CJ Johnson Claims Inaugural URSS “Race of Champions”

The Jetmore Motorplex was quaking with the unbridled thunder of the winged warriors as the high banks hosted night one of the Steve King Memorial. The United Rebel Sprint Series held it’s inaugural Race of Champions featuring the 20 A Feature winners from the 2009 racing season. With lightening flashing of the in the distant sky, it was Quinter Kansas’s CJ Johnson picking up the hard fought win.

Hugoton’s Barry Crane who picked his first Feature win in the “Last Chance Qualifier” led the field to the green with Ransom, Kansas’s Ken Lutters on the outside pole. Lutters grabbed the early lead with Crane, Smokey Fairbank, Taylor Milton and Daren Bowman rounding out the top five. Lutters held a slight edge as Crane pressured him with Milton and Bowman making their way to the third and fourth spots by lap three.

Deep in the pack, Brian Herbert and CJ Johnson were charging their way through the field as the pair had made their way to the seventh and eighth positions by lap five. The following lap the pair turned up the heat on Keefe Hemel for the fifth spot. Johnson made the pass for fifth on lap nine as Hemel and Herbert continued their dogfight for sixth.

Up front Crane was in Lutters tire tracks, continuing to try to find the opening to take the point. The pair diced through traffic as Johnson closed in on the pair, the trio was locked up I a heated battle until Johnson made his way to the lead, one he would never relinquish. Lutters and Crane would continue to jockey for the runner-up spot and Crane finally made the pass stick on lap thirteen. Kinsley Kansas’s Darren Bowman who had been holding down the fourth spot had stayed within striking distance most of the race. Bowman had made his way to Crane and dogged him for several laps until picking up the runner-up spot on lap eighteen.

Liberal Kansas’s Jason Martin had worked his way to the fifth spot and was in hot pursuit of Brian Herbert. The pair battled for several laps until Martin made the pass for fourth stick on lap twenty. Young Guns Tanner Mullins and Taylor Milton had been locked together as they had come through the field turned up the pressure on fifth place Herbert, the pair finally made their way past Herbert on lap twenty two and set their sites on Martin.

The race for second place heated up as Bowman and Crane were doing everything they could to catch Johnson as they diced around traffic. Meanwhile Martin had his hands full as Mullens and Milton continued to battle for the fourth position.  With one to go, Mullens and Milton made the pass to relegate Martin to the fifth spot. As the checkers flew it was Johnson picking up the win with Bowman, Crane, Mullens, Milton and Martin rounding out the top five.

The Keizer Aluminum Wheels “Hard Charger Award” was picked up by C J Johnson as he raced his way to the winners circle from his eighteen place starting position.

In the Last Chance Qualifier race, it was Ulysses Kansas's Father and Son duo of Jerry and Cody Caldwell who led the field to the green. Cody claimed the early lead as his father picked up the runner-up spot with Tyler Knight close in third. Knight took over the top spot on lap six with Cody Caldwell holding on the the second spot. Fowler Kansas's Ritchie Dewell and Hugoton Kansas's Barry Crane were the pair to watch as they worked their way through the field from their fifteenth and sixteenth starting postitions respectively. The pair had caught up to second running Caldwell by lap nine with Dewell grabbing the runner up spot on lap ten. Caldwell then was pressured by Crane for the third spot.

As the white flag was displayed for Knight a late caution flew for a spin in turn four. On the caution laps, Knight pulled off the track with mechanical issues setting up a green/white/checker shootout for the win. As the the green flew Crane made his move and jumped to the lead with Caldwell on his heels. Meanwhile Jeff Radcliffe put the heat on Dewell for the third spot. As the Checkers fell it was Barry Crane picking up his first URSS Feature win with Cody Caldwell, Jeff Radcliffe, Ritchie Dewell and Jerry Caldwell rounding out the top five.

A-Main:  

1-CJ Johnson (45X), 2-Darren Bowman (9B), 3-Barry Crane (30C), 4-Tanner Mullens (02), 5-Taylor Milton (91X), 6- Jason Martin (36), 7-Brian Herbert (97), 8-Ritchie Dewell (112), 9-Jeff Radcliffe (21R), 10-Tim Perkins (99), 11-Lance Davis (9D), 12-Keefe Hemel (11), 13-Josh Fairbank (51), 14-Jerry Caldwell (80), 15-Cody Caldwell (77), 16-Cody Salem (22), 17-Corey Lutters (07), 18-Ray Seemann (72), 19-Ken Lutters (79), 20-Ptrick Bourke (27), 21-Darren Berry (12), 22-Jon Johnson (86), 23-Smokey Fairbank (2), 24-Kirby Hagans (4)

Last Chance Qualifier:

1-Barry Crane (30C), 2-Cody Caldwell (77), 3-Jeff Radcliffe (21R), 4-Ritchie Dewell (112), 5-Jerry Caldwell (80), 6-Josh Fairbank (51), 7-Lance Davis (9D), 8-Willie Wynn (36W), 9-Van Kuhn (K3), 10-Randy Bantam (5R), 11-Craig Jecha (17X), 12-Tyler Knight (11K), 13-Reed Bernbeck (C3), 14-Don Steiben (6), 15-Michael Williams (77W), 16-Travis Decker (84T), 17-Justin Chaffin (69), 18-Cody Keiswetter (38), 19-Tyler Kraus (12T)