybody's here. Everybody's in the stands.”

Seemann won the Keizer Aluminum Racing Wheels Hard-Charger Award, starting ninth and finishing second.

Bob Shaeffer, Herbert, Taylor, Hemel and Seemann each won heat races. A total of 37 cars passed through the pit gate.

 

Feature results

1. Zach Blurton, 2. Ray Seemann, 3. Brian Herbert, 4. Mike Woodruff, 5, Keefe Hemel, 6. Tyler Kraus, 7. Bob Shaeffer, 8. Richie Dewell, 9. Lance Davis, 10, Jerry Caldwell, 11. Jared Kern, 12. Judd Shaeffer, 13, Patrick Bourke, 14. Kaden Taylor, 15. Jordan Randles (DNF), 16. Kris Moore (DNF), 17. Barry Crane (DNF), 18. Mark Wallender (DNF), 19. Darren Bowman (DNF), 20. Gavin Stout (DQ, light at scales).

 

1st B feature

1. Tyler Kraus, 2. Jared Kern, 3. Jordan Randles, 4. Jerry Caldwell, 5. Barry Crane, 6. Michael Williams, 7. Josh Fairbank, 8. Kory Lira, 9. Steve Dalton, 10. Brian May, 11. Mike Speer, 12. Garth Griffith, 13. Tyler Knight (DNS), 14. Dan Brummet (DNS).

 

2nd B feature

1. Gavin Stout, 2. Mark Wallender, 3. Kris Moore, 4. Judd Shaeffer, 5. Lance Davis, 6. Reed Bernbeck, 7. Craig Jecha, 8. Kirby Hagans, 9. Larry Radcliffe, 10. Connor Atkinson, 11. Raymond Blackburn, 12. Mike Parker, 13. Kasey Beckham.