Late caution helps Martin snag URSS win

HAYS — The caution flag flew several times, and Jason Martin wasn't all too pleased.

But when the Liberal driver saw a caution flag fly with three laps remaing, he was pleased. That yellow allowed Martin a final chance at a win, and he took advantage Friday night to claim the victory in the United Rebel Sprint Series feature at RPM Speedway in Hays.

“I kept seeing the cautions, and I didn't really want to see them,” Martin said. “Then that last one, I made it work. There was a little patch of moisture about a foot wide. I couldn't get it to work on the first 20-some laps, but on the last one I did.”

Martin started 11th after winning the first of two B-mains after 32 URSS cars checked in for the night. But he was into the top six by the time the first caution came out on lap four.

Kaden Taylor, who started outside the front row alongside pole-sitter Mark Walinder, paced the field back to the green, followed by Walinder, Judd Sheaffer, Patrick Bourke, Keefe Hemel and Martin.

Bourke would make a strong move on the restart and took the lead, slowly distancing himself in the process until lap 10, when the second caution flag flew for Taylor, who spun in turn four

By that time, Martin had worked his way into second, followed by Ray Seemann and C.J. Johnson.

“About halfway through or about 14 laps to go … I knew I had to move higher up in the groove,” Martin said. “That was my chance. I had to clean off the top. The last three laps, it was on a rail around there.

Seemann would get by Martin into second on the restart and hold down the position until Martin got back by him on lap 18 and Johnson would get by him on the same lap to move into third.

“I knew Martin was back there,” Seemann said. “I knew he'd figure something out like he always does, and Cody, too.”

The top four would stay that way until lap 22, when the final caution flag flew. Bourke paced the field back to the green, but Martin was able to sneak by him to grab the lead.

“I knew I was going to have to go somewhere else because Pat wasn't going to slip up,” Martin said.

Martin would power his way to the checkered flag then, and Seemann used a nifty pass coming out of turn four on the next to last lap to move into second, where he would finish.

“(Bourke) knew I was running up there, and he tried to slide up in front of me,” Seemann said. “I went down and caught the right spot and got by him.”

The second-place finish was Seemann's best at RPM Speedway. Bourke finished third, followed by Johnson in fourth and Josh Fairbank in fifth.

“It was my first night on the JE (Chassis) car,” Martin said. “I crashed one at Dodge earlier this year and never was so disappointed as that night. I love this thing.”

Martin and Brian Herbet each won a B-main.

The Keizer Aluminum Racing Wheels Hard Charger Award went to Jeff Radcliffe, who started 20th and finished seventh.

Feature results

1. Jason Martin, 2. Ray Seemann, 3. Patrick Bourke, 4. C.J. Johnson, 5. Josh Fairbank, 6. Brian Herbert, 7. Jeff Radcliffe, 8. Mark Walinder, 9. Barry Crane, 10. Keefe Hemel, 11. Bob Sheaffer, 12. Judd Sheaffer, 13. Lance Davis, 14. Zach Blurton, 15. John Webster, 16. Richie Dewell, 17. Kaden Taylor, 18. Craig Jecha, 19. Ty Williams, 20. Darren Bowman.
 

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