Patrick Bourke Wins 2009 URSS Wheatshocker Nationals Crown

Racing fans at the 2009 Ellis County Fair were treated to old-fashioned 30 lap, caution free finale as the United Rebel Sprint Series crowned their Wheatshocker Nationals Champion. Thirty-six teams pulled through the pit gate to do battle on the 3/8’s mile oval, battling for the final ten spots for the coveted $2,000 top prize. When it was all said and done, Gypsum Colorado racer Patrick Bourke took the win leading ever lap of the thirty lap Feature.

Liberal Kansas’s Ty Williams led the field to the green with Patrick Bourke taking the point with Williams, Taylor Velasquez, Darren Bowman and Ray Seemann rounding out the top five at the end of lap one. Saturday Preliminary Feature winner CJ Johnson quickly made his way to the fifth spot by lap four with Jason Martin in his tire tracks. Up front Velasquez and Bowman were locked in a heated battle for the runner-up spot as the pair looked to catch Bourke.

The battle for the fourth spot heated up with CJ Johnson and Ray Seemann jockeying for position, with Johnson finally taking the spot on lap nine. Back in the field, Keefe Hemel was steadily making his way through the field to the thirteen spot by lap ten. Hemel had made the feature after original outside pole-sitter Barry Crane experienced engine failure during the A Main hot lap session. Hemel was a man on a mission as he made his way through the field.

Up front Bourke continued to hold the lead as the field started to encounter lapped traffic.  Bowman took over the second spot on lap eleven as he made the pass on Velasquez for the position. Jason Martin had caught Seemann to battle for the fifth position, with Martin grabbing the spot on lap thirteen. Several laps later the battle for the third spot heated up with Velasquez, Johnson and Martin all searching for the chance to take the spot. The trio were bunched up for several laps before Martin found the opening he needed and took the third spot from Velasquez shuffling Johnson back to the fifth spot on lap twenty.

As the laps wore down, Bowman was desperately trying to catch Bourke to challenge for the lead. Bourke had his car set up to match the tricky conditions even though Bowman closed in on the leader as he wove his way through traffic, Bowman never could get close enough to mount a charge. Behind the leaders Hemel continued his way through the field making it to the eleventh position as the white flag was displayed. As the checker flag fell it was Bourke taking home the $2,000.00 winners check followed by Bowman, Martin, CJ Johnson and Velasquez rounding out the top five.

The United Rebel Sprint Series would like to thank the Ellis County Fair Association and the Staff of RPM Speedway for making the 2^nd Annual Wheatshocker Nationals a huge success again this year. Special thanks also goes out to the fans at RPM Speedway for helping the Greg Thyfault family through your generosity during the live and silent auctions both nights.

The Keizer Aluminum Wheels “Hard Charger Award” went to Keefe Hemel who charged his way from his twentieth starting spot to finish in the eleventh position.

Heat Race Winners were: #1-Taylor Milton, #2-Kirby Hagan, #3-Cody Salem, #4-Taner Mullens

A-Main: 1-Patrick Bourke (27), 2-Darren Bowman (9B), 3-Jason Martin (36), 4-CJ Johnson (45X), 5-Taylor Velasquez (21), 6-Ray Seemann, (72), 7-Taylor Milton (91X), 8-Brian Herbert (97), 9-Ty Williams (1), 10-Tanner Mullens (02), 11-Keefe Hemel (11), 12-Smokey Fairbank (2), 13-Jon Johnson (86), 14-Corey Lutters (07), 15-Josh Fairbank (51), 16-Tyler Kraus (12X), 17-Ken Lutters (79), 18-Reed Bernbeck (C3), 19-Paul Flynn (92), 20-Kirby Hagan (4), Barry Crane DNS

Qualifier #1 – Top Five to Feature

1-Paul Flynn, 2-Corey Lutters, 3-Taner Mullens, 4-Smokey Fairbank, 5-Ken Lutters, 6-Randy Bantam, 7-Jeff Radcliffe, 8-Willie Wynn, 9-Lance Davis, 10-Don Steiben, 11-Justin Pack, 12-Shawn Radcliffe, 13- Cody Salem

Qualifier #2 – Top Five to Feature

1-Taylor Milton, 2-Josh Fairbank, 3-Kirby Hagan, 4-Reed Bernbeck, 5-Tyler Kraus, 6-Keefe Hemel, 7-Tyler Knight, 8-Craig Jecha, 9-Blake Bogenhagen, 10-Bill Hays, 11-Troy Edwards, 12-Cody Keiswetter, 13-Chad Salem